What Do You Mean He Has No Tail?

Preston and I took a walk over to the farm this afternoon to practice heeling and attention.

He did a great job at ignoring the cows and goats.

On our way out, a couple in their 30s saw him and the woman must have commented on his lack of tail at least 3 times:

"Did you see that dog, he has no tail".

"That dog doesn't have a tail."

"He has no tail."

At which point I stopped, turned, and explained why he has no tail (so it doesn't get damaged when working as a herder).

What I really wanted to say was:

"Holy crap, you're right! He lost it!"

Herd Is The Word

My tri boy is on sabbatical from the breed ring.

He has 8 GCH points - and I'll bring him back out again at the end of the year. No need to rush - though I would really, REALLY like to bring him to Westminster in 2014. I want to experience it - and check something off my bucket list.

Meanwhile he's really, REALLY enjoying life as a pet.

So we're going to focus on the red boy. He is a herding maniac...or maybe that's me. He loves it...or maybe that's me again.

Hey, some people ski in the winter. I herd. This will be my gig for a bit. That and trying to get a CD on him too (which will take years!).

Squirrel!!

I received the picture from latest show. Looks like someone was screaming "squirrel" as the picture was snapped. On the upside, despite the lunging, his top line is rock solid.

More!

Fresh off a dog show weekend here - where my boy did a fab job as a special. He is so fun!

He did quite well today with a major select towards his GCH. Yesterday he was terrific in the ring, but there were a lot of fantastic specials.

As the lovely couple set up next to us - "some days you are the dog and other days you are the hydrant."

So true...

It's Worth The Sacrifices

I have chosen to spend my money on...

• Obedience class
• Herding lessons
• Breed handling
• Show entries
• Hotels for shows
• Food at shows
• Gas to get to shows
• Grooming supplies
• Leashes and collars
• Treats and bait
• Food
• Vet bills
• Fences
• Crates
• Dog beds

Because of this, I sacrifice...

• Weekly manicures and pedicures
• Luxury cars
• Designer clothes and shoes
• Five-star vacations
• A clean house
• A full fridge
• Sleep
• My time

But what I receive is...

• Friendship
• Laughter
• Corgi kisses
• Happiness

And this makes it all worth it.

You Ought To Be In Pictures

 

I'm talking about Preston...

 

What Next?

How thrilling to finish my first 100% owner handled dog going BoW on Saturday. Seemingly unfazed by his new title, Preston proceeded undo hours of grooming in our muddy backyard.

So now that this is complete - what next? Special, obedience, herding? We need a title on the other side of his name.