The Pawty!

Today was Moxie's 8th birthday party at the Dog Park!



Everydoggy, who was anydoggy, was there!



Moxie shared her very special day with Dallas the Great Dane. He turned 1 year old today!



Friends gathered.....



Love connections were made....



A good time was had by all!



Moxie was treated like a princess!




And got lots and lots of new toys!




Thanks everyone, for making my birthday pawsome!

Licks, Moxie

Moxie's Birthday Blowout Extraveganza!

Come one come all to Moxie's 8th Birthday Party Extravaganza at Wiggly Field Dog Park, Denton Texas Sunday July 22nd at 2pm. Collect your party hats at the door!

Moxie's wounded paw

Took Moxie to the lake on Sunday for a swim. The water was so high the park was closed and we actually swam in the parking lot. Moxie cut her foot on something, at some point. But she was having too much fun to notice so she didn't tell me her foot hurt until I got home and gave her a bath.

She basically "scalped" her toe pad, tore the tough outer pad part off leaving a sensitive bloody nub. Nothing that can be sutured or closed so we have it bandaged to heal. Hopefully it will heal quickly. Moxie is not amused by her bandage. She was really good about not chewing it. She left it alone all night, until I went to take my Mom to the car dealership this morning. I was gone 40 minutes and she had it off when I got back. Grrrr! So its on with the e-collar while I can't watch her.

We went ahead with her therapy visit at UBH this morning but decided against going to training. She got lots of sympathy pets and cuddles from the patients in the hospital, but I could tell she was sore at work, so we just went home and skipped training this week. Hopefully she will be better by Sunday. Sunday is her big birthday blowout party at the dogpark. Everyone, who is ANYONE will be there! Loads of pics to come!

Well I tried to train today, but every time I got everything set up outside, the skies opened up. We got some weaves done, not much luck on our go on practice, it was thundering and she was distracted. I did find out, however, that Moxie will still chase a tennis ball during a thunderstorm, her obsession doth run deep.

So I went to Toy r us and picked up a child's play and crawl tunnel. I set it up in the living room and Moxie and I did a mini training session in left and right tunnels entrances. I would have gotten more meaningful work in, but the cats took an intense interest in the tunnel.

Moxie got tired of dodging cats and went on in pursuit of other interests.

Kobie, in particular, LOVED the tunnel. He spent well over an hour playing in the tunnel. I have never known him to play with anything that long. His assessment of the tunnel is as follows:

"This tunnel is a toy much too sophisticated for the canine tastes. The brilliance lies in the subtle detail...the velcro tassles, the mesh windows, the general rollyness, the swishy fabric. This is quite a versatile toy, one can play in it, on it, or under it, alone or with a friend! The tunnel also doubles as a secure snooze spot. In short, the tunnel is the best thing to hit this house since the advent of the cat tree. I give it four paws up!"











Moxie and I got some weave practice under the shelter of the porch. (please pardon my fat ass!)

Will it ever stop raining?

We finally had a break from the rain today so we got some outdoor work in on jumps and weaves. Her weaves are pretty solid on all sides and she is even starting to anticipate the weaves and work away from me a bit. I still have the channels open about an inch. I don't think she's quite ready to have them closed all the way. I want her to be confident and solid so I want to set her up to succeed by not moving on until she is ready. We are working "go on" over jumps. She does well as long as I throw a ball for her. I am also setting up the jumps at varying distances and heights to help regulate her stride and jump style. We also did some single stride jumps to make her more aware of her hind end. I wish I had known to do these things when she was younger, but at least its never too late to train the right way! Weaves are a prime example.

The Karen Pryor Clicker + arrived yesterday and its super cool. It has five different sounds it makes in soft and loud modes. I was hoping that the sounds other than the click sounds might work for Moxie. Unfortunatly, Moxie saw the clicker in my hand and it was all over. She has developed a totally irrational fear of the clicker, and I'm not going to fight it at this point. She responds best to verbal praise anyway so if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

We went back to UBH for a therapy visit on Thursday night and things went well even if Moxie was a bit hyped up. After 16 straight days of rain, she hadn't had any real excercise in weeks and it showed. She got the chance to run and went nuts. It didn't help that I brought treats and she was hungry. So I've learned two things about this particular visit, I need to wear her out ahead of time, and I need to feed her so she isn't begging for food the whole time. On another note, I recognized one of the patients. We were hospitalized together last summer. It was awkward, but I don't think he recognized me which is good. It was a nice example of how far I have come in a year, and a reminder of how much further I have to go. I am not so far removed from the state hospital and my illness that I could not return someday. Though I hope not. I also hope this young man finds some peace himself. Though a far cry from the mental hospitals of yore, being institutionalized is no picnic, thats for sure. UBH, being a private hospital, is considerably nicer than the state hospital, but its still no place you want to be. Its lonely and frightening. I'm just glad I have the opportunity to give back now, and bring some warmth and love in doggy form to the patients at UBH.

I find myself living my days in anticipation of my next doggy event, therapy visit, training class or competition. I think I'm addicted. Well I got paid yesterday, so I can go get the things on my want list now! Yipee! Shopping!

Thurston the STUD MUFFIN!

....mostly muffin ;)

Moxie the model

Moxie modeling her new therapy dog cape.



So proud!

It's Here!

All my stuff came in!

Moxie's jumps and weaves are PAWSOME! Easy to assemble, light weight, and came with decorative tape so they have been stylized! I set them up in the living room tonight and Moxie did fab! She is going to have incredible weaves in no time, now that we can practice every day.

Her new therapy dog cape came in and I have affixed her patches so we can go to our visit on Tuesday in style! The leash tab I ordered came in also, but isn't quite what I thought it would be, so I don't know if it will work for my purposes. The patients at the hospital tend to want to hang on to the very end of Moxie's leash where they don't have much control and Moxie isn't sure what they want. I was thinking a super short leash would do the trick, give the patients control and give moxie the freedom to move when they let go (through the tunnel and chute). I think I may have to make one myself.

The only total bomb of my recent shopping spree was the i-click. Obviously, this is not the clicker that I encoutered at agility class a few weeks ago, as Moxie had no reaction to that clicker, but completely shut down when I started using this one. She can't stand the sound of the clicker. She was shaking, hiding, running away, pretty much acting the same way she acts during a thunderstorm. I don't know why she hates the clicker so much. I've tried to introduce it to her three times and the same reaction each time. She just shuts down and acts like she is terrified. I don't get it.

I have ordered this as a last ditch effort. If it doesn't work out, I guess I have a whole mess of clickers available for the next ruffdogs charity auction.

One week to my next paycheck and I can get my last two wanted items. I just got a huge promotion and raise at work. I'm head of veterinary nursing now, with a dozen of so employees under my purview. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I have alot of added responsibility and pressure, but I think I can handle it. Plus more money equals more dog stuff, more dog shows, more dog classes, and some stuff for the cats too.

Pictures tomorrow!

What dog breed are you?

discover your dog breed @ quiz meme

Meme

I need to figure out how to join DWB's officially.

Anyway, here is Moxie's Meme

1. Your age? - 7 years and 11 months.

2. Your age when came to live with your people? - about one year old, give or take a few months.

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? - Bright green with white and pink daisies.

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? - Um, everyone! Especially if they have cookies, or they pet me, or they might have cookies, or pet me.

5. How much do you weigh? - 28 pounds

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? I have never chewed up anything I wasn't supposed to. I'm a good dog.

7. Do you like other Dogs? - Yep, I am super sociable!

8. Who is your best non-human friend? - Derby, Aspen, Boomer, and Jally.

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? - BOTH! I like the squeaky tennis balls.

10. Do you like to be brushed? - NO! I hate it. But mommy brushes me all the time.

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? - Um, Cheese is easier to eat. But Peanut butter is good frozen.... I'm going to say, both, please!

12. Do your people cut your toenails? - Yes, all the ding dang time. I hate it.

13. Any formal education? - Yes, tons of obedience training, agility training, therapy dog training, and I've even trained to rescue people in the water!

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? - I can go from 0 to 60 in no time flat!

15. Five nicknames your people call you - Muffin, Lambchop, Pumpkin (notice the food theme)Moxiemoos, Pupperdoodledog

16. What is your best trick? - Whisper.

17. Do you like kitties? - I am the personal guardian of a flock of cats. I take my job very seriously. I rule my cats with an iron paw! Mommy calls me the enforcer.

18. What did you have for breakfast? - Breakfast! I hardly remember. My mommy never feeds me! *send treats*

19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? I killed a baby duck once when Mommy wasn't looking. I also tried to kill Mommy's love bird once. Oops.

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? - I go all the time. My mommy works there. I just got my boosters last week.

21. Where do you sleep at night? - On my bed, or on Mommy's bed, I go back and forth.

22. Do you like to swim? - I love water! I can swim for hours!

23. Can you make puppies? - No more puppies for me. I had puppies before mommy got me, but she fixed me and I've been puppy free every since!

24. Your favorite place to visit? - The lake.

25. Do you give kisses? - To anyone who asks!

26. Can you potty on command? - Yep, I respond to "go potty" and "hurry"

27. To Cuz or not to Cuz? - I don't have a cuz. Mommy, buy me a cuz!

Read on to find out what Mom's been up to!

Shopping Spree!

Well I was having a good day. I went on a therapy visit this morning, then out to lunch with the ladies from the therapy pals group.

On the way home I got a call from Shawn, he made it safely to Boston, but did not take his cat, Hazelnut, with him like I thought he was going to. Hazelnut is Mocha's biological daughter. Shawn adopted her from me when she was a wee kitten. Hazel is family. Shawn left Hazel with his sister, who adores her, so its fine, except her room mates are allergic to Hazel so she is with Shawns parents now. Shawn's Mom loves Hazel, his Dad, not so much into cats. The future does not bode well for Hazel. There is absolutely no reason why he couldn't take her to Boston, so I'm slightly miffed about that, pets are for life.

But what hurts worse is when I posed the question of bringing Hazel into our home to my Mother, she exploded on me. This isn't just some Random cat off the street, this Hazelnut, this is Mocha's daughter, this is Tyler's sister. This cat is a huge part of my heart because she is so much of her Mother and Brother now both at the bridge. When she said (read screamed) no, it was like losing Mocha and Tyler all over again. I won't stand by and let that cat end up in the shelter. I can't stand the thought of it. I don't know what to do. This isn't my home, but I moved here to help my Mother. I didn't move here to be treated like a twelve year old. I'm thinking of finding a house or duplex here in town to move into. That way I'm nearby to help, but not living here. I can't believe she would really let Mocha's daughter, Tyler's sister, go to the pound.

This is Hazelnut, with Mocha. Hazel is about 6 months in this picture.


This is Mocha with Tyler the same day. (Also 6 months old) Can you see the family resemblence?



All of this on top of some really stressful news on the work front make for a weepy afternoon. I just want my Mocha back. Thats the long and short of it. :(

So to ease my pains, I went on an internet shopping spree. It started with the need to replace Moxie's therapy dog cape, which was lost in the Mexico fiasco.
I got her a red one. She was given a nice Therapy Pals patch and I'll get a new Delta Patch and get her all official again.

Her cape will look something like this. It's a medium.


I got this at Sitstay.com If you have never been to sitstay.com, I recommend a visit. I found everything to be quite affordable.

I also got a new travel crate for Moxie, because, you guessed it, Moxie's was lost in the Mexico fiasco. When I said I lost everything I owned, I meant it, and everything Moxie owned too, including some of her favorite toys. :(

Here is the crate. It was a great deal.


I also bought some of those coil wristband to hold a clicker, when I realized, I still don't have a clicker for Moxie, so I headed over the Clickertraining.com and bought a five pack of
Karen Pryor i-clicks.


So then, inspired by Boomers new weaves, I surfed onto Affordable Agility.com and dropped a load of money on some
jumps and weaves .




I had to stop there, but these things are still on my want list:

A forced air dryer


and a cordless dremel



I thought these were both reasonably priced. Will have to get them on my next pay check.

So do I feel better after my spending spree. Not really. But I think once I get all my goodies, the training time with Moxie will be very therapeutic. ;)

Therapy Dog Extraordinair

One of the good things about living in the U.S. again is getting to do all these things with Moxie that we used to do. One of those being Animal Assisted Therapy, where we go into therapeutic settings, hospitals, nursing homes, juvenile prisons, etc and work together with the therapists, using Moxie to further some therapeutic goal.

I've done this with Moxie since she was 2 years old, and she was born for it. She intuitively KNOWS when to be bouncy happy Moxie, and when to be soft, sweet cuddly Moxie. She is the consumate Therapy Dog.

Well Moxie and I had to get recertified but we finished that process and went on our first visit with Therapy Pals tonight to University Behavioral Health, a Mental Health Hospital. We spent an hour with a group of adolescents, and the second hour with a group of adult patients. Moxie was an absolute star! We got there first and spent about fifteen minutes with the kids Moxie went up to the girls, rolled over on her back, snuggled up in their laps and gave kisses on command. When the boys came in, Moxie got to show off all her tricks. Some of the boys "taught" her new tricks (with me standing behind them giving her hand signals) and were pleased as punch with themselves and all smiles. I had some treats for the kids to give her and one of the boys actually asked me, "Don't you ever feed her? She's STARVING!" Moxie is awfully convincing with her poor starving and attention deprived puppy dog routine.

The whole group was in the gym and the rest of the "Therapy Pals" team arrived. Amy, a 4 year old Golden Retriever, Sam, a two year old Yorkie, Cosmo, a six year old Havanese, and Dale, a ten year old Boxer Mix. We set up an obstacle course; some cones to weave through, a tunnel, a chute (soft tunnel), several jumps and a tire. We introduced the dog and talked a bit about dog training, about having a positive attitude, communicating effectively, teamwork, etc. Then we had the kids run the dogs through the course. Well they had a blast, dogs and kids both. The therapists were on site to make the connection with the kids between what they were doing and how it applies in their lives. We got some great feedback from the therapists about some of the kids in particular. They had had a really rough day, but seemed to really relax and open up during the session. I was so pleased with Moxie. We both had a great time.

The next hour we worked with adult patients, we did the same thing and added in some obedience work. We did sit stays and down stays and had the patients try to distract them and get them to break their stays. They really enjoyed it, lots of laughter and joking and fun. One lady came up to me afterwards and said this was the highlight of her week. Moxie was the favorite of some of the athletic young men who loved to run with her through the course. One lady was a little shy of dogs, so moxie laid down about four feet away and belly crawled every so slowly closer and closer, stopping periodically and flopping onto her back to show the lady how nice she way. At the end, the women was laying next to Moxie on the floor, loving all over her. Everyone participated in the activity, even the patients with mobility issues had a turn.

I thinks its the rare dog indeed that can combine something as exciting and high energy as agility with something that requires the self control and awareness that therapy work requires. All the dogs in this group had that rare ability and we were all more than happy to share them with these people during a difficult time in their lives. It was a very fulfilling evening for both me and Moxie. I can't wait to go back in two weeks.

Mourning

I got Mocha's ashes back today from the pet crematorium.

I cried.

I've cried every single day for the past week, since Mocha first got sick. I'm starting to get that sick, hungover feeling you get after you've spent yourself crying. I just miss her so much. Every time I think about her, which is all the time, I just ache with her loss. Everything reminds me of her. I hope that the pain starts to fade soon.

Kobie is also in mourning. He is very depressed, poor lad, he spends all day up in his cat tree. When I come home he is stuck to me like glue. Thurston seems a bit confused by everything, but is taking it all in stride. Moxie was more bothered by her run in with a baby kangaroo than with Mocha's death. After all, in the beginning there was Mocha and Moxie. They were rivals for my affection every day of their lives with me. No wonder Moxie doesn't seem to miss her. She is upset that I cry at night. Its always bothered her when I cry.

I know that I am not alone in my grief tonight. Big cyber hugs to my friends, Kim and Marie, who are also mourning the loss of their beloved pets. May we all take some small comfort from our mutual understanding. Run Free Clark, Daisy and Mocha. Wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge.

Tribute Video

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Rest in peace dear Mocha

Mocha took a turn for the worse in the night. She struggled all afternoon but her blood sugar was dropping hourly. When she began to seizure again, I knew it was time to let her go.

Run Free at the Rainbow Bridge my dear Mo kitty. You were the sweetest cat I've ever known. I could always count on you for a love and a cuddle anytime I was feeling low. I loved the way you wrapped your arms around my neck, nuzzled up under my chin or in my hair, and purred and kneeded and snuggled for hours. You were always such a love. You would have preferred to be an only child, but you begrudgingly shared me with Moxie and the others for eight years. You were a green eyed stunner, looking up at me with wonder. It saddened me the most at the end, when you couldn't see at all. I hope that you can see me now, from the bridge, and know how much I love you. You were always such a lady. Too prim and proper to join in the with boys rabble rousing and rough housing antics. You did have your guilty pleasures; your cat tracker, your ten cent mouse, your starlight mints in the cellophane wrappers. I have so many fond and fun memories of you my Moki, I know I will never run out of them. I have cherished these last few nights together, cuddling close in the wee morning hours. I hated having to poke you with all those needles. I wanted so badly for you to get well. Thank you for holding on for me, thank you for letting me down easy. I got a second chance to say goodbye. I will never forget you Moki-moo. I love you baby!

Wait for me on the other side.


Cuddling with Grandma last night.


Napping with her daughter, Hazelnut, circa 2000.


Gorgeous green eyes!


Close up!


With her buddy, Kobie.


Kisses.




Loving.


Taking care of Moxie



Pretty Girl


With Mommy.



Together with her son Tyler at the Rainbow Bridge


Rest in Peace my love

Mocha

Tuesday about noon I got a phone call at work from my Mom. She said I had to come home right away, Mocha was sick. I arrived home to find my nine year old tabby cat unconscious on the floor. Her breathing was ragged, her pulse thready, I rushed her back to the clinic where my coworkers stood by to save her. By the time I reached the clinic Mocha was near death, but the vets and techs worked quickly to save her. I was completely beside myself and of no help whatsoever. With the medications the doctors administered Mocha came out of her coma and began having cluster seizures. Her body temperature was dangerously low as was her blood sugar. When I transfered her to the Emergency clinic that night she was completely unresponsive, and the prognosis was grave. It was a long night. Mocha is a little fighter though. She made it through the night and was able to roll over and hold her head up by morning. She was stone deaf, blind and severely neurologically impaired as a result of her brain being deprived of oxygen for such a long period. The doctors all agree that the damage is probably reversible, and I need to give her time.

She improved steadily all day yesterday. Her body temperature returned to normal and she was able to swallow on her own so we began syringe feeding her. Her blood sugar levels were all over the place though, and she was still having seizures. My vets were optimistic that she would pull through. Back at the E-vets the doctors painted a darker picture and I cried all the way home. However, this morning, Mocha could hear me and was responding to my name. She has improved drastically from this morning to this evening and her blood sugar is still low but has leveled out at just below normal. I was able to take her home with me tonight on a dextrose drip. She is still blind. She isn't really sure where her paws are. She can't quite get the lick-swallow thing down so she can't eat without help. But she KNOWS she is at home. She lit up when I set her down in the living room. She spent most of the evening sitting in my lap watching TV, just like a normal night.

She still has a long way to go, but for a cat that was dead two days ago, she is looking pretty darn good. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for her and us, your thoughts and prayers have really helped. Keep thinking of Mocha as she continues down her road to recovery. Moxie has volunteered to be Mocha's seeing eye cat until her sight returns. Kobie had missed her but is very unsettled by the Mocha I brought home this evening. He won't go near her. Thurston is curious about it all. I am very tired, but very happy to have my baby home with me again. I will never take another moment with my fur kids for granted. Mocha can steal my french fries, sit in my lap and kneed her paws on my neck anytime she wants and she'll hear no complaints from me. I'm just happy to have my Mokiki back.

I will keep you all posted on her progress.

Work pics!

Thought I would share some pics of the gang at work.

Parker opens a special delivery "Mox Box"


The girls in reception get down with Moxie


The staff works together on a kangaroo with a tail abscess


I got the best part, holding the Joey!


Doctor J busts a move in treatment. Its a very fun place to work!


Its been a busy day off for me. After the photoshoot at the clinic, Moxie and I went to the dog park and played for a while. Then we went and toured the doggy day care facility. Its very nice and I affordable. I think I will start bringing Moxie in once a week or so, and I will use them when I get my puppy. After that we went to Petco and bought cat food and litter. Back at home I did some light cleaning then sat down to sort out my photos from today. Moxie and I have agility tonight at 7 after which I will hopefully, finish cleaning the house.

Maybe I'll get some good pics tonight at class.

UPDATE: Class went really well. We got about 30 minutes of practice in before class so she was just tired enough for me to keep up with her on the courses. Our last run was clean and fast. I am very pleased with her progress. I am going to give Moxie a previcox tonight though, as a preventative. She did an awful lot of running today.

Tonight at class, one lady had this whisper quiet clicker. I borrowed it and used it with Moxie and she didn't react (negatively) like she always does with clickers. I'm so excited! I think I am going to order a few of these and retrain Moxie to the clicker now. I never could use one before because she hated the sound. I'm at a point in training her that I need to be more discerning about marking her behaviors and I need to use fewer treats. I think using the clicker now will really take us to the next level. So, off to order a Karen Pryor clicker.

Dog is Love

I sucked it up and went to Rally class last night with Moxie, even though I wasn't feeling well, and I'm so glad I did because my old dear friend Kathy was there with Moxie's pal Jally! I was thrilled to see Kathy. Moxie was less thrilled to see Jally. She's much more interested in other people than other dogs. They played for a while though and Moxie showed off a little for her.

We worked on the Send dog out over jump returns to heel owner runs by. We have a little work to do with this because I have to teach Moxie to differentiate between an agility jump and an obedience jump which will be difficult. I would rather lose ground in agility than obedience because Moxie was and is primarily an obedience dog. She is good at agility, she's fast, but she's not controlled. She (and I) really need to hone our skills and we just don't get enough agility practice to ever be really good at it. Hopefully this summer I can join TWANG (Texas Working Agility Novice Group) and get some more practice time in. I guess at the end of the day, I really need to teach both, because I will want the puppy to do both also.

There is a new doggy day care open now in Denton that I will be checking out tomorrow. I talked to them today on the phone for a long time. I'm hoping it will be a suitable place to stash the pup on my long work days. I'm hoping for quality stimulation and socialization. I may have Moxie do a test run and see how she likes it. I think she would be more upset about me leaving her someplace strange, but then thats my perception of a human emotion that Moxie my child might have. Moxie my dog may have other plans entirely. I'll just have to try it to see. You know I've never left her with strangers before, ever. I think if I start with the puppy young, he will be a more well rounded, better socialized dog for it. I don't want a dog with issues. I will do everything in my power to avoid that. I want to do everything right with this one. No mistakes. Thats alot of pressure. Raising dogs really is like raising kids, especially for someone who will never have kids.

In other news, we are treating a mother Kangaroo and her Joey for an infection at the clinic. She is staying there all week. I am taking my camera up for pictures tomorrow. The Mom looks like a deer almost. The Joey is SOOOOO cute its unreal. I've been tossing around the name Joey for my puppy, since he is a baby roo!

Well I've rambled on long enough. Let me just end this by saying, I WUV MY MOXIE!

The Comeback Kid

Its been a year this month since Moxie's accident. I was just sitting here with her tonight, marveling over just how strong she is, and how much ground she has covered in twelve months. I have a lot I could learn from this little grey dog.

I made this little montage in tribute to Moxie, my comeback kid!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Names

I've settled on two names. They could always change of course but I like them both and they kind of stick to the theme I started with "Moxie".

For a girl, Kharma.
For a boy, Savvy.

What do you think?

Or I really like Zen, it meets the short name common a working sheepdog in England. As does Cam, which was my first choice.
Then there is Rooqui (rookie) Made up of dads name Roo and mums name Quiche.
Or Te Quiero, same concept but spanish for I love you. Of course I would call him Te (tay) for short.....

Oh I don't know! GAH! This is hard.

Tagged!

Hiya pups! My friend BadPanda and her super survivor pup Oso tagged me.

Here are the rules:

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged, need to post in their Diary the rules & their 7 pawsome facts. Then choose 7 dogs to tag and list their names.

Here are 7 fun facts about me! Introducing, Moxie!
1. My favorite toy is my ducky. I've had him since the very first day my Mom brought me home from the shelter
2. I hate it when the cats play with the laser pointer.
3. I love going to the mailbox. Somehow going out the front of the house is a whole different outside than the outside thats out the back door.
4. I still have buckshot in my back leg.
5. I am a shameless begger at mealtimes.
6. Sometimes I tell people my mommy hasn't fed me, even when she has.
7. I will do ANYTHING for ice cream.

Pass on the fun...
Love,
Moxie

I choose:
1) Brutus and Rufus
2) Marley
3) Morph
4) Derby
5) Boomer
6) The Poi dogs
7) Cara

Crufts

Crufts 2008 is March 6th - 9th. If all things go to plan and the stars align properly, that weekend will coincide with my new puppies 8th week of life. What does that mean?

I may be in England for Crufts! How cool would that be. Could I be so lucky? Fingers crossed all around!

More Puppy talk

Just came across this tonight. A webpage dedicated to my puppies sire, Roo.
Weircourt Truly Un Roo Lee


Looks like it hasn't been updated in a bit. There are a few fab videos of him running agility. He has a knock out pedigree. I was already sold on this breeding but now I'm even more excited.

I've decided my puppy will be called Karma, if its a girl, and Cam, if its a boy.

Its going to be a LONG six months.

Is it possible to be over prepared?

I've found out the requirements for importing a dog from the UK to the US today. No rabies vaccine required as the U.K. is a rabies free country! This is excellent news it means I can collect my puppy at 8 weeks of age. Otherwise I would have to wait until he was 16 weeks (30 days post vaccination date at 12 weeks). I want to spend every moment possible with my puppy and really bring him up right.

I found an airlines, Lufthansa, that flies non-stop from DFW to London and will allow me to carry an animal less than 8 kilos in the cabin with me. I wouldn't do this if I had to ship the dog below as cargo. I plan to make my plane reservation as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed. I'm hoping to make the reservations at least three months prior to departure date to get a better price. I'm looking at a little over $1000 for the round trip ticket, another $100 for the puppies return ticket. I'll also need to pay for ground transport in England, Lodging and food while I'm there. And stuff for the puppy I'm sure. Probably a vet visit, food, etc. I'm going to buy the travel kennel and ship it to the breeder ahead of my arrival so she can start getting him used to being in it and quiet. I also want to spend a few days bonding with my puppy before the trip. I want to eliminate as many possible stressors as I can. So being familiar with the crate and with me should help him remain calm on what must be a very strange experience for a dog, an airplane ride.

So these are the things I want to have paid for before I collect my pup:

The puppy itself
The trip to England (flight, transportation, lodging, food, extras)
A travel crate
One of those warming toys with the heartbeat sound the keep the puppy calm in the crate.
A soft pad and several absorbant pads for the trip.
A crate for home.
Bowls
Food
Toys/chews
Leash/Collar
A puppy pack at my vet (Inlcudes all puppy vaccines, wormings, exams, flea/heartworm prevention/ and spay/neuter)
$1000 in an emergency account.

Anything I'm forgetting?

Puppy Update!

It official! Im third on the waiting list so Im pretty much guaranteed a puppy as long as the breeding takes. The pups should be on the ground by January 2008. Merry Christmas to me, Im going to England to pick up my puppy!

Dogs make life worth living.

Moxie and I went to Rally class last night. It was fabulous! I can't wait to start competing again.

Here is our run.



She heels like a hurricane. She is so focussed and snappy. I love it! She's a fabulous little dog. I'm so proud of her.

I'm going to skip agility on Thursday night to attend the GTDOG business meeting so I can join up again. The club has really changed since I've been there last. I look forward to taking part again.

I'm in communication with a women in the UK with two fabulous BC's whose careers I've been following for the past few years. She is planning a litter and I mean to have one of the pups. I have a puppy fund in the works.

This is Quiche the Dam, she is two years old this month.




Roo, the gorgeous sire






Mom and Dad together


A video of Roo


Both of these dogs are amazing. They are everything I want in a border collie. I'm going to put my deposite down soon. Hopefully I can save enought to fly to England to pick up the pup and fly back with it.

Moxie - Back in action!

Moxie and I started taking classes again this week. On Sunday night we went to an agility class. I was unsure of how we would do as its been more than two years since we have been active in agility. Moxie was spot on, though. She ran courses like she had been doing agility every day her entire life. I was far more rusty than she was. Encouraged by our success on Sunday, we made plans to go to a more advanced class on Thursday night.

Tuesday night Moxie and I went back to GTDOG, the obedience club we belonged to and trained with many years ago when I lived in Denton. We dropped in on a Rally class and Moxie was a little star! This was the first time we have even attempted some of the more advanced obedience commands in many years also, but Moxie fetched them from her memory banks and performed each task flawlessly! Next week we are running a full Rally course. I will try to get someone to video our run, so I can show you what a fabulous obedience dog she really is.

Last night we hit that more advanced class in Agility and had a blast. Moxie was very excited and charged up. She is super fast and I am super slow which causes problems for me handling her (she has no problems completeing the obstacles). So we will start working on some distance work to see if we can improve our course times and get some clean, tight runs. I like this class so I think I will stick with it. I may pick up another class if I can find one.

Here is some video from last night. Not clean runs, but deffinately fast. Look at Moxie's tail, it never stops wagging!

This is a jumpers course. Both dropped bars were my fault, handler error. Shes just so fast and I have to be faster. I'm jumping her at a low jump height, just 12 inches, because she is coming off that injury, and she is older, and its been a while since we have trained. I may work up to 16 inch jump heights, but I won't ever run her at full height again. I'm going to put her health over what the agility clubs say she should be jumping.


This is a standard course. Would have been fabulous except she kept anticipating the five second pause table, and we kept having to go back and do it again and again until she held her down for five seconds. We missed the entrance to the weaves, but that was my fault too.

Sadness

I'm kind of having depressing day. I think the finality of it all is hitting me. The vulturs are circling to pick away what is left of my responsibilities in Mexico. Won't be long before I lose my email account, and Syl loses my phone number. It just isn't fair. Life just isn't fair. I've worked so hard, for so many years, for so little. It isn't my fault that I had to back off now. I don't want to give up entirely. I've invested too much time, too much of my heart to just walk away. I had hoped to play a smaller role, for a time, and come back when situations improved. Deep down I knew that it wouldn't work that way. With Syl, its all or nothing. Since I'm not 100% in, I'm out. Its only a matter of time. I feel so completely hopeless. I don't even have the energy to fight it. This is it now, this is my life. Go to work every day, come back home, go to sleep and do it again the next day. Never really making any real difference in the world. Just waiting to die and leave a world who will never miss me, inconsequential as I am. I know, at the end of the day, it was me. It was my fault. I just wasn't strong enough to endure. And for that I am ashamed, but at a loss as to what I could have done to make the outcome any different. He always promised me he would never leave me, but even now, I'm a shadow in the rear view mirror. *sigh*

I don't have alot of hope for my future at the moment. The more I study for my GRE the dumber I feel. There is a very real chance I won't get into grad school. Even if I made the grade, I might not be a good match personality wise. I know my personality isn't the best. I have to work at being open and friendly. I have to remind myself to talk to people. Its so much easier to just live in my head. I've never been good at being social. But I think, when it comes to helping people, I'm different. Compassion takes over. I'm in my element when its one on one. When its about pain, that a language I understand. I can't help but wonder if I will be judged for my past history and my current mental health issues.

There is nothing wrong with my life now, really. I like working at the vet clinic. I have free time to spend with my dog. We can go hiking, we can take classes, we can make friends together. We can even volunteer together. We can help people together. I have my family, a comfortable home, a reliable vehicle, a decent income, friends (if only on a very basic level) Really, its okay. Its just not how I planned to live the rest of my life. Its an idea that will take some getting used to. I think this is what "settling" feels like. I've settled on a job, on a level of education, on the depth of my relationship with others, I could probably even settle on a boyfriend if I really wanted to. I remember a time in my life when settling was tantamount to death. I was so on fire. Now I'm just numb, and a little sad.

Of all the things I miss the most, I think I miss my friends the most. I need a close meaningful relationship with other people. All thats left of the last close friendship I had is nothing but tailights now. So I guess thats where I start. If I'm going to pull myself out of this hole, I'm going to need help. Time to start working on my interpersonal relationships I suppose. I've neglected them far too long. I just hope it isn't too late.

Update

So now everyone is on a diet. The cats are fat, I'm fat, and Moxie could lose a pound. The only ones complaining about it more so than myself are the cats. They are not amused. The reduced rations have sent them into some sort of primal hunting mode....they spend their days stalking and consuming....carbs. Thats right. My cats are carb whores. Be it bread, muffins, or cookies, the cats have left no processed grain based product uncompromised in the kitchen. HIDE YOUR ROLLS!

Moxie's social calendar is filling quickly. We are looking at Rally classes on Tuesday nights, Agility, and possibly in the future, flyball, on Sundays. We went to the lake this afternoon and Moxie had quite an audience. Every small child within a five mile radius had to throw the bumper for moxie, and get moxie to do a trick. Shake, wave, roll over, spin, she had the everyone in smiles all afternoon, from toddler to parent. Most of them spoke spanish. How lucky were they that the worlds greatest dog is fluent in spanish. I can't wait to get Moxie's Delta Society papers renewed and get back to our therapy work. My dog was born to be a healer (tee hee).

I got a paycheck! First paycheck I've recieved in quite some time. It was more than I would have made in three months in Mexico. I went straight to Wal-Mart and bought a mothers day present, and a bicycle. Believe it or not, it took me a few minutes to remember how to ride a bike. Its been a few years. But Moxie and I took a turn around the block and I think biking reguarly will be added to our fitness routine. Believe it or not, after two hours at the lake this afternoon and a two and a half mile walk after her bath this dog is STILL tossing her squeaky toys at my feet in expectation of play. Oh, to have that kind of energy.

I'm liking working at Southridge again. The staff is excellent. Really a great group of people. I'm going to an anesthesia continuing ed course next Sunday, and hopefully, a weekend course on Feline Internal Medicine in June. I don't like to half ass anything. Since I am going to be a tech again for a while, I want to be the best tech I can be. I want to suck up the knowlege like a sponge. *slurp*

After rave reviews, I broke down and bought a "Furminator" today. I probably spent an hour, hour thirty working on Moxie and I have NEVER gotten that much undercoat out of her at once. It was amazing. I could probably work on her more tomorrow and get just as much. The dog is a shedding fiend, but the Furminator is a wonderful tool. A must have for owners of shedding dogs. I can't wait to furminate the cats. They don't share my enthusiasm.

Word from Mexico is they have finished my workbook of doom, and are ready for another. I must prepare more torture...I mean, schoolwork. I moved my GRE to the 30th of August to preserve my own sanity and promptly forgot all about studying. *sigh* why do I do this to myself? I need to structure my time off better. Writing Workbooks of doom, studying for the GRE test, and Spanish all needs to find its way into my schedule every week. Bummer. Its so much more fun to spend all my free time playing with my dog.

Kobie

A post just for Kobie. My flawless furry vagabond.