My Kingdom For A Decent Dog Park

Even though we have 10 acres, it gets boring wandering about all by ourselves sometimes - it's pretty isolated out here. We often hit the park up the road, where we've made lots of new friends, but I make a point of trying out the various nearby parks we find on the internetz. Yesterday, we went to the worst one yet ... we only lasted 30 minutes at that one.

Then Ace's dad tells us that there is an off leash beach in White Rock. A beach?! Ohboy! Being former West Enders, we really miss the ocean a lot. White Rock sounded like it'd be far away, but I timed it - only took us 15 minutes or so to drive there.

Woot!

And by "Woot" I mean Wootie was happy to be back in a large body of water.

Ahhh, this is the life.


He was so happy, he couldn't even keep his feet on the ground.


He didn't even care if he caught The Wootie Toy or not. Which is good cuz, umm, he didn't.


Tweed + beach = bliss.


Piper + ocean = who-cares-as-long-as-TFL-throws-the-ball.


Even Dexter seemed to like the ocean, and water is NOT his favourite surface.

He was a little hesitant at first ....


... but soon he'd made himself at home with the ocean.


Speaking of Dexter, I've been observing him a little more closely lately to see if we can't get to the root of his assholiness.

Someone had suggested that perhaps his issue was being on leash, so I took him to the park several times on a leash to see what he did. Which was nothing different. Friendly to everyone he met on leash or off.

But he did do something in my living room the other day that gives me a little bit of a clue - he snapped at Wootie who got between him and his "job" (we were working on fetching to hand from a short distance). He was waiting for me to toss the ball and Wootie wandered by and got a snap in the face for it. A little later on, Piper (gasp!) got one was well.

At the park, he largely ignores other dogs, though will greet them politely for the most part, but he's not too interested in them. He will infrequently snark at a dog who is too in his face, but I expect this from all my dogs, who like calm greetings and detest rambunctious ones. However, if he thinks something fun and exciting is about to happen involving people, he gets very bitchy with other dogs. This is different from being *involved* in something fun and exciting though - like today at the beach, I was throwing the frisbee for everyone and a certain Schnauzer decided to obsess on Dexter, who was - as usual - creeping around in "work" mode trying to keep an eye on the frisbee and all three other dogs at once. Several times the Schnauzer jumped on him, got in his face and barked right in his eyeballs without so much as a blink of a response from Dexter, because Dex was concentrating very hard. And when he finally did snark at the irritating Schnauzer, it was ever so brief.

So it seems to me that "Relaxed" Dexter is friendly, and "Working" Dexter is largely oblivious, but "Anticipating" Dexter is a right rip roarin' bitch. I do wonder if at agility class he is so keyed up that his nerves are on edge - he sure acts calm, but I know he's dying to get to 'work' (I keep putting "work" in quotes because it's his definition of a 'job' not necessarily mine) and he wants nothing to do with anyone who may interfere with that.

I suppose this makes him a workaholic.


I'm going to take him out to play with some of those same puppies from class at the trial this weekend to see if he treats them differently in class than out of it. That might give me some insight.

Why's Dexter such a turd monkey?


Who cares? He's boring anyway.


Is that a rabbit?


I think we'll be spending a lot of our free time at East Beach this summer. We are all just so happy to have found a nearby ocean again.

Yippee!

Let Freedom Reign

We went to Campbell Valley off leash park today for some Big Air.

We were a little out of practice.

First we got some small air.


Then some FAIL air.


And a combination of the two.


Finally we got some Big Air.
(he did catch this on the way down)


We were really having a super good time!


And then ....

I saw this.


A couple minutes later, I saw this:


A few moments after that, I lifted my head and all I saw ...

was this.


For Wootie had, yet again, vanished.

Ever since his Runaway Woo episode a couple of weeks ago, Operation Scare The Shit Out OF The Food Lady has broadened in scope considerably. It now encompasses sub-operation Make TFL Really Stinkin' Angry, as well as Mission Return Wootie To The Pound. IOW, Mr. Woo is channeling The Littlest Hobo and is making a career out of wandering off - at high speed.

First we lost him while hiking in Belcarra earlier this week. We had a massive pack of dogs with us (here's about half of them)


...including my newest favourite, Fonzie.


and still, the little furry orange bastid vanished into thin air and was gone for the longest time.

Two nights later, I let all the dogs out for a last pee at midnight and all but Woo returned. I spent half an hour wandering through farmer's fields in my pajamas and a pair of gumboots, with a city girl's flashlight, whisperscreaming his name and getting nada in reply. When I got home, I found him peering out at me from behind my van and when he saw me coming he took off down the driveway and tried to hurl himself through the solid matter known as my front door. Because he KNOWS damn well I'm comin' for him.

There are so many ironies at work here. It is ironic that I have put reliable recalls on about 200 foster dogs in 10 years, but can't get Mr. Woo to so much as flick an ear in my direction when I call him. It is ironic that last night in agility class, I gave Mr. Woo to Auntie Fiona to run as she was down a dog, and he couldn't run a whole course with her because it was "too far from Mummy" and he kept running back to sit on my lap. It is ironic that my 5 month old puppy listens better than my 4 year old dog.

*shakes fist at Woo*

MORE BEATINGS, LESS LOVE!!!

Ha ha. You don't mean that.


Dude, you really shouldn't try her patience. You are going to be in so much trouble.


Did I mention he is long-line wise? He won't go anywhere if he's on a long line (which, incidentally, he sports when he goes out for potties now. The other end is bolted to the porch, until we get ourselves a fence) and, in fact, he won't go anywhere if he knows I'm watching him. But if I take my eyes off him for 10 seconds, he's gone like a bat outta hell and he doesn't come back until he's darn well good and ready. And what can I say? I don't have Dexter's eye, I can't watch him constantly.

This behaviour is all brand new - it either coincides with Dexter's arrival, or our move to the Sticks. I think it's the latter - Wootie was born to hunt, and the countryside is just too full of opportunity for him to indulge his passions.

Neither food, nor the Wootie Toy, holds his attention any longer.

How long do I have to keep this up? I wanna hunt me some wabbits.



Ahem. *I* come when I am called. *I* win the competition run in class every Thursday. *I* am a good dog. Pay attention to me. ME.


Did some say RECALL? I'm coming!!


Me too! Me too!


Oh well. I guess I'm not the worst trainer in the world. After all, I've taught Dexter to play with a frisbee!

Dexter, bring it here.


I said, BRING IT HERE!


Just kidding. Dexter is very good at fetch now.


Piper: Nature's Transit System


So ... anyone got a GPS system they want to lend me? I can't track Woo. Maybe a satellite can!!!

It's coming from inside the house!

So there we were this morning, enjoying some Wootie Toy in the horse paddock.

Wootie got some air


and some Mad Teeth(tm)


And then he was off and running like a shot


I wasn't sure what he was after. Could have been the big bold as brass coyote who was standing on my lawn in the middle of the afternoon two days ago.

Or it could have been the bunny rabbit that he enthusiastically chased up the road yesterday, and under the house foundation this morning. At least, I think it was the same bunny - the same very stupid, slow learner bunny.

But whatever it was he was after, he was convinced it was in the garden shed. Which is locked.

No matter.

He decided to just dig through the side of the shed.


When that proved to be frustratingly slow, he decided it would be faster to EAT THROUGH THE SHED!


What the hell?


He's teaching Dexter very bad habits!!


Good. More Wootie Toy for me.


Lord help me. Now I have to fix the shed.

In other news, we have raised $1500.00 for Little Man's surgery! You are amazing people, and you just made a little puppy's future so much brighter. We cannot thank you enough.

We'll be holding the draw this week and will announce the winner on the blog and on the website. So be sure to check back to see who gets a custom portrait from Laughing Dingo Studios!!

FAME! (she's gonna learn how to fly)

TDBCR rescue dog Joey moved to Australia with her adopted mum a couple of years ago. Big changes for a shy little rescue that was pulled out of a kill shelter in Washington State! But it was a good thing, because it was proof positive that it is in fact possible to move house, across the country and even across the WORLD with your dog. Millions of dogs in shelters didn't believe that, because their owners said "Oh we're moving, guess we can't keep you anymore."

Kelly Ramirez decided to put that myth out to pasture when she moved to Australia with Joey, and then to really drive the point home, she turned around and made Joey FAMOUS!

From the Hornby and Upper North Shore Advocate:

How much is that doggy in mid-air?

MEET Hornsby’s newest national champion - Joey the jumping dog. And she could be about to take the world by storm.

The high-flying pooch has been raising eyebrows and dropping jaws since her owner, Kelly Ramirez, of Hornsby, entered her into a competition called ``dock diving’’ just for a few laughs. Picture gallery of Joey in action, HERE

Dock diving is a popular event in the US and is spreading its tentacles to other countries, including Australia.

It involves dogs running along a flat platform, then launching themselves off a ramp and into a long pool of water.

It is like long jump for dogs and, incredibly, the best dogs in the world leap about 7m (although the sport is judged in feet, because of its US creators). Dock-diving picture gallery from around the world, HERE

Joey already sails that far - and she has only contested one event.

``Her results were totally unexpected,’’ a stunned Ms Ramirez told the Advocate.

``People said to me, `oh, you must have done this before’, but I was just as surprised as them.

``There were US judges there who sat up when she jumped.’’

Adding to the story is the fact Joey, a kelpie-cross-cattle, was rescued from a US animal shelter. Ms Ramirez picked her up two years ago, when ``she was a complete mess’’.

``It is nice to think that Joey could go from death row to being a world champion,’’ she said.

Joey’s sole competitive performance was at a small event at Homebush Bay in July. Her 19-foot leap gave her the Australian title. She has since jumped 20 feet.

If Joey continues her form into the World Dog Games at Homebush Bay later this month, Hornsby could have itself the world’s longest-leaping dog.

Dock diving will be a demonstration sport at the Games, in the hope it takes off here. For a video preview of the World Dog Games click HERE

Ms Ramirez said the sport was tailor made for Australians.

``This is a sport with a huge following in the US, with prizemoney, professional training and plenty of attention,’’ Ms Ramirez said.

``I think its perfect for Australian conditions there is potential for it to really take off.’’

Joey’s fitness level was ``frightening’’, Ms Ramirez said.

``She’s all muscle. She gets trained every day because, when you have a dog like this a dog that’s built to work you have to exercise them a lot. It’s the key to a happy dog,’’ she said.

The Games start on October 31.

* More dock-diving videos can be found by clicking (or cut-pasting) the following links - these videos are not Advocate creations:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-527_KG5iQQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Jw3DqrbEI


Congratulations Kelly and Joey!

Hey Wootie ...

What?

I'm gonna throw your Wootie Toy!

AlllllRIGHT!!!!

Gogogogogogogogogogogo!!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!11

And then he flew off into the sunset.

ha ha. Just kidding. I was fooling around in CS2 today. However, that really is HOW Wootie jumps. It's ridiculous.

Come one. Srsly? WTF?

Now you know why I don't have an agility Woo. He lacks Tweed's svelte grace (background also photshopped).

And Piper's determination....

... even when her timing is a tad off. I have no idea what she is jumping off of in this photo! It sure isn't the dock!

Courage comes in small packages...

This is not one of them.

Yep, that's right, ANOTHER one of my friends HURLED her dog into the lake with the force of a thousand jet engines and the glee of a demon maddened by lust and the blood of 400 virgins! And goats!

Save me, jebus. I want to live!!!

Okay, so Harry is not so brave. She has jumped in on occasion on her own steam, but not too frequently, though she does love to swim!

This dog though, was very cool. This is Nancy.
(more fun in photoshop!)

Nancy likes to dock dive quite a lot.


Did you notice what is so amazing about Dock Divin' Nancy Pibble?

Look ma! No front leg!

Let's recap, shall we? Three legged Nancy can toss herself off a dock.

Four legged Harriet can't navigate a submerged log.

Help?

I'd still really like my ball ....

Hmmmm .... Sorry. Can't help you, squirt.


And then there's Parker, who has the leaping mechanism, but not the swimming one.

If she COULD swim, she could probably leap clear to the other side of the lake with that stride!

But only once. Greyhounds lack stamina.

Stop playing with Parker. Throw the ball.

Thanks!! See ya later!!
XOXO, GossipTweed.

Oh hai! I'm gonna get all up in your bizness like dat!

A shot of The Mighty Flamboyance for the road ...