Meeting new friends.

One of the nicest things about being part of a very small breed community are the friendships that form because people have their dogs as a common link. I've met some of my closest friends because of Chandler. English Shepherd owners may drive or fly many miles to be able to attend an English Shepherd Gathering and meet other owners and dogs. However, not all friendships have to span such distances. I recently discovered another English Shepherd owner living in the town next to mine. Last weekend Karen and I finally had the free time to take a hike together.

Karen's English Shepherd is named Patches. He's somehow connected to the Operation New Beginnings dogs, although I'm not sure if he was one of the dogs that was sent away before the raid, or if he was one of the dogs at the Metra. If so, I think he must have been a pup at the time, because he is younger than Chandler and seems to have gotten enough nutrition to grow to his full size. The only other thing I know is that Karen mentioned his foster family was in North Carolina.

Like me, Patches likes to run.

Karen also brought along her foster dog, Monty. He's a Great Pyrenees who is very shy around people. Apparently he comes from a situation where he was neither bonded to livestock nor socialized to people. He's probably similar in a lot of ways to the ONB dogs that needed "taming". Karen is working to socialize him and make him more confident around people. I think she appreciated that I knew that doing my best to ignore him would probably do Monty the most good. Monty quickly started shooting worried glances back at me if I walked behind him and Karen. I switched to walking in front of Karen and Monty for the rest of the hike, so he would be less concerned. He also got to listen to me talk Karen's ear off about English Shepherds, so I hope the experience of being around a garrulous but mostly harmless stranger was good for him.

Monty is handsome, but he got nervous
every time he heard Mom mention his name.

Chandler and Patches turned out to be practically two of a kind. They quickly bonded through the brotherhood of the zoomies, and spent some time running up and down the trail. Chandler got tired first. I think Patches has about five times the energy that Chan does.

Five times the energy? But I'm the one running in front!

Patches adores the water as much as Chandler does. Both boys spent some time fetching sticks out of the reservoir. I think Chan was the faster swimmer, but he's had a few more years of practice.

Here we come with our sticks!

The boys did get into a slight vocal tiff when Patches decided to try to steal Chandler's stick. Apparently, Patches is the bossy one in Karen's house. I'm not sure if he has been growled off before.

Hey! Go get your own stick!

Since Patches and Chan are both good-natured dogs, the little argument didn't do any damage. Soon after emerging from the water, the boys started a game of chase. Both Karen and I had a great time, and I think Chandler and Patches did too. Monty may feel otherwise, but I hope we stretched his horizons a little. I'm looking forward to taking another hike with Karen soon.

Hoppy Easter!

Rowan's Birthday outing...

Rowan is "officially" 17 years old as of today. She was born sometime in March according to her adoption information, so I chose Saint Patrick's day as her birthday. I don't know if it was prescience or a grievous mistake, because she's turned out to be a pesty, fast, elusive leprechaun of a cat. At 17, she's the equivalent of an 84 year old human, and she's still quite spry. I only hope I'm that well preserved when I get to that age.

Rowan's birthday present was the first "spring" outing in the yard. She loves to go outside in warm weather, but I don't let her roam freely because of the foxes and coyotes in the neighborhood. Instead the cats get supervised outings with Chander and me playing bodyguard We're having unseasonably warm weather, and she'd been staring longingly out the sliding glass door watching the robins and squirrels hop around.

Unfortunately for her, most of the possible prey items skedaddled when Chandler shot out the door. Still, she had a good time reacquainting herself with the backyard and nibbling on grass.

Hmmm...this twig is interesting...

Nibbling on grass was a challenge. Despite the relatively warm days we've been experiencing lately, we're still in the stages where crocuses are emerging. The grass really hasn't had a chance to grow, but that didn't stop her from marching across the lawn to all her favorite plots of grass. Rowan has occasionally been hard to catch in the past, so she has to wear a harness and drag a flexi lead locked at its greatest length behind her. Despite extra weight of the dragging lead, she first wandered up toward the woods and then toward the neighbor's weathered and decaying fence at the rear of the property.

I'm on a mission. Do not interrupt!

Ashke joined her in grass nibbling, but also did a surprising amount of walking around on his creaky legs. He's spent a lot of time sleeping in the sun this winter, which has caused the gray fur on his sides to be browned by the sunlight. I think he has some arthritis in his front legs, but it didn't hold him back this afternoon. After making a beeline to his favorite patch of grass behind my parked car, he wandered the driveway for a while. Eventually Ashke circumnavigated the house, checking out every bush along the way. He punctuated most of his explorations with loud meows; I think he may be a bit less confident now that he's older.

I was just inspecting the planter.

Chan did a bit of running around in figure eights, but soon decided nothing really exciting was forthcoming, and settled on the grass. I adore the English Shepherd "off switch". I had to put in some extra hours at work today, so Chandler had not been walked yet. The one case of zoomies was the only indication of this lack of exercise. Once it had been worked out, he quickly settled down to watch over the yard as I wandered between the two cats.

Bodyguard duty. So boooooooooooring.
Are we going for a walk after this?

Yes, Chandler got his walk after the cats were back indoors. Ashke and Rowan had a snack, and have been curled up sleeping for almost four hours since their trip to the yard. All that exercise and fresh air must have exhausted them physically and mentally. They don't look like they are going to move anytime soon. Maybe I do really have 17 year old cats.

Perhaps I should have gone for "Eau de Ewe"?

Chan and I have finished our Nosework II class. Oddly, one of the main realizations I gained from the class was about Chan's interactions with toys. More specifically, I discovered that getting him to play with me when a toy is involved was more difficult than I thought it would be. Not being able to use a toy as a reward limits my training options.

I'm not sure how this happened. He'll pounce on a squeaky toy...as long as it is his idea. He won't even consider romping after any toys in the house...unless they are thrown down the hall. In that case he might retrieve a few times. I used to pay Chuckit with him, but I had to stop a year ago because I found that zooming and bounding after a bouncing ball was causing him to strain his hips. He's still a wiz at water retrievals, but finding anything else he really LOVES to do has been difficult, and I can't drag a pond with me everyplace.

So I decided to try a couple of new toys that might help him get motivated. One of these was an udder tug. These are basically the rubber liners used on milking machines recycled into a dog toy by threading a rope through them. Dogs are really supposed to like the authentic scent of cow on them.

...and then there is Chandler.

He took one sniff of the toy on the carpet, backed up ten feet, and shot me a "What the *bleep* is THAT?!?" look.

It was hilarious, but not the reaction I was hoping for.

He was one of the more cautious pups in his litter. I spent his first two years socializing him through fear periods where I would encourage him to investigate "scary" objects. It has worked out very well; a veterinary technician told me last week that she was surprised to hear that he'd had confidence issues. The udder tug was apparently an unexpected challenge. I haven't seen Chandler's caution demonstrated so clearly for a long while.

I'll have to give him some more time with the toy. The only stock he's ever worked with are sheep. I don't think he's ever actually seen a cow, so maybe the scent was too strange for him.

It's evil I tell you, evil!

Wordless Wednesday: This place is infested with water ROUSs!

Snapshot Sunday: Don't break the ice.

Wordless Wednesday- Confessions of a Collar Collector

Mister April 2012!

I just received the 2012 English Shepherd Club calendar in the mail. This photo of Chandler charging into Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg* was chosen as the April photo!

*Yes, that really is the lake's name. Follow the link.

Snapshot Saturday- Candy Cane Collar

Mudhole Negotiations

I'm very overdue for an update. I've been working on a post about the hike we took with friends the weekend before Chandler's birthday. Unfortunately, I just worked over 60 hours this week, and am exhausted. Writing will have to wait until I feel more coherent.

Instead I offer a slideshow of some photos I took during the hike. The mud puddle incident was hilarious, but it wasn't until I looked at the photos that I realized how much communication was passing between the dogs.

The players:

Chandler- adult male ghost tri that looks like a black and white
Sadie- one year old female tricolor
Elvira- black and white female puppy

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday: Birthday boy

Yes, Chandler is spoiled.
(But not rotten.)

Last weekend.

In July I discovered a wonderful new place to hike with Chandler. It is a local reservoir that is very popular with the local dog walkers. It has wide shaded trails, a meandering stream, both deciduous and coniferous trees, a mowed meadow (cuts down on the ticks), and the reservoir itself. It is practically the perfect spot to take Chandler during the hot summer months, as both the shade and available water help keep him cool. Frankly it was too good not to share, so last weekend I invited my friend Laurie to come hiking with us. I will admit to some ulterior motives; if Laurie liked the reservoir as much as I did, I could probably convince her to make the drive up to central Connecticut more often! Laurie brought along her male English Shepherd, Helo and her new puppy, Elvira. The purpose of the hike was to let me meet Elvira, and give her a good socialization experience.

Here is a photo of all three of us on the trail, this is a great hiking area!

The shade and available water were also good for Helo, who doesn't like the heat. Helo is somewhat my (and Chandler's) fault. Laurie probably would never have known about English Shepherds if she hadn't run into Chandler and I at the Connecticut Pet Expo two years ago. She expressed surprise that Chandler was not a Border Collie, survived my "the good, the bad, and the downright ugly facts about English Shepherds" lecture, and adopted Helo from a breeder within a few months. Helo is a retired stud dog, but I think he likes his new life.

...and he's sporting such a trendy summer haircut!

Helo actually has a LOT of grandpuppies and great grandpuppies out there in the English Shepherd gene pool. Sometimes I feel like I accidentally gave Laurie an entire second family that day she met Chandler and I. Elvira is one of Helo's grandpuppies, and is from a farm in New York state. She's also related to Chandler through his grandfather, who is one of Elvira's great-grandfathers. Chandler and I both approve. :)

I think it is entirely unfair that puppies are adorable without even working at it.

Elvira is a happy little girl who is probably going to grow up into a little spitfire. Even at only 10 weeks of age very little about the hike frightened her. She's curious and has good self confidence.

She's got some ZOOM in her too.

Chandler is one of those dogs that is safe around puppies, which makes him perfect for socialization outings. However, he is less interested in younger pups so Elvira spent some time trailing after him. I think she was a bit confused by some of Chandler's usual antics.

Really, I was just going easy on her for the Hide and Seek game...

We finally got to the reservoir, and Chandler was overjoyed to see all the water. I swear the dog must think he is part Labrador Retriever. He also looks so much smaller when he is wet. I never realize how much fur he really has until it is all flattened down with water.

Oh come on Auntie Laurie, please throw another biscuit out into the water.
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeee?

Helo isn't quite the water fanatic that Chandler is. He prefers to wade genteelly through the shallows.

Helo doesn't know what he's missing.

Elvira isn't so sure about water yet either, but she's still a tiny pup. Laurie says she's fallen in a few times and had to swim to shore.

Really kid...water is soooooooooo much fun!

Both Helo and Elvira spent some time watching Chandler fetch his training dummy from the water, but didn't decide to join in. Chan is a very strong and focused swimmer when it comes to water fetch. He manages to kick up a minor wake as he beelines toward his goal.

I even accelerate well in water!

However, he's a bit more leisurely about bringing it back. Hopefully Elivira will give him some competition someday, as Helo seems to be happy in the shallows.

I love to play water fetch!

It was a really fun outing. I loved being able to meet Laurie's new pup, and the dogs had a great time. Hopefully they'll be able to come back soon.

This is the highly artistic granddaughter/ grandfather photo.

Snapshot Sunday: Scenery

On the hazards of providing unexpected backup...

Chandler & Toast: YOU must be managed!
Jure: You're no fun!

Toast: Hey!
Chandler: Uh oh...
Jure: Whee! Off the hook!

Toast: WHAT do you think you are doing?!?
Chandler: Well...you see...I thought you could use a little backup...

Toast: Did I ASK for help from a big black fuzzball? No. I'm not sure I trust you.
Chandler: Oh come on...I'm harmless...mostly. But I'm not backing down here, either.

Toast: Well...maybe you didn't mean anything by it...
Chandler: I am being friendly here, really...
Pace: Hey Toast, do you need any help? Isn't "cousin" Chandler fun!?

Wordless Wednesday: 2(You must be MANAGED!)

Mary's dogs

In addition to meeting Jenn and Mary's pups Jure and Pace, Chandler also got to meet most of the rest of Mary's pack. The exception was her border collie, who can have dog/dog issues. There was an initial chaotic swirl of canines as they were released from their gated room through the house's kitchen, and out the back door. I think they were a bit surprised to find a stranger in their midst. Chandler was busy trying to meet everyone.

Mary's Cattle Dog/Australian shepherd, Bug, seemed to take everything in stride. Of course, she had briefly met Chandler once before when Mary and Jenn had brought the pups to my local pet supply store for socialization.

I like Bug, she's fun to flirt with.

Toast, Mary's Cattle Dog/Terrier, wasn't quite so sure about Chandler. She's had a few bad experiences with large dogs, so her first action was to aim a spat of machine gun barking at Chan. Chandler's reaction to this verbal assault was along the lines of "Woah! Hey...I didn't DO anything lady! What's with the noise?" * When told to leave Chandler alone because he was not a threat, Toast calmed down and eventually decided the fluffy black dog must be ok.

See? That is a smile.

Finally we met Shiver.

Isn't she cute?

Shiver is a tiny fluffball ruler of the universe. She also was a bit disconcerted to find a big black fuzzy dog in her backyard, even if does resemble his cousin Nixie, who belongs to Jenn.

*sigh* Told off again...this is a tough crowd.

Chandler is very familiar with tiny fluffball masters of the universe. His best friend as a puppy was an undersized Shetland Sheepdog with a Napoleon complex, so he really likes small dogs. He ended up making a number of close passes within several feet of Shiver as he walked around the backyard, but I think she was trying to figure out how to boss this new dog around.

For a sudden introduction that wasn't on neutral ground, the encounter went rather well. Of course, all of the dogs were well trained, socialized, and of compatible temperament. It was great to finally meet Mary's dogs as part of our weekend outing.

*Please note that English Shepherds are quite variable in temperament, so I would not count on similar reactions from other English Shepherds. I highly suspect Chandler is mostly an amiable marshmallow as far as the breed goes, and Mary knew it after seeing him play with the pups.

Triptych Thursday: Puppy management

You need to back off a bit right now, young tricolor boy pup.

That's good.
See, it's all fun and games.

Now let's see if your sable sister can get me.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Visiting Jenn & Mary

Two weekends ago, I took Chandler down to Hamden to visit my friend Jenn, and her new roommate Mary. They're both agility enthusiasts, with separate canine families of multiple dogs. Jenn was a great help to me when I first got Chandler, because she has had multiple English Shepherds. The purpose of this visit was to see Jenn and Mary's littermate English Shepherd pups, Jure and Pace.* I'd met them a month or so ago, but at that time Chandler was still recovering from his iliopsoas injury, so I didn't get to see as much of them as I would have liked.

That's Jure on the left and Pace on the right.

I will admit I was a bit concerned that Chandler would not be thrilled by tweenage puppy hijinks. It wasn't that I was worried that Chan would get impatient and hurt the pups. As far as I can tell he's more on the marshmallow end of the English Shepherd temperament spectrum. It was just that he has gotten a "WHY do we have to hang out with toddlers?!?" attitude on several past occasions.

Apparently I didn't need to worry.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Chandler had a great time running around Jenn's backyard with the pups, leaping into and out of their stock tank dog pool, begging for dog treats, and being a good role model for the pups. (Not that they have a lack of good role models, as Jenn and Mary collectively have a total of 10 dogs.) The pups had a great time too. Chandler is a distant relative of theirs; I believe they share an ancestor about five or six generations back, but with Pace and Jure he got to play the role of the "cousin" who is a lot of fun.

Pace: I'm gonna get him!!!!

My friend Laurie was also visiting the pups with her English Shepherd, Helo. He is actually the pup's grandsire. Helo is more reserved than Chandler, and the pups both respected his wishes to be left alone. They have some very good canine communication skills. Besides, why bother Helo when they could always mob Laurie and fling themselves at Chandler instead?

Hi Laurie! We all LOVE you!!!!!!

Helo ended up resting in the shade and watching the show.

Helo: Good, they're chasing you, not me.

Truthfully, the pups were also testing to see just what behavior they could get away with around Chandler. Pace spent some time trying to sidle toward Chan's rear and hump him, an action which Chan disapproved of. In contrast, Jure kept trying to fling herself into Chandler's face and lick at his muzzle.

Geeze kid, you're in my face again?

Chandler endured these hijinks with a lot of patience, although he probably could have stopped them by flattening the puppies just once. There are many possible reasons for this. At four and a half months of age, the pups should still have their "puppy licenses" to behave badly around adult dogs. There is also Chandler's temperament to be taken into account. He's an easygoing clown in many ways. I've had an English Shepherd breeder describe him as "kind" after observing his patience with her own pup.

Yet as I looked over the photos of the day, I noticed more and more instances of Chandler using subtle signals to control the pups. There are a lot of direct gazes where I think he is telling the pups to back down...just a little. I suspect he was sending a message that playing with him was allowed, but the pups had to follow some rules.

This is one of those photos that seems to show a "look".

I think this may be a good working theory, because Chandler also spent some time demonstrating that he was not a total marshmallow during the visit. He might put up with Jure in his face and Pace's fledgeling attempts to boss him a bit, but he was quite ready to get bossy if the situation needed it. The second that he thought the pups' wrestling matches were getting a bit out of control, he ran straight in and broke it up. Watching Chandler's behavior with the pups was very illuminating, in many ways.

Incoming playground police!

The day finished off with a socialization trip to Petsmart and a stop for ice cream. For me, the biggest challenge of the day was fastening my seat belt while juggling a sundae and fending off two highly interested puppies. Jure and Pace did not get any of my ice cream because they were being pushy. Chandler got some whipped cream because he was lying quietly next to my seat. Overall, it was a very good day.

*Please note that getting two littermate puppies is generally NOT recommended by dog trainers. Jenn and Mary are experienced dogsport people, and they essentially have separate households within the house. While the pups do see each other daily, they are not always together, and they both get a lot of individual attention and training time. For a more detailed explanation of why getting two pups at the same time is a very tricky proposition, please see Raised By Wolves excellent blog post Take Two, They're Small.