ARGH

Sorry pals....

We are having technical difficulties, as we got a new computer. (Rah Rah). But, we are switching from a PC to a Mac, and our mother is having difficulties with the change.....

We should be back up and operational in the next day or so.

Lately.......

Hi Everydoggie bloggier,

Again, we have been absent from blogging and visiting too many of our buddies blogs. Not only has Mom been busy and hasn't let us blog, but Blogger has been very unfriendly to us! We try to post, and it stalls.... we try to visit sites and the pages don't load. So, anyway.... enough of our troubles with the Internet!

As you all know, last week was Zorra's barkday. Well, Mom made a cake for her. She said that we would have a pawty after she and Sam came back from Rally class. When Mom returned she went to the cake and found this.......



Two pieces were missing. Luckily, she didn't think that Zorra and I had gotten into it early! Whew, huh. We get in trouble enough! After a little thinking, Mom came to the conclusion that Grandpa had swiped a couple pieces, not realizing it was Zorra's barkday cake! We never told him because we wouldn't want him to feel bad. We just wonder what he thought of a pup-friendly cake! BOL. You know what, he sorta liked it.

Well, we LOVED it. Mom didn't get to write on it or nothing, but we all sang Happy Barkday and wished Zorra many more. Then, we all gobbled it up. Boy, it was good. Now we know why Grandpa took some!

Today is MY BARKDAY!!

Today is my barkday and I am having a great time. For my special meal, mommi got ribs. WE eat raw food, and my favorite is ribs and turkey nexks. But, we got ribs today. They were yummmmmmy.

More later, as mommi is making me a cake! wooooof

After Pawty

Whew... we just flew in and man, did we have a GREAT time!!!

After we left the pawty, we decided to go do some site seeing. Unfortunately, we let Sam drive....

Here we are flying out of Dreamingspires.....



WATCHOUT!! Sam almost took out the spire!!! I think he had one too many with the boys!! We decided that we had enough time to take a quick tour of London before we had to head home. We have agility class on Monday, and Mom will NOT be happy if we miss.

Step on it SAM!

OH no.... Sam can't read very well, and we landed right on top of Big Ben!! Yikes. Way to go, Idiot boy. WEll, this looks like a good parking space, so let's grab a bus and see the sites from below.




So, we went and got on the doubledecker bus! WE loved seeing the sites of London!!



We were just getting ready to find Jackson, Eric, and Ben the Rottie, (and Nana England, Father Unit's mum) but we saw some commotion around the VW. I guess they didn't think it was a good idea to park it up there. Anway, we snuck up there and took off. BUt, this fellow kept following us... we thought we were going to get thrown in the Tower of London for sure!!!



I think we took a wrong turn, because we ended up in Paddington Station. Sam really needs to learn how to read the GPS unit. He won't let us help, because HE wants to drive. You know how terriers can be.



Anyway, it was getting late and we had to get home, so we will stop by our pals next time. It was already getting dark. We said good-bye to London, Dreamingspires, and had great memories of the Pawty and all our pals.



We sure hope we get invited again, sometime. Meanwhile, I am making Sam take a crash course in GPS reading!!!

Off to Blue and Snowball's Birth/Barkday Pawty

We are off to the big Pawty. Zorra tuned up the VW and installed even more "green friendly" devices to make our journey safe for both us, and the environment.

I put the VW on autopilot and we are all going to rest to be sure we are in tip-top shape to meet our friends.


The trunk is filled with birth/bark day presents!



We even remembered to bring the barkday cards!

For Blue:



For Snowball:



We are so excited to see our friends and have a great time at the Pawty!!

Calling all Tollers??

Hi Bloggerland,

Now, everydog knows that I love all my DWB pals. We have a lot of pup friends. But, I was sniffing around DWB looking for any other Tollers or, our full name Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. I could not find any? So I'm calling out.....



Are there any others out there in DWB? Am I the only one? I'm off to search.....



If anydog sniffs out another Toller on DWB, bark me up.

Memoir meme

We got tagged for this meme from our pal, Hero.

Here are the rules. I don't know who hasn't played this game yet, but please do so if you have not. We all would love to read your dogoirs!

1) Write your own six word memoir.
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5) Don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.
6) Have fun


1. Athletes





2. Cute





3. Rescues




4. Expressive



5. Enthusiastic




6. Travelers

Tired, tired, tired

Hello dear pals....



As you can see, I am quite tired. However, have no fear. I am resting up today. I had a terrierific time over the weekend at the agility trial, camping, being with my friends, running amuck in the ring, etc., etc.

Katherine did quite well this weekend getting qualifying runs, bossing everyone around, and having a grand time. Zorra was a bit nervous and only had one qualifying run, but she tried very hard. She will give it the old college try and again, will attempt to overcome her stage fright.

I, as you know, am an outstanding agility star. I met up with my WFT buddies Riley and Ralph. We all met secretly and decided that it was Wild WFT weekend, and none of us would do anything our moms said, and we would all "do our business in the ring." Now, I was not sure if Riley and Ralph would actually "do their business" as they are older and more experienced that I. But, they said that I could be nervous at a new place and they wanted me to fit right in! And, when it came their time to run at various points, they promptly lifted legs in salute.

Of course, in my first run, I was distracted and didn't like what another dog had said in a pee-mail, so I went right over with my response. I heard my mother scream SAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMM NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. But, I needed to send my response right away and lifted my leg as an exclamation point! I absolutely told that other dog off!!! I was immediately scooped up by my mother, and another lady came over with a spray bottle and "tried" to erase what I had just sent. Ha. Try it lady. You are unsuccessful! My response to the first miscreant's pee-mail is still there.

In another run, I was stretching my legs as I sailed around the ring, until I noticed to dog chaps sitting away from the ring, but close enough for me to see them. I immediately went over and asked their advice on how I should properly run the course, but their mother was trying to put an end to our conversation. I stood there until I heard my mother coming up behind me. Then, I promptly turned and ran back to the course. I decided to humor her, and do a few obstacles. Of course, that pleased her feeble mind and she seemed happy, for a change, with my performance.

We stayed in this nice camper, and did not have to spend a cold, rainy day and night huddled together in our tent. The wind was so wicked on Friday and Saturday, that I am sure Mother would not have put it up properly, and we would have ended up who knows where, all a mass of legs, dogs, arms, and tent.

But, our Auntie Sharon, who is also our agility instructor, insisted that we stay in her camper with her for the weekend. Oh, I was so pleased. We were warm, dry, and happy all weekend. I will try to post more about our camping later this week.

Now, we all must prepare the VW for our trip to Blue;s and Snowball's birthday bash!

New Pals, agility, and an AWARD

Hi Everyone,

We wanted to introduce you to 2 new pals we made recently. The first one we met through our hooman pal, Blue. His name is Hero and you can visit him here. He's a nice pup and is new to DWB, so pop on over and give him a sniff.

Our other new friend is Stanislaw. Go walk by his site and see what he is up to.

We are going camping this weekend, and Zorra is glad. Do you know why? Because we are going with our Auntie Sharon who has a CAMPER, and we won't have to sleep in the tent. Now, I do enjoy roughing it, but Zorra DOES NOT. She hates camping and prefers the finer things... like a bed... a roof... and more than a few millimeters of plastic between the outside world and herself.

We are going to a CPE trial in Dayton, OH. Mother finally agreed that I can participate in more than one event. I shall show everyone my expertise and technique that I have refined over the last few weeks. Oh, will they be in awe!

And, thanks to all you who voted for us in the cool site of the day. We were the Cool Site of the Month for February!



Now, I must go oversee the packing of our van and supplies. I am certain mother will forget something vital, like food, stuffies, treats.... Of course, she can forget Katherine, and I would not cry. BOL.

Quiz, give it a try doggies, kittys, and all!!

We all took this quiz today. It was a hoot!!

Katie:



Una bomba inteligente autentica, katie is super-fly girl Jennifer Lopez!
Curvaceous and sassy and always more than willing to pawticipate with a few moves on the dance floor, katie moves and grooves with the best of them. But that doesn't mean it's all fun and salsa for katie—discipline and structure are key ingredients that have helped to put katie on a fur-lined fast track. Family is of utmost importance for katie , and she takes care of her brothers and sisters with the same dedication that she gives her little 'uns. To see and to be seen are significant parts of katie's daily activities, and the real-life Cleopetra makes her rounds with confidence and flair, always preferring to hang with the more bold and beautiful members of the pack.


Zorra:



Come on, let's just face it: We are living in a material world, and zorra is a material girl. So go ahead and thank your lucky stars—zorra is the one and only Madonna!
Always desperately seeking attention, zorra is multi-talented and savvy, not afraid to get her paws dirty and experiment with new methods of getting into the groove in order to reach her peeps. She commands respect everywhere she goes, a sophisticated traveler who insists upon the best—and more often than not, she gets what she wants. Appearance is everything for your true-blue diva and while her look may change as often as the Pellegrino in her water bowl does, her commitment to exercise is unwavering. zorra's in tip-top shape, which makes her age in pet years a non-issue. Despite the hard fur and the no-nonsense approach, she's a softy when it comes to her devoted owner. It's fair to say that zorra is, yes, crazy for you.



Sam



The kind of pet that can leap tall fences in a single bound (or not, but give it a shot anyhow), Sam is the original Jackass, Johnny Knoxville!
Going through the pain so you don't have to, Sam knows that he trots a fine line between funny and stupid, but he doesn't care—he's laughing about it all the way to the pet store. His over-the-top antics make you grimace with fear and you often find it hard to believe that he actually enjoys playing the class clown. But Sam laps it up and continues to defy the odds, despite your warnings and concerns. Other males in the pack tend to be a little jealous of Sam, but the females find him simply dreamy. A die-hard good ol' boy, Sam is more of a General Lee type than a Knight Rider, but give him enough time to think things through and he's sure to find a way to wreck both vehicles at the same time.

Day at the Spaw

I was looking in the mirror the other day, and I told my mother that I needed to go to the spaw.



Yes, my fur is a bit shaggy. So shaggy, that a few of my Border Collie and Sheltie friends tried to herd me at the recent agility trial! Yes, it is definitely time for a trim.

Off I went to the spaw. I had a wonderful time with my favorite groomer, Lisa. Oh, she was full of thing to tell me since our last meeting. Of course, I had to tell her about all my blogging friends, my new WFT friends that I met at Earthdog, and all my other activities. I was also secretly wishing she didn't give me a bad 'do like she did last time.

But, have no fear. I had a new 'do and I think look quite handsome.



The girls, however, were joshing me a bit for my fur. What do they know?! They don't get to go to the spaw! They were rolling around laughing at me. Oh, who cares. I look brilliant!

Weekend AGILITY

Hello everyone,

We had a fun filled weekend of agility. Unfortunately, no new photos to share, as Mother strictly stated that she could not run with us (oh, please.. she follows far behind because we are so much faster than she!) AND take photos.

Zorra had one qualifying run this weekend. It was all jumps, and she got 3rd place! She and mother were quite excited. She was even running in the rain! Now, Zorra does NOT like to get wet, so this was especially nice. But, when Zorra is in THE ZONE, there is no holding her back. She is like a pup possessed!



Although Katherine, nor I, had any qualifying runs, Mother was quite pleased with our performances. USDAA (United States Dog Agility Association) trials are very hard, with challenging courses, quick run times, and a good connection between dog and human required. We received several placement ribbons, however. And, we each had MOMENTS (especially me) of BRILLIANCE.



Mother only let me participate in two runs all weekend. So, I knew I had to put out my best effort. On Saturday, I was entered in a class called Tunnelers. OMD.. Was that FUN. I was supposed to run through a course of all tunnels. All together we were to crisscross through tunnels until we had done 15. I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

Whenever I run, there is always a hush over the crowd followed by giggling. I just assume that is nervous laughter in anticipation of my performance. Mother was holding on to the scruff of my neck at the start line, and I think she was screaming "YOU WAIT! STAY! WAIT!" I said, Pish Posh and I started without her. She's too slow anyway. I ran quickly through the first tunnel. Then, I followed my mother's direction to the second. After which, she pointed to another tunnel and I thought NO. I do not want to go into that tunnel. I turned on a dime and went into the tunnel of my choice.

Well, I did not know that if I did not follow the course, there was a penalty. Both mother and I had to go to a box and Mother had to take a hula hoop and go through it, and I would have to go through it too. She was calling me over there and she stepped through the hoop as I watched, but I said that it was TOO boring, so I went to another tunnel. I heard as I went deep in the bowels of the tunnel, Mother laughing and saying that she couldn't go through the Hula Hoop that many times!!

I didn't like the sound of that. I felt it was going to be the end of my magnificent run, and we all know that would spoil everyone's fun, so I kicked on the afterburners and ran for another tunnel. I heard everyone laughing, and that just fueled me more. I ran into the huge tunnel that went up over itself like a pretzel. I had gone through this tunnel 3 times already, and I thought I had escaped my mother. But, as soon as I got to the end, SHE was there. I tried to turn and run, but she grabbed the stub of my tail and pulled me out.

She picked me up and carried me off, and the judge was laughing and said I had way too much fun. Well, obviously, I had not because I wanted to keep going!

Today, I met an old gentleman WFT named Cosmo. He was 15 years old and still had a spring to his step. He had been a great agility dog and was the very first WFT to receive his MACH II. That means he reached the highest level of AKC agility twice. I was very impressed.

Today, I ran snooker and I completed half the course before I got bored and started to run around on my own. The judge for this run said I had a lot of energy. But, my mother was very proud of me on this run and said I did a very good job, even if we didn't finish. So, that made me happy. Cosmo's dad watched me run too, and he said that he was reminded of Cosmo when he was a pup like me.

We had a great weekend, even if it rained a lot yesterday.

*************************************************************************

For all those who left kind comments on our blog for Lis and Diva there is now a website where you can post thoughts and wishes for them. Go here and leave them your thoughts and well wishes. I am sure that they will be appreciated.

EARTHQUAKE

Hi everydoggie,

Man, oh man, we had an earthquake this morning, and we didn't know WHAT was going on. I was havin' dreams about chasing rabbits and eating. I woke up with a start!

We live in the midwest, and we hardly ever have one. But, we had a shakin' house this morning. We aren't used to those earthquakes like our doggie pals in California and other places. So, we was scared for about 5 seconds.

Here is a photo of me from the earthquake cam... Wow, I was really shakin'.



My mom was trying to tell me that we are all ok, nothing even fell. But, I think that earthquakes are very dangerous. I went and checked all the stuffies and chew toys to make sure nothing happened to them.

I am on alert for any more earthquakes, so I will be prepared.

Inspiring Dog story and video

***** WARNING You may need a kleenex *****

As you know, we love agility. We meet a lot of wonderful people and see many, many runs between dog and handler. We often hear of heart-filled stories of triumph over adversity and happy endings for all.

This post is about one agility handler's battle with her health, her Chinese-crested, and her last wish.....

Taken from a newsgroup we are on last Friday:

To all of my fellow agility competitors and friends,

Last Tuesday I was admitted to hospital, for eight years I have fought breast cancer. I have been diagnosed now with AML Leukemia and have been given approximately three weeks to spend on this wonderful earth. I have chosen not to do any more chemo as I believe I have received and given all this life has to give and take.

With the help of my dear friends in Dallas we were able to talk the Dr's into spring me out of hospital today. Tomorrow at the Dallas Agility Working Group's trial I will run my darling Chinese Crested Diva for the last time - it wont be pretty, no one will be able to guess who's handling style I will use and I don't even know myself - just staying on my feet will be an achievement and to run with my very best friend and to be among friends will be enough to give me the energy I need to get through the day.

I am thrilled I will also get to watch the veterans parade and to pay tribute one last time to all the great dogs that have helped form this sport that I so love.

If you want to do anything for me pray that Diva and I can achieve a super Q, it is all we need to become ADCH together, but even if we don't get it - I know I am blessed to share what time I have with my dogs and my friends.........

Many thanks for all your love and support over the years, I am indeed one of the lucky ones that get to say thanks in 'person' before my time.

Remember this weekend to enjoy your friends, dogs and should success come, enjoy and embrace it, if it doesn't never forgot the love of this game and the friendships we have forged. Thanks to everyone who helped me with my journey I sure do appreciate you all.

This woman got her wish for her dog to get her ADCH (Agility Dog Champion in USDAA). Here is a video that her friends made of the title run.



It's an inspiring story of the bond between a dog and their person. I thought everyone should be touched by this story.

Dreaded Day

Well, everydoggie....

It's here. The most dreaded day of the year for our Mom. She is, shall we say, a bit irritated. It is TAX DAY. She hates tax day because no matter what she does, she always seems to owe taxes.

What does that have to do with us, I bet you are thinking. Well, our mom goes on tirades around tax day. She says that WE NEED TO CUT BACK SO I CAN PAY THIS STUPID #$#$#$#$ TAX BILL. She rants and raves about cutting back on things.

So, we have a discussion.

She says WE ARE CUTTING BACK ON AGILITY LESSONS AND FLYBALL LESSONS.

I say



No.

She says WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO AS MANY AGILITY TRIALS.


I say Look at me. Does this face look like I think that is a good idea?



No

She says... WE ARE GOING TO CUT DOWN ON NEW TOYS

I say Ummmm let me think about that.



OH, definitely not.

She says... WE ARE GOING TO CUT DOWN ON EXTRA TREATS




I say.. Get a hold of yourself! Wake me up when you come to your senses.



So, my mom says... WEll, Miss Smartie Pants. What do you suggest we get rid of....

I only had to think for a nano-second. The sacrifice would be hard (well, not for me but I can put on a brave front)..... I looked at my Mom and said.......

..

..

..




Oh, just kidding.... BOL.

Quick Shout Out

Hi everydog...

Just a quick shout out to our pals. We think our mother will actually let us view our pals' blogs again, since her work has lessened. So, have no fear, we will soon be conversing on everydog's blogs again.

Blue told our mother about a new photo meme. (They are MAD about posting photos. They do it all the time). They now do photo memes 4 times a week. When does that leave time for us???

At any rate, you dogs might like this as well. It is called Camera Critters and it happens every Sunday. Go here to view. Our mother put some rather unflattering portraits of us on her blog. We are not happy about those photos and will plot on how to embarrass her later.

Those raccoons on the host blog remind me of Mr. Rat!! I want to definitely meet them. Katherine said she would go, as well. She really wants to meet them too.

Until next time, my friends...

Sam

Friday Friends

Hello Pals,

I am going to continue on with the Earthdog practice, and introduce you to some of the new pals I met. They were all great sports, and although some did not enjoy Earthdog as much as I, we all loved sniffing and meeting up with each other!

Here were a few pups we met right off. I didn't catch their names, but we were all getting to know each other.



This was Bean. She REALLY liked going into that tunnel after Mr. Rat.



Here is my new friend Tavish. He wasn't sure about Earthdog. Although he liked Mr. Rat, he was not too keen on going into the tunnel. Silly boy. I showed him how, but he would rather find another way to talk to Mr. Rat.



I met my new pal, Willie, here. He just retired from the show ring, and now he could do all sorts of fun stuff, like Earthdog. I was questioning him about the care of his coat, but he said no more worries about that now. He can get dirty and doesn't have to go through that nasty stripping process any longer. Hurray for him.



There was absolutely no way Willie wanted to be separated from Mr. Rat. He was saying how much he enjoyed Mr. Rat's company. His mom and the Earthdog Man were trying to reason with him, as you can see.



Shadow, a Manchester Terrier, is our long-time agility buddy and he told us about the Earthdog Practice. Here he is with Mr. Rat. He brought his cousin Aries and aunt Lilly.



Aries is a Min Pin and Lilly is an All American girl dog. She did NOT care for getting near the rat, nor getting dirty.



We had such a good time there. We can't wait to try it again. We are going to try to figure out how to get the video up and running so you can see me go into the tunnel.

Now, we are off to read what you guys have been up to. We are WAY OUT OF TOUCH!