Kye & Pepper

Taking advantage...

2011-04-16T19:02:00.000+01:00

Of the nice weather we've had recently! Mum's been taking us on extra walks (she also cut my and Pep's food down.. said we had to get fit for Easter!) after work. We've been to Greaves Park a good number of times recently, which I really like.

But the best trip was when Mum took us and Dad to the beach! We've not been there for AGES!!! Mum took her camera and Dad took the ball thrower so we got to run around lots!

Mum likes this one cos I'm in true 'Wonky Dog' look... She things I look silly and laughs! I think SHE looks silly

Peps got rather wet but that didn't put her off wanting the ball! I kept telling her it was mine but she didn't listen

Dad made us line up for this one.. we didn't do very well with the 'Wait' part though....

Once Mum and Dad had enough of the beach we went back and had fish and chips. Well, THEY had fish and chips.. we just had a small bit of fish when they were full! After lunch we had a stroll in the park before finally heading home. I just hope we got to go back again soon!

Fun two weekends - despite Mum's poorly foot!

2011-02-24T06:42:00.002Z

Mum had a lazy Sunday 2 weekends ago... it was a bad idea. She spent so long watching telly that when she went to stand up her foot had gone to sleep! Poor Mum stood on her foot sidesways a couple of times while trying to get to the chair and not fall over! She was not happy! And, despite resting it as much as she could, she wasn't fit for Agility training the next weekend

Mum was not happy one bit, as it was with a special guest trainer and she really wanted to go. So DAD stepped in.. and ran Tazzy AND Pep-weps! Mum was very impressed with both dogs running for their Dad. I don't like agility so stayed in the van...BUT I got an extra special walk with NAN on Thursday, all by myself (well, apart from Nan's friends dog... but none of OUR dogs) and that made up for it. Peps had a haircut that day.. Ha-ha!

Peps did really well. Her weaves are coming along nicely.. Mum was very happy to see how much she had improved since last time. Mum thinks having a set at home is really helping Peps. Peps still missed her contact looking back for Dad but Mum said she was doing better.. she didn't come off as early.

This weekend Mum and Dad went to agility on Sat (yups, I was in the van again) but just for an hour. Mum ran Taz and Dad ran Peps. Mum get all confused trying to do some front crosses but Taz DID do what she asked (even if she did get lost and ask him to do the wrong thing!). Mum had a better time with the next exercise, and got Taz to do some really nice direction work to go in the 'wrong' side of the tunnel. Dad did really well with Peps at both and seemed to enjoy it despite the weather.

Sunday was WAY better.. Cos it was FLYBALL and I DIDN'T STAY IN THE VAN!!!! Mum's foot was still sore, so Nan came and ran Peps and had her best show ever! She was crossing with Bree who's super quick but Nan managed some very tight crosses (even Richard pulled some faces!) got lots of sub22s and WON the div!

Taz had a go too and Mum said he did well and he got a first place too... but MY go was the best by far! Mum get my friend Ashley to race me while she stood on the line to make sure he was doing it right. I was a very good boy and didn't look at her once. Mum didn't say much in the morning but by the afternoon Ash had lost his voice and I was sticking on the box, waiting for Richard to maybe give me a second ball to try? He never did and Mum started shouting me back so I stopped asking.

Anyway we did really well and won all 4 of our races. Except the team we raced last ALSO won all 4 of their races! So it was down to the last race. We won the first two but they swapped a dog and we lost two.. so down to the last leg.

We got a dead heat! Both teams ran 22.75. So we re-ran the leg and this time I missed the ball! Mum was shouting at me to go over the jumps.. she didn't have to tho, I knows my job by now! Still, we thought we'd lost... but the other team got lights! So we won!

Catchup

2011-01-16T17:51:00.000Z

A new year, a new blog.. well, hopefully a more active blog! I've been so busy it's fallen by the way side. Rather than trying to fill in the gaps I thought I'd do a looking forward view instead:

Kye

Kye is well on track for his Gold flyball award so hopefully we will see that at some point this year. No real aims with Kye; he know's his job at flyball and loves it 110%. We gave him another go at agility and he's still not showing any love for the sport so I'm not pushing it with him.

We seem to have found a diet that works really well - almost too well, he's a touch over what I'd like him to weigh but I'm sure that will come off once he's working again.

We've managed to afford some extra swimming sessions with Kate @ Splashy Pups in Sheffield this year and Kye nearly has me over each time we attempt the slope in her garden to the pool! He still spends more time trying to soak the ceiling than swimming but the work we do get from him is better... he found he has back legs!

Kye's also got a bit more forward in his attention seeking these days.. he will actually spend time curled up on the sofa with me now and even asks to come up rather than having to be invited.

Pep-Weps

Peps got moved up a team this year so is has been doing rather well for herself at Flyball and should pick up her Flyball Dog Advanced this year. My mum has been doing a lot of work running Peps in competitions and is starting to feel more confident running her in a faster team. We're planning to get the change-overs more consistent this year and hoping the softer balls will help Peps catch the ball better from the box.

Agility wise I'm hoping to get to a few shows this year.. my aim is to get a clear round with Peps this season. We've managed one when we went NFC and one round with 5 faults so we'll have to keep trying. Also for this year are weaves and getting Peps to jump her proper KC height more consistently. We're fine at BAA height, but KC she still slips under so one for training.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

2010-05-28T06:27:00.001+01:00

Mum and Nan took us to the caravan this weekend! It was great cos it was really hot and sunny and I gots to go in the sea lots to cool off. Mum told me off though, cos I broke some kids ball (how was I supposed to know they make some really thin with air in?)

Mum took a load of pics with her camera

I love the sea!

I found a rock to swim too...

... and back from!

We played ball on the beach....

I normally won

Pepper had fun too...

So did Taz

We all had a great time! Can't wait to go again.

Sutton Fields

2010-05-18T14:12:00.001+01:00

Mum managed to get half a day off work so we headed up on the Friday afternoon. We called in at a friends on the way and went for a nice walk with Ember and Rodney (who used to be Mum's Harley). Embers mum took her camera and got some nice pics of us all

Playing ball in the field.. Rodney on the left, Ember in the middle of Kye and Taz

Playing in the next field.. Ember on the left, Rodney on the right

Taz watching the ball....

A rather soggy Pep-Weps...

Me and Peps looking rather good together...

Anyway, after all that we went to flyball. Mum wasn't too keen on sleeping so close to the M56 but it wasn't too bad... at least we had power this time! Mum ran sky in the Saturday while we had the day off. Sunday me and Peps ran but in different teams! So Mum got to run us both for a change.

Mum wasn't feeling too well to begin with and found it quite hard to get change overs with Peps so ran her from closer up than normal as she was getting too large change overs. When it was my turn she kept getting lights! Think Mum needs to do some more training, not us! We both came away with forth place in the end but Mum was happy with that cos we got both EV and Willow running in the comp.

We have the weekend off this time and Mum's taking us to the seaside with Nan! Hoping for some good weather and pics.. will be fun to find out what Taz thinks of the sea!

The garden plan - Phase Two

2010-05-09T15:50:00.000+01:00

Right here we go...

Wednesday garden looked like this:

By Friday it was looking a bit different....

Saturday we'd made some progress....

Sunday... All done!!! Well, apart from the beds needing planting up, but not sure what to put in them as yet...

The herb table is doing well.. also has an addition of a bay tree taken from the front pot which wasn't doing well. Hopefully will do better here

The plants from the other side of the garden he got new homes too! Am hoping they won't mind too much... but they have to choices! (Grow or be compost)

We need more POWER! AKA Drax..

2010-05-05T06:42:00.000+01:00

Yes, despite being next to a power station, Mum had numerous power issues over the weekend!

It started with her battery pack (brand new) refusing to charge up. Then one of her 2 lanterns refused to charge. Saturday saw us all set up (complete with new garden), Mum in the tent with a glass of wine... when disaster stuck! Her 'charged' lantern lasted all of 5 mins and plunged her into darkness with half a glass still to go! Thankfully she finished it in the dark with no great difficulty but was annoyed all the same.

Roll on Sunday and, despite having at least half battery power if not more, Mum's phone turned itself off! The only way she could get it to come back was to take the battery out and put it back but a few mins later it was off again. Eventually even that stopped working. Thankfully, come Monday it turned back on and stayed on all day... very odd!

Anyway, aside from the power issues and the weather, which was very cold and occasionally wet and/or hail-stoning, we didn’t do too badly! Pepper and I managed to come second on Sunday, I got 3rd and Pepper came 4th on Monday too. The rest of the teams did well on the whole (I think Mum lost track of who’s done what!). Pepper and my team managed to run 20 seconds dead on one leg… Aunty Paula says she wants us to go sub 19 so Pepper needs to get her feet going! And Mum says I got to stop dawdling on the way back… who? Me? Never!

The garden plan - Phase one

2010-04-25T06:49:00.001+01:00

Well, Mum's first attempt to fix the garden didn't go quite so well... The fence she has up to stop us tearing the grass up and brining all the mud in started to fall down. So she's going for option 2.. no grass!

Garden as it was at the start of yesterday

Mum decided to make a start on sorting out the shrub bed that she wants to keep. We like it cos it's great for Pepper and Taz to ambush each other!

Mum took out the hudge spikey thing! She said it was too big and cutting all the light out. That's WHY we liked it Mum!

Now it looks like this! Much less fun! Mum says once it's flowered she's going to take the broom out cos it's too big, and replace it with some Hebes! I'm not sure I like Hebe enough to want her to stay! She'll steal my ball! Mum also wants to put some 'anti weed' stuff down and some bark stuff... THAT could be fun....

Mum also got a new toy.. a big spikey thing for cutting wood! It's very loud and Mum banned us from the garage when it was on.. Tho we're 'banned' from the garage anyway so not much new there. But she shut the door this time and everything!

So far the fencing has turned into this: Mum says it's not finished yet and she hasn't buried it properly cos she needs to move the plants first. She's going to make at least another one, maybe 2.

The main reason she took so long was she had to go collect her 'circle'. Mum said this pic is just for show, cos she was trying to see if it would fit. It should be yellow with red bricks but it needs cleaning. She's only put one slab of the outside ring down but it's got the full set to go around the outside. Apparently it's an 'eBay bargin' as it only got Mum £45.. instead of £160 for a new one!

Mum also did a bit of work the other day and re-potted the 'herb garden' - although two of these are wild strawberry plants. Mum has to keep these on the table cos Pepper gets annoyed with the strawberry plant when it runs out and shreads it...

Mum also moved her corkscrew hazel into a pot.. apparently they can do a lot of damage to houses with their roots.. and it was right next to our house! Mum isn't sure it will take to being in a pot that well, but better that than no house! She also got 4 japanese maple trees, a red, a green, an orange and a green and cream! They're only baby ones but were a bit of a bargin!

Finally a shot of us supervising.. or doing kangaroo impressions if your name is Taz.....

Mum got a new toy...

2010-04-22T20:24:00.000+01:00

a snazzy new ickle camera.. and she's been taking pics of other dogs with it and not us! Most unfair!

And she says we got flyball this weekend... but she can't take pics of us cos she can't run us as well.. silly Mum!

She has bought me a new mat for my cage though to stop my sliding around when she goes round courners.. it's much better now!

Carlton Towers (Easter Weekend)

2010-04-06T20:12:00.002+01:00

Friday:

Mum banished me and Pepper to the front room and Dexter to his crate. Lots of loud noises, fluffy stuff, wood, shiney stuff heading out the door. My crate got kicked out of the van. Mum got the power drill out and after much fuss managed to fit 2 of the ply-lying panels in the van! Well, one, the other didn't fit so it got wedged in with my crate. At least it made it back in! Short walk around the park with Pepper. Dex got a seperate walk, even shorter

Saturday:

More van work. This time a trip to B&Q, Peppers crate getting pulled out in the middle of the car park (thankfully we were at home so she wasn't in it!) and a large board stuck on top of my crate. Que another round of dog-lock-up, more drilling, and all our stuff being re-arranged in boxes on top of the shelf on my crate.Apparently it also hold the peice of ply wood more in place too. Another short walk, with Dex taken on his own. Don't think Mum trusts us. Mum and Dad disappeared. Only Mum came back.

Sunday:

Finally! Something fun! Early start, piled into the van at some silly hour. Wait for Mum to get ready. Wait for the drive to be over. Wait to get taken out the van.
Worth the wait - it's FLYBALL!! Something odd though. Mum's taken me AND Pepper out the van to race. Don't understand. Get to ring and Aunty Paula lines me up! I went and got my ball and went to find Mum.. who's racing Pepper! Mum nearly fell over me but says thankfully I'm so big it's actually quiet hard to do. I worked out I should go back to Aunty Paula the next time. It's ok, she also has another tennis ball for me.

Long day, lots of racing. Mum took Dex around the show. He said there were lots of people and CHIPS! Mum didn't bring ME any chips. Dex says Mum didn't let him have many either, once she spotted him eating them off the floor. Drive home, went to sleep, got woken up and put back in the van. Went to Dad's family house. LOTS of people.. more than normal. wasn't sure about man with walking stick. Dad's brother not sure of me. Lots of other people not sure about any of us. Ran around the garden a bit. Lots of food in the kitchen but no one wanted to share. Back in the van with Dad to go home.

Monday:

Another early start and Nan came! I love Nan. More flyball, this time with Mum, and me running first! I likes running first but I gets tired if we have too many lights. I gets more turns though! Both Peppers and my team did well, we both won! Nan ran Pepper most of the day and seemed to have fun. Mum got Dex two tuggy toys in team colours. He really seems to like them. I'll stick to just my ball, thanks, and Pepper says she'll keep her chicken!

Training day pics

2010-04-03T19:28:00.002+01:00

One of our Agility club members, Toni-Marie Hudson, is a very good photography and artist. She managed to get some wonderful shots of Kye, Dexter and me during the training day which she kindly has allowed me to share with you.

Rother-Drax

2010-03-29T18:23:00.002+01:00

Well, we had a busy weekend this weekend! First, Pepper had an agility training day with someone called Alistair Bray. He made her and mum work extra hard but they had great fun, and Mum was dead impressed with how well Pepper was doing her contacts on the dog walk and the A-frame by the end of the day. Still need to work on those none-solid jumps tho.. Pepper thinks she should sneak under some to get to the tunnel faster! Can't say I blame her, tunnels are great!

Dexter and I went on a walk before Mum took Pepper to agility. Dexter wasn't moving quite right, so Mum took him for Aunty Kate to look over. She said he'd pulled a muscle a bit, so he's on lead walks and cage rest for a few days, till he goes for a swimming lesson and a check-up on Thursday. He's REALLY not happy about not being allowed out to play! Me and Pepper aren't keen either... we're not fond of crying puppies.

Sunday was good fun though.. we went to flyball!! Seems like AGES since we last went!

Both Pepper and I were on new teams, though we were still running under or 'right' team names. I don't run with Max any more, instead I'm playing with Sky, Bess, and ever-faithful Zappa. Sky doesn't like me much though, so Mum had to be careful about where she lined up, and not move me across too soon, in case Sky decided to take objection.

Either way, and despite a total hickup in one leg, when Sky fumbled, Bess got called back and sent down again (much to her confusion) so she wouldn't get a light, Sky refusing to be caught and Mum not able to let me go till she was, we went on to win the division!

Pepper's team did well too, Pepper had a bit of a run in with Max coming back down her lane once, but everyone was very good at Max-catching so that didn't happen again. Mum suggested running Pepper 3rd.. but that didn't work well either as Pepper got a bit scared when changing close to Max and dropped her ball! Still, the team got it right, came away with 3rd place, and Pepper managed to do a 6 second dead run in her final race of the day! Not bad going!

Off to Carlton Towers next weekend, more flyball fun!

I found out what the jumping was for....

2010-02-20T17:55:00.001Z

It was for this little monster!

His name is Reivermorada Derwent Devil but Mum calls him Dexter. He has his own blog and everything!

Mum brought him home last Saturday and I was not impressed! I spent the rest of the day AND the whole of Sunday sulking and growling at it whenever it came near me! Esp as it went to MY vets on Sunday and people ignored ME to say hello to it!

Since then tho I've come around a bit. It's nice to have someone to play with. Kye tries, but he's not very good at doggy play. Kye's also a bit scared of the puppy, but don't tell him I told you that!

Now I spend a lot of my time on 'babysitting duty', keeping an eye on him, telling him off sometimes. Like this morning when he wanted to get up and no one else did, so I growled and barked at him to be quiet. But most of the time we spend together we're doing this:

We is in the 'Woes'

2010-02-13T07:35:00.000Z

Not a good time for us!

Last week we went on a big woods walk.. 16 dogs, lots of woods and water and lots of fun! Sadly it didn't go quite to plan. I got confused cos some nice lady was waving a ball around calling 'Kai' and I thought she meant me! Turned out she meant her dog, Kaizer, who doesn't like other dogs so when I went bounding over trying to play Kai bit me! Mum had to wash my face with salt water for a few days. It stings!

Then Mum was fussing Pepper last night and found a lump on her ear! Pepper isn't too bothered, unless someones poking it but Mum's said she'll take her to the vets to be sure. Peps even had pics taken to show it off! Mum didn't take any pics of MY cut! *sulks*

Pepper say's she'll let you all know how she gets on

A new kind of jumping

2010-01-17T18:51:00.001Z

Well Mum was awful busy today, despite having TWO lie ins! Me and Kye let her stay in bed till 630! Then we made her get up for our breakfast. Afterwards she went back to bed and didn't get out till 930!!!! What is the world coming to!

After that she went out without me and Kye and came back with shopping bags... and 2 new crates!! I is very puzzled! Mum and Dad then spent ages re-arranging the van. Mum went out AGAIN and came back with a large piece of wood and drilled some holes in it. Then disappeared to the van.

All this time MY crate was sat in the hallway. But after the board went out, so did my crate. Mum came back and put my lead on and took me outside. My crate's in the sky!! Mum lifted me in and out a couple of times, then tried to get me to come out on my own. I didn't like it much I can tell you!

Mum CHEATED and got my tuggy toy out! So after a bit I slid out. It wasn't as far as I thought! Plus there's carpet on the floor I land on AND my tuggy toy was there to play with. Mum did this a couple more times till I decided there was nothing to it. Then it was time for me to jump IN....

I really didn't think Mum meant it! I can't jump that high! Well, Mum had other ideas so she got me to jump up onto our wall a few times. I thought that was Easy! Then mum made it harder cos she had me stop on top of the wall!

Mum then took me back to the van and helped me up just a little bit. I got the idea, but it's hard from a standstill! Mum then moved me back so I could have a run up which made it much easier! We did it a few more times with me fetching my tuggy out the van. So now I is good at getting in my high up cage.

My only question is... WHY is it now high up, on top of another cage?

Happy New Year

2010-01-13T06:30:00.002Z

From me and Pepper!

Mum says we're having a quiet start to the year, but it should be fun, and busy in the summer.

There's plenty of flyball comps on the table, and Pepper's got her agility to learn (I've still not decided about it all.. I think I'd much rather have my tennis ball!)

Mum's planning a break away to the caravan with Dad, so Nan will have to come house sit us again! Yeay! And hopefully Mum'll take us up to the caravan to go in the sea too!

Pepper and me have had some great walks in the snow. Mum's fed up of it now though, she fell over on the ice and hurt her back this morning. So she's not best pleased.

Mum also keeps mentioning a surpise for us this year.. I dunno what she's on about, but if it has anything to do with her fixing the front room door so I can't poke it open any more I don't like it!

Maybe it's our new blog layout?

I'm NOT dreaming of a white xmas..

2009-12-28T10:47:00.006Z

Cos we HAD one!!!!

It was great fun, tho Mum didn't take us out in it for the first few days, cos she was at work and Dad was home to look after us. Mum said she didn't want to get stuck with the van and have to worry about how to get us home too, so we let her off.

Xmas eve was different tho, cos Dad went to see his family. Mum took us to work and we had TWO walks in the snow! Mum's boss was exctra nice and let her go home early after the second walk as well so we were all tucked up waiting for santa.

Mum made Pepper wear her jumper in the morning as it was very cold! Pepper didn't think so tho, she jumped in the stream WITH her jumper on! I'm glad mum knows I get too hot and doesn't give me a silly jumper. But then Pepper complains she cold if she's not got it on.. there's no pleasing some creatures!

As you can see, me and Pepper had some races.. I let her win a couple cos she has smaller legs than me.. but she's still pretty quick!

Then mum took a couple of funny ones of Pepper

She even got quite an 'arty' one of me too.. I'm normally too busy to be caught posing like Pepper!

Mum took us off to Nans for the rest of the day, although we had to stay in the van as the pub doesn't let doggys in. Silly pub. Still, Mum gave us some tripe filled hooves, so after all the running around and eating we went to sleep!

PS that Santa bloke, brought us some new name tags and told Mum to let us go swimmining again!

'It's All About MEEEEEEEEEE!'

2009-12-15T05:58:00.017Z

Mum's found me a new game to play! It's called Agiliteeeeeee and is All About Me! I has to run very fast, jump lots of jumps, go in dark, scary tunnels (I laugh at these, HAH!), on tricksy see-saws and dog walks and all sorts of things.. it's Great!

Mum isn't very good though, she keeps getting left behind. Am sure she'll get better. Here's some pics of MEEE being a star, and my new freind, Sky.

Me and Sky first

I laugh at tunnels.. HAH!

I can Fly!

Mum keeps TRYING to make me wait..

I pefer to run though...

Even Kye's had a go, but he's in the fun class, cos he doesn't like it as much as me

Our Mum's Useless!

2009-12-13T17:29:00.005Z

Not done us any updates for AGES!!!

Well, we've been fairly busy.. our team hold two flyball comps, one in October, one in November. They were fun, but Mum found them quite hard work, what with racing us and making people lots of drinks, and all the rubber matting that needed fixing...

On the plus side Mum's got us a new mode of transport.. we have our very own VAN! I have a nice big crate, much bigger than my last one. Ignore the silly white stuff on it, mum was trying to stop it rattling so much. Pepper has her own crate too, but her's is much smaller, so sometimes she sneaks into mine with me. Mum says this is ok if we're not going very far, but I'm not too sure I like sharing...

We had a good trip out to Doncaster a couple of weeks ago, which was fun. It's always loud at Doncaster, but this time they had TWO rings instead of one! Surprisingly, not much louder really, but I got REALLY excited as was pulling Mum around a bit. I don't think she was very impressed.

Anyway, Pepper wants a word now...

August - where did it go?!?

2009-09-03T17:33:00.010+01:00

Just the highlights:

Scotland

Long drive but nice cream tea on the way
Lots of BBQ and birthday cake
Good weather for racing, if a touch warm for black dogs
Kye getting 1st and 2nd in Speeders team, jumping more than 7 inch for a change!
Pepper running well and starting to get the idea a bit more

Scarborough

Long drive but meant we missed most of the rain
Good play in the river and another cream tea
LOTS of fun on the beach
Too much BBQ and birthday cake
Shame we couldn't manage an icecream
Joined the 'Green Crocs' brigade

Champs

Lots of very quickly done washing
Lots of shopping, bought too much stuff
FLYING PEPPER PIC!!!
Dogs running well
Spacehoppers grazing in gardens 'the morning after..'
More BBQ and cream teas... and birthday cake...
AMASING div 1 racing
Great CJS goodie bags

Rotherham

Pepper getting a 1st and a very snazzy rossette
More Pepper pics
Kye sulking cos he stayed home

Drax

Madness of running two teams in two lanes with one box
Pulling muscle moving box
Kye winning in Striders
Spending a 'relaxing day' re-arranging the garage!
Being shouted at by Craig to move up
Being shouted at by Graig to move back
Almost catching Max
Being very glad of booking Tuesday off work

Pre-Panic Poetry

2009-08-07T05:59:00.005+01:00

Before we set off on the long drive...

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to me
We're off to Dundee
We must be flippin mental!
Happy birthday to me

Flyball Dog

If you like restful things
Like long Sunday lie-ins
Then please don't get a Flyball Dog

If you like your peace and quiet
Not going deaf through indoor riot
Then please don't get a Flyball Dog

If your not that into playing games
Or going hoarse from calling names
Then please don't get a Flyball Dog

If you don't want to drive for miles
To come face to face with collie 'Smiles'
Then please don't get a Flyball Dog

If you can't stand out in pouring rain
while lights are fixed in other lane
Then please don't get a Flyball Dog

If your not for practising crossing on the line
For what seems the hundredth time
Then please don't get a Flyball Dog

If, on the other hand
All of the above sounds just grand
PLEASE DO GET A FLYBALL DOG

(You won't be disappointed)

Pets @ home flyball box

2009-08-03T05:22:00.002+01:00

This is my PERSONAL opinion, as someone who has done Flyball with a trainer for over a year.

I spotted this at the weekend and had to go back to the shop 3 times before deciding to buy one. It 'sounded' too good to be true - a flyball box for £15, when real ones go for around £150 second hand! Not to mention that I was looking at investing in a proper chute (flyball box that doesn't have the ball fireing part) for £160ish when OH lost his job.

The bad

Firstly; the ball is VERY had to get to stay in the slot. Both the tennis ball it comes with (a hard one) and my own rubber ones roll out really easily. It's difficult to get the catch back, and the whole thing once primed makes a lot of racket when triggered and there's a fair bit of motion on it.

Secondly; frankly I'm SCARED they've put this in Pets@home, for people with no training to try to use. ESP with the pic of a lab on the box. I'd be reluctant to put anything bigger than a small collie on it as I don't think it would take the weight. There is NO guide on the box at all about the size of dog that can us this. Also the surface area isn't huge, and I think a lot of dogs would struggle to get feet on.

If people do manage to get their dog to use it despite the noise they are only going to teach them to do so using a front paw or two. This creates a 1 pawed or 2 pawed slam when done at proper flyballing speed, and can be a cause of injury to flyball dogs.

The good (kinda)

BUT...

For what I want it for it's good. I wanted something to teach Pepper a nice turn on. Even when not primed the box still has a bit of movement to it, very similar to our own box in fact. I would NOT want to use it if our team used a boomerang box but we don't so it's fine.

Again, I've had Pepper trigger it and yes, she did catch the ball. But it was much more of a 'catch or get smacked in the face' action, esp with the one whole in the middle. As my training involves only throwing the ball when Pepper's feet touch the board properly this isn't an issue for us.

It's very easy to set up and put away. I can see the 'catch' parts that hold it in place getting worn quite easily, but the whole thing is a stopgap till I can afford a proper chute.

I put a couple of bricks in front of it as well, to hold it in place against the wall, and to encourage Pepper to jump onto it. It does say (tho in the training tips, NOT setup instructions) to use with 2 people to stop it moving.

We managed some very nice 3 footed and even a couple of 4 footed turns with me close up, and some decent 2 foots with me stood off slightly. The 4 foots a new thing for Pepper to do at home. The fact that it HAS a smallish area is probably an advantage to us, as it should help to teach Pepper quite a tight turn.

In conclusion

If you have a small dog (Pepper is just under 10kg. I'd say a cocker spaniel would manage fine, not sure about anything much over 15kg tho) and want to practise box turns at home without spending a small fortune then this isn't a bad place to start. If you have a medium dog, I'd stay away. And as for it being sold to the unknowing public... be afraid!

This item has been discussed on a flyballing website and had been sent to a member of the committee for investigation/comment. Even without the British Flyball Associations disapproval, I don't see it being long before someone tries it with a big dog and sues for injury. So if you have a light flyball dog and you want to practise I'd suggest getting one sooner rather than later

Just a quick one...

2009-07-28T11:59:00.003+01:00

Well, we went to the seaside but never saw the sea! How mean of Mum was that!?

Mum and Nan took us up to the caravan on Friday night. The roads were nice and clear despite it being a Friday so it didn't take too long. Nan drove, as Mum had been at work all day. I thought we'd just gone up for another trip to the seaside at first but turned out we were racing.

Both Pepper and me got to race on the Saturday. The weather was quite hot when the sun was out, but thankfully the clouds kept coming over as there wasn't any water around to cool off in and Mum hadn't brought the paddling pool this time.

I was racing first and did good, not slowing down during the day, despite the heat. Mum made me get a few lights but that was cos Aunty Paula told us to move up closer. Max thought he should be racing even more than the rest of us, so kept taking off and not letting anyone catch him.

Pepper's team was up next and she was sharing a place with Pip for the day. Mum was really happy with how she ran as she didn't have any problems on either lane. Nan decided she wasn't going to run Pepper as the other ring was right next door and it was very distracting having dogs race on both sides. Pepper ran out once, but this was when Shep was coming back and she'd never crossed with Shep before and Aunty Paula thought Aunty Karen was in Pepper's way a bit too.

We didn't do much at all on Sunday. The Speeders were racing so we stayed in the car. Seeing as how it was raining on and off we were happy to be there. Sadly this meant we didn't get to go on the beach on the way home, but we was both sleepy anyway.

Mum now only has 2 weeks left to get everything ready for the Scotland/Scarborough/Champs trip. Including getting us both fit enough to race two days in a row! So lots of chasing balls up and down hills for us!

I've been having fun...

2009-07-21T12:28:00.002+01:00

And causing Mum a few headshakes along the way!

We've been pretty busy with one thing and another. Again. Both me and Kye gots Kennel cough so were out of action for all of June. Thankfully we didn't miss all that much, and we're back to full health in time for even more madness!

Mum and Dad went away for a few days, leaving us at home with Nan. We had some nice walks and were generally made a fuss of.

First up was my very first comp out of netting, at Newarks 'Dogs Unleashed' show, where Mum's team were hosting the flyball. It was really hot and busy. Kye ran on the Saturday, and I ran on Sunday. I did really well the first leg, but didn't like the blue lane much so went around the jumps. Then found some cheese and didn't want to go through the gate at all.

I did much better in the afternoon, and somehow we won the div! It was a good weekend, I gots to play in a pool with tons of toys and had a go at some agility stuff too.. including the A frame and dogwalk I'd not done before!

We got home late Sunday and Kye wasn't his normal self. Mum put it down to him being tired (we all were!) but on Monday he didn't want to go up or downstairs which isn't like him. He likes to follow Mum around (I prefer to follow Dad most of the time). Mum took him to see Kate on the Friday, who said she thought he'd tweaked his shoulder but by that time he was doing much better.

A good job really, as we were racing again that weekend! We were at Rotherham on Sunday, so nice and local. A good job really, as it turned out to be a VERY long day. Kye ran well, and he managed a 3rd place. I ran all over the place (I got confused, we had just done 2 races in the blue lane, Nan was trying to get me to run for her and I thought I needed to go get the ball from that side!) but we still managed to win again! I like winning!

Last Friday we went to Kate's for Hydrotherapy again. Kye wanted a second go when I was swimming and tried to jump on off the ramp! Mum had to catch him before he made it in there!

We're off to Scarborough this weekend, for yet more Flyball! Nan's planning on coming as well, and Mum and her have a 'Plan' to get me to run for her as well. August is just plain MAD for Flyball, am not sure how Mum's going to fit it all in! Will try to post something about it (esp the Dundee-Champs trip) but may take some time!

Where does the time go?

2009-05-14T07:23:00.007+01:00

Been super busy of late, so thought we'd best give you a quick update.

We did rather well at Drax last bank holiday. Nice, sunny weather on the Saturday, Mum managed to get her tent up with minimal help this time. Lots of good racing AND they had paddling pools! which I thought were great, but needed to be slightly bigger. Anyway, between them and the hose pipe I kept my cool and we won the race! The other team that ran that day also won as well!

Sunday wasn't as much fun. It was windy and Mum kept worrying about the tent. So much so, she bent a load of tent pegs trying to stop it from disappearing! We weren't racing so spent most of the day snoozing in the car. Mum was still busy helping with other teams though, and they managed to both come second!

Monday was the best day. Nan came! Despite a little confusion earlier on, Nan found a team to race Pepper with, so we didn't see all that much of her. Pepper and Nan did well though, and gained a well-deserved 3rd place! It was Nan's first time racing, and Mum wasn't around to help (in fact Mum kept hiding from Pepper so she didn't distract her) so she did extra well!

We managed to come 3rd, with our other team (in the same group!) managing 4th. Lots of fun trying to race all the dogs with not enough people! Thankfully other teams helped us when we raced each other, though Jack thought he'd play his own game of 'Visit the Box Judge'. The super fast team won their group.

The following weekend we had a trip to the seaside with Nan. Just a short trip though, as Mum couldn't get the time off work. Still, we had lots of nice weather, and managed to miss to rain. Nan and Mum had lots of nice meals or so they told us, not the WE saw much of this 'nice food'.

Although the fish was good on the Friday.
Mum took us to Aunty Paula's field on Tuesday. We did some box work and some agility! Pepper did more of this than me. She even had a go on the see-saw! I stuck to doing tunnels and jumps.

The next morning we went around the woods. Mum made us pose for a couple of pics, so here they are. That's about it for now!

Mum's 'Day Off'

2009-04-18T13:44:00.011+01:00

Mum's off work today. It's the weekend and I'm glad it is cos Dad's gone away and left me! I was all by myself on friday, except when Mum came home and played ball with us for 20 mins.

Mum took my and Kye swimming again last night. She even managed a couple of pics from her phone, but they is a bit blurry! I had lots of fun, and spent 25mins swimming. I had the jets on loads too! Kye didn't swim as long, or have the jets on as much but the lady said we were both getting much better muscles (when Kye wasn't cheating and leaning on her!).

Mum then had fish for tea. She don't usually cos Dad don't like it. It smelled very nice, but Mum was being mean and didn't let us have any. She did eventually give us our tea tho. We had venison mince-meat and chicken wings. I've decided I like venison, but i don't like rabbit mince one bit. We was very sleepy after all that swimming so had an early night.

Today Mum's hovered up, done the pots and done some washing. Me and mum went to the shop to post a letter and get some money. We had a nice lady come around to see me and she gave me a hair cut! I has smooth legs and ears and no more tufty bits. She was much better at it than Mum is. (Mum hoovered up after I'd had my trim)

Mum then shot off as she remembered her parcel. She only just made it to the post office before they closed and the lady didn't seem too happy but never mind! Mum now has TWO lamps for when we go camping again. I hope it's soon, camping with Mum is fun.

Mum then got some 'Power Tools' out of the garage and made me and Kye wait in the house. Apparently they can be bad for doggys. She's making some sort of jump thing, but said they are for the garden, not for us dogs to jump over. she finished one and stopped for lunch.

After lunch Mum finished off the other two boards and set to work hacking down all the dead plants and a bush she didn't like very much. I spent my time lying in the sun watching her get on with it (she let us out once the tools were away).

Once she'd finished all that she then started digging holes in the ground! I always get told off for doing that so I thought I'd best not try and help (thats my story and I'm sticking to it - Nothing to do with lying in the sun!)

Mum the put the boards she'd made in the holes and filled them back in again! I don't get people at all. Mum says she now needs some soil to fill up the 'raised bed' she's made, but doesn't have any. Why go to all that trouble then? I ask you! Humans!

I'm a Star!!

2009-04-18T08:48:00.014+01:00

I went racing again!

Sadly, it was only baby-racing but it was a lot different than last time. We was not in a hall but outside! On grass like we have at practise. And they had the strange orange net-stuff up like we sometimes do at practise too.

But they cheated and put it right up to the side of the jumps! How was I meant to prove I is a wonder-dog if I can't show them how well I am at not missing jumps? I ask you!

Anyways, we wents there and met up with our team. Including Billy, who's not done much practise before but I likes him. I keep telling him to play but he don't seem to know whats I want.

Mum got me all ready in my posh racing gear, had a bag of chicken and off we went! Every time she let me go I went and got my ball, brought it back and got my chicken. Is there a better way to spend the day? I don't think so!

There was also TONS of non flyball people there as well! Mum called them 'General Public' and siad they were here for a 'Game Fair'. She thought this might have put me off a bit, but I thought if they've come for a Game Fair they must be there to watch me play my best game! So I ran extra fast

Everyone else on our team ran really well too and we ended up in first place!

Kye-bear also went racing, but his team didn't do as well as me. Mum was still proud of him though cos he was racing with dogs he not raced wiv before and he didn't run out nearly all of both days. (he doesnt get the silly netting when he races)

"Oh I do like to be beside the seaside..."

2009-03-28T16:02:00.007Z

Mum was right! Nan DID come, and we DID go the the caravan! AND we got to go in the sea!

First night was pretty boring, Mum drove us all there, they spent ages unpacking. We managed to go a walk around the dog walk, and Mum and Nan throw the ball for a little while, but not all that long as it was getting dark.

We then had to sit in the car while Mum and Nan had fish and chips in the warm! But they left us some fish to have with our supper, so that was ok. It was really windy so I didn't sleep very well, but Pepper didn't seem to mind.

Woke Mum up nice and early at 615am. Really wanted the loo. She took both of us to the dog walk again, gave us breakfast... then went back to bed! The cheek! Got back up at 830 though so not too bad. Mum and Nan had boiled eggs for breakfast, then we all bundled into the car and went to Scarborough.

I was really excited as I'd been here before to do flyball. Mum said that we might be back again this year but it would be later. We went on the beach instead. It was really sunny but very windy too. The sand kept blowing in our eyes and faces on the way back. Mum took LOADS of pics, so can only put some on here

READY _____________________________________ GO!

High Speed Turns __________________________ And Away!

Who you looking at? _________________________ Made it back

I'm gonna get it this time! __________________ Failed! nice castle tho!

What you looking for? __________________ Found it!

Told Ya it needed a wash! __________________ Race you!

I win!! _________________________ The waves are chasing me!

Still beat ya! ________________________ Sea-Monster

Thirsty work _________________________ Quick cool off

I want a go! __________________ Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

Catch me then! __________________ Didn't want it anyway

After all that, Mum and Nan went for a pup lunch. We then had a second walk up near a castle and had a play with another German Shepherd cross rescue called Archie. We then headed back to the caravan for a rest before tea

Time for a rest ____________________________ I'm worn out!

Mum and Nan then put us in the car and drove to an Italian food place for tea. Mum said it was REALLY nice and plans to go back there again next visit. We were too busy sleeping to care.

Saturday we came home via Hornsea Freeport. Mum and Nan did a spot of shopping but got nothing fun for us and had another lunch in another pub. The weather wasn't nice though, the wind was still howling and it was raining as well so no one fancied going on the beach. Well, I would but no would take me.

Better luck next trip!

Disaster! Mum's making us PRACTISE

2009-03-25T20:11:00.003Z

Well, following on from my disasterous flyball efforts on Sat Mum thought I best get some training done! Someone should tell her that the lights weren't MY fault! (although running off the lane was... and yes, I know I did it more than once)

Mum says at least I wasn't a total muppet. We did at least manage to not have any shepherd-head episodes when I won't give the ball back, but my concentration was completely out. Mum said it was like I was back just out of starters all over again.

So far this week Mum spent about 10 mins with each of us on monday, practising 'Over' for off centre ball retriveal, and 'Turn' around a cone. Pepper really liked it till it wasn't her turn then she cried in the house till Dad told her off.

We'd not done any 'Turns' away from a box before, and I found it quite hard. Pepper has done 'Turns' in the floor in front of Mum before but not around a big object.

We both found doubling back quicker till Mum learned where the point of no return was for each of us was before actually throwing the ball. I'm sure this was wrong as we have to go further. Aren't these 'Turn's meant to make us quiicker?

We then had an hour walk (no ball in sight) in the park to unwind. Plenty of streams to play in, and we even found a young, large sandy coloured hunting dog of some kind who spent most of the walk being play-savaged by Pepper.

Had tuesday off altogether, didn't make it out with one thing and another.

We had about 5 mins at Mum's lunchtime today getting told to both to jump Over on command (and not, in Pepper's case, before she's called. Not good for agility Mum says, when she told Pepper and me to wait)

Dad also took us both out for an hour today with the ball chuckit and Mum was glad to to hear I appear to finally be back up to my 40-mins ball throwing level that I was at last summer. Looks like the hydrotharapy is helping after all :) I was down to 20 mins in Jan.

Mum says we're off to the seaside for a couple of days, so again no training, but plenty of running around. Nan's coming and apparently has got a 'frizbee' for us to try instead of a ball. Dunno what one is but I'm sure balls are better!

I hope Mum doesn't make us practise too much. Maybe a couple of times a week will do. I don't want to be so good she doesn't take me at to the club training any more!

Recipe For Successful Ball Retrieval

2009-03-06T17:40:00.005Z

In order to combat the amazing 'Shepherd Head' look at flyball competitions (that one where teeth are firmly clamped around tennis ball accompanied by that far-away gaze)

Step One:

Remove all humans who don't like fish.

Step Two:

Find a LARGE bowl

Step Three:

Mix together the following:

1 x tin of pilchards in tomato sauce
1 x tin sardines in tomato sauce
1 x large egg
1 x dollop of garlic paste
1 x large handful of grated cheese (optional)

Step Four:

Mix in porridge oats till mixture looks like a tomato flapjack paste

Step Five:

Spoon into mircowaveable flat dishes (ideally ones that spin around)

Step Six:

Cook on full power untill firm to touch. My dishes don't spin, so I split the mixture between 2 and swap them every 2 mins. Takes about 10 mins, depending how thick the mixture is.

Step Seven:

Leave to cool, slice and freezer any not needed in next two days

Step Eight:

Hold mixing bowl at head height and lick (the DOGS of course!)

NB: Do not attempt step eight with more than 2 dogs!

We gots a new TV!

2009-03-05T07:35:00.002Z

It's only got one channel.. called Mouse-TV but I think it's great!

There's these four boys, a black and white called Bandit, a grey (dove) and white called Toby a light brown (fawn) and white called Toffee and a strange 'broken Himilain' and white called Mr Smee!

Mum has to tweak the reception each morning by putting in something called 'Food' and 'Water' but these don't look like any of MY food or water so they must be different and technical.

Anyway, Toby is 'Da Boss' and he makes sure everyone knows it. They spend a lot of time runnning on 'wheels'. I wonder if that's what powers it cos I can't find a plug like all the other things have.

Mum says I can't post a pic on here cos not everyone likes mice (Like Aunty Paula) but said I CAN post links to pics for ppl brave enough!

Mr Smee
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t66/emderpenguin/Mice/Mice016.jpg

Bandit and Toffee
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t66/emderpenguin/Mice/Mice009.jpg

Bandit and Toby
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t66/emderpenguin/Mice/Mice013.jpg

SHE DEFUZZLED ME!!

2009-02-20T17:08:00.004Z

How DARE SHE???

SHE saids I was bringing too much mud into the house. AND that SHE was fed up of having to keep showing me. So SHE "Trimmed" my legs!

My beautiful, fluffy, feathery legs! GONE!

I've gone from this _________________________ To THIS!!

What was worst was SHE only did HALF of me before she left for work!

THEN SHE had the nerve to come do the OTHER side when she got home!

I am not talking to HER no more!

Pepper's Winter Adventures

2009-02-05T21:39:00.016Z

Allo Everyone

I is now one year old! I had my very first Bir-Fin-Day! Mummy said I had most of my prezzies at xmas. Being an xmas baby sucks! I did gets a brand new racing set tho! Mum gots me a collar, lead and harness for playing flyball! It's a nice dark red colour and says Viva! on it and has a dog that looks a bit like a spaniel in a hat on it too. Mum says it's Rogz's new design, so not many people have it yet.

Best of all was my Bir-Fin-Day tea. I gots my normal mince... AND a TURKEY LEG!! A WHOLE ONE!! Just for me! (Kye got one too tho)

As you can see it was VERY big! It took me AGES to eat it, but I did! Mum had to hold it for me a lot of the time tho, cos my teef isn't as big as Kyes.

Speaking of Kye, HE even had the cheek to try come and take my Bir-Fin-Day tea away from me! Just cos I'd put it down and gone away to get me a drink of water! Buts I growled ats him and told him it was MY bone. He shouldn't have eaten his own bone so fast!

Mummy managed to gets a pic of me glaring at him as well. I finks I look all big and grown up and scary in it. Well, I must be 'ard... I scared off a German Shepherd, and EVERYONE knows they're MEAN... Right?

Anyways, I won!

I is not gonna bore you (like Kye) by tellin you all the silly fings Mum did while she was on 'Oliday. Kye already done that. I dunno why, not like much of it included us having fun. I mean, what is a 'Tip' anyway? And why did Mum have to go THERE so much? And why couldn't WE go if it's so great?

What I REALLY wanna show you people is my new snazzy outfit! And my rosettes! I got TWO! And they match my new outfit. Mum was a bit slow but she finally got some pics of me posing. She says I'm good at doing that cos I always sit when she gets the camera out. What else am I meant to do?

As you can see, I IS very good at posing! I gots second in the starter pairs. This one they had that silly baby netting up all around the jumps! I didn't needs it one bit! And I proofed it! Cos I gots THIRD with my team! And we had no netting up and no wings and nufink stopped me getting my ball!

Not even the silly collie who came in my lane! I still gots my ball and gave it to mum. And she gave me chicken, so it seemed fair to me.

The other exciting fing that happened to me recently was dat it SNOWED!! Now, I have seen snow before. It did it last year, when I'd not been at Mum's very long. But THIS snow was different! It was MUCH deeper that last time. And much more FUN!!

As you can tell, it was a rather cold! So mum made my have my coat on. But I was happy about that, cos the snow sticks to my fur is I don't and my belly gets all cold!

I finks thats about all I have to tell you alls. Mum says we have lots more flyball comps this summer to go to, if her work let her have the right holidays. I tolds her I is more than happy to go down to her work and snuggle up to her manager - esp as Mum told me that she is allergic to animals! But Mum turned my offer down! I don't know why!

I'll wave you all bye bye for now, I'm off to play with Kye!

Holiday report

2009-01-31T20:13:00.003Z

Sat

Nan turned up with bacon sarnies. Sadly didn't bring us any though. Her and mum then disappeared to the tip.. twice! This got rid of the mountain of rubbish in Mum's garage. Mum disinfected the patio

Afternoon was much better as Mum took us both to Graves Park with Nan. Sadly no pictures. Mum made Toad in the Hole for tea. Again, we didn't get any!

Sun

FLYBALL! A very busy and long day for Mum. I spent a lot of time in the car, as did Pepper. We only managed to come 3rd in our division but Mum said she was very pleased with how I managed to come back over the jumps when I fumbled and the ball went wide one more than one occasion.

Mon

A quiet day for us. Mum has been busy though. First she's made a start on the mountain of washing, including all the kitchen towels, all the clothes from flyball, Pepper's bedding out of the car and all her and Dad's bedding.

Then it was the turn of the guinea pigs to have their cage cleaned, followed by a re-organisation of the drawers in the kitchen to put the clean towels away. Sadly this resulted in a pile of 'Things to find somewhere to live'

Next up she went on a mission to clear the table, which didn't seem to take too long. Mainly as most of the things on there were actually Dads, so she's piled them up somewhere else for him to sort out. Some of the remainder got put away, but the rest created a second pile of 'Things to find somewhere to live'

Mum and dad then went out to go see a film and called at the shops on the way back. Chinese for them for tea. Something else Mum won't let us have!

After that Mum thought she'd better make a start on the computer room. She did make some progress, and has got rid of a lot of things. That pile of rubbish has grown in the garage again.. Sadly she managed to create yet a third pile of 'Things to find somewhere to live'. The evil 'Hoover' appeared upstairs for a while. At which point she gave up for the day!

Tues

I wasn't feeling well. Mum could tell, cos I didn't eat my breakfast.

Mum disappeared early to 'the Dentist' and seemed to take for ever to come back! When she did she had new plastic boxes, proceeded to unpack the cardboard ones in the cupboard and refill the plastic ones with books! Oh, and she bought one too many boxes.

Nan then appeared! She didn't really come say hello to us though, as she was busy loading up the car again for another trip to the tip. Auntie Julie came over as well and both me and Pepper got shut away while mum and dad had their hair done. I thought that was mean, as I didn't get to say hello at ALL to Auntie Julie. Maybe next time.

Mum and Dad took us both for a walk on the back field. Again no pictures. Mum said this was cos it was raining a little bit and she didn't want the camera getting wet. Anyway, it was fun. I still wasn't feeling great, so didn't eat my tea either.

Wed

I ate my breakfast! Well, most of it. Mum was very happy cos she worries when I don't eat.

Nan came back with MORE bacon sarnies. Again we didn't get any. but we DID get a walk around Rother Valley! It was VERY wet and muddy. Pepper managed to get totally covered head to toe in mud. Mum forgot the camera and found the rubber ball does float. I found a football.

Mum and Nan were meant to go to the pics, but couldn't find anything they wanted to go and see. Mum went and got a lightbulb in her car fixed and Nan went home. I ate all my tea.

Thurs

I'm officially on the mend! Mum's happy I'm back to my normal self. Sadly, the same can't be said for her or Dad.

Dad had his op today and has been told by the docs he can't move around very much so Mum's having to fetch him drinks and food and stuff.

Mum spent most of the day cleaning the house. She couldn't even take us for a walk as she had to wait for the hospital to call and by the time they had it was too dark!

Mum's wanting a holiday to recover from this holiday!

Fri

Mum is TOTALLY useless at this camera milarcy! She forgot it AGAIN today! But at least we managed to get out for a walk. Mum didn't really do all that much today, think she's taking a break.

Anyway, something VERY exciting happened this evening. I went SWIMMING! We went to the nice lady's house who gave me a shower (which I wasn't too sure about) then put the float thing on me (which I wasn't to sure about either) and then walked up one ramp and down another (which I REALLY wasn't sure about!).... into a POOL!

It was really nice and warm. Best of all the lady had a ball! Which she kept moving in the water so of course I had to go and fetch it. I was paddling very high and making lots of splashes. Mum and Pepper weren't keen on me doing this as they got wet too!

The lady held my float so I couldn't splash as much. She also made me work to get the ball by holding me back! I didn't think this was very fair, but mum says it will help get me fitter for flyball. So that's OK. The nice lady let me have lots of rests too as I'd not done this before and found it quite tiring.

That is, till I got home! I felt all giddy and spent a good 10 mins playing with Pepper. After that I was quite sleepy.

Sat

An early start and blue clothing can only mean FLYBALL! Sadly for me I wasn't racing though! Mum didn't even think to take my harness!

Turns out it was Pepper's first competition. She actually did really well, so all them tips I've been giving her must have paid off. She came third in her division, and also managed to come second in starter doubles.

I managed to borrow a harness (thank you Auntie Karen) and ran in singles and doubles with Max but we didn't get any prizes. Mum didn't mind cos I'd not jumped at full height since the summer and only did it once then too. She did find that I runs half a second faster (even on slippy rubber matting) if I set off from the back instead of where I usually run from. So her and Paula said they is gonna work on that for the summer comps.

Kye's Second Gotya Day

2009-01-28T07:00:00.005Z

JUST KYE

Mum don't know how old I am
I might be three
Or maybe five
I'm just glad to be alive

Mum don't know what breed I am
A 'mostly Shepherd' she would guess
Collie? Lab?
Who knows the rest!

Mum don't know why I gets so scared
Of hoovers, skateboards, kids on bikes
So many things
I just don't like

Mum DOES know
I love to run!
Playing Flyball with doggy friends
Catching balls is so much fun

Mum also knows
Two years gone by
I've shown to all
I am

Just Kye

Holiday Project One: The Hallway

2009-01-24T08:26:00.011Z

Mum's on HOLIDAY!

A whole week of paying us more attention and take us out on nice walks! She's also said I'm going swimming on Friday, not sure about that!

Mum has told both me and Pepper to be on our best behaviour this week. Apparently she has lots of Plans and Projects and we've to not get in the way too much. YEAH RIGHT! I've made her promise that if I let her post about these projects on MY blog she has to take pics of us on these nice walks she's promised us!

One of these 'Projects' has already happened. Is that cheating? Mum said she'd ordered the unit to arrive on Saturday, but it turned up friday instead.

Anyway, Mum kept compalining the hallway was a mess and she'd got no where to put anything! Despite having a unit there already.. but apparently these things called 'drawers' kept falling apart and 'it only held shoes' not dog leads!

So here's the results
Before:

from the stairs _____________________________________ Old unit

Pile of dog stuff... (and extras)

AND NOW!:

from the stairs __________________ New unit hidden by Pepper showing off

Me inspecting the contents... they seem to all be in order!

Mum's got the priorities right here, her and Dad have one basket each, us dogs have the rest! Thats a whole FOUR just for all our stuff! Sadly there are no treats or new toys in any of them, I checked. Apparently toys are in a box in the garage and treats are on the windowsill in the kitchen, which neither of us can reach!

Well, I might be able to, but I'm too good!

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

2009-01-20T22:12:00.015Z

Last sunday Mum got up to find totally unexpected clear blue skies and sunshine!

Apparently she was expecting gail force wind and rain so thought she should take us out just in case flyball training does get called off...

Our usual (and much more pretty) field was being used by footballers (it IS a football pitch after all ::)) so Mum took us across the stream to another field. She normally doesn't go here as it's next to a road, but she had a ball with her so she didn't need to worry!

Sadly, she ALSO brought that black box of hers that she takes our pictures with. I wouldn't mind, but her efforts take up valuable ball throwing time!

Anyway, I think she was feeling a bit bad for neglecting my blog-space as she went a bit overboard..

PEPPER:

I got the ball mum! ______________________ Must try and hide it...

Darn this hill! COME BACK! ________________ I'm so pretty...

AND I can lie down properly! Not like Kye... ____ DO NOT LAUGH AT THE EARS!

Can we go home now?

Next up is me (who were you expecting?)

That sun's a bit bright mum! _________ What do ya mean, "I look cheeky"???...

I'm HANDSOME!! __ No mum, I REALLY can't lie down when you have that ball in your hand!

And finally (cookies if you got this far) both of us together!

Coming! _______________________ Pepper gonna eatya!

Bucking-bronco-puppy! ______________ I can FLY if I try hard enough!

Happy go lucky.... ____________ ... turns into demon-pup!

We have lift off! _______________________ I'll get it.. no I'LL get it!

Kye CAN catch!

All quiet on the North-Eastern front...

2009-01-16T11:36:00.001Z

Well, Christmas has come and gone. We got tons of presents! Both Pepper and I have new collars, name tags and leads (all matching) and I got a new harness that also matches my new gear. Mum is using this for our training classes now but says this is my '2 year gotya' present.

Pepper has 2 green jumpers for when she gets cold. Which is most of the time when she gets wet. Pepper also has a matching Rogz set for when she starts playing flyball at the end of Jan.

Christmas day went well, Mum had a nice lunch in the pub while we had meat filled Kongs in the car. Mum and Nan then took us both on a nice walk in the countryside.

The Sunday after Christmas mum took us on TWO walks! One with a lot of cocker spaniel friends of Peppers and the second with our flyball friends.

Sadly this was the end of an era, as mum went back to work and has been very busy. So busy in fact we've not been able to go on many walks during the week as it's always dark!

Mum has told me that this should be better for us in the summer as she finishes work earlier so will have more time in the evenings. We're waiting for the sun to stay up later!

Mum has found a great new shop too, that sells lots of different meat and bones and things. So now we get dried food for breakfast and real meat for tea! It's yummy!

Mum is also trying to find us some more fun things to do including agility, training classes (where they teach you tricks!) and maybe even hydro-therapy. Mum is looking into this one to see if she can improve my fitness ready for the summer comps this year. Am not sure about the agility one but Pepper might like it I guess...

It's nearly Xmas! Apparently....?

2008-11-29T20:42:00.004Z

Mum's been buying stuff again. And crawling around the loft. Oh, and re-arranged the furniture. AND moved my bed. TWICE! All, apparently, in the name of something called 'Xmas'

Now from what I remember of it last year there were lots of ppl around getting quite stressed and me and and my then housemate getting told off for 'nearly knocking down the xmas tree'. Which was a large, bristly plastic affair with shiny lights and a puppy play pen around it. We then got left for the majority of the afternoon while Mum went and had 'Xmas Lunch' with 'The Family'. I also remember wondering since when was I NOT family and why couldn't I go along.

There's STILL lots of people around. There is STILL a large, bristly plastic affair with shiny lights and a puppy play pen around it. Only THIS time it's been placed in the corner of the room, rather than in the window. So no giddy dogs can knock it over. Or (in Pepper's case) jump onto the windowsill and over the puppy pen. And (so far) mum seems much less stressed about the whole affair.

Apparently she's already got Dad's present sorted, Nan's is halfway done, Nan's fella is also sorted and all that remains is Grampa's.. who has yet to send her an email as yet. Nan has got Mum a surprise and some clothes they picked out.

Best of all, both Nan and Dad have got Mum some stuff for us that she wanted! It's meant to be a surprise though so I won't say what it is (in case Pepper reads this later, I already know)

Mum has (quite oddly in my view) also bought the house some 'early xmas presents' in the form of a 'hopefully puppy-proof laundry basket', a new microwave and a new set of non-stick saucepans! Apparently the microwave refused to start if asked to cook anything for less than 5 mins and the saucepans where now non-non-stick.

There were 'Plans' involving 'The Family' and a pub again (which would have meant another afternoon being left behind for us) but apparently one of 'The Family' has fallen out with another of 'The Family' and the pub plan seems to have fallen through as a result. So we MIGHT get to go along after all! Watch this space! (and not the one under the xmas tree, than Mum thinks looks very empty at the moment)

I've told Mum she's got to get herself something that isn't for us or the house.. I think she's being a bit TOO practical don't you?

Oh, and here is another pic of Pepper, hogging MY bed again... but the label says it all really!

Dad: "What HAVE you done to that car?!"

2008-11-13T09:02:00.003Z

Mum's done it again..She went away on Tuesday for a very long time and left me and Pepper with Dad. She arrived home in the dark so no one knew what she'd done. (I wondered if this was on purpose but apparently not.. though I only have mum's word on this!)

Wednesday was full of mutterings about 'carpet' and 'loft'

Cue today with Mum going on the loft and bringing down a huge bag full of carpet! She then grabbed a bit, went outside and we didn't see her again for the next five minutes.

She did come back though. Me and pepper were behind the dog gate in the kitchen and mum had left the front door and the boot open. This normally means roadtrip! So when she left me through the gate I went straight to the car to get...

Only to find my entrance has got smaller! Now I'm a big dog, so wasn't impressed. But I've gotten used to that door-flappy-thing and this was a bigger gap than that so in I went! Turns out mum's had a cage fitted in our car! Just for us 2 doggys!

Pepper has her own side which is much narrower than mine but is still long so she's LOADS of room, being so ickle. Mine even has head room towards the back for me so I can sit up and not bash my head.

Mum did a couple of ins and outs with treats with us both to get used to the thing. Turns out this crate doesn't have a nasty metal floor (one of the things I don't like about crates) which is why we needed the carpet, to cover the wire. Mum's also bought me a duvet and Pepper's having some pillows on top. Mum says this is cos it's much easier to wash duevts and pillows than carpet.

I don't mind, just means I've got a softer bed in the car as well now. Oh AND she's found she can pin some of my rosettes to the bars as well! She's kept the extra special ones at home (my first race, my first championship, that sorta thing) but she said I'll prob have that many it won't matter if a few get a bit battered. I'm not so sure, but they DO make my new crate look pretty

Kye the flyball dog does it again!

2008-11-10T15:22:00.003Z

Well I've been out action much of the past week. Mum took us out in the dark one night and I grazed my paw on some glass. Thankfully nothing bad, but enough to pull me out of training on Sunday and keep me in till Wednesday.

Then it was off for a trip around the local woods to blow off some steam. Mum couldn't take us out Thursday or Friday cos of work. I'm feeling most neglected at this point and feel I should either go on some kind of strike or move out. Maybe Aunty Paula or Aunty Linda would make sure I get my walks?

Anyway, Mum took me and the sproglet to training on Sat. I thought I'd get to have a go but turns out it was HER training class so I only managed to sneak mum into letting me do three runs. I think she's getting meaner by the minute don't you? We did have a half hour walk/ball throwing session beforehand tho with Nan which was good. Apparently this tired Pepper out too much though and she started missing jumps out towards the end of training cos she was 'too tired'. Wuss.

Sunday was much better. My flyball gear got put on and we went for a nice long drive so I could play flyball. We had a couple of hickups that were, of course, all mum's fault. Like letting me go too late then letting me go too early and loosing us the race. Silly Mum. I however was my usual star of a self, despite running on rubber matting instead of grass. What is up with putting grass in a hall for me I don't know! I even corrected myself when the ball bounced away and made sure I did all my 4 jumps.

Anyway, despite Mum's poor performance we managed to win our division. So I think for the time being I'll let her keep being my Mum. But Aunty Paula... just in case?

What's wrong with purfume la hedgehog?

2008-10-30T14:38:00.008Z

Well, Dad's out of action for the next two weeks after having something done to his shoulder. The mean doctors have apparently taken a chunk out of him and told him he can't walk us for at least 2 weeks! I am not impressed!

We didn't get taken for a walk at all yesterday. So mum thought rather than going to the football field and throwing the ball we'd go to the park and go round the woods.

It was a lovely sunny morning, touch of hail when we set off though but nothing major. Mum decided to walk us to the park, rather than take the car. It adds an extra 20mins on to the trip each way. I think she was trying to wear us out so we wouldn't annoy dad too much

Got down to the park fine, Mum let us both off to go explore the field of long grass, then on to the playing fields and some tennis ball throwing. Then off into the woods. Mum decided to follow a different path today which turns out to make the woods walk twice as long and much more fun. Esp as we met some people walking their dogs and joined in. I'm hoping mum will take us down to meet them again as I like playing with other dogs now

This was a brief scare when Pepper took the wrong path towards the road, but she soon came back.Back out the woods and off up the hill.

We went a slightly different way on the way back.. and it was then it happened..I found a hedgehog. A dead hedgehog. A very dead, very SMELLY hedgehog. And Mum didn't notice! So I rolled in it. Lots.

Mum didn't seem to happy abut this. She said she was very glad she'd left the car at home and as soon as we got back she made me have a bath! AND sprayed me with doggy deodorant! So now I just smell like my normal self. I went to such a lot of effort as well!

Sometimes I don't think mum understands me at all!

Pepper who finks Kye being mardy!

2008-10-19T10:24:00.004+01:00

Allo everyone!

Pepper here! I'm sure you remember me (who can forget?) I've recovered from me trauma of the cupboard and the door being bust. I'm not too badly scarred from the whole event you'll be pleased to know. Of course I made sure the hoomans gave me lots more belly rubs and cuddles to make up for it.

Since then I've been having a whale of a time playing with Anya. I don't know what grumpy-guts is moaning about, Anya bites my legs all the time and I don't complain!

Anyway, I fought I'd get mum to post sum pics of me and Anya playing, just to show she's not really a big dog-eatin-monsta.

Here we are playin hide-n-seek under the table. Anya and Kye don't fit so it's a great place for hidin and sneak attacks! Kye doesn't always think so but he's old and mardy.

Anyway, on to the next piccy of yours truly! Oh yeah, and Anya hehe

I thought we's have a spot of chase next, but it turned into a game of 'eat-your-ankles'.. I fink mum got a good pic here of me going in for the killer blow. See Kye, Anya don't mind me chewin her! Unlike you!

Once that was over we went for a good-ol-fashioned game of tug-o-war. I really like this game and play it lots wiv Mum and Dad but kye cheats.

He shakes his head from side to side so I've no chance of holding on! But I'm getting better at it.. one day I'll win!

So as you can see, Anya's great fun to play with! Mum and Dad keep tellin her off for trying to take their food and Kye don't like her stealing his spot on the rug and bones and stuff but I fink she's great fun!

Oh, execpt when she tries to get attention from my hoomans when they is payin attention to me. Then I gets very narky with her. I've even bitten her a couple of times to show her they is mine but she still didn't get the message and they had to tell her off.

I was telling her off again here too cos she bits my leg too hard. Hmm.. maybe Kye isn't just being mardy after all...

Peace and war!

2008-10-19T10:08:00.003+01:00

Where has my nice quite house gone?!?

I grant you, sometimes Pepper can cause a mini riot and hangs off my ear with her teeth but still! Mum say's it's like living with a herd of elephants!

Now don't get me wrong, I LIKE Anya. Shes a much better size for me to play with than Pepper but my goodness is she LOUD! Esp if she doesn't get her own way. I start chewing on a bone and she barks at me. I let her have that one (there's plenty to go around) and she barks at me for the next one I've got! The same with any toys. Mum's taken them off us now but Anya still barks at me.

Yesterday I barked back. It's MY house after all! Isn't it? Shouldn't have done that really as Anya took it the wrong way and bit my nose.

So now I have no toys, very few (and old) bones, a sore nose and Anya barks at me when I lie in MY spot on the rug in the front room.

To cap it all off, mum has to go away for 2 nights with work! I've begged her to take me (ok, and maybe Pepper if she behaves) with her but she won't. Something about the hotel not allowing dogs! Can't be that good a hotel then...

Anyway, Pepper's bugging me to let HER post now.. cheeky pup! Mum's just reminded me it does say Kye AND Pepper in the title.. but still! I was here first!

Twice in 24 hours - It's not funny mum!

2008-10-15T06:26:00.006+01:00

Hello all! Pepper here

I've just nipped on to tell you about what's happened to me (for a change)

Mum came home from work last night and her and dad went to the shops. As it was raining dad took his coat out of the cupboard in a hurry and left. It went very dark in the house after that.

About half an hour later mum and dad came back.. to find only 2 dogs! One in the kitchen and one in the crate. They started calling me and looking around the house but no sign. Mum went in the garden to see if I was there or (for some strange reason) if I'd got out somehow.

Our garden is totally fenced in and has a large drop all the way around it on the other side. I can't even get to the chicken on the kitchen top so why mum thought I'd suddenly jumped 5ft plus of fencing I don't know! I guess a panel could have fallen out..

Anyway Mum was getting really worried by now, she thought she'd lost me. She told dad she was sure they'd left us both in the kitchen. Dad re-checked the garage, mum checked the back room. Then, just as they were about to go driving around to find me... dad opened the cupboard in the kitchen... And there I was!

Dad had shut me in there by accident in his rush to get out the door! They both gave me loads of cuddles and kisses and mum told me not to scare her like that again. It wasn't MY fault!

Anyway, all went well and I went to bed. I sleep in the kitchen on a big comfy dog bed. The back door in the kitchen leads out into the garden and recently mum put a dog flap in there for me and kye to use.

Now I've just about got the hang of this, but as Anya is here and hasn't mum tied it open and taped the string in place. Unfortunately it fell down today so dad (rather than messing around with it) just left us the back door open.

So when I went out this morning to have a pee I could get out fine. But the tape and string was still there which meant the flap (which is in 2 bits) wouldn't let me back in! I started barking for mum to come get me. Apparently this isn't something people called 'neighbours' will have liked me for but what else was I meant to do! I wouldn't have minded but this was the second time I was stuck.

It all worked out in the end I guess. Mum needs to keep a better watch on me she says.. how can she say that? Most of my time is spent like this! Honest!

Picture madness

2008-10-14T10:30:00.018+01:00

Mum finally got around to sorting out her phone today, so got a load of pics off there.

So we thought we should put them up!

First is an oldish pic of me in Banshee's old bed.

The bed didn't survive Banshee-attacks and got shredded.

Next up is me and my little bro Harley. Harley now lives with PJ and my 'I wish' girlfriend Ember.

He now gets called Rodney cos he's such a plonker. Mum tried to keep him, but we had lots of training issues so PJ took him for a holiday. And he never came back!

Rodney and Ember get on like a house fire, so mum didn't feel it would be fair to move him again.

He was very cute as a baby tho!

Next up is a rather gruesome pic of me after I had an accidental fight with my then best friend Midas.

We were playing but I got my teeth stuck in his collar and it went a bit wrong!

I recovered fine (although I now have chipped tooth) and Midas and I are on friendly terms but not as close as we were :o(

After that is a BABY Pepper! She was TINY!

She's grown a lot since then but still spends a lot of her time sleeping.

As you can see, bigger, darker and STILL sleeping! This time on mum's bed though!

Naughty Pepper!

She doesn't spend ALL her time sleeping though.. Here we are taking dip in the stream after playing fetch.

We've got a new visitor at the moment. Anya from flyball has come to stay for a couple of weeks while her owners are away on holiday.

Her and Pepper like playing in the garden.

I've been tyring to join in too! But sometimes my growling scares Anya and she hides.

Mum says it's doing us some good though as we're all quite tired by the end of the day

I blame it on the hoomans!

2008-10-06T09:06:00.003+01:00

Mum often says I'm a clever-dumb dog cos I think too much about things. Like I 'think' that the skateboard is going to eat me, so I get scared and I 'think' that kids wanting to stoke me are going to pull my tail, so i try to run away.

Yesterday was another example of me 'thinking'. I'd been waiting around a LONG time to go racing and when we did mum took me into the ring and sent me off to do a practise run on the blue lane. Now I've had a couple of issues with the blue lane before, cos it means I'm turning back towards another dog but I've got much better at that and came straight back.

Next thing I know there's been a mix up and mum and aunty Paula and everyone swapped over! I thought they'd gone crazy, so when mum let me go I went and got the ball... from the blue lane! Mum took my down to see Paul and called me back, which I did cos I'm a good boy and come back to mum now. So off we went again, and again I went to the blue lane. I did this for the full run. It's not MY fault no one told me the paper work was wrong, and we were meant to be on the RED lane. Thankfully we were racing our other team from Sheffield and no one shouted at me (although mum thinks the judge thought I was a bit daft in the head)

Anyway, mum took me outside and let me blow off some steam and jump in some puddles. She said it was to 'de-frazzle' me. I wasn't sure what a 'frazzle' was, but clearly it's not good and i don't want one! Back in, and we were on the blue line which I did fine on.

More waiting around while the other teams ran and then we were back in again. Another practise before racing (on the now-infamous red lane.. I wonder what the judge thought when I came back in the ring again). I went and got my ball and decided I really liked this one and as it had taken me SOOO long to get it I wasn't giving it back. Mum tried to give me a treat and another ball, told me to leave... I was having none of it. In the end Aunty Paula made me give it back (by which time mum thinks the poor judge had probably given up the will to live!) and we were ready to race.

I thought after all that I'd better behave, so I gave the ball back to mum quite easily most of the time. There were a couple of occasions I gave her a scare when I'd messed up on the box and missed the jumps. She was trying to get the ball off me so she could send me again and I thought I'd done for that race (see, me thinking again) so was a bit slow giving it to her. I did though, and in time to run again so that was ok.

Mum was quite proud of me at the end of the day, as it was my first indoor event and I was a bit too busy thinking about all these new things. She was even more proud (and very surprised) to find despite all our hickups (it wasn't JUST me) we'd somehow managed to come second! I don't mind where we finish as long as I get to play, but it DID mean I got some lamb chops for tea. Mum said they'd got a bit of freezer-burn but they tasted fine to me and Pepper!

The ups and downs..

2008-10-03T17:23:00.006+01:00

Sorry for the delay! Just a quick update for now.

Both mum, me and Pepper have been a bit under the weather recently, which is why we've not posted. Mum hurt her back and me and Pepper came down with some silly bug. The last outdoor flyball comp we were meant to go to this year got rained off. So September didn't end very well for us all.

We have a comp this Sunday tho! Mum say's it's going to be indoors and I think she's a bit nervous how I'll react to running indoors. Sometimes I get a bit distracted. Mum said that nan can't come either as she is getting married the day after and is too busy! I think that's very silly, how dare she be too busy to watch me run!

Tempting fate we had another trip to the woods. Pepper get very very wet as the pic shows. Mum says she's like a sponge when it comes to water! I spent much more time in the water than she did and I look no where near as soggy! It must be a spaniel thing!

Holiday Week Two

2008-09-12T07:19:00.003+01:00

Another wet week it seems! So wet in fact that my comp has been cancelled! No one's going to Mottram now. Mum's said she's going to take me to flyball practise on Sunday and 'might' take me around the woods if I is good. (Or at least better than I have been she said.. what? me? naughty?)

Monday mum took Pepper to class. I didn't like it much when mum started taking Pepper out on Mondays without me. But Pepper says they do 'walking to heel' and 'sits' and 'downs' and 'stays' and all that boring stuff. She seems to think it's not that bad but I already KNOW all that. I just don't always DO it when mum tells me to.

Tuesday we didn't go out. It was raining and mum said she was 'having a day off' which made no sense as she's already not at work. I tried to get her to go out all day, or at least play ball with me, but she didn't listen.

Wednesday was much better weather so mum took us to the park. We went in the big 'scrap field' but there were big yellow things moving the soil around so we only went part the way around before turning back. Mum and Pepper then set off up the hill towards home. I decided I wanted to stay out longer and spotted a man with his corgi!

So off I went to say hello and the corgi wasn't the bit bothered but the man was and so was mum! They both kept shouting at me. Mum was on the bank at the side of the hill and couldn't get down very easily from where she was. I DID go and see if she was ok as she was calling me quite a lot but I wanted to go play with the corgi some more so went back down the hill.

The man was quite mean to mum even though all I did was say hello to his dog and go jump in the stream. He said she shouldn't let me off if she couldn't control me. Mum was quite upset as she spent months trying to get me so she COULD let me off and normally now I come back. I was just giddy.

Thursday was flyball training! I was looking forward to going but Aunty Paula was doing box-turns which aren't as much fun as racing in teams. Pepper was also sick in the car on the way there so the car smelled icky and I had to sit in there most of the night cos I went almost first and then Pepper didn't have a go till last.

It was ok though as mum and Aunty Karen let us out at the end for a play with Anya and Max and Aunty Paula let some of her dogs out too. Mum was practising getting Anya to come back to her. Apparently Aunty Karen is going on holiday somewhere with no dogs so mum is looking after Anya for her. I'm just glad it's not Max, I'm sure he'd steal all my tennis balls.

Swimming into September

2008-09-08T12:56:00.003+01:00

Well! Where to start?

This weekend there was a flyball comp somewhere called Shackleston. I never found out where it was as mum didn't take me. Something about the Clio being too thirsty. Given the rest of the weekends events I think mum wasn't telling the truth...

Sunday was very odd. Mum went out quite early with loads of strange boxes in the car and Pepper! She left me at home! I wasn't happy so spent the day sulking till she got back. When she did come back I found she'd taken Pepper to a show! And Pepper had got placed! Why didn't she take ME to the show? Hmph!

I was all set to sulk for the rest of the day when out of the cupboard came my harness. I WAS going somewhere after all! Mum also put Pepper in the car too. I think she's getting spoilt going out twice in one day. Anyway, in the car we went and turned up at the flyball field. We'd gone to practise! Look, there's jumps and Aunty Paula and...

HANG ON A MINUTE!! There were OTHER DOGS on our practise field! No sign of Chip & Kim or Hebe or Poppy & Ellie or ANYONE else from my gang! Some thing's gone terribly wrong! Mum put us both on leads and her and Aunty Paula took us away from the imposter's. A good job cos the mood I was in I wanted to go shout at them.

Aunty Paula had all her dogs but Jet with her and as we got down the field mum let us both off to go and play. I thought she'd take us back soon but no! We went in the woods! Now I have to explain that I've been in woods before but I think these woods are the bestest ones ever. There was so much water!

We even stopped for a while to play fetch the ball in a pool in the stream. It was so deep that even I had to swim in some bits. Pepper went in the shallow bits but decided it was more fun to attack me when I'd done the hard work and got the ball back. She even took it when mum or Aunty Paula asked me to leave it.

We carried on around the woods till Aunty Paula had a phone call. It was Aunty Linda! She'd arrived and wanted to know where we were! Aunty Paula told her where to meet us and off we went. Silly Pepper squeaked when we found them. I thought it was very silly seeing as she's met all Aunty Linda's dogs before.

We all turned around and headed back the way Aunty Paula had brought us. I was very excited as we were going back to the diving pool. Now I should mention here that the whole way around the woods so far the weather had been very nice. It was warm with a but of sun coming through the trees now and then. Perfect for jumping in streams and pools. It didn't last.

Shortly after Aunty Linda joined us it started to rain. And rain. And then REALLY rain. With thunder and everything! I wanted to carry on walking but everyone else went and tried to hide under a tree and a holly bush. It didn't work too well. Pepper was sulking at mums feet while me and Jack kept wandering off.

All of a sudden Shep and Jay were fighting! I don't know what happened but mum called me and I thought I'd better listen this time. She dragged me out the way while Aunty Paula and Linda tried to sort it out. Shep stopped fighting very quickly but Jack, Spike and Davey all started having a go at Jay. Aunty Linda was very cross with Jack.

We all decided we'd best head back to the car after that. No one else felt like stopping and playing in the pool again. I did try to get Aunty Paula to take the ball out and play but she said she was wet enough already. I don't know why she didn't want to play, she couldn't have got much wetter even if she'd jumped in the pool with us.

Aunty Linda lead us up through the woods a different way that what we came in. Both mum and Aunty Paula were lost but we were fine. Mum put us back in the car and set off home. The water had made pools in the road which mum didn't like but the Clio went through ok so we made it home. Mum gave us some meat and some warm water in with our tea to help warm us up and then disappeared for ages to have a hot bath.

So you see mum, there was LOADS for the Clio to drink after all!

Holiday Week One

2008-09-08T12:03:00.004+01:00

Mum's been at home all this week as she's on holiday from work. We've had lots more walks in different places. She even talked Dad into coming on one of them around the lake! I spent most of my time in the lake though as it was much more fun trying to catch geese.

Pepper went to training on Monday. She’s starting her ‘Bronze Good Citizen Award’ where she has to be a good girl and do all sorts of things like being brushed and staying and things. I think I could do that too but mum says she can only take one of us at a time.

Not much happened on Tuesday or Wednesday but Thursday was flyball training. The field was quite muddy and there were some silly people playing football on the dryer bit but we still had a good try. This time we were jumping the jumps at 13inches instead of 7 inches. I wonder if this means Spike isn’t in our team any more.

Anyway, it went ok apart from when chip didn’t get his legs right and fell over and broke a jump. Poor Chip was very embarrassed about it all. Hebe’s mum fixed the fence and Chip’s mum checked he was ok which he was. Pepper also had some practises at the end which mum was pleased at.

Friday it RAINED! All day almost. I didn't think we were going to get a walk at all but mum put our silly coats on and took us down to the park quite late. So late in fact it was dark when we were coming home which scared Pepper a little bit. She's not been out much away from home on the dark before.

Saturday looked a lot better. Mum walked us down to the park again as the back fields would be 'too muddy' Heehee! That's what SHE thought! We were just heading towards the park when we spotted our friend Lesley, out with 3 of her dogs. We soon caught up and rather than walk around the paths again mum let me and Pepper off! I went charging into the stream and then we walked around the big field at the top.

The farmer had done something to the ground in the field so there was no grass on a lot of it. Very silly if you ask me as not only is grass MUCH more fun to play in but the rain had washed half of the ground down the hill! So we all got very muddy, I even got some on my back (no coats this time mum!) and I usually manage to stay quite clean.

When we got home mum made me and Pepper have a B-A-T-H! Yuk!! Pepper seems to like baths but I don't like them very much. After we'd dried off mum gave us both a good brush and some sardines with our tea.

Drax: The Event

2008-08-26T10:59:00.057+01:00

Well first of all I want to complain. Mum took her camera to the show and took lots of pics but not a single one of me! Dose she not think me photogenic enough? Humph!

Anyway, now I’ve had my say I guess I better tell you all about my weekend.

Over the past week there have been lots of strange shaped bags and boxes appearing at home. Mum kept putting them in the garage and mentioning the words ‘camping’ and ‘tent’. I’d not heard these words before so I ignored them. I probably shouldn’t have.

Saturday

On Saturday mum was up bright and early and spent ages packing and repacking those boxes in the car. She got quite annoyed at one point as the boxes weren’t co-operating and Pepper and I were barking encouragement. Apparently Clio’s are quite hard to pack when they only have 3 doors and the roof bars kept attacking her.

About 1130 we set off. The day was sunny and dry and the roads clear. We arrived to find the team were already racing! I tried to get their attention but mum told me I wasn't racing today, parked the car and left us while she went to help. So I decided to sulk; what was the point in me being here if I wasn’t racing?

Mum did pretty well with the pics:

Box loader ready..... BALL! _________________ Jay

Paddy _______________________________ Sky

Jet

Next up was Anya, Chip, Poppy and Bree. Mum took some pics while they were waiting to go in:

Paul wondering what Chip is doing ______ Karen, Ashley and Anya ready and waiting

Spotty Poppy

And some more while they were running

Chip __________________________________________ Anya

Bree _______________________________________ Poppy

Just to prove mum wasn't the only one taking photos

During the day mum and the team set up the tent. Everyone was very impressed with her accommodation, especially her camping bed. I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about but then I wasn’t sleeping on it. Mum went up to the club house for tea and had fish and chips. She didn't bring us any but gave us some tasty meat with our biscuits for tea before she went. Apparently Anya and Max's owners were playing 'pool' with people from other teams and won nearly every game. What I want to know is why there was a pool indoors that I wasn't allowed in! Mum knows how much I love water!

Mum came back pretty late and put Pepper in her crate in the tent and put me in the 'day area' of the tent with her and went to bed in a separate bit. I looked around this tent thing for a few moments then took myself out to explore as I wasn't sleepy. Mum was quite cross about this and called me back and put me in the car to sleep. She did give me lots of blankets to sleep on and left the window open slightly though so I was comfy.

Sunday

The next day was race day! Our group ran quite early but then there was a 2 hour gap before anyone else was running so mum had a large fry up with the others in the club house after our first races. Again she didn't bring any back to us but we'd had more tasty meat with our biscuits before racing.

I was running in division 5 so had to try to run very fast. There was me, Murphy, Max and Spike on our team and I was running behind Murphy. Spike kept our jump height down and I ran really really fast! Mum got something called 'cross-overs' with Murphy sorted so we were running very close to each other. But it all paid off in the end and we won! Mum was very proud and took me to our presentation afterwards. We had to go up twice as I also got a piece of paper saying I am a Flyball Dog (like I didn't know!). Mum said this means I got over 200 points but I’d much rather have 200 roast chickens.

I felt sorry for Pepper a little bit too as she didn't get to race at all! Mum said she's too young to race properly now even though she's really fast and loves fetching a ball. Mum took her to the exercise area and played with her but it's not as good as racing. That night Mum left me with Ashley and took Karen out on the car! I didn't like that one bit and whined and fidgeted till mum came back with pizza.

It was quite cool at night and Pepper doesn't like the cold. She kept whining so mum took her into the sleeping part. Pepper told me the next morning she'd sneaked into mum's bed! The cheeky thing! I suppose I can let her off for not getting to race

Monday

NAN CAME!!! I love my nan. She turned up quite late in the morning. So late in fact I was wondering why we hadn't gone home as I didn't think we were racing. I was sharing a place with Inca which meant I kept having to sit legs out. Mum didn't seem to mind but I wanted to go race!

We didn't do so well today. Mum didn't get the timing right with the cross overs with Marvin, Max decided he wanted extra goes in the other team's lane and I found something very interesting on the way back and ran out to go investigate. I think everyone was a bit frazzled at that point. It was warm even though mum did keep soaking me with a hose pipe.

Anyway, we did manage to come four dispite all the chaos. A very tired mum took two very tired dogs home monday night. Very tired but very happy.

(Aunty Paula loves us mum!)

Kye: the food drama

2008-08-22T06:09:00.005+01:00

As my mum will tell you I've never been a fussy eater. No mater what food she's given me I always wolf it down. So much so mum gives me my food in three meals so I don't make myself poorly. I have no problem if it's dry food or wet, meat or biscuits, mine or my mums. and I'm not above stealing a burger off the floor or bread the birds fetch from the neighbours (even tho this does make me have a poorly tum)

So it came as a bit of a shock to mum Wednesday when I turned my nose up at food. She thought it might be becuase she gave me some of the new food and maybe it smelled funny. But I didn't want any of my old food either. So she defrosted me some tripe (that ALWAYS makes me hungry) and mixed some in on thursday morning. Still didn't want it but I ate the tripe anyway, just to be nice.

Mum was baffled. Took me to training thursday night. I was very very excited! So excited I forgot to give the ball back and kept getting in other dogs way and 'generally being a pest' and 'having my sheperd head on' as mum calls it. I'm almost a sheperd so I don't know what other head she wants me to have! At least it's not a spaniel's with the silly ears!

Anyway, I got that wound up just as we were going to leave I was sick on the car! :0( I hate being sick but felt a lot better afterwards. When we got home mummy mixed in some more tripe and biscuits and I scoffed the lot! Mum had thought she might have to not take me racing this weekend or to the vets after if i still wasn't eating so she was very happy with me.

This morning she put just a few plain biscuits in (the new ones) and I ate all of those too! Unlike Pepper, who WAS eating them very well (not wandering off from her bowl) but who now decided to not bother. Mummy says that Pepper is a funny eater and isn't worried about her! And I go off my food for a couple of days and she's on about the vets? How is that fair?!?

Anyway, I'm feeling much better now and mum's got lots of packing to do so I'll stop telling her what to write.

Drax: the camping list

2008-08-19T16:30:00.013+01:00

Right. The list

Me
Kye
Pepper

I have:

Camping equipment:

One tent
One metal frame bed, blowup mattress and air pump.
Two camping chairs.
One cool box and lots of gel packs sat in the freezer
One picnic set
One torch (need to find and charge batteries)
One double duvet and 2 pillows - plus bag to put it in

On Order

One rechargeable lantern
One inverter (to use the airbed pump)

Dog equipment:

One crate with bed
Two tie-chains
One water bowl
Two spare leads
One cooler coat
Two water proof coats
Two food bowls
One plastic box of dog food
Two lead and harness sets
Multiple towels/blankets
Three two-litre bottles of water
Treat bag
Tennis balls

Clothing:

Two flyball shirts
One flyball fleece
One flyball waterproof jacket
Two navy trousers
PJ's
One waterproof trousers
One pair trainers
One pair walking boots
One pair sandals
One pair jeans
Two spare tops
Shorts
Lightweight waterproof jacket

Toiletries / Medicines:

Pain killers (two types)
Anti allergy tablets
Anti insect bite cream
Anti eczema cream
Sun tan cream (need to buy)
Tooth brush/tooth paste
Deodorant

Food (to buy fri or sat)

Cooked chicken (for Kye ball retrieval)
Orange juice
Pitta bread
Humus
Cereal (bars?)

All this in a Clio!

3 days of 'well dones'

2008-08-19T06:44:00.008+01:00

Or should that be 'well done ins'?

Starting with Saturday..

People keep looking at me like I'm mad when I turn up for work complete with aching muscles, the occasional bruise and dark rings for eyes. They look at me even more strangely when I tell them I've driven for 2 hours to 'race a dog'!

But when it's the Championships and my dog's first one and his team get second, only losing to the better team in the division all day, it makes it all worth it. Although life would be that bit easier had I not forgotten Kye's Halti.. I might have had a shoulder and back worth speaking of by the end of it had I done so.

Kye did everything that was asked of him on Saturday (even when I asked him to do the wrong thing and sent him down when the box wasn't ready - sorry Paula!). We even managed to run in singles at full height with no running out on the return. Thankfully the fences were on lowest for Spike so Kye even managed to get some runs in his bad lane.

The 6am start and the 930pm arrival home however definitely convinced me some form of sleeping option was needed.

So on to Sunday..

After yesterday I'd thought I would have slept like a log. No such luck, with a recently spade Pepper sleeping in the bedroom for the first few nights to help 'keep her calm'. Have you ever tried to 'keep a spaniel calm'? It's like giving a small child a bar of chocolate to hold and saying 'don't eat it' and leaving the room.

So, up again at 7am today. TV, breakfast and a phone call to my mum later and I was on my way to Tideswell (no dogs this time). Picked up mum and off we went to a camping exhibition near her house. I'd been warned to take care at this event the day before (as the tents were sold in 'as seen' condition and 'as seen' didn't always include all the bits you needed)

Sure enough we spotted a couple tents with rips in etc and despite there being a good selection we didn't see that ideal combination of sleeping and storage space needed for a girl with a bad leg and 2 energetic dogs. So, off we went to the Go Camping shop in Sheffield (which had been recommended on the Saturday lol)

Well, here was a totally different story! After much milling and squishing (Sunday trading plus sale plus bank holiday weekend on the horizon = large numbers of people in a small area!) and to-ing and fro-ing (as the 2 tents we liked were at opposite ends of the store...) we came to a decision...

So I now own a tent! Well done to me for finally making a choice! lol Not something that happens very often I don't do choosing!

We then decided all this effort was too much on an empty stomach (after I'd dragged mum back into the shop to look at sleeping bags only to decide against them) so we went to the Dore Moor Inn for lunch. One very nice fishermans pie and choc brownie later and we were on our way back to Tideswell.

Where I became the proud recipient of a camping bed! It has a metal frame, a blow up mattress and an air pump! Somehow I think it's probably 'cheating' when it comes to camping, but if it means I get a decent kip and can move in the morning I'll cheat!

And finally Monday..

Yet another early start! Pepper had to back to the vets this morning for her first checkup. She was her usual self, very happy to go into the vets (running all the way up to the door) so STILL not put off at all. Said hello to everyone who came in (if they wanted to or not) and then saw the veterinary nurse who was very happy with her progress and gave us the ok for puppy class that night.

So a mad rush back home to get breakfast and get ready for work. Breaks were spent looking for an inverter for the car so I can use the air pump. It only has a normal plug on it so would have been stuck otherwise. I also invested in a re-chargable lamp for the tent, with a remote control and the ability to charge up using the car battery or mains. So hopefully I won't fall over in the middle of the night now!

After work was the not so mad dash to get to the hall (it was raining and the hall is closer to home the the normal practise field) with Pepper to do the final puppy class and get her certificate! On to bronze class in 2 weeks time so we'd better get practising!

All in all an eventful, sucessful weekend.. but one that makes me wish they were that bit longer!

Championship Preperation

2008-08-16T07:03:00.005+01:00

6 Aug 2008

Well over a week to the next flyball comp and the preparation begins. First thing is to look on the british flyball website to get a post code and check where it is! And how far, more importantly.

Turns out it's an hour and a half away roughly and as we're only there for one day we won't be looking for accommodation options (so the tent search is slightly less urgent). Kye is missing the first of the 2 training sessions for the comp as it's my birthday, but we will be practising have no fear! A handy bench in the top of the field we walk in is perfect for re-enforcing his 'over' instruction for the jumps. Having a long weekend off for my birthday means lots of time to get it right!

11 Aug 2008

Well the training didn't go quite to plan as other things got in the way (birthday, cleaning the house and garden etc..). Still, plenty of time to work on it and we did get two ball retrieval/ball surrendering sessions in.

We are also now armed with (and have yet to fit - pics when we do) our very own 'flyball dogs' car sticker so we will look the part if nothing else! Complete with 2 paw prints. Progress is also being made for the camping options for Drax and future comps. I have to say I never thought I'd see the day I'd consider sleeping in a tent! The things you do for dogs!

Training plans for Pepper (both obedience and flyball) will be put on hold for a while as she's booked in to be spayed on the Thursday.

13 Aug 2008

Training last night went well. Too well in fact! We were running two lanes in an attempt to work on Kye's running wide issue. We tried running a dog slower on the other lane. We tired running the dog faster on the other lane. We even tried no dog at all and a ball in the other box. But Kye was wise to all our tricks; he ran over the jumps, got his ball and came back over the jumps.

Nothing we did could make him run out. The only thought we could come up with was the height of the jumps. On the times he's been hard to run the jumps have been at full height. The times he's run well they've been 7 inches as we've had a small dog running on the team. Saturday should test the theory nicely as we will be running small fences. So if he runs fine then I think we will have worked out the problem. If not we'll have to put it down to Kye's cookie brain and think of something else!

Pepper had her second (and final for a while) recall over jumps training tonight too. We started her at the second jump and worked back to the forth jump. We had a little hick-up when we took her all the back to the box as she decided she could get back to me a bit quicker running around the jumps than over. So we went back to running her from jump three which she did perfectly so we tried the forth jump again. She managed that too so we called it a day with flyball training.

Next up was a quick-fire showing lesson thanks to Karen at flyball. She used to show her pointer Anya until Anya got bored and wanted to be a flyball dog instead. Pepper is now officially practising her 'stands' and her 'trotting' (although the trotting will be on hold when she's spayed; it's a definite nuisance! Am glad I'm doing it now rather than waiting til later)

The flyball sign has finally made it onto the car as well. So I now offically carry Flyball dogs! I will try to get a photo of it shortly.

15 Aug 2008

The night before the trip. My alarm is set for 730am (yuck), the uniform is washed and dried, the sauages are on tonights shopping list. There is water in the bottles in the roof box, along with water bowl, spare lead and cooling coat. I've found Kye's raincoat as well so that will be going in when I double check the roof box contents.

16 Aug 2008

The morning. And guess who has been up since 6am? Oh well, given me time to feed both dogs and have a shower and some breakfast. I have bottles of water and sandwiches for the day, hopefully all the stuff is packed. The postcode is in my phone to go into the sat nav. So I guess now it's all down to kye and the team! Good luck Kye!

Peppo-Weppo is not appy!

2008-08-15T10:59:00.008+01:00

Peppo here. I is vewy vewy cwoss wiv my mummy!

She took me to see my fweinds at da vets yesterday. I like da vets, dey think I'm cute and make big fusses of me. I've been to da vets lots and lots of times and dey don't scare me like dey do my big bro Kye.

Dis time mummy left me as usual and as usual dey gave me da sleepy meds. But dis time when I wokes up instead of having stitches on my outsides dey wos in my belly! I feel quite strange and un comfy. So much so dat I isn't wantin my biskits all dat much.

Last night woz much worse dan dis morning. Mummy let me sleep in her woom last night but made me sleep in my cwate which I don't like much. Mummy says I gots to be calm and not jumps around for 10 whole days! She let me out my cwate this morning but she is carrying me ups and down da stairs. Which is nice cos I don't feels like climbing dem much at the moment.

Mummy has also said I can't go to flyball with Kye as I mights hurt myself. So I gots to stay home all day! I get to stay wiv Daddy but its not da same :0( I hopes dis does not mean I is banned! I likes flyball.

Mummy is taking me back to da vets on Monday for them to check my witches in my belly. I hopes I feels better by then. Mummy is going to ask about taking me to puppy class monday night. She thinks I probably will have to miss that too :0( These witches had better be worth all dis effort!

I is gonna go gets some more sleep now. I is slightly more comfy when I is sleeping.

Peppo who don't like mummy right now

The 'pre-camping' panics

2008-08-13T16:41:00.002+01:00

Now, I have never been camping. Not once in my 26 years. My parents idea's of holidays involved hotels or apartments with pools and sunshine; the closest we came was a cottage in Scotland or Cornwall or a caravan in Hornsea. Never a tent.

So when the subject of camping at flyball events came up I thought 'No, never. It's not for me.' I've got a bad hip joint, dropped arches in both feet, a tendency to react to the slightest look from an insect and I LIKE a proper bed.

So quite how I've gone from that to 'yeay, lets get a tent and go spend the whole weekend at flyball events' is slightly beyond me. Really. Now, I know I admitted I'd never want to tow a caravan (I have a Clio... it wouldn't work if I wanted to!) and I WAS looking at a campavan (in that wild world where I have enough free cash to pay for 2 cars) and realised the costs ruled it out but still... I'm actually excited about the idea!

Now I will admit I have my reservations. Mostly, large, black, dog shaped reservations. Kye does not have the nickname 'the dog of many nose-pokes' for nothing. And while Pepper in a crate is fine, Pepper out a crate is usually general chaos. Add in food/cooking equipment/clothes/anything-else-you-can-think-of-a-small-puppy-can-chew and I'm sure we have recipie for disaster.

Drax, the competition I'm planning on having my camping debut is on august bank holiday weekend. A week and a half away. So far I have a grand total of a backpack, two chairs and a toothbrush. Seriously.

The tent 'may or may not' appear from a relatives and 'may or may not' be in a usable state. If it doesn't put in an appearance I'm off 'Tent Shopping' on sunday at a camping exhibition. I can see that being very dangerous, with me seeing lots of 'usefully useless' gadgets and gizmos I want but don't really need.

Apparently I may have a sleeping bag in the loft. So I also have to go fishing around in our loft to find out before Sunday. Mum's partner has some form of airbed (another thing to avoid sharp puppy teeth) which I belive I'll be borrowing. Apparently it's surprisingly comfy although my main concern would be is it surprisingly EASY; seeing as I've never done this before. I'll have lots of flyball teamates around but would prefer not to look like a complete fool! lol

I've done lots of scouting around on eBay and have my eye on a tent. So if I don't find anything sunday I know what I'll be ordering. It has 2 double sized bedrooms and a living area, with groundsheets sown in to the sleeping parts. Not that I plan on having 4 people in my tent, but it gives me somewhere to store things away from the mad hounds.

My list of other things needed so far involve some form of coolbox (another loft trip as i'm sure we have one), some gel packs to keep it cold, a sleeping bag if the loft is empty, a first aid kit (plus my usual medicens for allergies/pain killers etc) and a roll of duct tape (possibly for tent repairs, possibly for trying up furry beasts BEFORE they create the need for tent repairs ;-) ).

There is also the thought of a table and some for of cooking device (gas powered?) or maybe a car-cigerette-lighter kettle. But the table and cooker may wait in the basis that small puppys have the habit of knocking things over (this is where the crate and the seperate storage area come in handy) and the kettle idea could be avioded by using the clubs stove/kettle.

I'm sure there's more. Lots more. And quite how I'm going to fit me, 2 dogs, tent, sleeping stuff, clothes, food, dog bowls, dog food, water, cooling coat, paddling pool, waterproof coats, bathroom stuff, medicine stuff in a Clio escapes me!

Thank goodness for roof boxes!

Pepper gets her spade and witches

2008-08-11T14:52:00.002+01:00

Well, it's official. Pepper is now old enough to have some more witches, this time in her belly. She's booked in for Thursday so fingers crossed.

My main concern is her splitting her stitches. Pepper isn't know for her calm, sedate manner at our house. Or anywhere else she goes for that matter. I'm hoping to do clicker training with her while she's not allowed to go nuts but poor girl is going to be spending lots of time in her crate. Minus her new bed; I didn't buy it to be an expensive chew toy!

I've been trying to make up for her impending confinement. Monday we had puppy class, Tuesday we went to flyball, Wednesday will have a nice walk after work down by the stream. I've been putting a herbal calmer in her food the past few days but not noticed any effects (it did work on my foster german shep tho)

I'm also going to be looking up new kong recipes to keep her out of too much trouble! So fingers crossed for tomorrow!

Peppo-Weppo's very first show!

2008-08-09T16:46:00.002+01:00

No pics for this one, the camera wouldn't have survived the rain!

Went to Norton Show in Sheffield. It started out nice enough; dry, touch of sun so we put Pepper's name down for 3 classes; AV Puppy, waggiest tail and dog the judge would most like to take home. It was a companion show, so Pepper didn't need to be KC registered.. a good job as she isn't.

Somewhere between us signing up at 10am and the class starting at 11 am it decided to rain. Really Rain. Which does no good to a spaniels looks at all! Pepper wasn't all that keen on showing the judge her teeth or standing on a table either but she must have done something right as she came 4th in the puppy class out of 7!

We then had a looooong wait for the next class. Peps found a lovely springer spaniel called Harry and spent as much time as possible playing with him. So then we had wet, slightly muddy AND covered in grass spaniel to show in waggiest tail. By this time Pepper was tired, cold and wet and totally out of wag for the lady who'd poked and prodded her earlier. So we only managed 6th.

Final class was dog judge wanted to take home. Of all the entries she went for the pug in the bright pink harness. Pepper didn't get placed in this class at all, but she DID get a bag of biscuits for her troubles which I'm sure she MUCH preferred to a rosette and knowing a stranger wanted her.

Instead she got to come home with me, some tasty food, a new friend and a couple of other show lists to go to. One of which we will be going to (after a little more training and some treats in mum's pocket) and the other will depend on flyball arrangements. All in all one happy, sleepy and somewhat less soggy, spaniel's day out. :-)

Kye - Then and Now

2008-08-06T19:01:00.014+01:00

In January 2007 Mum was looking for a dog. Not just any dog though, the right dog. Her first dog in fact, at least her first OWN dog. She'd looked after neighbours dogs loads before. At the suggestion of a friend she looked on a german shep rescue site. And found me! It was love at first picture sighting and before we knew it I was on my way from Ireland to come meet my new mum.

When I got home I was very nervous of things, and lost even more weight than I had when I arrived. I spent a lot of time with this look on my face. Loud noises, people shouting, people out on walks; lots of things worried me. I was very glad to have a home though and Mum gave me plenty of time to come around.

You can see from this pic that I wasn't exactly chunky, but my coat hides my ribs, which you could clearly see and my hips were sticking out too. Mum tried lots of different foods for me to get me to put on weight, which I did slowly. She didn't have to worry, once I'd stopped fretting about everything I put weight on well and don't have food allergies (except to bread which I KNOW but can't resist stealing when the birds bring it into my garden)

It took me a good 6 months to settle in and really feel at home. Then my true fun loving personality began to show through. I worked out what toys were for and how to play with certain dogs. I showed mum a COULD come back when I wanted to, but only when I wanted to so I spent a lot of time on a lead.

Over the following 6 months we grew as a partnership. Although this was only in our own walks. I tried obedience but didn't see the point of some of it, such as holding a toy with my lead on. I'm not going anywhere, IT'S not going anywhere fun so why isn't mum carrying it? I can do stuff like not pull on a lead but leads hold me back and there's so much in the world to DO!

We also tried agility. I loved the tunnels, the jumps were ok but that see-saw! And that A frame! NO WAY! So we didn't do that side of things any more. We then had a lull where we didn't go backwards or forwards, we were happy where we were.

Until mum discovered Flyball!!!

Now I have a whole load more doggy friends. Mum says my recall has improved 10-fold to what it was before we went, esp around other dogs. And I'm much more out going and social as well. When i first went to flyball after practice run-around i wandered off by myself and didn't really get involved. Now I'm usually in the thick of it.

Mum's thrilled with my progress and how happy I am now. I'm glad we've found something we can do together as a team, and that mum ignored lots of people and didn't force me to do the other stuff. I know if I stopped liking flyball I wouldn't have to go.

P.S Happy birthday mum, and thanks for spending all your birthday present money on me!

Greetings from the dog of many nose-pokes

2008-08-06T09:06:00.003+01:00

Hello all

My name is Kye and I'm a German Shepard cross rescue dog. I've lived with my Mum since January 2007. Before that I lived in Ireland but no one knows much about me then (and I won't tell them). Mum thinks I'm about 3 years old but doesn't really know.

I'm almost totally black and many people think I look big and scary. Well I think THEY look big and scary! So much so my mum calls me a wuss! But I have a big bark and shout lots at noises in the garden to make up for it.

Likes:

Water:
I LOVE water! Streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, muddy puddles and even the sea (when I'm feeling brave and have lots of friends to go in with or a ball to fetch).

Toys:
Toys are high up there too, esp tennis balls! But I chew and chew and chew these so they go so slobbery no one will play with me any more.

Pepper:
Pepper is my sidekick. She's a six month old cocker spaniel who's come to live with me. She gets very giddy sometimes and bites my ears and legs if i don't give her the ball.

FLYBALL!!!:
This is my all time fav thing to do with mum despite the early mornings. I get to see all my friends, shout at the other dog-teams, run and jump AND get a ball! I've not been doing this very long and have won a couple of events. Right now Mum says I need to practise 'turns' (which are boring) and not missing the fences when i run on the blue lane.

Dislikes:

Kids:
I don't like most kids. Esp ones that squeal, ones that want to stroke me and ones on bikes/skateboards. They scare me and I try to run away. Ones that throw balls are sometimes ok tho

Bikes:
I HATE BIKES!

Mum being cross:
Not at me (although sometimes it is me) but just in general. I try to go lie down out of the way. I'm just sensitive!

I'm sure Mum will add more late but she has to go to work now :(