At Allatoona

I took Duke to Lake Allatoona to work off some general anxiety and nervousness - - probably mine as well as his, as the old rail bed and Civil War ramparts always make for a contemplative and mind-clearing hike.  Duke was never a great outdoors dog, but he proved to have matured into a wonderful companion.  He was bold in moving off the trail toward scent (possibly deer), but, like many Welshies, and especially one who is outside of his element, he checked in often.

Duke likewise was never much of a swimmer, but a hot June morning made the water in that deep lake as inviting as it could be.  Duke waded, drank, and gamboled, and once, by his own design, he swam just a bit.

I'd tossed a stick into the water, probably two feet from shore, and he jumped to get it.  In so doing, he bumped it with his nose and it floated just out of reach.  With the steep gradient of the lake, Duke was faced with swimming or abandoning the fetch.  I believe that because he bumped the stick with his own nose, he somehow felt invested in the fetch and he screwed up enough courage to paddle a few inches to get it.

This is a nice, gentle dog and he can accomplish whatever he sets his sights on.

Duke patrols the path leading to the lake.

The deep lake provides a cool reward after the hike.

After breakfast, a dog pleased with his day so far. 

Duke's visit

Margaret and Peter are moving to the coast and their home sale went through more quickly than anticipated.  They are between homes, shall we say, and the logistics have made one red & white dog a third wheel.

As a result, Aki and I are puppy sitting Duke for a week.  Duke is a few months older than Larsen which at one time seemed to make Duke a demigod for the little puppy.  Of course, that changed as Larsen grew and became more challenging to other male WSSs.  Now a little grey in the muzzle, there remains in Duke the joyful puppy that we remember.  He still chases butterflies and dragonflies, whereas these might elicit not much more than an absent-minded snap from Larsen were they to venture too close.

We will miss Duke and hope that we get time to visit him when we are on the coast.

Duke watches intently as Peter and Margaret drive off.

A comforting spot.  This intersection of patio, kitchen, and dining area is also one of Larsen's favorite spots.  

Duke opens up and relaxes on a warm Friday night in June.

Back in the show ring

Aki went back to the show ring with Marilyn B's Graham.  The reason was a training day for conformation.  With Larsen at the farm, Marilyn offered the ring-veteran Graham as a way for Aki to work on her steps.  Like so many trades, the show ring looks easy until you are handed the lead and told to make the dog look good.

Aki and Graham move down the runway at ADOG on Saturday June 29 to practice ring-handling tecchniques and showmanship.  

Red & White & Delft Blue

Our silent auction bid at the WSSCA Nationals brought home this beautiful Danish blue-glaze plate.  An iPhone photo fails to capture the contented but ready look of the dog in the field.  There is a barbed or maybe rail fence in the background - - this is country, not the back yard.  The dog's nose is tipped slightly upward and his eyes are narrowed a fraction, indicating his full concentration on the air scent.

The back of the plate indicates it is an "Original Hundeplatte," and that it is (of course) a Welsh Springer Spaniel.

Ultimate dog machine

I'm pretty happy with Muttmobile 2, but this tricked out Mercedes Benz Sprinter strikes me as being the ultimate dog toting machine.

The countdown continues

It's not the same without that bothersome dog underfoot.  June is winding down.  I'll pick up Larsen in mid-July and start training with him again.  Tim has Larsen in the field daily and the dog is minding his manners and retrieving pigeons.

Larsen observes the work of the other dogs during some downtime at Tim's in Bowman, Ga.

The hard-working dog gets his chance.  

The Longest Day

Now how did this happen?  It's windbreaker cold in Chicago and only warm in Atlanta and suddenly, this Friday, is the summer solstice: the longest day of the year.  The days will start winding down.  Of course, the real heat of the summer is still on the upswing and we have the wallpaper-peeling humidity of August to get through, but we are soon tipping toward fall.

Larsen update

Tim's been putting some pressure on Larsen.  This means that sit means sit and fetch means fetch.  Larsen's hard at work.  The competition from the other dogs, the open countryside, the discipline, the reward and love from Tim will make him a stronger and better dog.

Larsen hard at work in Bowman, Ga.

Dragonfly

An insect or something that veered off course from an NSA op?

Back to the farm

I took Larsen to Tim P's in Bowman, Georgia for a month's training.  My schedule is busy and the little dog needs some obedience work if he's to have a chance at a Master Hunter leg.  I've seen the components of a master hunter.  He can be steady, but he can get confused about what's expected of him.  The potential cure is every day work that I can't give him.

It's time to assess Larsen, and me.  We aren't making progress and need to try something different if we are to move forward.  Larsen will be at Tim's for a minimum of 30 days.  Larsen has stayed at Tim's a number of times before, so the hope is that he gets into the routine fairly quickly and starts to heed Tim's commands.

It will be a long, long 30 days for Aki and me.

What's in your kit?

Training dogs is accompanied by bramble scratches, bird pecks, and miscellaneous mishaps.  I've got several first-aid kits, small enough to carry, and larger for the car.  Just thinking through my own I have several kits, storebought and self-assembled.  Sure, they have things like forceps (as well as whistles & compasses) but I'll tell you what I use regularly:

Used on people

• sunscreen
• bug repellent
• hydrogen peroxide (also for dog)
• bactine/neosporine
• band-aids
• waterless hand wash
• benadryl cream 

For dog

• saline eye wash & artificial tears (soother)
• gauze wrap (wiping cuts and dog teeth)
• blunt nose scissors (cutting out burrs & mats)
• prilosec (used once in a while on long trips)
• steel-toothed comb (tailgate check)
• benedryl tabs with dosage per 50lb written on plastic containing bag.

Some of these items are not exactly first aid, and only my car kit has the steel-toothed comb, for example, but I found that by putting things like sunscreen in the first aid kit, I rummaged through the kit regularly.  As a result, I didn't treat the kit like an untouchable shrine and I learned what was in it, what was useful, and I was more likely to think to pull out an aspirin or a bandaid if someone needs it.

Don't forget to refamiliarize yourself with the basics of canine first aid.

Paulding County Bird Club

Having nothing better to do, Larsen and I decided to walk the property we'd leased as a training field.  It's about an hour drive from home and it  took us a long while to find the gate with the combination lock that would let us into the property.  As a result, the morning was warming even before we hit the ground.

The fields were high in some places, which means that long pants are helpful, as would be longer boots.  We patrolled the roadway, across the stream that feeds the larger of the two ponds, and into the back fields.  Along the way, Larsen kicked up what I believe to be a grouse.  The bird was clearly a gamebird.  It was brownish/greyish and about the size of a chicken.  I looped Larsen and led him away from the area in case there were chicks about.

We took a few breathers due to the heat of the morning, and Larsen did a few bumper fetches from the pond to cool down.

Larsen enjoys the sights and smells on a sultry June morning in Paulding county.

Hurrican season 2013 starts today

As summer warms up, coastal storms pick up as well.  Time at the beach is welcome, except when one of these monsters arrives.

Hurricane Sandy grinds its up the east coast of the U.S.  (photo: NOAA).