And now for something different

These are my kitties. That's Inji on the left (she's old--18--and official "first pet"), Fritz in the middle and Fox lying like the pasha that he is on the chair cushion. I like my kitties, though Fox and I don't always see eye to eye and I was pretty scared of him when he first showed up here.

Anyway, I'm doing some work on the blog today--taking away some of the flyball links there on the side and adding some links to other activities--mostly about sheep. Check them out!

My person is also working hard on updating our "static" pages. Once she's finished, I'll post the link and you can let us know what you think.

Good, solid work (another guest blog)

From the desk of H.B. Moy, Sheep King Extraordinaire

Hello dog and human friends,

A quick report from last week's trial. First, I came in fourth overall. Fourth, I said. Did I mention it was fourth out of 16? No, well it was. Although I did not have as lovely an outrun as my buddy, Rafe, I did finish the course on both runs. No thank yous from the judge and my person didn't have to leave the post to help me. Neither run was pretty, but I (sort of) got the job done. I was mostly hindered, as I generally am, by my inept person.

The sheep were wiley, light and frisky first thing in the morning. I was the very first dog of the trial and we poor dogs couldn't see the sheep because they were right under a swale. Almost all the dogs had trouble finding the sheep and they changed the course for the second run--so it really wasn't just me this time. The handler at the post could see them, but we couldn't.

I looked and looked and finally found them. Came in tight though, so they squirted off to the right and I didn't get them back on line in time to turn the post. Bummer. In this trial, the novices had both a chute and a pen. I was working the sheep to the chute, but my stupid person thought they'd crossed the plane of the chute and she moved on to the pen. The judge hadn't told her to or anything; she was just being stupid. Typical. I lied down though and listened to what I was told (even when it was wrong--not sure if I'll do that again). I sweet-talked those ladies right into the pen. I couldn't believe the run was over!! I was just getting started. But I came back when the stupid person said, "That'll do, Hamish."

Second run. Pretty bad outrun just about straight up the middle. What can I say? The holder was faced in a weird direction and it threw me off. So, again, pretty bad lift and not enough room to get them on-line before the fetch panels. But, once I had them under control and walking nicely, my stupid person TURNED THE WRONG POST!!!!!! I was listening very well and she was telling me the right things, but she was in the wrong place. What's a red dog to do?

I moved the sheep through the chute very nicely and then my stupid person didn't get to the pen in time to open it, so we played ring around the pen. I was a little tight and she wasn't putting me in the right place, so we didn't get the pen. Better score than on the first run, though, so that's not so bad.

And, overall, I listened to what I was told and I lied down like a good boy (not like Rafe, who didn't....).

Now, it's back to some training for my person so that she can do better at the pen and teach me what I'm supposed to do too.

That's the quick report from my side of the field. Over and out

Hamish Braeburn Moy

I chopped down the cherry tree (Guest Blog)

Rafe here.

Trial Report: I did not Lie Down. Well, I did, but not at the right time. Sheep were light. Heard Lie Down too late. Sheep were moving so I kept moving too. Bad choice. Did not get to finish and pen sheep.

Had a beautiful Outrun though. Heard lots of Open Handlers say so.

Still get to eat Kongs. Get to study sheep more too. It's all Good.

Hamish worked well. Did our flock proud. He'll tell you about it.

Woof,
Rafe

Clarification from the Sheep King

From the desk of H.B. Moy, Sheep King Extraordinaire

Hello fellow pups,

My packmate, Rafe, who recently tried to blind me in a fit of jealousy over my livestock-tending skillz, mentioned in his recent post that I was recently unable to find my sheep during a trial. I have of course asked my people to issue a cease and desist letter to his people with the threat of legal action for libel should he decide not to comply. While this is winding its way through the canine legal system, I'd like to give just a glimpse of the true state of affairs concerning aforementioned unfound sheep.

While it is true that I did not find the sheep I was supposed to find, I found a MUCH larger stash of sheep hiding in a pen. I think this is much better than finding the sheep the stupid people wanted me to go after.

However, since the people are in charge of the rules at sheep herding events, I've resigned myself to going for and returning the sheep I'm directed to by the people, even when I know better bounty awaits elsewhere. You see, in the interim, I've been to sheep college (unlike Kyzer, who is currently at sheep preschool.....) and learned that it is in my best interests to abide by what the people want. That is the lot of a sheepdog--even a sheep king such as myself.

I will prove my prowess this coming week-end, Friday to be specific, when Rafe and I both show what we are made of at a Sheep Herding Event. I promise, before DoG and my fellow canines, that I will find my sheep and bring them where I am directed to. I will also Lie Down when so instructed and challenge Rafe to do the same.

In the meantime, I will be meditating upon sheep and shoring up my mental and physical resources with Frozen Peanut Butter Kongs from the fridge, as Exhibit A above indicates.

Sincerely,

Hamish Braeburn Moy

Not Much Going On? (Guest Blog)

Rafe here. Miss Pippin said I could post, since she was having no luck. You'd think we had nothing going on. Ha. Headlines:

1 - Ness Barks, Scooters Persist
2 - International Dog of Mystery Has Play Dates
3 - Renzo Wins All Races at Dog Park
4 - Trial: Hamish Can't Find Sheep, Rafe Can't Lie Down
5 - Sitting in Laps Results in Snuggles, Pippin Finds
6 - Tansy Revels in Farm Vacation
7 - Hamish and Rafe to Attend Clinic; Tansy and Kyzer Will Too
8 - Welcoming her 19th Year, Inçi Investigates New Diet

Woof,
Rafe

Dog bloggin'

Hey pup-a-dups,

So, my person has been away somewhere I never heard of before. It's called something like Afterthedam and to get there, she had to fly over the big ocean called the Atlantic. The funniest thing, though, is that she went there to talk to other people about, guess what....DOG BLOGS!!

That's right pups, my person told a bunch of other people about us and what we blog about (well, for some reason, she didn't tell people about me and my pack and what we blog about--that would have been unscientific, so she says). She told people about all you doggies' bloggies.

She's been working on this for a while (that's where some of your people's tax dollars have been going--so at least you know they're going for something good and useful....). Anyway, Opy and Charlie's SHD sent her the spreadsheet of all the dogger bloggers about a year ago (when there were *only*350 of us) and then she let her computer pick out 20 blogs to "work on".

It looked to me like she was playing around--counting some stuff and shouting "Eureka" once in while.

The people at the place in Afterthedam liked what she said about our writings. Here's what she said, if you're interested (it's a little weird to me, but maybe you'll get it)

Sheep! (Guest Blog)

Greetings Gentlepups!

Our Flock has News! A few Suns ago we went to Work. And, we had a Surprise!


These lovely Sheep are Ours! We are Delighted. What is best, is they are Light. They will respond with alacrity to our Communications. I find that quality Excellent, as I then can refine my Technique. A good Sheepdog is Polite to her Sheep, and needs to know how to be Subtle when her Sheep are Light. (Upon occasion she needs to be Pushy; that is not so difficult to learn.)

Here you can see them look at Young Kyzer, who had moved a step:


And here Kyzer keeps them in Place:


Our Sheep will live at the Farm, as our own Pasture is not big enough for Mud Pud, ball throwing, and Sheep. I believe that is Best; we will then have no Distractions when we Play.

Barks,
Tansy

Spring snow

Hey everypup,

Here in Michigan, we got our first big spring dump of snow last night (we're also hoping that it's our last dump of snow for the season.....). The pups in my pack LOVE the snow (except for Renzo, who gets cold--but even he likes it for a little while). My people took us out at 11:30 last night just to play in the snow. They had some delusional idea that having us play later would entice us to sleep later. Bwahahahah--silly people.

But, we still had a lot of fun. We've had a lot of fun this morning, too. You can see me running and frolicking up there.

Below are Hamish and Kyzer having some fun with each other
Rafey with his ball. Doesn't he look all serious-like--he's kinda like that, but he also knowns how to have a goofy time, too.
And the people even captured our new packmate, Ness, with her ears UP!! She mostly likes to keep them tighter to her head.
The people are sorry they haven't been bloggin' much. It's their usual story. The one who has all the work at the universe seems to think it's reasonable to turn OUR house into the universe too and she's been working a whole lot. The sem-tester (what is a sem-tester?) is over in a few weeks, so she'll have no more excuses about the blog. Except, somehow she always finds some.

When the one spends so much time, the other one has to pick up all the household chores, which means she doesn't have time to blog much either. And neither of them has been visiting my dog blog friends very often to let them know that we're still alive and to tell me about the blogging pee-mail. We just found out that Charlie'd been sick and that Freda's person had been at the people vet.

Hamish has been pining for Amber and we've had no way to let Copper know we've been following his travels in his quest to find Hershey. We wanted to invite him to Michigan on his way home, but the people are too lame to have let him know in time to add us to his itinerary.

We've also just caught up on how much Ivy's Benjamin has grown. We're very sad to see that Marvin the Hollow Hound has left the circle of dog bloggers and even his archives are gone.

And we haven't been to visit any of the dog bloggers who've left comments for us.....

Anyway, my people will be better soon and do more to fulfill their people-responsibilities. Luckily, they've been pretty good about getting us chow, taking us for morning walkies and making sure we have some enrichment activities like agility and working sheep. So, we have good hope that they will get back with the blogging program soon.

Archives (Guest Blog)

Rafe here.

Still quiet. No sheep yet. Heck, I'd go for those Musk Ox in Alaska at this point. (Miss Pippin posted a photo of them below.)

Dug around in the Archives, and found these photos. Me and my litter mates. Two pics. Can you tell which one is me?



Here's a hint: I wanted to leave.

Woofs,
Rafe

Border Collies aren't the only workin' dogs!

This just in from my friends at the Border Collie Boards. They are talking over there about the Iditarod (partly to show that it isn't only border collies who do important work). Look at the picture that someone took (and it's been verified and is not Photoshopped!). Those sleddogs really did encounter a herd of musk oxen, but no dog or ox got hurt or anything.

And then those cards at the Onion made this one. You can see my own thoughts about Westminster at this old post.

My person is channeling me remotely from Florida where there is no Itidarod running. I'm looking forward for her to come home at the end of the week. I don't know why she goes there all the time, but I've heard there's another toddler-in-training afoot down there......

Snooze. No Snooze. (Guest Blog)

Rafe here.

Quiet. Except when we bark, then it's noise.

Lots of snow. Ice too. Snow, then ice, then snow. IceSnow sandwich. Love the snow. Don't love ice, no sheep work for us. Not so many big walks. Lots of snooze.


Woofs,
Rafe

Kinnearing

A few weeks back, my geeky person was at the American Dialect Society's selection of the word of the year (if you care for such things, and I don't suppose you do, you can read about it in excruciating detail). The word "subprime" was the overall winner. I'm pretty sure subprime refers to the kind of meat that's in cheap dog food, so it's entirely appropriate that that was the word of the year. Really, what some people think is reasonable for us to eat....well, that's a different post.

One of the words that was a contender for the category of "most creative" was the verb "to kinnear". This means to take a picture without looking through the viewfinder of your camera because you are holding the camera at about hip level in order for the subject of the picture not to notice that you are taking their picture. It was coined by a woman who was doing exactly that in an airport where she was trying to get a secret picture of the actor, Greg Kinnear. Pretty clever play with language, huh?

Anyway, after learning that word, my person kinneared us.

I'm not sure she can really call it that, though 'cause I wasn't fooled. Can't speak for the goofy boyz--I think they never caught on to her trick. Don't know why not--she looked like an idiot with the camera at her hip....but then again, it's not all that uncommon for her to look like an idiot. Maybe we can coin a new word: to idiotbutiloveheranyway. It means that you let your person do stupid stuff to you without making her feel bad about it.

Whatcha think, pups?

Keeking (Guest Blog)

Rafe here.

Working a couple suns ago. Lots of snow. Went on big outrun, come-bye, brought my sheep, good. Did that a few times, more and more distance. Good. Then told to go away to me. Started to, then stopped. Looked back at my person. Was sure I'd lose my sheep if I went that way. Away to me. Started to, looked back, crossed over to come-bye. Bad choice. Lie down. Here. Away to me. Started, stopped, looked back. Away to me. Okay, I went away. Sheep didn't leave. I brought them. Did that a few more times. Good.

So, when I looked back at my person? Keeking. Not good for a sheepdog. Lack of confidence. Well, I'm confident now. And I trust my person's commands, for now.

So, don't call me a keeker. This picture here, I'm looking back. But I'm not working. I'm not keeking. Even if Hamish says so, I'm not.

Woofs,
Rafe
Not a Keeker.

Snow Time? (Guest Blog)

Greetings Gentledogs!

It is a New Year, and a most Curious Time. Most Delightful, we have had Much Snow! Here is a Photograph of me, "Yucking It Up" as Master Hamish says in his Odd Way:


Yet today we hear many Birds sing, and the Earth smells of Spring! Lovely, but I would like some More Snow.

When the Snow was leaving, I had a wonderful game of Mud Pud! Thereafter, I had Pain in my Leg, and my People spoke of Re-injury. What that means I do not know; I do know I have much Couch Time and Short Leash Walks. Most Curious Time, indeed.

Barks,
Tansy

Home for the holidays

Hey friends,

Two pups have come home just in time for the holidays. First, young Kyzer has finally returned from sleep-away sheep camp. He's pretty much the same pup. He likes sleeping on the feather bed in the people's room, barking loudly and often gamboozling for a tennis ball. A couple things changed. The big one is that he became a sheep dog. My people were oohing and aahing about him. So that's a good thing. His head broadened out and his ruff got all thick like he's a grown-dog.

We're pretty happy that he's back in the pack.


My people also decided that our foster friend, Ness, should be our packmate and live with us.

They talked to us about it and of course we all said yes. (I don't think they'd have listened if we'd said no, so it was good we said yes--that way they think that we're all on the same team. Which we are. Most of the time. We're not on the same team on some things. Like hiding our treats and their chocolate. Or being quiet when we want to bark. Or them going to work all day).

Snowpups

Our backyard has changed. Where last week there was hard brown, this week there is soft white. I like it. A lot. I would like to place an order for it to stay this way all the time. I like it so much, I even let the oaf-puppy, Rafe, stay right next to me without even trying once to bite his nose.

We are good dogs and sit for cookies. But we don't like to stay, so probably no holiday picture this year. Oh well.


Actually, I do know how to stay and do it when asked politely, as is befitting a gentlepup such as myself. I will also bow graciously and stay while my picture is taken. Evidence that this is true, directly below:
Woofs out to all the pups--keep your peeps warm and cared for.

Model Dog (Guest Blog)

Rafe here.

Miss Pippin's a nice looking pup. Love that photo in last post. Think she thinks I'm nice looking too. At least, she likes to play with me sometimes.

Thought I'd show a nice photo of me. Professional. Remember I said I had an odd detour when I visited Gram and Gramps? Had to go into a new room, sit on a box, and look Noble. For a long time. Got to watch a tennis ball, that helped. Had some walks too. Met a nice guy. A nice gal had camera. Here's a photo from then:


Not looking Noble, looking Quizzical. Can't see Noble photo yet. Have to wait til warm time, maybe cold time again. Then might see it on Food Bag. Let you know.

Woofs,
Rafe
Dog Model

The Newz from the Crew

It's me, friends, Pippin. My person has been BAD, BAD, BAD (I even called her "Bad Person" and hit her on the nose with my paw--not that she would ever dream of doing that to me. 'Specially since I'm not a person....). There's been so much news with our crew that it's hard to even remember what's happened.

Kyzer (he's the one standing up with the bat ears) has been away at sleep away sheep school for weeks and weeks. We are worried that he isn't going to remember us when he comes back. We think he'll remember sleeping on the feather bed, though.

Our people seem to think that the house goes out of balance if it doesn't contain six dogs and so while Ky's been at ovine camp, there's been a foster dog at our house. Her name is Ness and she's an older gal--somewhere between 8-10. She was going to have to go to sleep for a long time (that's what my people said) and so they brought her to our house so at least she can sleep on a cushy bed until she can go to a rescue place in Ohio.

She's put us all in our place kind of like a school marm. She likes to sleep in the same room with all of us and really just enjoys sleeping on a soft bed and having some good food.

She's very, very skinny and the vet thought maybe she'd had many puppies. She told me that she'd been running around on the street, scrounging for food for a while. Before she came to our house, a doggie doctor wanted to make it so she couldn't have puppies any more, but then he said she was too skinny and needed some meat on her bones first. Plus, she had creepy crawlies in her belly, so those had to go away, too.

I guess I'll save the other newz for another post. Maybe by doing that, my person will feel a little more guilty about how much she's neglected the blog. I hear that the universe will soon be in remission or something like that, so maybe she'll give me the opposable thumbs more often--at least for a few weeks.

Injury (Guest Blog)

Rafe here.

Not me hurt, it's Hamish. Not bad at all. Cornea ulcer, mild. Had to wear a cone. Gets drops in eye. Really all better now, plays with his silly Purple Ball.
My fault, sort of. First thing, we go outside for business and play. Miss Pippin and I chase tennis balls, Hamish his Purple Ball. Hamish's person threw the tennis ball for me. Good. Then Hamish runs in front of ball. Bad. Gets hit in eye. Yelps, long. Dark eye is a different size. Off to the vet. Comes home with cone. Can't go work sheep. Acts small. I know, if I didn't like Tennis Balls, he wouldn't hurt. My Bad.

Really, he looks good now. Like in this photo, but older.


Hey, any of you pups have odd hurts happen?

Woof,
Rafe

Dona Nobis Pacem

Me and the pack doing our part for peace. DoG knows the humans sure need some help in that area. Peace, pups!