Gentle

I don`t know if all Collies are like Kort- but he is the most gentle dog. Even when he is playing or tugging he is a gentleman about it.





see how he has the toy just in his front teeth. I had to let the guy win!



on the other hand he is not the most graceful dog... :)

Probably the worst photos I`ve ever posted but....

I`d say that they are evidence of things back to normal. lol

Forgotten Photo

photo taken by Paws on the Run. :)

an a completely unrelated subject..

i was on hold with telus for like an hour the other night and had to listen to whatever they pump into the background.

You know when you're not really listening, but you hear just a few words here or there? Well, imagine you hear the words "I could watch you in your room if I was invisible..." Does that not sound crazy stalker-like?

I had to find the lyrics to share. What are people thinking when they write songs like this? lol

Whatcha’ doin’ tonight
I wish I could be a fly on your wall
Are you really alone
Who's stealin' your dreams
Why can't I bring you into my life
What would it take to make you see that I'm alive

[Chorus]

If I was invisible
Then I could just watch you in your room
If I was invincible
I'd make you mine tonight
If hearts were unbreakable
Then I could just tell you where I stand
I would be the smartest man
If I was invisible
(Wait..I already am)

and if you really want to torture yourself here is a link to the video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbhOVKhwO_4&ob=av2e

c r e e p y.

Like a bad dream

40 Hours 38-52, originally uploaded by manymuddypaws.

Someone told me the other day that it will take longer for me to get over it than it will for him. I would say that's pretty accurate!

Last night he jumped up on me for attention
Last night he cuddled on the couch while we watched Glee
Last night Boone slept in bed and cuddled like normal.
This morning he rolled around in bed and snorted and snuffled like any other morning.
This morning he spun (slowly mind you) for his breakfast.
This morning he barked at the neighbors cat in the yard.

and all I can think about is that he may never have done any of those things again. I am in complete amazement that he is home and doing so well.

Home.

Home. 39-52, originally uploaded by manymuddypaws.

He is a little jumpy, and still sore but otherwise doing well. He was pretty excited about breakfast and supper today. :)

40 Hours of Hell

Well. I have had time to digest and think about the last few days. I am still emotional about. And I can`t stop looking at him. It is so incredibly awful to think that he could still be out there- scared, in the dark and cold alone.

There is a difference between a dog that ran away and a dog that is running scared. Boone was running scared. Probably frantic the whole time. One of the sightings I got of him was from a girl who said he ran laps around the soccer field for three hours while they practiced. What kind of dog runs in circles for three hours. I think that he was confused and scared the whole time and it makes me so sad that he had to go through that.

I still have no idea when or how he got out. He is not a dog that runs away- he is off leash all the time with no problem. Even when he`s scared he will come to me. My theory is that something REALLY spooked him and no one was there to comfort him so he did what he does best- run. Away. Until he was calm, and then he was lost. He traveled a lot- probably non stop. I am hoping to have time to make a map to publish here- of all the sightings, and where was eventually found. Dogs are amazing. But it`s no wonder that he`s exhausted!

I am so grateful to my friends. Sunday night every where I looked there were people out looking for him. It was strange and and heartwarming all at the same time. I don`t know what I would have done without them.

And of course my dad- who walked and searched until I told him to go home. He got up at 6 Monday morning to go to the schools while it was still quiet- and waited until the kids showed up so he could ask each of them if they had seen a grey shaggy dog. I am surprised he wasn`t arrested. :)

I am also surprised at the amount of great people in the world. Strangers, who had never met me (or the elusive grey shaggy dog) were more than willing to look for him and spread the word. It is an incredible feeling to know that there are people out there who will go the extra mile.

I am not an emotional person and can`t count on one hand- okay half a hand the amount of times I have cried in public. But this about killed me. Sunday night I broke down more than once as I walked the dark alleys. I almost cried again when the woman on the phone said that she might have found my dog. And I did cry as he crawled out from under the van towards me. I love my dogs. A lot. And Boone holds a special place in my heart- the dog no one wanted, and who has worked so hard these past few years. So there should be no surprise that I am still crying. He just means so much to me.

As dog people you all understand.

So thank you all- for being with me for the past few days. It is nice to know who your friends are. :)

The Story.

Saturday night 9:30-10pm. I go to let the dogs outside for a pee and can`t find Boone.

I walk the front streets calling. And then I called my Dad, Sarah, and Wendy. And then I stopped breathing.

We looked for hours. No Sign, no nothing. Kaleb tracked him for a while, and then lost the trail (or became confused by Boone`s spinning)

I did not sleep. Instead I called the Animal Shelter every two hours.

Sunday. I got up, searched the area. Made posters. Called friends. Called the animal shelter every two hours. Searched again. More. Got a few calls- searched new areas. Searched well after dark. Went home.

Didn`t sleep at All. (called the Animal Shelter instead)

Monday. I worked a few hours in the morning. Well, maybe worked is too strong a word. I was at work pacing by the phone for a few hours while keeping an eye on dogs. And then I rode my bike around town for a few hours, walked the dogs a few hours. Did some calling and emailing for a few hours, and then searched some more.

I made a pretty map with different search areas, and assigned all my awesome friends to an area. And then I got a call (5:15pm).

A woman who thought she had my dog under her van. OMG. I nearly passed out on the spot. I was frantic and not really making sense. Somehow we managed to get there even though I told Jo to go to Scenic, instead of Stafford. Good thing she was just following my directions and not actually listening.

I was so nervous- was it him. would he still be there. what would i do if he ran away from me.

I was out of the van before it was stopped. Calling him. I sat on the ground and as soon as he saw it was me he crawled out and into my lap. I cried. It still makes me teary to think about it. I just held him and told him how wonderful and brave he was.

He tried to bolt away from me so I had Jo bring me a leash. We loaded him in the van and then headed to work where I cut the majority of the burrs out. We gave him water and timbit.

Once home he settled. He is sleeping now in his crate, with an extra bed. I`ve fed him small amounts every few hours and I think he is content now. He is VERY stiff and sore. I`ve given him some Metacam, and will give him a few days before I stress him out with a vet visit. (and a bath!!!)

I know that it is going to take some time for Boone to be okay. I think he will heal physically within a week or so. Mentally not so much. He is nervous dog on a good day. He was forced into survivor mode for 40 hours. I know there will be some work ahead of us to get his mental state back to where it was. But I am confident it will come, and have no problem giving him the time he needs.

I am still in shock really. So hopefully I got all the stuff right. I was going to wait until tomorrow but I know there are some really caring people out there who want to know the story.

Thanks again to all my friends who drove, and walked for hours. And of course thanks to all the positive thoughts and well wishes. I cannot put into words how much your support means to me.

So thank you.

He`s Home!

Boone is home. And I can finally breathe.

No Boone yet...

It has been two nights and it makes me sick to think of him alone cold, and scared.

It seems like we are running circles around him, missing him by a few hours, or even an hour at one point last night.

I have never been so tired. I can't just sit and do nothing though. Although at this point I am just waiting for the phone to ring for another lead.

The dogs and I have been walking everywhere. I went on the bike today to cover more ground. Talk about frustrating.

I just wish he'd show up on the porch, or that we would see him walking down the street...

Helpless

Boone has been missing since last night. It is the worst feeling in the world.

UPDATE: Monday, September 27th.

Still hasn't been found, although there were a few sightings yesterday. Keep thinking of us!

Pixel's Awesome Adventures...

Pixel is an escape artist. Not even kidding.

When she was a puppy she climbed out of an xpen at a dogshow. She was having a good time running around until someone caught her.

This morning Jolene came over and was greeted by Pixel in the front yard. Running down the sidewalk actually. I have NO idea how she got out of the yard. There is a fence board in the back that is often loose, but I am not sure how she fit. Regardless I screwed it shut.

And then this afternoon she got out of a soft crate, and then jumped out of the van window. No kidding. We were at a funmatch and I just kept my dogs in the car to keep it simple (and quiet) in the building. I came out to get Pixel for her turn and there she was running around the parking lot.

Now, keep in mind this is in a rural area with no traffic, but still, a little scary.

She's such a little monkey.

Oh, and the funmatch was great- Pixel did great in rally, so-so in Obedience. Wicca did AWESOME in Obedience- like pretty flawless actually. She did go down on her long sit though- so for the long down I opted to do a sit again and she stayed. That's great progress. Oh, and she was awesome in Rally too. Unfortunately I forgot a sign. :)

Must be the trainer...

So Pixel is two years old and doesn't really understand stay. And Wicca is six, and still has trouble with stay. The boys have an okay stay- Boone's is the best of my dogs, and I didn't teach him...lol...

Must be me eh?

I seriously hate teaching stay. It's so boring. Yes, my dogs know "stay" for practical purposes, but I am talking about Obedience long sits and downs. I admit that I suck at stay, and practice it as little as possible. I have made more of an effort in recent months to teach Pixel- but really am not into it. Apparently I don't have a need for Pixel to get a CD anytime soon!

It's funny, as an instructor I often see people with multiple dogs who end up having the same issues over, and over and over again. You know that when the second (or third) dog has the same problem as the first that it is likely something the handler is doing. I am quick to point this out and generally we try to overcome the crutch. Not so in my own case. Yes, I admit it. But I have not done anything to change it.

So what's the point of my early morning rambling?

There is an Obedience funmatch this weekend that I am contemplating going to. Wicca would have fun, and Pixel could use the ring experience. But maybe we'll skip the stays. lol

The story of her life...

My friend Kim had this on her video camera from the weekend. We had such a good opening, and the gamble was a cinch for her. And then the bar fell.

:)

Thanks Kim for the video!

Technology for good and bad...

So I finally sent my sad little iPhone back yesterday. the backlight stopped working a mere few weeks after I bought the thing. :( I just got the box last week to ship it back, but have been putting it off because even though it doesn't work great it's still something! Hopefully I will get the new one back in about a week or so. In the meantime I have a borrowed phone, but it's just a phone. Nothing fancy.

To keep me entertained however...a new toy! I saved up for a while and finally had enough to buy myself a laptop! I haven't had a computer at home for a few months. It was even on sale and came recommended to me by a computer friend. My internet won't be hooked up until Saturday- but I've still had a good time learning Windows 7. My work computer is a MAC, and my old PC was, well old and crappy. :)

The great thing about having a computer at home will be photos. I can take and upload photos as often as I want. :) So we all will benefit.

Supa' Stars..

Wicca- the good, and the naughty....we had some rough spots, but mostly I am pretty happy with her this weekend.


Pixel- just jumpers for now. Masters Jumpers. I am amazed.

Weekend in a nutshell

Pixel-
2 masters jumpers q, an advanced standard q, and a advanced snooker q....

Wicca
masters snooker q, some really awesome runs, and one really naughty run...

and bed bugs.....

----------

Pixel is amazing. Seriously. She is such a good girl. She just does what I tell her to do. I can't get over it. She got not one, but TWO masters jumpers q's this weekend. Masters. Like 20 obstacles with serpentines, and threadles, and push thru's.

Wicca was fantastic. She is running really well and I feel that we are really connected. She had some "almost" clean runs that I was proud of my handling, and of my dog. Even in the really naughty jumpers run on Sunday she had some pretty great moments.

I will have video later today.

Oh, and the motel we stayed at had bedbugs. Thankfully I brought my own sheets/bedding but now have to freeze, and then wash everything that was in the room. Ugh, Seriously gross.

Mmmmm....cake

Last night we had a 5 year GO Dog GO Party BBQ and Potluck. It was lots of fun- and one of our students surprised us with this cake!

Isn't it incredible?

It was so realistic that there was even a bar down...now, who was blamed for that do you think?

Agility Weekend II

This time to Medicine Hat. It should be a fun weekend- although it is supposed to rain, rain, rain and rain some more. I am not looking forward to being cold and wet for two days. But the agility part will be fun. Kim C is one of the judges so her courses are sure to be tough, and technical.

I have just the girls entered- the boys will stay home this time. Where they will be warm and happy all weekend...

Growth.

just over 5 years ago Sarah and I decided that we needed a change. she bit the bullet and bought a set of agility equipment and the rest is history. when we first started out we had a handful of students who came with us. Now, five years later we have over 60 students and friends. It is pretty incredible to think about.

so thanks. to all our students, and friends for supporting Sarah and I in this venture. We appreciate it!