White Shepherd Stories

My Calendar Boys

 

  

2003 Browntrout calendar - cover: Spirit

 

We met Photographer, Pam Marks, at an agility trial in Pasadena, California.  I was showing Spirit at that time and she asked to photo him for possible use in a calendar, or a magazine.   I was happy to agree to that.   Above is Spirit's first calendar.  He made the cover and then the full shot was inside, for the month of February.

 

I guess my boy was a hit, because he once again made the cover in 2004 - the second year  in a row.  

Spirit also made it on another calendar in 2004 - not on the cover this time, but understandable, since it was a German Shepherd calendar by World of Discovery and the only whites in the calendar were Spirit and a very cute white puppy.  

 

 

World of Discovery calendar - February 2004 - Spirit

 

2005 Browntrout cover - Spirit (3rd cover in a row)

 

2005 Browntrout calendar -  July: Spirit

 

2005 Browntrout calendar - August: Spirit

 

2006 Browntrout calendar -  cover: Spirit ( for the fourth year in a row)  So proud of my handsome boy.  

 

2006 Browntrout calendar - June: Spirit

 

2006 Browntrout calendar - July: Spirit

 

Surprise!  A new face.  Quest made it on the 2009 calendar (four different pictures).

2009 Browntrout calendar - February: Quest

 

2009 Browntrout calendar - March: Quest

 

May 2009 they both made it on this page.  Spirit and Baby Quest.

 

2009 Avonside calendar - June: Quest 

 

2010 Avonside calendar - May: Spirit

 

2010  -16 month calendar - Browntrout calendar.  Quest got the inside of the front cover, with 6 months represented on the page beneath his picture. 

 

2010  Browntrout calendar - June : Quest

 

I am not sure what happened in the years 2007 and 2008.  I could have misplaced them, or maybe they did not get chosen.  But t am glad I got these together anyway.  

There are a couple cute additions to add to Quest's press clippings.  Below is a shot of Quest training over a baby hurdle for his later career  as an agility champ.

This picture was in a magazine called Training Your Puppy. 

The next one was not quite as glamorous.  It was used in Dog Fancy, as a photo illustration for an article on fleas.  Oh well, I still think he looks cute!

 

Maybe with my new camera I will try submitting some pictures for a calendar.  Not sure if I am camera savvy enough to get a photo accepted, but you never know unless you try, and it is only fair to give Pirate and Journey a chance at a little fame.   

Special thanks to an excellent photographer, Pam Marks / pawprincestudios.com

 

 

First USDAA Agility Trial - Journey

Journey with his ribbons from the USDAA trial today.  

We recently registered in a new agility club, USDAA.  This weekend we were entered in our first competition.   We were in two events on Saturday and three more today.  

This club has some different rules and I kind of forgot, and under rated the differences.  I remembered on Friday night, that Journey was supposed to stop on the table and lay down for the five second count.   In AKC he can either sit, lay down, or remain standing. In CPE he just needs to touch the table - even one toe will suffice - that stops the time and records his time on the course. 

Anyway, we practiced the down on the table on Friday night.  He learns fast and we had no problem with that obstacle.  We did have a problem with a rule I had forgotten.  When Journey jumps on either the A-frame or the dog walk, he normally lands as high up as possible, then going down the other side he just needs to be certain that he gets at least one foot in the yellow area, at the bottom.  He knows that very well and seldom ever misses a contact. What he does not know is that in USDAA he needs to hit the contact (yellow area) both going up and coming down on the other side.   Well, it was too late to do much about it, except try to be close to him when he started on the obstacle and try to slow him down a little.  I managed to get it across to him in several events, but he was too far ahead of me when he was doing "the gamble" and he cleared the contact area with one beautiful jump.  So he "missed the contact".  At the time that happened, we were striving to accrue the necessary 20 points to qualify.  That A-frame was worth 7 points.  We ended with 17 points (not enough).  We would have qualified, with 24 points if I had remembered to train him for that difference.  He did "the gamble" perfect.  That is where he crosses a line on the course and works away from me, doing several obstacles.  I must stay on the other side of the line and just direct him from a distance.  

This trial was outside.  Most of our trials, in the northwest, are in equestrian barns.   Journey found that the lawn had many more interesting things to smell.  He was not as well focused as usual.  There were a few other minor differences that cost a little more time.  All in all I was very pleased with him.  Before the last event I told him this was his last chance to get a "Q".  I guess he listened because  he turned in a flawless Jumpers run.  He got a 3rd place "Q" (qualification).  

We both had fun.  It was a small trial and we were home by noon on Saturday.  Sunday we were home by 1:30.   All three of them headed straight for the pool.  They had a lot of fun between the pool and running on our agility field.   They all ate dinner, then were having a good sleep until some idiot thought it was still the 4th of July instead of the 13th.  So I got to watch two frightened dogs shiver and pace until 10:00 PM.   Short of real physical injury, I find myself wishing for such awful things to happen to those people.  I wonder if they will ever run out of firecrackers.   The 4th, I am resigned to, and maybe even a little bit leading up to it, but come on - ten days later and they are still carrying on for several hours a night.   We are outside the city limits, so I am pretty sure a call to the authorities would not help.  If I knew where we could go to avoid it I would load us all up in the RV and we could spend a few days camping in some quiet campground that does not allow fireworks.  With neighbors like mine though, I might need to stay away for a month.  

 

My Birthday Barbecue

My birthday barbecue chefs, with their White Shepherd audience. 

My daughter Laura and her husband Kevin are cooking hamburgers made with lean ground beef mixed with 25% chorizo.  Then they put chunks of blue cheese over the top and home made aioli sauce.  While watching these burgers cook slowly on the pellet stove, we shared the following appetizers 

I almost missed taking a picture - these are sliced heirloom tomatos with fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  

I was too busy eating and sipping champagne drinks - can't remember the name, but they were so good.  I just did not take enough pictures.  We had a great time though.  

Thanks for all the happy birthday wishes everyone.  And thank you Laura and Kevin for the wonderful birthday celebration - really special!