If You Ever Wondered Why. . .

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

 I decided to cut the Aussies short, take a look at this photo.  They look happy, but hot.  This was a Mt Rubidoux hike a few weeks ago and they were feeling the heat and all that hair.  I wasn't sure if Penny was up to a four  mile hike, but she did it like a trooper!

My daughter and I love this hike.  And every time we get comments about how we have the cutest dogs on the trail.  Yes, of course we do!  :)

And away we go.  You can see we are almost to the top if you look to the right corner of the picture.  Just around that corner is the top, with lovely, shady trees and the cross on the mountain top where they hold Easter services every year at dawn.  Wasn't the sky beautiful that day?   My daughter does not usually walk both of them, but I needed her to take them so I could take a photo!



Roller Derby Doggies

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

I spent a good portion of my childhood on a pair of roller skates.  I never got into the whole in line skating thing.  I am very comfy on an old fashioned roller derby 4 wheel set of skates.  So comfy, in fact, that this week my husband bought me a new pair of skates (to keep my daughter company on her new pair).  And I learned that it is a really, really fun way to walk my Aussies.  Or run them, actually.

For the past couple of nights I have skated around the park with my roller derby doggies pulling me along. We get going fast when they are running.  Flying around the park, everyone is happy! 

And I haven't fallen once so far. It's like riding a bike- I haven't forgotten a thing about skating. Three trips around the big park and we are all exhausted and ready to settle for the night.


The dogs are so cute when they see me putting my skates on, whining and jumping around and going to the door.  It's supposed to rain tonight and for the next few days so we'll have to put the derby on hold for a few days.

So give it a try.  Grab your skates, the leashes, and a little old 80's mojo and head out.  :)

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Penny Gets a Back Pack

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Cesar Milan says that putting a backpack on a pup makes the walk seem twice as long. I'm not sure about that, but I know that my Aussies are a herding breed and they like a job to do.

Ninja loves to wear his pack and carry his clean waste baggies in it, and maybe a bottle of water when we hike. Everyone laughs when they see him and says, "You make him carry his own stuff? Great idea!" Anyone can see how happy he is carrying his pack.

The pack I got for Ninja was pricey, and I was concerned about spending a lot for a pack and then Penny being afraid of it. She does not like having her tummy touched, and the strap from the pack goes around the belly of the pup.

My local Marshall's store had these cute packs for around $5. Can you believe that? Perfect! I brought one home for the beautiful Penny and she accepted it a lot easier than I expected.

We started by waiting until after a walk when she was mellow and a little tired and she still had the leash on. She seems much more comfortable with the leash on. Then my daughter and I let her smell the back pack. Next we set in on her back, and gave her a piece of chicken. That went well. After a few minutes I reached under her and clipped the back pack on, and my daughter walked her around the house wearing it. More chicken. No problems. That was enough for one night.

She looks pretty cute in it! Next walk we'll see if she wants to wear it out. I'm curious what the reaction will be from people when they see us walking two Aussies in back packs. With Ninja some people think he is being trained as a service dog, and praise me for what I'm doing. I always laugh- I'm training them for my family, people!

I'll let you know how the walk wearing the pack goes. I have a feeling it will go well.

Good Night. . .

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

I mean, it was a good night. Penny's first night out of her puppy pen was uneventful (good) and accident free (even better)!

I found her curled up and sound sleep this morning, but of course when I went to take the picture she looked up at me. There are no less than 5 dog beds in this house and my pups like to sleep on the floor. Silly Aussies!

This evening we went to a new dog park. This one has a section for agility work with lots of neat equipment. We put Ninja and Penny in there. Ninja ran right up the see saw but when it came down the other side he leapt off of it and refused to do it again.

There were some people there with a chihuahua and they kept hitting the dog every time it barked and growled. Gee, it got more aggressive as the time went on and they kept whacking it. Some people should not be allowed to raise dogs. . . or children.

I like this picture. My daughter leashed them up and they were ready to go! C'mon, Mom! Aren't you ready yet? We're burning daylight!

Here's a great shot of them after burning off some of the famous Aussie energy. They kind of tag team and keep a look out for each other.

Penny is still showing some fear, but I think in time we can help her get over that. She only is afraid when you come over to her and try to pet her. She's OK on her own terms. But I guess we are all like that sometimes!

A Walk in The Wilderness. . .

Saturday, April 3, 2010

OK, so it's not really wilderness. It's in Norco, about 5 minutes from our house, but it might as well be miles and miles away. I got home the other day in time to get over to the Hidden Valley Wildlife Park before it closed. I knew it would be a quick trip, but I wanted to check it out and see what the dogs thought about it.

Not a tough question, really. Are there wide open spaces? Check. Can they run? Check. Can they get filthy? Check. Are there birds and squirrels to chase? Check and check. Yeah, they loved it, even for the short time we had there.

When you get to the park, you drive in down a short dirt road, park, and then walk a paved path down towards the Santa Ana River where are the trails are. There is a lot of animal droppings everywhere so I don't recommend taking a puppy there who hasn't had all his shots.

People ride horses along the trails, so you need to pay attention to what is going on around you. We let Ninja run a bit off leash, but I'm not totally secure with letting Penny run off leash yet. Do you see that field in the first picture? Would you want to chase an Aussie through a field like that? Me neither. She seemed perfectly happy to walk with us on the leash.

This shot is the path that leads down to the river. You can see how fine the dirt is on the path, which lead to a couple of very dusty Aussies. I still have dusty paw prints in the back of my car!

We walked along at a brisk pace, then took a break for a minute. Here's a shot of the dogs both thinking we should go off in different directions. Maybe they are just watching each other's backs. :) There is just so much to look at in this park, such as squirrels, lizards, birds, water, trails, horses, and on and on. I'd like to go back on a Saturday and spend a few hours there where we could really play and let them get really dirty!

My daughter caught a cute shot of Penny Lane. I like the look in her eyes. She seems very content to be out in the Norco wilds!


When we came across a mother and daughter with a white pit bull, they warned us that they'd pulled off 4 ticks from their dog that afternoon. Yuck! I immediately checked out dogs but no ticks, thank goodness. They also warned us that they had seen several coyotes. Coyotes rarely attack humans unless they are totally desperate, but since it was getting close to park closing time I decided to get us all home. I didn't want to be responsible for two dogs, a little girl and me if a coyote came around!


It was a quick trip but a fun one. The pups came home a took a nap, both on their sides with legs stretched straight out. Isn't that the universal sign of a relaxed and tired doggy?

We have a New Family Member!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The lovely Penny is now a member of our family! I'm so excited. She looks like a red tri. She's definitely a mini and about half the size of Ninja. Granted, Ninja is over 50 pounds and is totally too big for a mini Aussie. He's more like a small standard. But since his mum and dad were both minis, he's a mini by default, right?

So the bad news is that I cannot find the camera cable to save my life. I've spent an hour searching for it and since it's been such a busy weekend, I'm simply too tired to keep looking. I hate that I can't show you are new little darling! The best way I know to find the cable is to order a new one. As soon as I order the new one, the old one will magically turn up!

So yesterday we met Penny's original owners and Penny, of course, at a local park. Ninja and Penny seemed to really like each other. They played together and walked a bit, and seemed to really enjoy each other. We agreed to meet again on Sunday.

This afternoon we went back to the park. We were a bit late due to some strange circumstances (like my husband losing track of time at another park while practicing baseball with our son!) but when we got there, Penny came running to Ninja like they were old friends. So sweet!

Penny's first owners then sent this little girl home with us. She is a little timid, but very sweet. I think she'll come out of being timid after a bit of time with our very active family and the amazing and mischievous Ninja!

When we first got home we played in our front yard first. Penny went under the car and watched, but we decided to ignore her for a minute and played Frisbee, and within two minutes she came out to see what was going on. That was pretty neat.

I'm reading Cesar Millan's book A Member of the Family and he says to take the dogs on a walk before letting them in the house together. So off my daughter and I went to the park. As soon as we got there, I thought I would let them off leash for a few minutes to let them run.

Bad idea. Penny decided to run full speed, up the hill on the side of the park and hide in the bushes. Ooops. So I climbed the hill and leashed her up. She gave me no issue with that. She's really so sweet! But I had to get back down that hill sitting down. My daughter called Penny and down she went to her, as I inched down the hill. My wouldn't she do that before I climbed the hill? :)

When we got home we walked her through the house on the leash like Cesar says. Then we left them alone to rest and do their own thing (we didn't leave- we just let them be while I made dinner). They are so cute together! They play, they snuggle, and they romp in the yard.

My daughter and I worked with Penny and the dog door, but she's not ready to tear in and out of it like Ninja does. But remember all the coaxing and training we had to do with Ninja to get him to use the dog door when he was a pup? We'll get there.

For now, we are thrilled with are tiny little lady pup and I cannot wait for more walks, dog parks, and sheep herding, which we will do in the next few weeks.

Life is good. :)

Pictures soon as I can get the darned cable! I'm off to order one right now.

The Best Laid Plans. . . and News!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

My neighbor told me about this really neat wildlife preserve close to our home with lots of trails and great places for dogs so I headed out right after work. I checked the website earlier and it said they were open until 8pm. Perhaps those are Summer hours, and even though it is warming up, it's still the tail end of a Southern California Winter, and the park closed at 4:30. How disappointing! We'll have to save that for a weekend trip.

We ended up at a local dog park and of course I forgot the camera in the car, and since we had to park a half a mile away I gave up. There was a grumpy husky who was terrorizing everyone so we didn't stay long. What's with owners who don't correct their dogs? "They're just playing" doesn't cut it with me when every time this dog "plays" the other dog growls and snaps at him. That's dog speak for "Knock it off!"

My news is something exciting, but I almost hate to write it in case it doesn't work out. But here goes! I'm meeting with a couple this weekend who are looking for a new family for their 1 year old female mini Aussie. Apparently the kids are leaving for college and the parents are working a lot, and they feel like the pup would be better with a family with another dog and a people who had time for her. I'm so excited- I can't even tell you!

Last year I found a red merle Aussie female at the local animal shelter, and rushed over, only to find she'd been adopted the day before. I got in the car and cried. Isn't that silly? I've been waiting for the right pup to come along. I thought I might wait for the breeder where we got Ninja to have another litter of pups. . . but taking in a young Aussie that needs a home would be great too. I hope that the two will see each other and it will be like music playing and they are inseparable from that moment on. It's a nice dream, isn't it? I just want them to be happy. Ninja loves other dogs and apparently so does this other pup.

I've also been looking into sheep herding. There is a local group where you can take your dog and let them herd sheep. How cute would that be? Apparently it's quite a work out for the owners too. I guess you get run over by the sheep from time to time. I'm sure my husband will bring the video camera to catch his wife being knocked over by sheep while the dog (or hopefully dogs) run wild, nipping at the sheep. I'm sure we'll be on YouTube in about 30 seconds after it happens!

So wish me luck about the new Aussie. I can't wait until Saturday. I'm like a little kid who can't wait for something to happen. :)

Another Hike up Mt Rubidoux

Monday, January 12, 2009

I'm a bit behind on this blog, but partly it's because Ninja is actually getting better. Apparently there is this magic thing about when an Aussie turns two, he gets out of that puppy stage and all the lessons you've been droning on and on about finally start to make sense. So that means I haven't had a lot to write about lately. That's actually a good thing!


So on December 31, my daughter and I celebrated the New Year by hiking up Mt. Rubidoux. This time we took the steep route up. The road is getting a bit cracked in places. They stopped allowing cars on this road in 1996. Looks like it was a good idea! This trip was about 2 miles (one way), whereas the less steep trip is 4 miles.


It was an absolutely gorgeous day. Look at the view halfway up the hill. The mountains in the distance have a nice sprinkling of snow. Ninja was very happy to carry his pack up the hill. Many people smiled and commented on how smart it was to let the pup carry his own gear on the hike. That's one neat thing about this particular hike - there are always a lot of people around, so you don't feel isolated. Not that Ninja would ever let anyone hurt us, but it's nice to know it probably won't come to that on this hike.

Here we are stopping for a water break. Ninja seems to like the view here!

Mt Roubidoux Hike

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Is this one happy Mini Aussie or what? He's got his backpack on because we all went on a hike up Mt Roubidoux in Riverside on Saturday. We braved the chilly weather, but of course Ninja didn't seem to mind at all.

It was about 4 miles up and back and Ninja was flying at first but settled down as we got into a rhythm. At the top of the mountain there is a very tall cross you can see from miles away. There is also a huge American flag, and lots of plaques. Mt. Roubidoux is famous for its Easter Sunrise Services.

We climbed up the trail and had lunch at the top. We had picked up sandwiches from our favorite place, Butch'sGrinders, which is right by the entrance to Mt Roubidoux Park. The kids had turkey and cheese and I had an Italian sandwich. Of course Ninja had his share of all of our sandwiches and chips!

As we headed down it started to sprinkle. You could see the rain coming across the valley toward us, but luckily it never got too rainy. Just cold and misty.

I'll post more pictures of the hike shortly. I thought this was just such a cute picture of the pup!

Into the Creek

Friday, August 8, 2008

I really should take my camera to our Thursday night walks in the regional park. As I've mentioned before, my husband plays ball almost every Thursday and the kids and I (and Ninja of course) walk in this absolutely beautiful park, which is right next to the ball fields.

Last Thursday was an early game so there was plenty of time to walk, with plenty of light. There is 1 hour and 15 minutes allotted to each softball game, so that's a nice walk. This week we were joined by one of the kids of another player, who unfortunately didn't bother to inform his father that he was going walking with us. Normally I would have made sure, but I was happily walking my dog and chatting with my kids before I noticed this boy was attached to us. Did I invite him? No. Did I particularly want the responsibility of this kid? Not really. But I decided to be a good sport and let him tag along.

One reason I worry about this kid is that he is not dog people. I don't think it's his fault- he's only around 10 years old and his parents are not dog people. What "not dog people" fail to understand is that their actions almost always directly correspond to a dogs reaction, but not understanding dogs, they often label our beautiful fur friends vicious and aggressive.

The week before, this kid had talked sweetly to my dog and then wildly waved his hands in a chopping gesture around Ninja's face. Dog people know that this is a bad idea. Luckily I had Ninja on a short lead and as soon as the kid starting waving his hands I strongly cautioned him to stop. However, Ninja very loudly warned this kid with a growling snarl, which I'm sure sounded quite menacing, but of course I knew it to be a big warning with no "teeth" behind it. I tried to tell him! The kid's mom freaked and told me to keep my dog away from her kid. Of course trying to tell her that my dog was minding his own business when her kid challenged him resulted in the blank stare only "not dog people" can manage.

I have to be so careful, though, because the county is a "zero tolerance" county and if Ninja did bite, he would be put down. So around children, especially, I keep him close and put my hand on his head so that if something upsets him, I can stop any reaction right away. It's just not worth the risk, you know?

So, Thursday night we walked and just kept heading out. I wanted to see the side we hadn't gotten to yet. The park is over a mile long, so it's a great walk. About 45 minutes into our walk the kids saw a playground with a big slide on the other side of the creek. We found a place to cross with lots of rocks and very little water. The kids skipped over and headed into the playground. I started over with Ninja by my side. But not for long. Ninja sat down and dug his back paws in. I tugged on the leash. He pulled back. I coaxed. He ignored my efforts. Then he stood up and I thought we were making progress, until he went behind me, and next thing I knew I was in the creek.

I have no reason to believe he knocked me down, he just did not want to cross right there and in an effort to get away the leash caught my legs and I went down. My daughter shrieked, "Mommy, are you OK?" I was muddy, very muddy, but unhurt. Her next questions was, "Is your Coach purse OK?" Ah, a girl after my own heart. Why I took a purse, let alone a good purse is beyond me. But there we were. BTW, the Coach purse is the only "designer" purse I own and was a gift, but I do love it and I"m glad it "wasn't harmed in the filming" of this adventure.

So, remembering that dogs are very clever creatures, I unleashed Ninja and he bounded across the rocks without me just fine. Lesson learned.

To add insult to injury, my husband's game was over 20 minutes early and we were all on the far side of the park when he called. . .and the tag along kid's dad was mad. So we rushed back as quickly as three kids, a dog, and a very muddy woman can.

Maybe next Thursday we'll take a break. Then again, the days are already starting to get shorter and we won't be able to do this for many more Thursdays. Next time I'll take my camera and leave the Coach purse at home.

Ninja and the Carwash

Saturday, July 12, 2008

I'm starting to see some changes in my pup. I've been told that 22 months is the magic number for a Mini Aussie. All the training that you pour into them seems to click at that point. We have 10 months to go until that magic number. But good things are starting to emerge from my Ninja. He follows the basic sit, lay down, stay (for a short time), and out commands. He knows to lay down away from us while we are eating. He knows where to lay when we are in the family room and he wants to be with us. All of that is great and getting better all of the time.

I've noticed lately that he is becoming less destructive. Yes, he recently chewed up a pair of my shoes, but it's just not as many things nor as often as before. Could I hope that he is growing out of the chewing phase? I never thought I'd see the day!

As the days are longer and warmer we go on more walks too, and that always helps. Thursday night my husband played a softball game at a field right next to a regional park. The kids and I took Ninja on a walk and he was in heaven. A huge lake, beautiful trees and meadows graced this park and made it a really nice evening. There was so much for a pup to see and smell, and lots of room to walk. There were plenty of other dogs around too. Ninja is really well socialized and I almost never have any trouble with him around another dog or human. Part of that comes from puppy training and playing "Pass the Puppy" where we handed all the puppies around during class to help them get used to people. The only time I watch him very carefully is around a small child. They are so unpredictable and I'd hate to see a child get hurt because they
startled the dog.

Before the walk in the park we stopped for gas and I ran my car through a drive through car wash. It never dawned on me that Ninja would be frightened by the car wash. First he barked at the soap. Then he whined at the water spray. Then he climbed into the front seat on my lap (all 38 pounds of him) and hid his face on my shoulder. Finally he ended up on the floor of the passenger's seat at my daughter's feet. He hadn't done that since he was a tiny puppy. Poor baby was shaking in fear. My daughter calmed him by petting him and feeding him a few leftover fries from dinner. Once we were through with the car wash he was back to his old self. Poor Ninja. I guess he'd rather just ride in a dirty car.