Watch Starbuck and Nari work on rear crosses and me run like a chicken!

Here is a video of us practicing rear crosses last weekend:



The girls were both doing really well. I used a red fuzzy squeaker toy to train Starbuck to keep going forward instead of circle around and look for me. Seemed like it worked pretty well. We couldn't practice with too much speed because it was in the 90's at 9 am already. You can also see that I run like a chicken. I also can sound kind of shrill at times so I like to cut out the sound and put the videos to music :) Hopefully I start learning to be quiet during practice runs and at trials, until then my videos are on mute and set to music.


Oh, and at the end of practice the girls went back towards the kennel dogs and saw a Malamute. I thought they all looked so cute running back and forth together until that Malamute peed on Nari.... twice!! 

Enjoying the heat

Took the girls outside earlier this week and it was HOT! Here are a couple of pictures, they only lasted about 5 minutes outside. Starbuck loves to hang out in the sun: 

They all get super excited when they find something stinky to roll around in outside. Luckily Alpha found an awesome spot! 

And here are the hot dogs trying to cool off inside.

New pictures

I was bored when Aaron was out of town so I decided to take some pictures of the girls. Here is Starbuck lying on top of the vent, this is her favorite spot in the house after we get back from a walk.

Here is Nari looking gorgeous. 

And here is Alpha trying to fool me with her sweet, innocent little baby face. 

         

And one of Nari with her crazy look. 

Walking in a cloud

This summer has been quite awful so far. It's been in the 90s the past couple of weeks and super humid. I don't remember it getting this bad until August. We woke up on Saturday morning and it looked like our neighborhood was in a cloud. Here are a couple of pictures from our morning walk. You can actually see the condensation in the pictures, it was terrible! 

Looking out of our driveway down the block:

Starbuck checking out the neighborhood: 

Starbuck investigating the spots in the street:

Alpha looking tired towards the end of the walk: 

This is what the sun looks like from inside of a big steamy cloud: 

Go, Nari, Go!!

Just got the pictures from our last USDAA trial. Nari did so well!! It was her third USDAA trial and she was 19.5 months old (dogs can start competing at 18 months) and she finished 3 titles, including her versatility title, and had her fastest time yet! She ran 5.2 YPS on her jumpers course (she jumps 16" and is 14" at the withers). She finished her jumpers title during her second USDAA trial so she is now UAGI CH 'PR' Del Mar's Lil Apocalypse AD SSA SS SJ. Here are some of the pictures. We ended up with 7 Q's and a third in both the Steeplechase and Grand Prix. 

Nari racing to finish her Starters Standard title (one of my favorite pictures): 

Nari staying just long enough to complete her least favorite obstacle in Standard: 

Nari racing over a jump: 

Nari racing through the Steeplechase: 

Nari doing some crazy moves over the long jump in the Steeplechase:

Nari taking a jump in the pairs relay:

Happy 1st birthday to Alpha!!

Today is Alpha's 1st birthday! I cannot believe how fast this year has gone, it seems like it was just a couple of months ago that we flew to San Diego to picture her up. She was a tiny two pounds when we got her and now she is 9.3 lbs. Here is one of the first pictures I have with her. 

She was so tiny back then, she looked just like a little stuffed animal and sounded like a toy as well! Here is her first video making her little baby barks:





Here is an action photo of me during our trip to pick her up: 

And here is one of her from last weekend. I let her pick out that fuzzy bone after her vet visit. And yes, I really do let my dogs pick out their toys from the store :)  

Hard day

We just heard that one of the residents at the local retirement home that we visit with each week just passed away. Several months ago the nurses found us and told us that one of the residents really needed us that day because they had received some bad news so we went to go see her. Bucky gave her some kisses and laid there while getting lots of pets. When we left, the woman said she wasn't sure if she would even make it to the next week. I told her we would definitely come back the following week to visit, but she didn't sound too hopeful that she would still be there. Well, we went to visit her every Wednesday for several months after that. She would always tell us that she thought Starbuck had the most beautiful markings and eyes. Then she would make fun of Starbuck's name :) I sometimes get tired of explaining that Starbuck was not named after a coffee chain but after a BSG character so at her therapy visits she goes by 'Bucky'. Well, the woman would always joke that such a pretty little girl like Starbuck shouldn't have a dumb boy's name. She would always tell us funny stories about dogs or just people in general and she was so kind. We will miss visiting her each week. 


It was hard to go there today and walk past her apartment. I could tell that the workers were pretty down today but they all were happy to see Starbuck. She did a great job of cheering everyone up there, including the caretakers. There are some people who never really talk or who cry a lot and sit alone but the workers say that the only time they see those residents smile is when Starbuck comes to see them. Sometimes they will pet her right behind the ears and sing her a little lullaby and she'll start falling asleep. As soon as I put on Starbuck's little H.A.B.I.T. scarf she puts on this big happy grin and starts wagging her tail, she just absolutely loves visiting with everyone. Starbuck was born to be a therapy dog, she loves her job.