You may not remember me

but my name is Mr. Woo. You haven't seen me in quite some time.
*drips sarcasm*


The Food Lady is too good for us lowly dogs these days. She never bothers to photograph us anymore. She doesn't even know how to use the camera these days.

See?


I don't understand what the problem is. It's not like that boring old dog is taking up all her time anymore. She sent that ole' bag of bones packing so he went back home.


There's a lot less swearing in the house now. But also a lot less leftovers.

All weekend long she totally ignored us. I decided to to beat some sense into her with this big stick I found, but Piper and Tweed wouldn't let me.


Tweed wasn't really into it. He had another plan to punish The Food Lady and drive her crazy - all weekend long at the agility trial he said he did something called "blowing her off," "flipping her off" and "giving her the bird." I don't know what it means, but he seemed pretty satisfied with himself afterward.


He spent a lot of time reflecting on what he calls his "Missing Contacts and What-Are-Weave-Pole-Entries-Anyway" plan.


Except it didn't work. TFL says she still loves him anyway.

She still loves me?


And Piper is just a suck up.

"*I* didn't miss any poles or contacts. Of course, I didn't run in the trial this weekend, but still. I'm a perfect princess."


Dexter is a spaz. He can't be trusted with any Food Lady Punishment plans.


Now The Food Lady says she is busy working on making us more famous by redesigning the blog, so she STILL doesn't have much free time to photograph us.

*sigh* My life is so hard.


Please tell The Food Lady to spend more time with us!

Super Woo!

Actually, Wootie has nothing to do with this post, I just liked the photograph and couldn't be bothered to think up a decent segue.

The real Super Dog in today's installment is my Bestest Boy, Tweed.

Who, me?


Yes, Mr. T - I am talking about you!!

We trialed on Saturday and Tweed made me so very proud! His accomplishments this weekend were:

Steeplechase - 1st place and a Q
Masters Jumpers - 1st place and a Q
Masters Standard - 1st place and a Q
Masters Gamblers - 2nd place and a Q
Challenge class - 1st place and a Q

He went 5 for 6, as I got slightly out of position in his last Standard run and he dropped a bar. He was still several seconds faster than his competitors, but the 5 faults meant no Q.

Nobody could touch him in Challenge; the Q time is determined by the fastest dog, and he blew everybody away. It was the nicest run I think he and I have ever had. It *even* got us a compliment from the Sadist - not even a backhanded one, an actual, genuine compliment!

Udda udda udda - whuuut?


I know Tweed, I was surprised as well. It's such a rare thing.

I've been told it's not nice to brag, but I don't care! Tweed and I worked real hard to reach this level of teamwork, so I'm braggin' for both of us. Tweed's a winner!! I only wish I had gotten someone to video some of those runs.

I *heart* Tweed!


Piper ran 4 times in Advanced too, and she didn't let me down - she messed up every single run and didn't have a hope in hell of getting a qualifying run. More or less what I was expecting - she's a pretty thing, but running on fumes, not cerebral power.

Piper fetch me a stick with which to beat you.

OKAY!!! YAY!


You owe me $56.00 in wasted entry fees.

Ummm ... can I pay you in sticks? Here's my first installment.


Piper is officially pulled from trialing until we get some of our shit together. The Sadist says Piper really wants to please me and I get too frustrated with her, which shuts her down. It's hard to imagine her being shut down whilst she is at the same bouncing up and down on my toes like a cork in a stormy ocean. If that's shut down, what would she do if she were really happy - jump right inside my skin??? And also, if she wants to make me so damn happy, then why doesn't she get the hell off my cleats and go take a freakin' obstacle?

Really, Piper's two biggest challenges are:

1. Distance - Piper is attached to my cleats by an invisible elastic that only stretches a tiny bit. I thought with time the elasticity would develop some give, like a well used hair tie, but it's pretty damn resilient!

2. Weave pole entries. Piper's brain is like a nervous frog in a hot frying pan, and even though there are weave poles set up on the kitchen, she can't find the entry to save her life. We're going to go back and retrain the weaves using the 2X2 method - has anyone successfully retrained weaves this way? I keep hearing they are a great way to teach them, but stressful for the dog to relearn. I'm hoping that since she doesn't seem to understand them now, retraining won't be too confusing for her.

Oh well, I'm still strutting around all happy-like thanks to Tweed's glorious Saturday. Nationals, here we come!

Another WIN for TDBCR dogs!

Former TDBCR dog Zephyr takes the Silver medal in the Weave Pole Competition at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge in Whistler, BC!!



This is from today's Province Newspaper. Congratulations Dana and Zephyr!!

Rescue dogs can do ANYTHING!!!

More Photos:

On the Podium!


Zephyr in action during the disc dog competition

Piper ADC, SGDC!

Thanks for all your good wishes, readers! On Sunday, Piper got her last Starters Snooker Q with a first place, which makes her officially an "Advanced" agility dog now. Of course, Starters Snooker is ridiculously easy, but I am proud of my wee girlie nonetheless. She is trying very hard!

Our friend JLE took some photos at the trial which she has kindly let us post here.

Piper is a rocket. She either gets a Q and 1st place, or she crashes and burns.

She used to run under the tire, as it was much faster than jumping it, but now she is so graceful.

Please note The Sadist, Mr. "Again, FASTER" videotaping in the background, probably so whatever I did wrong will come back to haunt me in a class later ;-)


I have some video of my own I will try post later. Right now, we are having a heatwave in Vancouver and it is too hot to even pick up my camera - when I try to put my eye to the viewfinder, it just sweatily slides away. Sitting in my office is like sitting in a sauna!

ETA - a few more photos from the weekend, also courtesy of JLE!

I LOVE this dog!

Please to make unflattering facial expressions with me Food Lady?

Well, of course I will do that Tweed. Here you go - matching, unflattering facial expressions coming right up!

(Hey, it's really hard to try and run as fast as a border collie, and maintain your dignity, okay?)

Now this is what we call "A Missed Contact!"

I wuv you. Pleaz don't beat me. And pass the zombie cookies so I don't have to suck our your braaaaaiiiins. kthx.

Hey! Get out of the post, Carlos!!

Pickle Pr0n

So ya'll will stop whining about "Where are the Pickle pictures, the ones where he has his shirt off?" and stuff, and because I like to make you all happy, please enjoy some Pickle Pr0n.

(but if Mrs. Pickles starts taking names and kicking ass, don't blame me! I'm still jobless and rapidly becoming broke, so if she tosses me a few dollars, I will give all ya'll perverts up!)

Mr. Pickles decided The Sofa needed to learn to swim, so he donned some ocean going pants and did the deed.

All things considered, I do believe Sofa enjoyed being HURLED TO HIS DEATH FROM THE DOCK more than this experience. Oh the things a dog will do for a tennis ball.

Le sigh. Life was so much simpler then...

Fortunately, there was a lifeguard on duty.

I know this photo is out of focus, but for a moment when I was downloading I thought Red Dog had come back to pay me a visit. I took these photos about a week ago and had largely forgotten what was on the card or why I took them. It was too eerie not to share this, blurry or no!

Hey look at me! Look at me! I'm in the air!


Poor Wootie is feeling undervalued. We are at an agility trial all weekend and he is not getting the attention he feels he needs and/or deserves, since Tweed and Piper are running the show.

Harumph. My Food Lady went to an agility trial and all I got was this lousy dead stuffie.

Today's star is Miss P, who got her first Advanced Jumpers Q!!

Yay, me! Wait, what?

This is no small achievement for Her Highness. Just a few short months ago, Piper did not understand the game of agility despite a year or so of lessons, and could not even navigate a series of more than 2 jumps. Today, she did 3 runs and the ONLY thing she garbled was her nemesis, the Evil Weave Poles. If it were not for weaves, she would have run clean every time. HUGE improvement.

Oddly, the weaves haunted Mister Masters today as well. Tweed ran a gorgeous Standard, but he bobbled the weaves - and he did it so smoothly that I, running right beside him, didn't even notice! It was not until I reviewed the tape that I noticed his little shimmy-skip. Unfortunately, the judge noticed it in real time. We also played a new game called Challenge, which is exactly what it sounds like - challenging! And I am apparently challenged when it come to remembering the name of the Frame, because I called it "TunnelNONOImeanPlankNOIDON'TWhyCan'tIRememberWhatThisIsCalled?!!" while doing a little dance of frustration that messed us all up :) But he ran like stink. I am so very proud of my dogs!

We do so well now because MY INSTRUCTOR IS A SADIST!! I know I say that a lot. It's mostly cuz he reads this, and it drives him batshit when I call him that.

Payback's a bitch ;-)

He has a two lovely Aussies. There is the very handsome and masculine Cisco:

Who would like me to give him the cookie, and get my facebox all out of his bizness.

Get lost. But leave the cookie.

And Biscuit, who is darling. I love Biscuit, because when she gets mad at Gerhard, she bites him in the pants! Actually, I was a little worried she was going to bite me in the pants too. She doesn't appreciate picture time.
I brought my camera today, but mostly just to get the odd shot, because I was too busy running to take photos. However, I did get this one of Calen the Beagle, and I am very very glad I did.
ha ha ha!!!

She is going to kick some serious ass in the handstand competition.

We're at the trial all day tomorrow too. Come by and visit us! You can play with Noodles and the Wootie Toy, as he is ever so lonely...

And on your way, please come get these other cats. I hate them.

Bad, Mr. Pickles, BAD!

Do you know what Mr. Pickles is doing in this photo?

Here's a hint:

RUN SOFA, RUN AWAY OR HE'LL DROWN YOU!!

Poor Sofa. He did not run fast enough, so Mr. Pickles threw him in the lake!

I guess he was jealous of The Fantabulous Dock Diving Woo. When you see images like this:

You get The Envies. And then your poor Doberman pays the price for your wounded pride.

At least he hauled him back in again.

Which is something that Dougie the Jack probably wishes he hadn't done, after he was subjected to The Sofa Experience.

Frickin' doberman! I'm outta here!

Agh! Holy cow! Get OFFA me!!

(*borrows Piper's Mad Teeth(tm)*)

'Scuse me, but those are MY Mad Teeth(tm). How will I keep this ball in my mouth without them?

Piper has had no more episodes of drunk-walking / overheating since the last one, but I have been very careful to not run her in the middle of the day without access to swimmable water. Thanks for all the insight and suggestions about what could be ailing her! She'll be going to the vet later this week for some bloodwork and an overall check up.

She also had a pretty good agility trial, and earned herself a Starter's Snooker Q. It doesn't seem like much - after all, she had 3 runs and only Q'd in one of them, but for Piper this is a BIG accomplishment. Not too long ago, she was so all over the place on the course that she couldn't do more than a few obstacles before her brain fell out of her head and she became The Saucers-For-Eyeballs Tornado of Doom on the course. Thanks to the hard work of Gerhard ("Again, FASTER") we saw some notable successes in our runs - she took almost every obstacle on the first try, instead of running past them in a frenzy, she held her start line stays reliably and she nailed her 2o/2o contacts every time. Good girl!!

Tweed had a beautiful Masters Standard run with a first place and a Q, but he did a faceplant in his Gamble opening and then sulked his way through the rest of the course, and didn't want to do the Gamble. Poor old man :(

Speaking of things Tweed did not want to do ... this included jumping off the dock.

WTF? Off THIS thing? You been smokin' that crack, Food Lady.

Since Tweed would not jump, and Piper NEVER jumps, that left just the Woo to impress all the park goers with his sexy moves.

I am too sexy for this dock, too sexy for this dock ...

SPROING!

Holy shit, the orange dog can FLY!

This presents a whole new crop of recall training challenges. Figures.

Even he seemed a little amazed by his new talent of flight.

Dude. Whoa.

This is awesome.

I'll just fly home. See you there, Food Lady!

Yesterday I did a photo shoot for some friends out in Maple Ridge, and took photos of oh-so-many adorable doggies, but the one that stole my heart was this pittie, Sienna:

She was a rescue off a reserve here in the Vancouver area and she has the sweetest personality of all time.

And she gets pretty big air too!

Tomorrow I get to photograph some border collies, including Bear (now called Rhys) who will be up for adoption soon.

And I try to upload photos from every session on my Big Air Photography website within a couple weeks of shooting, so don't forget to check there often for new pictures!

Oh and my little sister got married last week to her long time love. The wedding was a small ceremony of just family, and happened on Bowen Island (the site of the Very Bad Woo Runs Away adventure). Congratulations to my little sister!