Nosework Update

Waiting for his turn at nosework class

A couple weeks ago I shared our nosework dilemma. [Abbreviated version -- Five days of nosework trials in October; Not sure if I can afford the money/time off right now; I'm a big fat chicken.] Well, yesterday I swallowed my anxiety, submitted my leave requests and wrote a bunch of checks. Jedi and I are going to take advantage of every available opportunity. I keep telling myself that this is why we've been training for the last nine months.

I felt a little better after class this week. Because of the storm and various scheduling conflicts, we haven't had nosework class in three weeks. And true to form, I didn't practice in between classes. However, Jedi found the odors like a pro this week. No cataloging, no pussyfooting around. He got a whiff and went straight to the source. Good boy Jedi!

Starting next week, we're switching things around at class. We're going to different locations and will concentrate on vehicles and exterior searches. Hopefully this will help prepare us for the upcoming trials. (And maybe provide some nice pics for the blog.) Ideally I'll throw in a few extra practices too. If everything goes right we could end the year with a nosework title. Wish us luck! -- K

Stormy Shepherd

Hurricane Hermine has come and gone. She left us a few downed tree branches and some great beach pics -- taken with my phone no less! Take a look:

The morning before the storm hit. I was on regular beach patrol.

The afternoon after the storm passed. Jedi needed some exercise.

It's Wordless Wednesday. Click around below and see what others are sharing today! -- K

Awww...Tilt

It's Awww...Monday, so I'm going to share what always makes me say "Awww."

I can't resist the head tilt. (I think Jedi knows it too.)

So, did the tilt elicit an "awww" from you as well? Click around below and see what other awww-worthy things people are sharing today. A big thank you goes out to Sandee over a Comedy Plus for hosting this hop every week. TTFN, -- K

SMH (Shaking My Head)

Not the squirrel in question

I've told you some of the strange calls that I've received. Sometimes I just shake my head in disbelief. Unfortunately, even police officers can come down with a case of the stupids from time to time. Today I'm sharing some of real situations where normally rational officers have called for back up from Animal Control.

A shift sergeant was flagged down by a citizen who had watched a fat squirrel dart across the road. The squirrel wasn't injured, but "appeared out of breath." The sergeant called on the radio and told me to go check on the squirrel and make sure it was OK. The squirrel was gone by the time I got there, but I still had to knock on doors (yes, really) and ask if anybody had seen a fat, freaked out squirrel. I was also told to check for a large stick that the passerby placed next to Supersized Squirrel for reference.

A woman found her cat with a rat in its mouth. When she tried to take the rat from the cat, the rat bit her. The officer in charge called me at home -- at midnight no less -- to ask what to do with the rat. I won't repeat what I told him!

One officer called me because a sparrow had flown into the dry cleaners while he was picking up his uniforms. I told him to prop open the door and I'd be there in a 5 minutes. Surprise! The sparrow flew out the same way it came in before I got there. So which one had the birdbrain that day?

Not the raccoon either -- same pose though

I was dispatched to assist the police in a neighboring city. They had a raccoon at the elementary school. I drove 20 minutes to discover that the raccoon was sleeping in a tree about 20 feet off the ground. The police didn't know what to do. The raccoon wasn't bothering anybody but they were afraid he might wake up and chase children (seriously!) so we spent the last hour of the school day watching a raccoon sleep "just in case . . ."

A rookie officer was concerned because a turtle was crossing the street between two ponds. I showed up, got out of my truck and moved the turtle. Problem solved!

I was dispatched to another neighboring town because there was a raccoon at the dentist's office on a cold February morning. (FYI: 50 degrees is cold in Florida.) I arrived on scene and saw two police officers guarding the parking lot. They said the raccoon lying on the blacktop was sick. I got out my catch pole and walked towards the raccoon. It jumped up and took off like Usain Bolt. I swear the raccoon gave me the finger as he ran up a tree. I asked the officers why they thought it was sick. The tall one said "He was just lying there in the sun." I asked "Like he was trying to get warm?" The other officer gave me a sheepish grin and said "Yeah, maybe . . ."

The reason I find these stories so funny is because the absurdity of the situation is contrary to the level-headedness that these guys normally possess. But they're human and susceptible to stupid moments like the rest of us. Fortunately, they all have good senses of humor too. I hope you had a good laugh at their expense.

Guess what my friends . . . it's Silly Sunday! Want some more silliness? Check out the posts below. A huge thanks to Sandee at Comedy Plus for putting this hop together every week. Later, -- K

Eukanuba News

I've told you about the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show in the past. I LOVE it! The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando is taken over by dogs for a whole week. Forget Disneyworld, THIS is the happiest place on Earth for me. There are:

• conformation dog shows
• agility, obedience and rally trials
• dock diving contests
• grooming competitions
• seminars and demos
• lots of freebies
• AKC representatives
• dog show 101 tours
• meet-the-breed booths for every AKC recognized breed
• over 100 dog-centric vendors selling things you don't even know you want yet
• 5000+ gorgeous purebred dogs from around the world

I've been to the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show twice and have already scheduled this year's vacation around it. It's one of the country's biggest dog shows (probably second only to the Westminster Kennel Club dog show) and it's only a three hour drive from my house. So why am I talking about the show three months in advance? Well, a couple of Eukanuba-related things have come up lately that I think are worth sharing.

First off, there's not going to be an AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show this year. Don't panic! (I did.) There's still going to be a week of dog shows in Orlando this December -- it's just that Eukanuba isn't hosting it any more. For the next 15 years the show is going to be sponsored by Royal Canin. (To be honest, my picky dogs won't eat either dog food brands, so I don't care who's doing it.) Royal Canin has promised that the show will be just as wonderful as ever. The most notable difference will be the décor. It will change from Eukanuba pink to Royal Canin's signature red and gold. For information about other changes and to see the line up of events, check out this article from the Canine Chronicle.

And the second bit of news is even more exciting. The German Shepherd Dog Club of North Florida -- my club! -- has been asked to host the German Shepherd Meet-the-Breed booth at the show. We feel honored. And excited. And overwhelmed. And a tiny bit terrified. (OK, maybe that's just me.) We're still in the early stages of this so I don't really have specifics. However, I will be at the AKC National Championship Dog Show Presented by Royal Canin (what a mouthful) in Orlando, Florida on December 17 and 18. If you are going to be there to, please stop by the GSD meet-the-breed booth and say "Hi." I may even have Jedi with me. (It's OK, I know you'd rather meet him.)

Exciting news, isn't it? I'll keep you up-to-date as things develop. And I'll try to remember to take lots of pictures in December. However, longtime readers now I suck at taking pictures. It might be best if you come to Orlando. You know you want to! See you at the show, -- K

Hermine Blows

Hermine not all that the news had hoped for predicted

It's wet and windy outside as Hurricane (now tropical storm) Hermine blows by. Thanks for all the well wishes from out-of-state friends. We're fine. Hubby and I are both off today. We're just going to chill at home with the dogs. I've got a roast in the crock pot and we plan on spending the day catching up on The Walking Dead on Netflix (we're still on season 4 -- I know!)

I'm disgusted by regular TV. The new anchors actually seem heartbroken that there wasn't more damage, no death or large scale destruction for them to report with twinkles in their eyes. They're making the most out of every flooded road and downed tree that they can. It's been a decade since we had a hurricane hit the area and I guess the lack of carnage is difficult for parasitic organizations that thrive on chaos. (WOW, Kelley's feeling a bit bitchy today!)

Anyway, I'll get back to blogging soon. Promise. Until then, here is Jedi braving the storm. The picture was taken this morning. See, even he's not that impressed by the storm. Later, -- K

Jedi says he's not impressed with the weather forecast -- now please throw the ball

Do We Nose Enough?

An interior search

I spent most of the morning reading UKC and NACSW regulations, combing through training club webpages and filling out entry forms. October is full of nosework tests and trials -- and it's just around the corner. Eeeek.

There are two weekends of UKC Nosework trials. The good news is that the two clubs hosting the trials have coordinated on what they're doing. If we do well we can walk away with some titles. The bad news is that the UKC is a lackadaisical when it comes to sharing information and procedures. This is not comforting to those of us who prefer structure and itineraries. Anyway, here's what I've got:

Nosework & Rally Club of North Florida

• Ocala, October 15-16
• All Pre-trial scents available for testing. Jedi only has first two (birch and anise). I'd like to pick up the other three while I can.
• Saturday there are vehicles searches, both AM & PM
• Sunday there are exterior searches, both AM & PM
• Prices are higher by $5 a trial. All in all, I'm looking at $110 for the weekend, and that's with the pre-entry prices



Those damn boxes (a pre-trial test)

• And we're going to need a hotel for the weekend

Dog Training Club of St. Petersburg

• St. Petersburg, October 22-23
• No Pre-trial scents available
• Saturday there's a containers in the AM and an interior PM
• Sunday there's a containers in the AM and an interior PM
• We're looking at another $60 for this weekend, again with the cheaper, pre-entry prices
• And we're going to need a hotel for the weekend

The odor is in the folder on the table

I’ve never gotten a premium from the St. Pete club, though I’ve requested one three times. I made up an entry form from the one the Ocala club had. I got all the information from the UKC site. (Horray for Wite-Out and a printer/copier!) I guess the guys at St. Pete will figure it out if they want to cash my check. I hope back-to-back weekends aren't too much for Jedi. I'm sure Work won't be thrilled.

AND if that's not complicated enough, on October 2nd we have the opportunity to retake the NACSW ORT that we bombed last January. This is the first ORT I've seen offered in Florida or Georgia since our attempt in West Palm nine months ago.

• The good news: the test is in Gainesville, an hour and a half away. No hotel stay required!
• The bad news: it's on a Sunday, my regular work day and I'm already asking for two Sundays off in October. Also, it's another $35 and I 'll have to renew my NACSW membership (another $20).

I'm still debating this one. A friend is going with two of her dogs. She says there's room in her van for me and Jedi so we could share travel expenses. Truth is, I'll probably go. I'm just trying to be responsible after all the money and personal leave I spent on last month's vacation. Sometimes I overthink things. (OK, most times. No, always. I always overthink things. There, I said it.)

The odor is on the wall behind the blue banner

Anyway, I need to cut this short. I've got some thinking to do and some checks to write. Dog sports aren't cheap. You know, life would be a whole easier if I were independently wealthy. This working full time thing really gets in the way of my dogs. And it doesn't seem to fund as much as I'd like either. I saw a meme that said:

I need to win the lottery so I can be a stay-at-home dog mom. Is that too much to ask?

I'll keep you posted on our journey -- with pictures, of course. Meanwhile, please think happy thoughts for me and Jedi. Lord knows we can use them! Later, -- K

P.S. If you happen to be in Gainesville, Ocala or St. Petersburg and want to me up, let me know. We'd love to meet online friends IRL (that's "In Real Life" -- according to my kids.)