Busy Life

School Update

2010-12-20T00:35:00.001-08:00

Thank goodness for Christmas break! Reavis and I have been very busy with school this semester. We are both thankful that the semester is over. We will be back at it beginning in January. I will be graduating in May. It is nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The boys are all well. We haven't been doing a lot of training lately. Bradley has an eye injury we are trying to get healed up. Chester is going to have to go in and have a dental after the first of the year. Bentley has way to much energy as usual and Brady is still holding down the couch.

Work keeps John and I busy. Thanks John for all the extra you do while I am going through school. I am more grateful than you know. I truly do appreciate it.

Wow... where has the time gone?

2010-08-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

Outside of going to school and working more than usual this has been a pretty productive summer. We managed to get some work done on the house that was badly needed. I don't think we even realized how much work the house really needed until we decided to get rid of the bushes that looked so bad out front. It progressed to, " You know we really need to paint the house." So we did then of course I couldn't leave it without any landscaping at all. So thanks Meghan for coming and helping me decide what to put in and helping us get it all planted. You Rock!

Spring semester I managed to pull off 4 classes while working full time One of those was an 8wk block class. I was definitely busy. I started bowling on a league just for fun though because I am not a good bowler. Yes, I know I really needed just one more thing to do because my schedule wasn't full enough. I even squeezed in an Emergency Telecommunicator Instructor course for work.

Summer school kicked my butt. I had forgotten how bad 8 week classes can be especially when you take two at one time. Algebra in itself is hard enough but then put a 4 hr science class on top of it. I made it through with an A in Algebra and a B in Environmental science so I wasn't to upset with myself.

I did manage to get a 2 day float trip in this summer. I got to spend some time with My brother and his family. It was good to get to see the nieces and nephews though they are really growing up to fast. I would like to do another trip like that some time in the future. The boys had a blast one in a canoe with me and one with my brother. The entire time we were floating they were shooting each other with water cannons. I sure loved getting to do that with them, heck I even got in on shooting the water cannons at the boys and of course my brother too.

I did have to for go pet therapy visits this summer because my seated math class interfered with our visits. Chester and I are back at visiting 4 days a month now. He really does love going and I had missed it more than I thought. I ordered card for us to give out on visits so I am excited to see them. April at U turn studios designed them and took the photos for us.

Oh I almost forgot, Gambler got a new back packing so there will be some hiking in our future. I can't wait and neither can Gambler. He stood like a perfect gentleman so I could try it on him and he was very excited to be wearing it. I think he was hoping we would go hiking that day.

School starts up again on Monday....

What to do with a Saturday off!!

2010-03-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

I had a weekend off with good weather and I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I decided the best way to spend at least one of the days off...GO HIKING. I had a friend suggest a hike at Busiek State Park. I had never been there, it is a nice place to hike and you can definitely get a work out if you take the Silver trail. I took Gambler on the hike with me and he had a great time but I am sure he would have loved it more had it been longer. I am so glad that we all got to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine...what a wonderful day.

2010-02-27T00:51:00.000-08:00

These photos are from last fall's SMDTC tracking trial. Yes you heard me correctly, tracking trial. Pam was kind enough to let the dogs swim after all the tracking was done. Bradley has always loved the water regardless of what time of year it is. Becky thanks for taking such great photos of him.

Back to school

2009-08-30T00:41:00.000-07:00

Well if you hadn't guessed things have been busy. Reavis started college on August 2oth and so did I. Poor John isn't going to know what to do with 2 college students. I am trying to get back into the swing of making myself study and keep up with homework. It has been a long time since I have been a student. Reavis is liking school so far and is still working on a regular basis. I am taking Math, Philosophy, and Public Speaking. Taking 9 hrs and working full time is enough for me. One of my coworkers is taking 12 hrs and working full time. I am not sure that I could do that.

Bentley and I have missed our first novice class. I am hoping that we can make it Monday but I also have to take my car to the shop and have the inspection done so I can relicense. The joys or car ownership.

The Most Awesome Vaction Ever

2009-07-06T01:52:00.000-07:00

Well it has been way to long since I posted. The first thing I want to tell you about is the amazing vacation that I took this summer. I went with some friends to the Havasupai Indian reservation in the base of the Grand Canyon. The scenery is truly beautiful, breath taking and worth every mile I walked to get to it. We drove from Missouri to Arizona in about 3 days. We stopped to see the Oklahoma City bombing memorial, that will truly humble you. It was very worth seeing, if you have an opportunity I highly recommend it.

We stopped at the painted desert and the petrified forest along the way. It was nice to get out and walk around a bit since we had spent so many hours in the car. The painted desert was beautiful but I am told by a gal that use to live there it is more beautiful after it has just rained. The petrified forest was something to see, you wouldn't believe all those trees turned to stone, amazing.

There there was the hike. It began at the Haluapi hilltop approximatley 10 miles from the campground. It is 8 miles from the hilltop to the indian village where you have to stop and check in. We all packed our gear, food, clothing and anything else we needed in our back packs and headed down the trail. The first 2 miles were downhill switchbacks, then 6 miles of river bed rocks and red sandy dirt. We made it to the village just when we were beginning to wonder if we would ever make it to the campground. There is a little restraunt in the village that we stopped and had a rootbeer before continuing on to the campground. Those last 2 miles were a killer, every muscle in my body hurt and my knees were screaming that they had enough. Just when I wasn't sure if I could make my feet move one in front of the other we saw the first waterfall. Oh yeah I can make it, this place is amazing. I think this trip we all found out what we were made of, it took us about 4.5 to 5 hrs to make it from the hilltop to the campground. The first thing we did was take a nap, and we deserved it. We stayed 3 nights here and are hoping to repeat this trip in a few years.

Here is the link to a slideshow of just some of the photos from the hiking trip.

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p...t=b140abbe.pbw

Proud of my Graduate

2009-05-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

Reavis graduated high school on May 17, 2009!! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. When John and I started dating Reavis was only 9 years old....by this fall he will be in college. Where does the time go? Reavis is growing into a fine young man and I am sure that will only continue. He participated in the A+ program and will be attending OTC this fall. For those of you who aren't familiar with A+ it means that his schooling at OTC is paid for and there will be no need for student loans. We will need to pay for his books.

He had his brother Nathan take his senior pictures. I am having a hard time picking the photos I would like to have, Nathan did a great job. I can't wait to look at them with John and decide which ones we would like to order.

Some of the boys, just because

2009-05-01T00:45:00.001-07:00

Bentley and Chester playing. Chester wearing the doggles. Poor Brady scratched his eye but it is better now.

Bradley wanting someone to throw that ball

Bentley letting it all hang out. I just love that face.

St. Louis Cardinal Game on April 25th...what a blast

2009-05-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

Pujols hit a grand slam to get his 1000th RBI and I got to be there to see it.

<-Yes we were this close to the field. Let me tell you it was awesome.

Thanks Jessica. I am so glad you asked us to go, we had a great time. This was by far one of the best games I have ever gotten to see. I had never been to a Cardinals vs. Cubs game before. I had a great time and would definitely go again. It was a great time. John loved every minute of it.

First Backpacking trip

2009-04-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks Mel, I had an awesome time. I went on my first backpacking trip ever. It wasn't a big hike but I had a great time. Mellisa, Ace (German shepherd), myself and Gambler (dalmatian) went to Hercules Glades. It was a 2.5 miles in to the falls and all up hill on the hike out. The waterfall was pretty. There were a lot of hikers out that weekend. We picked a place off the trail to camp for a little more serenity. We had lunch at the water's edge. I just had some jerky and trail mix. I wasn't to hungry. We collected wood and made a fire ring so we could have a camp fire and for dinner we made chicken and dumplings...it turned out good.

We decided that when we woke up in the morning we were going to hike to the falls and enjoy it when there was no one around. We had a couple of cups of hot tea and watched the sun finish coming up. I could have sat there for hours just listening to the water run over the rocks. We cooked breakfast while we were there, mmmm cheese quesadillas. I took several photos of the area, the camp site, and the boys. I sure wished we could have sat there longer but we planned on being back to the car no later than 2pm and it was going on 1030 and time to break camp for the hike back out.

This was Gam's first time hiking and camping. He did really good wearing the back pack that carried his supplies. I was so proud of him. He got in the water a little but it was a bit cool for him. Ace on the other hand went for a swim. Gambler and Ace played a lot, what a relief that they go along so well. I swear the pack got heavier after the hike in, I know it didn't but it seemed like it. I did have to take the pack off once on the way out. I thought a did pretty well considering I have a desk job and I am not use to hiking a lot. I am trying to build up to my planned trip into the Grand Canyon this year. We will see how it goes but I am looking forward to the next hike.

Catching up

2009-03-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

Seems like things just pile on and you don't ever feel like you get caught up. I need to make a list of all the things to do at the house. You know I have had a few days off and I don't think I got much accomplished. I hate house work. I need to do some major spring cleaning. I am not going to put it off any longer. I am going to make my list tonight and see if I can't get it all accomplished by Monday night.

I had totally forgot that fun and games class starts on Sunday so I need to get my treats all ready to go and the rest of my equipment that I will need. This class has always been a great class. I took Brady and Bradley both to this when they were young and now it is Bentley's turn. I can't wait. We are going to be doing so recall work and Bentley and I can use some help in that department for sure. It is going to be a big challenge for Bentley because two of his play buddies are going to be in this class. I love a challenge!!

Bentley and are going to be taking a rally class on Monday too. I am excited about it. I am hoping since he has matured a little more and it isn't in the agility field that we will both do a lot better. I am planning on maybe getting to show him in Rally sometime this year.

March is going to be a crazy month

2009-03-02T02:22:00.000-08:00

It looks like March is going to be incredibly busy. I teach puppy classes on Monday nights. I am teaching 2 agility classes at SMDTC on Tuesday nights from March 10th to April 14th. I am taking Obedience Rally Skills at SMDTC on Monday days starting 3-16 and a Sunday tricks class that starts March 15th both with Bentley. Did I mention this is on top of my full time job. LOL I know I just have tons on my schedule but I wouldn't have it any other way. Oh and on days off in there I am training Gambler for TDX. This is the time of year that drives my husband crazy because I am gone all the time. He knows this is what makes me happy getting to play with the dogs. I also have 2 visits a month with Chester for Pet therapy of the Ozarks. I am just getting started on training hikes for my vacation in June.

Shhh....don't tell John but it looks like the house isn't going to get a spring cleaning for a while.

I am planning on taking Gambler with me to Busiek State Forest to do some training hikes. I am also planning on doing some hikes with another friend of mine those will probably be done at Wilson's creek. I am enjoying the hiking. I want to make sure I am in good shape before I go to the Grand Canyon in June. I purchased the remainder of my backpacking equipment and I can't wait for it to get here so I can load it all up in my pack and hike.

FRIENDS

2009-02-16T01:06:00.000-08:00

I have come to realize just how amazing my friends are. There aren't a lot of folks who would come and help you rebuild your fence when it is less than 40 degrees outside. I have always known that I had good friends but this weekend they even amazed me. THANK YOU !!! My grandparents came down to help with the fence. My Grandpa, John and I dug post holes, mixed concrete and set posts all day on Friday. Reavis was suppose to help but didn't. On Saturday I had more help than I could have imagined. Jessica and her husband Jason, Carolyn, Mike and their son Ken, Merry and Bruce, Misti and her kids all came to lend a hand with the fence. Once the fence was almost finished I ran out and picked up pizza to feed everyone lunch. I can say that this is something I will always remember. If you all ever need me to lend a hand please just ask, I will be there. I sat down after everyone had left and wrote each one a thank you card. It just didn't feel like that was enough. I pray that God blesses each one of them for their kindness that day. My boys were so happy to have their yard back. Merry let Bandit run and play with the boys for a while. I think they all had a great time.

Officially and F1

2009-02-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

The storm was officially confirmed a F1 tornado. Here is a slideshow of the damage. I am so greatful that this didn't turn out any worse.

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/emtclk/?action=view&current=8c90f11a.pbw

Tornado or Straight line Winds

2009-02-11T00:13:00.000-08:00

There were some really bad storms that came through tonight. My hubby called me at work at 11pm, he never calls me at work unless it is bad. Yep, you guessed it...we got hit. If it was a tornado it wasn't a big one Thank God. My husband and the boys(our Bostons) are ok, again ...Thank God. I am hoping everything is ok at my Mom's. She lives in another state that the storms traveled through. I talked to my Grandma and let her know what happened. She said she had been worried about us. There were several reports of damage around town but thankfully no injuries.

The damage report I got from John was as follows:

Shingles everywhere, trampoline in the driveway, neighbor lost the tree in their front yard, the chain link fence where the gate is located is all messed up, there is basically no back fence with the exception of a few 6 foot sections

The real joy is that the boys now have to go out on leash to potty when renders the dog door pointless. Chester and Brady can go out with no leash since they are good boys. Bentley's nose always takes him out of the yard. Bradley well that just isn't going to happen because he hates the neighbor's cat and that would bad. I will take photos in the morning and try to post them later on.

A little fun in the snow

2009-02-02T01:15:00.001-08:00

We got enough snow this past week that the boys got to play in it. Bradley loves the snow and will run hot laps in it. Bentley thinks it is great too. Chester would like it more if it weren't so cold and Brady, well he likes the snow and will chase snow balls. John went out and played with the boys and I was busy taking photos since they were having such a good time. Bradley and Bentley were playing ball. Chester went out after I put his coat on and played chase for a while with Bentley. The "B" boys all came in after about 45 mins to get their coats on too. I would have loved to play with them longer but I had to go to work. The first picture Bradley is digging for his ball, and yes it is in there.

Seriously People

2009-01-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

Ok...Really do you not think I have thought this through? Weather sucks which means there isn't a lot of aircraft traffic. We have 2 on the upper helipads and none on the lower pads. The doors on the upper pads are malfunctioning. We are told by security that they will be shutting of the power to those doors and we need to use the lower pads. Ok no big deal right? Well the winds are high so the pilots prefer the elevated pads for safety. Security says well if they can't land on the lower pads then you might want to think about landing them on the ground. Really? As if in my 10 years as a flight communicator and my 6 years as a dispatch supervisor that I wouldn't have thought of that all by myself. Holy smokes, what do you think they pay us for?

Then we get a call for a rollover with ejection. For non medical folks that means someone was thrown from the vehicle. Rescue proceeds to tell our ambulance they might want to get a helicopter started. A...We already thought of that. B...We have already checked with the pilot. C...there is weather and they can't fly. Again, what do you think they pay us for? We know how to do our jobs but thanks for the information.

End of Rant.

Excited

2009-01-18T22:19:00.001-08:00

I am totally excited. Today should be a good day. It's Reavis' 18th birthday. I can assure you he will be spending it with his friends and not his Dad and step-mom. We are to boring for an 18 year old to hang out with.

I have obtained my CGC evaluator status and will soon be putting it to good use. We will be teaching a AKC S.T.A.R. puppy class and it starts today. This will be the first class of this kind that I have taught based on this new program. I can't wait to see if we can get the class interested and commited to the classes and their dogs. It has always been an important part of my personal dog training that all my dogs pass their CGC test. It is always the first goal I set for my pet that I am training. I think it is a good foundation for all other training.

This is what I have been up to

2009-01-14T01:51:00.000-08:00

I did get Chester to his vet appointment and the gals in the office were flipping me shit about having a bill ready to go out in the mail. I asked them if was going to say please pay in X number of jars of apple butter. We all laughed. They said that they ate apple butter on everything until it was gone. I make a point to be good to the gals in the office and my vet. They are always willing to answer any questions I have and they have been taking care of My Boston's for the last 8 years. We got Chester's shots all caught up, rymadil for Bradley (Mr. 100 mph) and interceptor for all the boys. Now I just need to get the new shot record to St. John's pediatrics tomorrow when Chester goes for his visit. I need to see if PTO needs the new copy too.

Went to my Mom's this past weekend and put photo albums together. She must have been saving photos for the last I don't know how many years. We spent the better part of 8 hours working on photos and when we used all the albums she had, she found 3 more boxes of photos. Wow, guess I will be going back for a round two. While Mom and I were working on photos my step-dad went to the store and when he got home you know the dogs had to see who was coming in. Bentley ran down stairs to great him. As Floyd opened the door from the garage to the house, Bentley ran out into the garage with out Floyd knowing. Floyd went in and put all the groceries away went back to the laundry room and heard a dog crying in the garage. When he opened the door there was Bentley. Thank Goodness because the entire time he was in the garage the garage door was wide open. He could have gone anywhere in Tulsa, OK he would have liked. I am so glad he decided to stay close to home. Floyd would have never forgiven himself if something had happened to my boy. Floyd took me out to the shooting range and that was fun. I hadn't shot a gun since I was a kid.

I have a really neat vacation planned this year. My best friend Meghan, her son Kieran, her friend Dan and I are going backpacking in the Grand Canyon. We are going to the Havasupai reservation. It is beautiful and I am totally excited. I got our reservations for camping confirmed so the trip is official. We will be camping 3 nights. The hike in is 8 miles to the Indian reservation and 2 more miles to the campsite. I am totally excited. I have been compiling my supplies already but we aren't going until June. I am working on trying to get in shape for the hike. I have started cutting back on the crap I eat and I have been walking more. The next thing I need to get is my hiking boots so I can start breaking them in. No, my husband isn't going because hiking and roughing it really isn't his thing. I love it. Just think for 3 days I won't have to answer a phone or a pager. I can just admire the beauty of the Grand Canyon and the waterfalls, could it get any better? That is one thing I love just getting away. I think that is why I like to go the Bennett and trout fish, you just forget about everything but the fish. If you like hiking and you want to see some beautiful country google Havasupai. It is truly and amazingly beautiful place.

The start of the new year

2009-01-06T01:05:00.000-08:00

My best friend Meghan and her son came down over new years. We had a great time and I really enjoyed hanging out with them. We were roommates for the first two years of her son's life. I can't hardly believe he will be ten this year. Yes I know, I am getting old. While she was here we planned and awesome vacation to the Grand Canyon. I am beyond excited about that and have done a ridiculous amount of research for the trip already. It will be an 10 mile hike to the campground and I am not sure how much more hiking we will be doing our 3 night stay. This will be my first backpacking trip so I am trying to learn all I can. I already purchased my pack and my next big purchase will be my hiking boots. The rest of my supplies I am going to try to aquire in a thrifty manner since things can add up fast. My goal for my pack is 25lbs or less and this should include everything I will need for the time I am there. Meghan emailed today and Kieran broke his arm, poor kid, I hope it heals up with no trouble.

I am off work tomorrow so I am going to be the exciting chore of taking down the Christmas tree. It shouldn't take to long to take down but then I have to put it in the attic. Speaking of attic I so should have done this a few days ago when the weather was nice. I really need to go through that attic and get rid of some things that are stored up there that I am more than likely never going to use. My plan was to do that this past summer and get the items to a garage sale but you see that didn't happen. I am hoping now that I can just get them to good will.

It is time for Chester to go the vet for his shots and I have set an appointment for him twice and forgotten about it both times. My vet probably would like to kick me in the butt. I feel really bad and I appoligized to the ladies in the office. I rescheduled for this Thursday when I have a day off and this time I wrote it on the calander.

Merry Christmas Everyone

2008-12-22T01:04:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to make sure I got to say Merry Christmas to everyone. I was a little bummed about Christmas this year. With all that is going on right now we have been short on cash. I hate not being able to get folks things at Christmas. I am glad we pre-planned for the parents. We had family pictures taken this summer so that is the Christmas for all the parents this year. I know John and I said we weren't going to buy anything for each other but I couldn't help myself. I didn't go crazy or anything. He has been wanting this for quite some time. I am excited to get to see Reavis open his gifts this year. It should be fun because I bought 2 of the same thing. One for John and one for Rev. I know neither one of them are expecting it at all. I still need to buy some new Nyla bones for the boys. I will wrap them and they will have a blast tearing the paper off. It should be fun because Chester hasn't ever had Christmas with us before. I am not sure what he will do.

I think we are going up to my Grandma's so I will be excited to get to see them. We are also going to go by John's Mom's house and I have seen her in a while either. I think it will be good to get to visit with the family.

A little of everything.

2008-12-11T00:55:00.000-08:00

Well here are the boys in front of our tree. I can't believe they all sat there so well. I just love those little guys. We of course had to have a photo with Santa done this year since we have offically become Chester's family. I can't say that I love my family or my dogs enough they make me smile every day.
Today was an awesome day. We had our visit at St John's pediatrics. We got paid with so many smiles. That is just an awesome feeling. When we were visiting this little boy named Kyle he smiled so big. His parents were so excited, they said that was the first time he smiled since his accident. They even took a picture of him with Chester. John with us since he is a PTO member and I could tell he was really proud of Chester and the work he does. We couldn't stop talking about all those smiles from the kids.
I made the boys some peanut butter and molasses treats. They loved them. I am going to make some more for the boys and our friends for Christmas. I love to bake and at least this way I can make things but not take on calories. I also need to make something for the girls at the vet clinic. I am not sure what that will be but it needs to happen by next week. I was thinking of making a loaf of apple butter bread.
I got a new cell phone last week. It is about time. I needed to upgrade the treo 650 it has been out dated for quite a while now. I have the palm centro. It is small but I love it and I don't need anything much fancier. I am just happy to have all my contacts and calander in one place. It has saved my ass more than once.

UGH...To the vets again!!!

2008-11-19T22:02:00.001-08:00

Bradley has had a rough run of luck this year. There hasn't been anything major but it could have been. A month ago he had to be seen for a scratch on his left eye. It was treated with oinment for a week and he was fine. Then he got into a scuffle when the neighbor dog jumped into our yard. He had several puncture wounds. We treated them at home by cleaning with betadine and neosporin, so no vet trip for that run. On Monday night Bentley and Bradley were playing tug-o-war. Bentley turned lose as Bradley did a head whip. OMG he whipped the right side of his face into the corner of the wall. Yes the above picture is what happend as a result of the collision. Of course the Vet's office was closed, thank goodness Dr. Rund is awesome about calling back. We talked and he said to bring Bradley in first thing in the morning. We went into the vet's office, Bradley has no clot in the Iris, the cornea is attached. That is really good news. Bradley has medication for his eye 2 times a day for a week. Dr. Rund says it should heal and be back to normal. I am so relieve. I couldn't believe how much bleeding that eye had. It hurt Bradley enough that he let me hold him on my lap and hold ice packs on it twice Monday night. It hurts me so to see his eye that swollen. The really weird thing is that his eye is so far to the right because of all the blood and swelling. I can't wait for that to come down and get back to normal. He is back to wanting to play ball but we aren't doing a lot of that because we don't want him to hurt it worse.

Our first Pet therapy visit!!

2008-11-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

If you hadn't guessed by the photo, Chester and I do visits at St. Johns pediatrics. He loves it and so do I. I don't think there is anything better in this world than bringing a smile to someone's face that is having a bad day. When that someone is a child or the parent of a sick kid, I think it is even better. Chester saw a young girl today that had blood drawn several times. She wasn't in a good mood when we went in but she sure had a big smile when Chester was laying by her on the bed. He did so good...I tell you he was born for this job. :) We had been to the hospital once before on a supervised visit. Today Chester walked in like he owned the place and he knew just where he was going. He also thought he should stop and visit a little girl in the hallway on his way. He is just the sweetest thing. I am so greatful that Chester & I get to do this.

2008-11-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

November 2, 2008 Bentley Drew Kucsik becomes Bentley Drew Kucsik TD. What a journey it has been! I can't even begin to describe the amazing feeling that I had the moment I realized he had found the glove. I was overwhelmed with joy and couldn't hold the tears back. I was so very proud for it isn't everyday that a Boston Terrier earns a tracking title. The day was only going to get better. My tracking partner Misti and her cocker spaniel Truffie earned their TDX title that day too. I can't believe we both got into the same trial let alone that we both titled at the same trial. This was a weekend that will go down in history for us both. I feel totally blessed to have been a part of this weekend. I was greatful that Misti's Mom and Carolyn were both there to witness our joy and success.

Tracking results

2008-10-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well we didn't earn our TD, but Bentley did track beautifully. He didn't indicate his glove so we didn't pass the first time out. We will be making out second attempt on November 2nd in Smithville, MO. Bentley and I have been doing a lot of glove work so we are hoping that our 2nd TD test goes better for us.

Nerves

2008-10-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to have some new pics to post after Sunday. Bentley and I are in a TD test. I am bit nervous this trial has a lot of firsts. First dog I have ever trained for tracking, first tracking test, first time I will know so many folks at a trial. I know a lot of folks at the agility trials now, but I have been doing that for 5 years. The tracking test is put on by the dog club I belong to. I know Bentley can do this he has been tracking like a champ and I usually have no idea where he is going. Today he did great. I am really am excited for Sunday to get here. I am still trying to figure out exactly what shirt and jacket I am wearing to the trial.

We took the boys out to Sequiota park today and walked them. They had a great time and Chester stopped to visit some little kids along the way. Bradley was begging to get in the water near the cave so John gave him the ok. That is all Bradley need and he was in for a swim. He got out and was standing there and Bentley wanted in to so they were off and both in for a dip. Bentley has a case of monkey see monkey do but we still think it is cute that he tries to keep up with Bradley. John has been on vacation so the boys have gotten a walk at the park for the last 4 days. They will be sad tomorrow when it is just me home and no visit to the park.

Reavis has a band performance this Saturday and I am glad that I am going to get a chance to watch it. I haven't seen them yet this year.

Ever Wonder why?

2008-09-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why some folks have tons of friends? I have always wondered why it is that some have tons of friends and others have a select few? Do those that have tons of friends have tons they can count on or just a few? I am just one of those people that isn't so easy to get to know. I have a select few friends. I have always been that way from the time I was young. My brother is the person who has tons. He is far more social than I. I am far more distrusting of people. I am not sure why we are so different in this area but we are. I am totaly loyal to my true friends and would never do anything to hurt them and everything I can to help. I don't think that all the hurt I have been through in my life caused me to be this way but I think it just afirmed how I have always been. Maybe this is why I have dogs, who knows.

CHESTER DID IT!!!

2008-09-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

You go Chester! He passed his pet therapy test today. Doesn't he look like the dog for the job? This is Chester giving my granny some lovin'. I think he is going to love his new job. I can' wait until Monday. We will be doing our first supervised visit on Monday and our second on Tuesday. I am sure we will be doing visits on our own in no time.

Guess what I did?

2008-09-12T02:58:00.000-07:00

Say hello to the newest CGC holder at our house! I know, I can't hardly believe it myself. Mr. Bentley Drew passed his test. I am certian that being worn out played a major roll in his success. I am so excited that all of our boys have earned their CGC's.

Tick Tock...goes the clock!! The Pet therapy test draws near. I am so excited about Chester taking this test. This has been a long term goal for me it was just a matter of having the right dog for the job and there isn't a doubt in my mind that Chester is the right dog for the job. This boy loves kids and I just can't imagine him doing anything else. I will post the results of the test sometime Saturday late afternoon.

What to be is the question?

2008-09-10T01:03:00.001-07:00

I am pretty sure the answer should be ready to go. I am totally excited about Saturday. We took Chester to the park today and he was happily mobbed by 3 very young little girls and he never offered even once to jump on them. If he does his pet therapy test this way...he will be great. I am so excited about this test. I am sure that I will be a bit nervous the day of the test.

Bentley and I are going tracking in the morning. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Tracking in the morning, public manners CGC testing at 7 we will attend but are not testing as Chester has already passed this test. I am trying to decided if I would like to test Bentley or not. He has obility class prior to this at 6. We will see if I am feeling brave enough. I might just so I know what I need to work on. He is a great dog but he is still fairly young so I won't be tore up if he doesn't pass. My Grandparents are coming into town on Friday so I am excited to get to see them. They will be spending the night, they are looking forward to seeing the boys. Bentley and I have rally class Thursday night and I am working too. I know that is a lot of dog classes right now. I enjoy it so. I think Bradley needs to get to go with me some to classes. He is getting a little bummed that he hasn't been in a while.

Tracking Certified

2008-08-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a small victory before the next test. Bentley has been tracking since he was about 10 weeks old. He has done well and we thought maybe he would certify before now but he just needed to grow up a little. He has done that and matured into a fine little tracker. You don't see to many Bostons tracking so it should be fun to see the looks we get when we get into a test.

He settled in and did beautifully today. I was so proud of him. The best part besides how he tracked is that my husband and some very good friends of ours got to be there to see him do it. There was a place on the track where I said to Bentley, "Son I have no idea where you are going but I am going to buy the story you are selling and go with you." He knew exactly where he was going. I am so so proud of him. Just think there once was a time where I wasn't sure I would ever get to the point that I would believe him. Thanks again Misti for tracking him for me that day. It helped me more than you will ever know. Carolyn thanks for all the advice, time and energy that you put into Bentley and I as a team. We thank you both for all the tracks you laid for us.

Thoughts

2008-08-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed to have the life that I do. I have a wonderful husband and family, terrific friends and 4 wonderful Bostons. I am greatful everyday for all that I have. I hope all those that are close to me know that. I enjoy doing the things I do both work and play. Thank you all for being part of my life and teaching me the things you have.

Tomorrow is a day off work for me. I am hoping to get some time to play in. I think I will try to do some agility with Bradley and Bentley. Chester and I need to work on some public manners things as a refresher for our upcoming pet therapy test. I am so looking forward to that test. I think it will be an awesome experience for Chester and I both. I guess I am always looking for ways to give back to the world I live in. What can I say service is my life! Chester and I are hoping to get to be a therapy team on the children's floor of a local hospital. I think it would be priceless if he could bring just one smile to the face of a sick kid and maybe their parents.

Chester got his sutures removed; so he and Bentley have been playing catch up for all the time that Chester couldn't wrestle with him. I am glad that Chester did so well during the down time that he had to endure. I took the "B" boys to the vets on the 15th and everyone is doing well. The only thing we need to do now is brush everyone's teeth once a day. This is new for us because Brady has chronic bad breath and we have been brushing his teeth but not everyday. The vet suggested we do that once a day and see how that worked for him. If the brushing doesn't work they want to try pulse therapy with him. I figure if we have to brush his teeth once a day we should just do that for all the boys. I must say that all the boys are less than impressed.

Boston Pool Party

2008-08-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb5wLFhdNXo

Here is a video of the boys playing in Mom's pool. Chester isn't here with us playing because he is at home with Dad. He has stitches and can't play hard yet.

The boys all go for their shots and yearly vet check this Friday. I am going to bring Chester too. He doesn't need shots but I would like the vet to look at his stitches and this will put him at the 10 day mark. Chester has some swelling below the sutures. He was rocking and rolling Bentley a little to much.

Pet Therapy workshop

2008-08-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome day. Chester was wonderful at the workshop stitches and all. It was really cute, at one point we were waiting on some folks to get ready and Chester was doing playbows to himself in the mirror. He only kissed one person, if you know Chester you know this is hard for him to do. He loves to give kisses. He sat on several laps. Everyone was wonderful about being careful with his stitches. My evaluator didn't have anything that she thought we needed work on. We passed the pretest. The real test is in September. Chester and I are planning on doing just as we have been to get ready for the September test. We are hoping to be able to fill a need for a therapy team on the pediatric floor of the hospital that I work at. Chester loves kids and I know he would love that as his therapy job. I am so proud of how far this little guy has come.

The latest happenings

2008-08-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

I came home after agility class on Monday night only to find this. Don't look if you are squeamish. http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/emtclk/IMG_0795.jpg This photo is of Chester's left hind leg. We are not sure what caused it. The vet is certain that it was caused by catching his leg on something sharp. We are still trying to locate the cause. Chester now has 10 sutures. He is got to come home at 4pm Tuesday. He is on Rimadyl and Clavamox. He had a couple of days of R&R at home with Dad while I took the other boys to my Mom's. Chester was thrilled when I got home with Bentley today. They are best play buddies. He is going tomorrow to the pet therapy workshop. I am sure we will both have a good time and learn what not to do.

Pet Therapy

2008-08-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

I am so excited and nervous at the same time. I have been hoping for this moment for the past 6 yrs. I have been wanting to be part of Pet therapy ever since I got my first Boston Terrier, Brady. We tried together to get to do this but Brady could never contain his excitement when he met new people. He has always jumped. I worked for quite a while to get him not to but I was unsuccessful in my attempts. Bradley was my next Boston. Bradley is a wonderful dog but he has a certain edge to him. I know when and what causes it but I just don't believe pet therapy is his thing. He loves agility and dock diving...those are his things. I so love him for what he is, even his quirks. Bentley, well he just turned one and is a bit on the wild side. He is learning agility, tracking and I have been teaching him some rally. I still hope that maybe some day he might settle down enough to do some pet therapy. Now is just not the time. Then there is Chester. He is a wonderful little dog. Yes, he is a Boston. Chester came to me for some training. When the training was done his owner thought it might be best to rehome him. I put all that work into him so my husband and I decided to adopt him. We love him so. He is our smallest Boston at 14lbs. He has probably been in 3 or 4 homes in his 3 short years on this earth. When we got him he didn't know any commands. He still marked in the house. He was so starved for love. He has come so far in such a short time. He is very laid back. He loves to be held and he loves to play with Bentley. He has such a gentle spirit. He is wonderful with children and offers to sit so they can pet him. I just know he was meant to be my pet therapy partner. We will testing September 13th. I know he has it in him to do this. I know he will do this some day. I am so excited. I found out that the pediatric floor at one of the hospitals has an opening for a team. I just know that opening is for us!

UKC Agility trial

2008-07-24T01:17:00.000-07:00

I took Bradley(my boston) and Gambler (dalmation) to our club UKC agility trial. Bradley and I are working on our U-ACH which is a point based title. Gambler and I are working on earning our AG-I title.

We had an amazing weekend. Bradley ran 8 runs and qualified 7 out of those 8 runs. Gambler ran 4 runs and qualified 3 out of those 4 runs. In UKC 200 is a perfect score.Runs and scores below

1- score 199 6pts

2- score 200 1st place 10pts

3- score 198 4pts

4- score 200 3rd place 10 pts

5- score 190 no pts

6-NQ

7- score 199 6pts

8- score 200 1st place 10pts

Bradley earned 46 pts this weekend and had 20 previously. 100 pts is the goal for the next title. My little buddy is well on his way to that title.

Gambler

1- score 187.89 He qualified, no placement

2- score 180.99 He qualified, no placement

3- score 198 He qualified

4th place4- NQ we dropped a bar

Gambler earned his AG-1 title!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-15T23:33:00.000-07:00

It seems that only yesterday I brought you home.

I'd wake each day just to watch you grow.

You have become my shadow.

I love spending time with you by my side.

There is nothing that we won't try.

Flyball, agility, you even try to fly.

Go my little Dock Dog.

Show those big dogs,the heart that only I know!

Bradley is 6 years old today. What a splendid 6 years it has been. The day we met you climbed in my lap and kissed me. I knew at that moment we were meant to be. You were quite a challenge. Scared of everything and everyone. You have taught me so much. I have met some wonderful people because of you. You lead to home manners, public manners and on to agility. We turned out to be a pretty good team! We have had some adventures, the lose of a couch and matching chair, a feather pillow everywhere. The times that dad would threaten to put you out on the curb and all the tears I shed at the thought of losing you. This has been some ride so far, one that I hope will go on for quite some time. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRADLEY!!!

AKC Agility Trial

2008-05-09T00:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it. This past weekend was the AKC agility trial. Bradley and I were entered Saturday and Sunday. Before the trial we got a little extra help from Valeri on the weave poles. Bradley and I have been struggling to do them accurately and with consistency. Valeri suggested some minor adjustments and it did the trick. We did great 3 out of 4 times with only one re entry. I was so excited. Saturday's standard run was nothing to write home about we had some errors probably the handler's fault. Our jumper's run Saturday was good but 6 seconds over time with one refusal. No Q for us...but we still had done well. Sunday Bradley was dead on. We had 2 perfect runs and did the weave poles beautifully. Bradley earned his OAJ title. I don't mind telling you the thought of going to excellent class scares me a bit.

Who would have ever thought that a puppy who had 12wks of class and would only let 2 other people touch him would ever come so far. Bradley you amaze me and I am so glad I get to share my life with you. I love ya.

A Nice day to play ball

2008-04-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLGg5dOSG80

Chester decided that he should set this one out.

Not much going on

2008-04-18T03:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have written so I thought I should stop being a bum and do just that. Things at home have not been dull. Since it has been nice (windy-but nice) the last couple of days the boys have been playing tons of chase in the yard.

Earlier in the week John thought it would be a good idea to leave Chester out and see how he did. Well I am not sure who did it but the foam mattress on the futon sustained sugnificant damage. Let's just say there was a mess to clean up. Then the next day Chester and Bentley were in the office playing and again the mattress pad sustained damage. Dang, I still don't know who did it. Hmmmm...a few days later the guilty party was caught. Bentley had foam in his poop. We all know you can't fake that. The mattress pad has been retired to the trash.

Welcome to the Family

2008-03-30T22:29:00.000-07:00

Chester is now offically our boy. He became part of our family on March 13, 2008. I think Bradley is sad that Chester didn't go back to his original home. He is getting way to much of Bradley's Momma time. Chester is a snuggle bug and loves to come and cuddle on my lap.

Chester's birthday was Sunday the 30th. We got a few new toys for the pack and made Chester some banana bread. He also got a steak dinner. I know he is spoiled already. Chester is currently enrolled in Home Manners class at the club.

We are hoping to work toward our CGC and then on to pet therapy. Wish us luck.

You will never believe this!

2008-02-21T01:14:00.000-08:00

Ok...I know I have lost my mind there is no need to tell me about it. I got a call today and Chester may very well become a family member. Yes, this does mean that we will have 4 count 'em 4 Boston Terrier boys. John is totally thrilled that Chester may come and live with us. Chester is a wonderful little guy. He is very sweet and just wants to be loved. He gets along with the boys very well and I am sure it will be no problem for him to stay. He has been accident free
for 18 days now. He even used the dog door in the ice storm and that is a major step for him not to mess in the house when it is cold outside. My grandparents are also happy to learn that Chester maybe staying in the family. They really fell for him while he was here. I think we should know for sure in a week or so if he will be staying.

I guess I should confess now that I have already made training plans for Chester if he does stay. My goal for Chester will be to first pass the CGC test. I know this is going to take some work on both our parts as Chester is still a bit jumpy when it comes to loud noises. We have been working on stay and we are up to about 45 to 50 seconds. We are working toward a full minute. We also need to do some work with down stay and other folks coming up and brushing him as he is not real fond of the brush yet. I have also noticed that when I walk him around the neighborhood that he is a bit scared as cars pass by us. We will definitely have to work on that.

UKC Agility results

2008-02-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

We went to the UKC trial in Columbia this past weekend. We had a great time! Cindy you should have gone Oscar would have loved it. It was colder than a well diggers ass at the trial. Bradley wore his coat the entire time. Saturday we started with AG-I we earned a 200 score and 3rd place. 10 pts yeah! AG-II didn't go as smoothly. We Q'd but not a high enough score for points. The second day we earned 10 more pts in AG-I. Bradley had a great AG-II run but he decided that it was to damn cold to down in the pause box so I NQ him on purpose. I figure what the hey we are here for pts so why to use it as training. Gambler did complete his runs but no Q's this time out. It didn't surprise me that he was just out there having a good time. We have not practiced since summer together. We did have a great time running together and they got some great photos him running.

Woooo Hooo Trial Weekend

2008-02-08T02:58:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be doing some agility. I am leaving today to head for Columbia. I will keep you updated on how we do. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Bradley, Gambler and I will doing UKC agility this weekend.

I did most of my packing yesterday afternoon because I was so excited to be going. I have just a few things left to pack , got to pick up Gambler and then I will be on the way. Marlene you had better be watching, I might need a little devine intervention. I sure hope God can spare you for the trial.

Chester Update

2008-02-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

OMG!!! I am so excited. I took Chester and Bentley out to go and work on some training issues. Today I was able to place Chester in a sit stay and walk all the way around him. He has increased his stay to 45 seconds. I thought maybe it was a fluke that he let me walk all the way around him so I repeated the excersize 4 more times. He stayed every time. I was so excited, we have worked on this for a month.

Bentley is still a little slow on come but we are working on it. He is making progress but he must wear the leash. Sometimes when I call him he can't bring himself to pick his nose up off the ground to come to me. He comes to me but he has to track the entire way there. I did get him to do 3 jumps and a closed tunnel today. I can't believe he is doing 4 obsticales in a row now. I just love this not so little guy.

It has been a while

2008-02-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since I have written. Christmas went a lot smoother than Thanksgiving. Bentley had a blast tearing paper off of the toys he recieved as a gift. We had some company over the holidays and Bentley just loves kids. I think it is really cute to see him curl up with them.

Just after Christmas I got a 4th little boston to work with. His name is Chester. He is a little shy of new places and noise. What a cute little guy. He will be staying with me for a couple of months. I will be doing some basic training with him. I am not real sure how the boys are going to feel about this. I guess we shall see.

January got off to a really tough start. We lost a beloved friend and teacher. This is the goodbye I wrote to her the night she left us.

Goodbye to wonderful person.

Marlene I am sure glad I told you so many times I thought you were amazing or this would be so much harder now. I am so sorry to have to say Good bye to you. I know that you will watch over all your friends even though you will not be here on earth with us. Marlene you were truly and amazing woman and an inspiration to so many of us. I was so greatful for all the things you taught Gambler and I. I am so glad you got to share our first trial with us. I will think of you every time I put a plastic lid up, a clicker clicks, I do agility, when I see a piece of art, I see a cardboard box and see horses in a pasture. I will miss Valeri saying “Marlene” and you saying “What” when Valeri would tell you it is time to switch. Marlene it’s time to switch, but none of us are ready to say goodbye to someone we love so much. I know heaven has a special place for you to train the dogs there. We love you Marlene.

Chester Update:

The boys have adjusted well to Chester. Bentley loves to play with him. Bradley and Brady could care less. John says sometimes at night Bradley will go curl up next to Chester and nap on the couch. I am sorry I have missed these momments.

Chester has learned sit, down and stay. His stay is not very long right now but we are working on that. He now comes when you call him. He follows me around quite a bit. I think this pisses Bradley off since he thinks I should be his and his only. Chester has also learned to come to a whistle. I am sure his owner will find this useful since they live on a few acres. We are still having some issues with not peeing in the house. He doesn't poop in the house, this is a good thing. He had full house privledges last week but as of 2-1-2008 they have been revoked. He did the one thing that will get you banished to your crate at my house. He peed, not once but twice on my bed. He is of course back to wearing a belly band. I love him and he is a sweet boy. I don't care how sweet or cute you are there is no peeing in my bed. If we are able to keep a close eye on him then we take the band off but if we are going to be busy doing house hold chores then he has to wear the band. I know it is more of an issue when it is cold than when it is warm. He knows to do is job outside and we have a dog door that he knows how to use. He just occasionaly opts not to use it. This is not a popular choice!!

UKC Agility

Bradley, Gambler and I are off to a UKC trial in Columbia this up coming weekend. It has been a while since we have run so I am a bit excited. Bradley and I will be working toward U-Ach points. This is only Gambler's second trial so we shall see how we do. I know Marlene will be watching. I am glad the weather is suppose to be warm the next couple of days. I am thinking I am going to take both of the boys and work on some stuff. Bradley and I need to do a few weave poles and I want to do a refresher of the closed tunnel and hoop tunnel with Gambler.

There will be fun runs the night before the trial so I make take the boys and do a fun run with them the night before. Keep your fingers crossed and I will be sure to fill you in on what happens when we get back.

Thanksgiving Day

2007-11-25T20:26:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving came and went but not with out notice. John worked the night before so he slept some and I fixed dinner. I started setting the table and placed the green bean cassarole down. When I turned around I saw my busy little 6month old Boston Terrier working to poise himself on the back of the couch. Call me nieve but I thought he was just going to look around as he usually lays up there and naps. Laying around is not what Bentley had on his mind. Once he got his balance he promptly sized up the space between the couch and the table and used what he had learned in agility class. You guessed it he jumped right on the kitchen and table and I would have to rate his landing as a 9.5, he did get all four feet on the table. I very quickly removed him from the table while admonishing him for his preformance. The rest of dinner was nice and went very well. The husband and I had retired to the couch to chat for a while. I got John a piece of pie and placed it on the TV tray. While we were talking curiosity once again took hold of Bentley. He jumped up placing his front feet on the TV tray and his weight forced it forward and the pie went flying. The pie landed in my lap. Oh the joys of a puppy! I admonished him once again as I cleaned up the pie. I then got a replacement slice of pie and placed it on the kitchen table. John decided to go and eat the pie. Bentley sat way to close to John while he was eating. When John went to get up from the table he pinched Bentley's foot. Bentley yelped and started limping. John felt so bad but Bentley is fine. I said he had a bit of a rough Thanksgiving.

Meghan said, "well, actually, he learned that he could in fact leap from the back of the couch to the table if he wanted to, he explored the world of physics and discovered that when enough force is exerted on the fulcrum of the tv tray, it will tilt, thereby flinging the desired item at his owner, and he learned that it's better to beg in front or to the side of a human in a chair.. not bad!"

I think I like the way she summed it up best. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Bentley update

2007-10-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest picture of the boys. That is Bentley on the right. He is getting so big, he weighed in at 16.6lbs this week. He got neutered this past Wednesday. He has not slowed down one bit. He was up and running like a mad man on Thursday. Bentley is doing corners now in his tracking. He is also taking an agility class and he loves it. I don't believe there is anything this little guy can't do. It has been an honor to have a dog like this, he's ready to take on the world.

Here goes nothing!

2007-09-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I have not been here to write in a while. Wow does a new puppy keep you busy. It has been a few years since we had a puppy at the house. We are also short handed at work and that has been keeping me busy too. I am going to take a weekend and visit my Mom. It will be nice to be away from the madness. The hubby is working overnights now and that is going to take a little bit of time for adjustment. Bentley is growing like crazy. He is learning a lot to and he hasn't had an accident in 2 weeks. Bentley now weighs 11.8 lbs and Bradley is his new best buddy. They play alot together and it sure is cute to watch. I think that John and I spend more time watching that than we do the TV. Bradley went to the annual dog swim this past Tuesday and he had a blast. I sure enjoy watching him have that much fun. Bradley and I are going to take a CGC test this weekend. I should have had him test a few years ago but I am going to do it now, no time like the present. For those of you that don't know,CGC stands for Canine Good Citizen test. I am writing this from work so I should go, hope everyone has a good weekend.

Agility training already

2007-07-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

Day two at the Kucsik house and Bentley is already doing the tunnel. The little guy is learning fairly quick. I went in the house to get the tunnel so I could put it in the yard and start letting Bentley get use to it. I here the clink of the dog door and much to my suprise Bentley came in all by himself. I can't hardley believe he has been at the house only 48hrs. He can't go out the door by himself but he seems to have coming inside mastered. He is giving the big boys a run for their money. He found his voice and loves to bark at the boys. He has been trying to take Brady's frisbee and Bradley's ball. Yes you guessed it that is going over like a lead balloon. I hope I can get a picture of Bentley running around with Brady's frisbee since the thing is as big as he is. He will chase a toy if you throw it. We are working on learning sit, down, stand and right now we are just playing with some of the agility equipment. He has to go to the vets for shots tomorrow. When the vet says it is ok to start taking him places Bentley will be attending puppy class. He got to meet Gambler the other day and of course Gambler gave him tons of kisses. Ok, you can tell that I am excited to have a new member in the house. I guess I will quit typing for now but I will type more later.

Newest member of the Zoo crew

2007-07-21T03:26:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of the family. This is Bentley, his birthday is 5-21-07. He is a boston terrier. Right now his big brothers are trying to ignore him in hopes that he goes away. I am sure after he has been around for a week they will get use to him. He really likes his big brothers. He loves Bradley and runs up to lick him on the chin all the time. Oh and did I mention that he trys to chew on his dog tags too. Brady is just trying to stay away from the little guy but he did that when we brought Bradley home too. I am sure they will both warm up to him.

Trial Results

2007-07-21T03:20:00.000-07:00

Ok the results are in folks. Bradley qualified 3 out of 4 runs. He finished his AGII tittle on Saturday and earned 10 ACH points on Sunday. What a fella. Gambler qualified his very first run at his very first trial. Wow, that was more than we expected of him. Gambler also qualified once on Sunday too. He really surprised us all. I was so proud of both the guys, they did awesome.

Upcoming Trial

2007-07-04T03:37:00.000-07:00

I am so so so excited! I have been training Gambler in agility and I am I getting ready to see how he will do in a trial. I know that he may very well run all over the ring and pay no attention to me at all. I am still excited, I can't wait to see what he will do. I know that when I run him at this trial I will not be nearly as nervous as I was the first time I ran Bradley in a trial. I guess this is because it is not my first trial but it is his first trial. I am hoping that knowing what I am doing this time around will in some way benefit Gambler. My biggest hope for him is that maybe he will qualify 1 out of 4 runs. If that doesn't happen I won't be disappointed because I am going into this with the mindset that this is yet another learning experience for the both of us. If he does qualify....well let's just say I will be elated and so will his owner.

Agility fun run

2007-06-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Let me just tell you, that running three dogs in agility is a lot of work. It is a lot of fun too. I took all the boys to agility today. By all the boys I mean Brady, Bradley and Gambler. Bradley is getting in some practice for the upcoming UKC trial. Gambler may get to go to the UKC trial too but we still have some work on the teeter to do. Brady has never been to an agility class. He went to the fun run and had a great time. The only time he has done agility is in the back yard with me. He has never learned the weave poles or the teeter. He will be learning starting tomorrow. I have decided that Brady is going to go to his first agility class at the age of 6. I took him a couple of days ago and taught him most of the contact obstacles and much to my amazement he has take right to them. I am sure that no one setting in the room during the fun run had any idea that he had never been to a class. Hell he even did some things that he had never seen before. Bradley and I are going to have to do some work on the pause box before July 15th. He will go into the box but he doesn't want to lay down in it. John and I are going to build a pause box for him so that it will be around for him to work with. I sure had a good time today. I am really excited to take Brady to class tomorrow. I think he will love it. I am sure that Bradley will not be happy about it though because it means he has to spend an hour in his crate when no one is home. Yes I know he will be fine. Well I will keep you posted on how all the agility goes.

2007-06-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would post this pic for those of you have not already seen it. Bradley currently holds the breed record for Boston terriers with Splash dogs. His record jump was 10'1".

Dock Dogs

2007-06-20T02:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Bradley and I competed at a dock dogs competition. The dogs run and jump into the water and the distance they jump is measured. The dock that they run on is 40 feet long and 2 feet above the water. Bradley gave me a scare this weekend. We got on the dock and I put him in his usual sit stay, called him and threw the ball in water, he ran to the end of the dock and put on the brakes. I just kept saying get the ball buddy, go get your ball. He finally jumped into the water, wow that was a close one. I was very relieved to see that he was right back to jumping off the dock at full speed after that hesitation. He earned his Novice dock dog title. Bradley earned 2 first place medals, one second place medal, and two qualifying medals. We had a great weekend. John sure enjoyed getting to see Bradley up there diving off the dock.

Teen years

2007-06-20T00:04:00.000-07:00

Oh the joy of teenage years! Well, many of you already know that Reavis is 16 and soon to be 17. I can hardly believe that many years have passed already. You all know happens when one turns 16...yep that's right...driving! There were a few challenges to overcome but Reavis now has is driver's license. Yes it scares the hell out of us! I know for John, part of it is the fact that Reavis is growing up and for me, well ...I am sure what I do for a living doesn't help that. Reavis is on the hunt for a job now. You know when you have a car you have to have gas, insurance and spending money. I am sure he will find a job. I am glad to see that he is ready to take on some responsibility.