White Shepherd Stories

Journey - CPE Agility - Longview, WA - October 24 & 25, 2015

The action photos in this post were taken by JOE CAMP.  They were taken at a previous agility trial. I don't believe I have posted them before.  Joe injured his hand and was not able to take photos at this trial, so I placed a few of his previous shots in this blog post. Get well soon Joe, we all really miss you!

When we go to an agility trial now days it is quite a feat, especially on my part.  I used to just load one soft crate, some water and treats, a chair for me and a blanket for Journey.  Not any more - it is a family affair! 

First the big mat and also an extra tarp to make room for the new pen.  I purchased a "pagoda" to replace our x-pen.  The pagoda is larger and both Pirate and Andiamo can stretch out in it to sleep, or play.  I need to put it together, but it is not difficult (if you have all the parts).  I did have all the parts, I carefully laid them out and checked before packing them.  I had the panels, the plastic cups that join the panels, the rods for the top structure, the cover, and the bungies to anchor the cover.  I loaded them in the car along with Journey's soft crate with blanket.  Now I had to load several other blankets for the pagoda, and two water bowls.  Then there is my chair, my bag of stuff that I always seem to need for all of us, a small cooler, the dolly that I use to move the equipment from my car to the agility barn and most important, my three Shepherds.  

I even have a list that I check off now, as I load all the gear. Journey does not want much to eat in the morning and he gets treats during the day.  I feed Pirate and Andiamo though and I usually have something.  So I get up at least an hour earlier now as it is much more complicated, even though I usually pack the night before.  We need to be there, with everything set up, before the Judge's briefing and the first course walk through begins, at 7:30 am. I also need to allow for time to walk all three dogs before putting them in pen or crate.  There have been times when I got there just in time to rush Journey into the ring for our run, without walking the course or anything.  Very stressful!  

Well we made it this time and as I set up the pagoda. I realized something was missing. It was vital, as it was the hub that all the support rods fit in to give structure for the top. I searched the car, and every other possible place.  No luck.  Oh well, we can do without the top.  The pagoda is about 5 feet tall and Pirate no longer jumps out of pens, he has progressed way beyond that - he knows how to work latches for most all gates and doors.  I have to use a little padlock now.  So okay, got the pagoda up, with lots of cozy blankets and Pirate & Andi.  Opened the crate for Journey, and set up my chair.   Our set up was in the front row, by several friends.   

Andi & Pirate in the pagoda.

I had a chance to take so many cute pictures of Andi & Pirate in the pagoda, but I thought I had all weekend to get them, so I was not in a rush. 

Journey's breeder, Rhonda McMahan, now Rhonda Francisco has been trying to make it to a trial to see Journey compete, since he began. On Saturday, Rhonda and her husband Ray Francisco came to watch Journey.  What fun to have them visit us at the trial!  

Martha was there with Journey's beloved Zzz's (Ziggy, Zipper & Zena).  Lisa and Angela were there with the great Mushu!  Our agility instructor, Mary was there with her pack of Border Collies and so many other wonderful friends.  Andi and Pirate were so happy they put on a show for everyone for both days, wrestling and talking for hours at a time.  We were all having such a nice time. 

As Journey and I were on the line for the first event, Rhonda took a couple of photos just as we began, and was immediately accosted by an angry woman. This woman chided Rhonda for using the flash on her camera. She was rude, insulting and mean. Instead of a simple request that she not use the flash for the event, she continued chastising Rhonda throughout the entire event, causing Rhonda & her husband to miss the event completely.  

What started as such a pleasant day, and such a treat to have our friends visit, turned into a very upsetting experience for everyone.  Rhonda & Ray had never been to an agility competition before.  I had just been telling them about the wonderful people involved in the sport, emphasizing the predominance of good sportsmanship and helpfulness.  I had no idea what to do, I just felt so bad about it.  All that woman would have needed to say was "Please turn off your flash so it doesn't disturb the dogs' concentration".  I have been doing agility for over 15 years and I didn't know flashes were not allowed. They don't bother my dogs and they are used all the time in conformation shows. Perhaps a politely worded sign should be posted.  No one in our group knew they were not allowed.  The sign would be a marked improvement over a loud, embarrassing public lecture. What was Rhonda & Ray's first experience may be their last thanks to this thoughtless and mean woman. I found it interesting that everyone who heard this story immediately knew who the woman was. This woman can be very nice, but almost everyone I know has a story to tell about this type of behavior from her. I have never had a confrontation with her, but I definitely would rather it had been me this time, than my guests. Okay, I am done.  The rest of the weekend was good.

Later in the day I was letting Journey out of his crate to go into the ring, when I felt something on my back. It was Andi, catching hold of my arm as I turned to find him coming over the top of the pagoda.  So apparently I really do need that hub to enable me to use the top.  Since it is apparently out on our lawn somewhere on two acres, I may just order a new one - then if we do find it we will have a spare.  In the mean time, I covered the pagoda with the tarp and would have bungied it in place except the little bungies that are meant to secure the top are also missing.  My sweet, handsome pup has apparently turned to a life of crime.   

Since there was no way to secure the structure rods for the top, the surplus just hung down into the dogs space in the pagoda.  The lovely pictures I had intended to take of the cute twosome with their ears up so nice, were not possible as Pirate could not put his ears up without hitting the floppy part of the top.   

Journey, ready to go.

An adorable little Boston Bull Terrier puppy came to visit our pack.  He stood and barked at Journey for a while.  Journey is not a puppy lover, and he found it annoying. So i suggested the puppy might like to move around the corner of our mat and visit with Andiamo instead.

They were very cute together.  

Somehow, even with all the stress, Journey won two out of four events on Saturday. Even in one that he lost, it was only because of an overtime of 8/10ths of a second - otherwise a clean run.  

Good to be home.  Woke up to a rainy morning.  We did a repeat of our morning chores and got to the fairgrounds in time for the briefing.  Journey was looking for Martha and the Zzz's.  He checked everywhere, even under the tarp.  Funny guy!  

Andiamo is looking kind of grownup in his pretty blue martingale collar.  

It was chilly in the barn and we did a lot of walking between events.  Pirate was an angel.  He is so tolerant of Andi and he dotes on him. Andi obeys Pirate so nicely.

Event after event, Journey ran so well.  The courses seemed difficult, but as we actually ran them they did not seem as bad.  There were many sections where we used the same obstacles over and over again.  In Jumpers (Level 4), we had to go through one tunnel at least four times, turning in a slightly different direction every time.  It was hard to remember where you were on the course.  

Journey just gets better and better.  What a pleasure it is to run him.  He so enjoys our time in the ring.  On one event, I sent him ahead of me, to do the last 4 or 5 obstacles by himself.  He finished the course so far ahead, he had to run back past at least 3 obstacles to give me kisses after he finished the course.  More and more, he knows what I want without me even telling him.  

He is such a perfectionist.  It is amazing to me the way he tucks up his legs to be certain he does not touch a bar - so graceful!

This beautiful pack of Collies were visiting from up north, Mt. Vernon, WA.  I could not resist the chance to catch a photo of them with their winnings.  Beautiful dogs.  

Sunday my wonderful Journey got 4 out of 4.  All 1st place Q's  

That's my boy.  

Andiamo Graduates Companion I Obedience Class

Andiamo 5.5 months old, 63 lbs.  Obedience 1 Graduate.  

My handsome boy was on his best behavior today.  It comes pretty easy for him lately.

He loves his classes, and he is doing so well in them.  He "sits", "downs", "stands", "stays" and "shakes hands" (either one).  He stays while I walk away, then when I walk back, he holds the stay while I walk around him and come into place at his side and I release him.    He will also come to me, "come front", "sit", then "around" in back of me and come up to my side and sit again.   

He is so polite and well behaved.  He greets with 4 on the floor.  He knows "leave it" very well now and he knows "off".  Then there are so many other things he knows, that I did not teach him.  He just knows them and surprises me with his knowledge every day.  He is learning the names of various toys and all kinds of commands pertaining to the pool and swimming.    

 

 

We had refreshments and our instructor, Kimberly Harney, put out a big pile of toys and let each student choose the one they wanted.  Andi was a little overwhelmed and kept going from one to another but finally decided on a cute little turtle squeaky toy. 

Here are some of his classmates:

Andi's closest friend, Diesel. 

 

An Old English Sheepdog.

There are two Golden Retrievers, one gold, and one almost white, below.

Rob Roy, an Airdale Terrier

It was a very nice class of dogs and all of them will be continuing in classes.  Some of them will be waiting until after the holidays though.  

We are in another class which we go to on Saturday mornings.  It is in town, so only about a 10 minute drive, instead of an hour.  We started this class late, but Andi is catching up fast.   There are some interesting dogs in this class too.  They are all young dogs, but some are not puppies (as they all were in Kim's class.  Andi is really needing to pay attention.  He loves it too.  We will keep going to this one until after the holidays, and with practice at home, Andi should really be on his way by the first of the year.   We are continuing with his socializing at Home Depot and any other places that welcome us in.  Last week Andi was hurrying up to the checkout stand where one of his favorite girlfriends works.  He did not see her, but he whipped around the corner of her booth to look behind the counter.... surprise!  there she was, kneeling down getting a new tape for the register.  Not sure who was the most surprised, her or Andi.  He got to really give her a great greeting with lots of kisses.  I was afraid there might have been more kisses than she really wanted, but she said he was great.   He loves going in there.  

I was talking to one of the guys in the lighting section and not paying that much attention to Andi.  He didn't care.  When I turned around he had climbed up a tall orange metal stairway, (on wheels) and was already above my head.  I carefully instructed him down - no problem, this boy is not afraid of anything.  He turned and came down the stairs carefully.  He then decided he wanted to ride on a large flat bed cart.  We walked along the front of the store, by all the check out booths.  He was planning to mooch a treat from every one I believe, but we made it to the door with him only collecting two treats.  

He is like one of those little kids that samples the candy at the check out counters. Only in Andi's case it is various chew toys that they place near the checkout to lure the four legged customers.  When we get home the other dogs smell him from one end to the other, to see what he has eaten and who he has met.  

For the next few weeks we need to concentrate on "stacking Andi" so that he will be ready for his UKC Show in November.  

Andiamo and his new little squeaky turtle.  

Andiamo's First Trip in the Motor Home

Journey, Andiamo & Pirate

Andiamo & Journey

Here we are on our way to the Oregon coast.  We went down Interstate 5 (I-5) through Portland and further south to Eugene, Oregon.  At Eugene we headed west to Florence, Oregon, where my cousin lives.  Once we got away from Portland, the traffic wasn't bad.  We left around 2:30 PM  on Thursday, and made it to Florence around 8:00 PM.  The most tiring part was getting through the awful Portland traffic.  Believe it or not, it is worse than Southern California traffic.  I thought it was because I was usually going through it on Fridays, or holidays, but that was not the case this time.  I have decided that I will not be driving that route again, it is just too awful.  I stopped once along the way to walk the dogs at a rest stop.  So proud of Andi, as he realized the purpose for the stop and he actually took care of business pretty quick.  

The drive through the coastal range, from Eugene to Florence is beautiful.  It is a winding road along the Siuslaw River, through the Siuslaw National Forrest - very pretty.  Florence is a small town with a population close to 9,000. It is a fishing town, and a favorite tourist spot in the summer, about halfway between the California state line and the Washington state line. 

Photographer of the picture above, of Florence, Oregon  is unknown.

The picture is of the Siuslaw Bridge, which is a short distance in from the coast where the Siuslaw River meets the Pacific Ocean.  It is such a pretty place.  

We had a very nice visit with my cousin, Dolores and even got to attend an October Festival (in September).  It was at the Green Trees Club house.  They had two bands and it was "pot luck".  So many delicious dishes and lots of nice people.  I really enjoy visiting at Green Trees.  When I am walking the dogs I never know what will appear as the road curves around in this lovely park.  We have run into wild turkeys, quail, Canadian Geese and raccoons.  I am glad we have not run into the many black bear that visit the park.  It is hard enough to handle three dogs on a walk without throwing a bear in the mix.  

On Saturday we headed north, for Yachats, Oregon.  I was going to the wedding of a friend.  It was being held at the Heceta Head Lighthouse area.  What a beautiful place that is!  I don't think anyone could find a more beautiful place.  This was one of the most beautiful and romantic weddings I have every attended.   Pictures follow:

This is taken from the Light keeper's home (now a Bed & Breakfast Inn).  You can see our motor home in the parking lot to the left, close to the bridge on Highway 101.

Looking south from the Inn - the Pacific Ocean. 

View north from the front porch of the Inn.  Lighthouse in the upper center, on the cliff. Wedding sight below the lighthouse.  You can see the chairs and the arbor where the wedding will take place.

 

Looking the other direction on the porch, past the tables that will be used for buffet, serving appetizers, and later, for dinners.

Above is an old picture of the same location when there were two homes for the light keepers.  They took down the head keepers house in the late 30's.  That leaves a wonderful lawn space for activities and for events such as this beautiful wedding. There is still a white picket fence going all the way around the property.  I believe I saw a sign saying the keepers homes were built in the 1800's.  I keep wondering why they took down the one home.  They were both beautiful.  History notes that the first house was sold for $10.  It was dismantled and taken to Mapleton, Oregon, where the lumber was used to build a store. 

A very nice gentleman was driving down to the parking lot where I parked the RV,  to give us rides up to the Inn.  It would have been a pretty good hike.

 Rhonda's sons walked her to the alter.  

Rhonda & Ray

A kiss for the bride and groom.

Back to the Inn for local wines and beer or hot drinks.   

Dinning room in the Inn.

Beautiful hand crafted stairway.

One of the Inns beautiful fire places. 

Such a beautiful wedding and a very handsome couple. 

Finally hitched a ride back to the parking lot to be greeted by some very patient dogs. We played and walked around a little after I fed the dogs - a little late.  We headed north.  I was thinking of stopping at Devil's Lake in Lincoln City, but it was late and by the time we got to Newport, I saw the Walmart parking lot and it looked pretty good to me.  We slept well and I fixed us all a nice breakfast before we headed north.  

Such a beautiful day again!  

I love this place - Bear Creek Artichoke Farm.  They have fresh made bakery goods, blueberry-lemon scones, apple dumplings with brandy sauce, fresh coffee, and dozens of tasty jams & jellies, mustards, homemade pestos, artichoke dip, and too many other things to name.  Free samples and many gift items, along with fresh vegetables and fruits.  

Back on the road again.  Beautiful dairy country - cows everywhere!  Such a pretty green country with beautiful little streams, rivers and trees.

When we got to Tillamook I was thinking a lot about the ice cream bar at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  I was going to let the guys out for a short walk and then go inside the factory for a little shopping.  The big guys were very excited and they charged at the door as I was getting out of the RV.  I scolded them and insisted they get back and sit-stay until they were released.  I noticed that Andiamo had gotten back immediately when I yelled at them.  

I am not quite as stern with Andiamo as he is just following his big brothers and they are the ones that know better.  I use positive training in most circumstances, however when we are dealing with life threatening issues (such as trying to jump out of the RV without permission) I am much more strict with them on a "wait" or a "stay" - they know better.  After they backed up and respected my "stay" command, I noticed that Andiamo had backed up completely under the bed and was looking out at me.  I like this picture.

After a little shopping in the cheese store, I got a single scoop of ice cream in a fresh baked waffle cone. I got a double dish for the dogs and I split it three ways for them. They were very happy.  The large parking lot was emptying fast and I decided to walk the dogs and wait until the majority of people were gone.   The dogs were playing and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.  

A nice man in a pickup truck came by and was admiring the dogs.  He asked us if we had a place to stay and I told him I had just planned to drive a little ways north and find something. He said he had an RV park a short distance north of the cheese factory. He said it had a fenced dog park where the dogs could play.  That did it!  I was so tired of leash walking them and they were just as tired of not being able to run.  It was about 5:00 PM and I was really ready for some relaxation.  He had given me a flyer and I headed north a couple blocks.  The park was so nice.  I signed in, but before we even went to our camp spot, I unloaded the dogs and took them over to the dog park.  They were in heaven.  

Pirate

Andiamo

Journey really likes our camp host, Craig.  It was quite a surprise to see Journey take to someone so fast.  He is usually quite aloof, especially toward men.  I have never seen him make friends this fast.  

The dogs played from about 5:30 to 8:30, while I sat at the picnic table and Craig threw the ball for the dogs and we talked dogs. The dogs finally seemed to wind down a bit and I thought we should get settled in our campground for the night.  Craig offered to build us a camp fire, but the dogs had not had dinner yet and we were all tired. Little Andiamo had climbed on my bed and he was out. I had to wake him for dinner.  He ate and went right back to my bed where he slept the rest of the evening.  It sure makes a difference when you have tired dogs.  I enjoyed a glass of wine and read my book for a while before I went to bed.  Andiamo did not chew up another thing that night.  

The next morning we headed for the dog park again and we still had it all to ourselves. Another hour or two of play and we were just about to leave when Craig mentioned another treat for the dogs.  He had a petting farm with goats and bunnies.  Everyone enjoyed that, especially Andi, as he had never seen anything like that up close.  

 Andiamo & Pirate

This little brown goat liked to rear up on his hind legs and pounce at the dogs.  They loved it.  

Before I knew it, Andi had his head through the wire to get a closer look.  

Kashmir goats.

"Oh boy, there is that little brown goat again.  I like him."

Craig is really a nice man and we had such a good time at his RV park, we will certainly be going back soon.  What a difference it makes to have a place to let the guys run and just relax, talking with good company.

I just about had to drag Andiamo away from the goats.  He loved them.

We loaded up and headed north to Astoria.  It is at the top northwest corner of Oregon, where the Columbia River empties into the sea.  Docked in Astoria was a huge cruise ship named Amsterdam.  It was beautiful, but I did not get a picture.  We still had about 70 miles to get home, up river, so we drove on through Astoria this time.  The dogs were a kick as we drove up our road.  They whined a little, then it got louder and more excited as we neared the top of the hills.  When I turned into the driveway it was very hard to contain them.  They were so happy.  Wonderful trip, but always nice to be home again.

That is Andiamo out checking his yard, which is almost all green again after the drought this summer.