What I Didn't Know

When I first made the decision to get a working bred dog I started to do my research so that I had an idea of what I was getting in to. I was on email lists where people discussed their working and sport bred dogs. I read articles, web pages and blogs where people people discussed raising and training working bred dogs. But I find there is a gaping hole. Something nobody ever mentioned. Nobody tells you how hard it is to clean around these dogs. They don't warn you that when the broom comes out the dog attacks. When Vivre was a baby she would just latch on to the broom and would pick up the dirt I missed with her coat. She still tries to attack the broom so I sweep when she is outside. But now I am spring cleaning and every time I try to clean she gets right up in my way. She gets between me and the bookcase I am trying to organize, she noses around in my garbage bags. She is just pesty.

Of course I have never bothered to train her to ignore the broom, because it is usually easier to put her out for a little while. But since she has been in heat I... well I was going to fib a little and say I crated her. And I did for spot cleaning, but basically I just haven't given the house a good sweeping. So we have company coming and I am running out of time and it is raining and going to keep raining. So I can't crate her while I clean because I have too much work to do and won't leave her up that long and it is raining so I can't put her outside to play with the other dogs so I am trying to clean around her. (Did I mention it keeps raining!?)

So in the interest of correcting this glaring oversight when trying to clean around a Spritepup have a babysitting plan for the puppy.

Free At Last! Free At Last!

I noticed on Vivre's first birthday that she was starting her first heat cycle. I have never had an un-spayed female before. Heck I have only had one female before. So I am not exactly sure when caution crosses in to paranoia. We have no loose dogs up here, though our neighbor a mile away has a loose male. He never did try and come up here. Regardless today is the first time that I have let Vivre out of the fence to really run and she was excited. I picked up a stick and just tossed it for her. I let her run in to the tall grass to retrieve it and she would bound over the grass like a deer. I need to get it on film. I have a camera here that belonged to my uncle, but I don't have a firewire port on my computer. Denise has given me camera envy though so I am going to order a Flip.

She downed on the verbal very well when we were out there. I am not good at fading the visual cues and I need to work on that, but she was really doing well with the verbals today even with out me bending my shoulders.

I usually release her as soon as I start to throw the stick because I haven't worked on her staying with that kind of temptation, which means I need to pull my copy of CU back out and work through the program. It is well past time anyway. A couple of times I faked her out, pretending to throw the stick and release, after about the third time she came flying back at me and launched her self at my hand (which held the stick). I swear I can't play with sticks with out getting bit. I hate to throw a toy though, because I don't want to lose it in the tall grass. Maybe after I get it mowed down.

Good news though, Brydon has scheduled a seminar with Denise this fall that we are signed up for. So as long as she gets enough working spots (which I don't imagine will be a problem) we will have that to look forward to this fall. It will be great.

Happy Birthday!

Vivre is one year old today! Not that there is really any evidence of growing up. She hasn't gotten to go a lot of places this winter so today I loaded her up and took her with me. We headed first to the feed store. She get so excited because there are MEN at the feed store (little floozy). She is welcome inside and usually enjoys it, and did today too until she wrapped her leash around a rolling chair and it started to chase her. Yes, there are chairs in the feed store. After all farmers have to have someplace to sit while they gossip... excuse me, catch up on the news. That is far more dignified.

We stopped at a drive in for lunch while waiting to meet my mom. Vivre got a little hamburger (and half my sandwich as well.) After that she got to body tackle...um visit, with my mom. She loves my parents. After that she got to visit with my aunt until I finally had to get to take advantage of the sun and get some outdoor work done. I didn't get any birthday pictures, but will take some tomorrow and get them posted.

I have had a bad week and a virus on top of everything else, so I am going to keep this short and beg that everybody ignore the typos that I missed. Since I have already corrected myself about 8... um, make that 10 times in this short post I am certain that I missed something.