Because they made a day for it :)

Puppy Day is here :)

Alright I will admit I had no idea it was today, matter of fact I didn't know there was such a day!

But, how rad would it be if your puppy was born on puppy day?! I think it'd be awesome or cheesy, which ever.

I of course found out about this after seeing the abundance of photos of all the adorable puppies when I quickly took a glance at Facebook. After seeing pictures and going 'awww' a million times and wanting to squish many cute puppy faces through the screen I decided to share my own cute wittle monster face.

I think AMP was the most adorable baby ever. By baby I mean when I first brought her home before the ugly wumpkin stages ;)

All together; 'Awwwwweeeee'

I may have a tiny morsel of a biased side, but we don't need to worry about that. I can't get over how adorable her little eyes were with those pink ears :)

Anyway, She is now much older and still a cute little thing, but with a naughty side as which she uses these very eyes to get her way. Who knew when looking at this picture those sweet eyes would be such a killer?

Ok maybe we did know......

Finding our instructions manual ;)

Instructions manuals are for dumb dumbs is usually what I think. I see the thing look at the pictures and then chuck it over my shoulder.

Dogs however have no manual. Not one dog works the same way and there isn't a set way to do anything. At least not in stone that is.

There are times when we ourselves don't know what to do anymore. We hit a wall..bang! And then seem to hit it again and again, and again, and againnnnnnnn. That right there folks would be the moment when we seek a little thing called help :)

Help is good and funny enough helpful..tee hee. Who would have thought that? Guess I should of read the manual.

AMP and I have not really hit a wall of great sturdiness, but I feel like I just need advice on what I am missing and possibly over looking. I want someone to set-up something for me and then we run it and then we get the damage afterwards.

Just as I was thinking I would like something like this to go down, like falling from the sky a Tracy Sklenar seminar caught my eye and now we're entered :) I am excited. I have heard nothing but exciting things about her and that she does a wonderful job, so I am sure we will learn a thing or two or A LOT!

Some of the key points I am looking for are:

-Jumping

-My running

-Timing

These are mainly things that we just aren't clicking on together right now, so they probably are those nasty buggers that I am over seeing what's going down.

The seminar is in June and I keep just counting down the days..tick tick tick.

June, er rephrase, this summer has lots and lots of fun plans ahead :) I can't wait to enjoy them with my crazy girl!

That'll Happen...

Snow will come and boredom will set in.

You will not know what to do with your life and then all of a sudden you get a wild idea :)

Lets' make a video :D Of what?

AMP doing her tricks!!

I am sure when the circus catches fire of this video they will be calling us up for a job opening...I can just tell ;) Wouldn't that be cool?

Until I saw a clown then I'd have to run away screaming like a barbi and never return :/ Go me!

I forget how many tricks AMP actually does know ;) I actually forget half the tricks unless I really think hard about it! I think it is about time to teach her a new trick, haven't done that for quite awhile.

Hmmm...what to teach?! I will have to get my trick sheet out ( yes I have a sheet of a bagillion tricks you can teach) and see what she doesn't know yet and sounds entertaining!

I have always wanted to teach her to stack things or put away stuff, but typically it results in my getting whapped in the face with an object- nothing sharp at least..whew! If AMP was a human she'd be one that would never be allowed around sharp objects. You's walk into a room and there AMP would be trying to spin a knife on her nose or something, or maybe doing the nastily and disturbing sword swallow...shutter.

For now we are just sticking to these safe and fun tricks :) We will be back another day to show you what else we have come up with.

Don't tell the Princess...

Well, I kinda forgot about posting the results and news from AMP's last trial...on here :/

I don't think she noticed so I'll just slip this in :)

Since it seems like forever ago I will just say what I can recall!

What I know for certain is that AMP ROCKED!!!!! She was a total genius and had her "big girl britches" on :D Going into a trial with her right now is always an unknown. She's a baby and of course things are going to go up and then going to fall back down- I am okay with this. I enjoy any run we have together.

Yea I am the shit ;)

Saturday ended with a Q in: Steeplechase, starters standard, Starters Pairs, Starters Snooker (SS title), and a Advanced Jumpers (my favorite run)!! I couldn't believe the amazing things she was doing during her runs. I was almost sending her off course as I was busy standing there in awe of her :) Distance as always is going to be our challenge. Truly, I LOVE it that way :) After working with a dog that coming into me is like pulling teeth I enjoy this new challenge.

Challenge is just what AMP likes :)

She is getting better about the distance and I know as time goes on we will have a nice balance :)

It makes me feel kind warm and fuzzy inside knowing that she has one Q towards nationals down AND is able to at least have fun at Regional (both of them)! Sitting in kennels is zero fun!

Being in a kennel is basically jail...

Sunday it just kept getting better!

We came out of the day with Qs in: Starters Standard (one more to be in all Advanced), Advanced Snooker, Starters gamblers (see it's starting to come), and 6th place in Rd2 Steeplechase! Like holy smokes the girls second trial running steeplechase and she makes round 2 and ends up 6th place with a bar even :O How could I not enjoy running this roller coaster of a girl?! I am simply amazed with her :)

My plan is to go the "short route" with her and once she gets all the standard Qs and then aQ in each game I will move her up :) I believe she can handle it without a problem and I don't enjoy nor think it's super fair for the dogs to run them in two different rings. I can't get ooberly focused with both it seems like! Jinx gets the raw end since right now the baby dog takes most of my focus. I'm working on balancing myself ;)

AMP did show though that we need to go back to startline practice world. Oh joy! She was very pushy at the start for most the runs, so I just need to keep reinforcing it and practicing it in high energy environments- we all know AMP is easy to do just that, get AMP'D ;)

See? "You taking a picture of me? Like, ZOMG that's so awesome!" AMP'D always AMP'D

Along with startlines is the world of jumping! Weeeeeee! Everyone I ask says that it's just confidence which I believe them, but it is annoying me. Yay go obsessive personality ;P SO, I will just work on her gaining confidence about jumping no matter where I am. It seems to be the biggest problem when I am sending her or racing far ahead. She isn't being slow or anything she's just putting in more strides than she needs and thinking really hard right now about- we need to get it to be more effortless. No problem we will get 'er down :)

Next to work on is A-frame. Apparently when she goes down the A-frame she is jamming to the cupid shuffle song :/ Like the song, but not a huge fan of it while she is shuffling down the A-frame. Bless her heart she does fast, but just coming over and getting where you need to be is so much more efficient :) I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but after our lesson with J-Hoye it is definitely stemming from her performance over the apex. We need to fly over the apex (she will show you how it looks in the video) and that then leads to awesome-ness the rest of the way down. I am still toying with the idea of training the box method running A-frame this summer to her since that is to her strengths anyway! We'll see.

I ain't flying now apex I am sleeping-sorta!

Besides the video that's all I got! Next trial is, cross your fingers, the end of March for 3 days! Pleaseeeeee Pleaseeeeee Pleaseeeeee let me get in! Otherwise I might cry and we don't wanna see that :/

AMP MAC USDAA from Kaitlyn Harren on Vimeo.

"A" game!

Sometimes AMP just surprises me. In a good way!

There are times when she does things that I am just totally like "How the hell did you know how to do that?".

I will admit I have sort of been hitting a rut in AMP's training :/ Dang. I train her, but I keep doing the same things I *know* she can do or have already taught her. Why am I wasting my time on that? What a good question.

I decided it was list making time. SO, I first started with a list of skillz I felt that were needed to get through an agility course and be successful and competitive. This means no "jerky" handling "COME! Fido! OUT! Fido NO Fido NO HEEEERRRREEEEE!!!!!!!!!" you know those people- not one of them. This also includes efficient turns and nice and reliable contacts/weaves to name a few items.

Then I made a "sub" list of that for of what AMP herself needs more work on ( by self I mean we as a team). After making that list I realized that when going to training and not being able to think of a darn thing I need to work on I was really wasting time.

There are SOO many things I should be working on with her. Not because she is bad or can't do it, it's her performance of it that might not be up to "A" game status. Which I don't expect it to be if I don't actually work on it and train it :)

Good thing is now we have many things we can set-up and work on to keep us busy, busy, busy!!

Yesterday at our lesson she proved that she is a genius though and even if my lack of training is bad she still manages to figure things out. I was truly shocked when at our lesson I did a rear cross in the weave poles 3 times and each one she nailed!!!!

:O

What a smart girl :)

Worth a thousand words

AMP has one of those expressions.

You see a picture and you can just see what's going on in her little melon :) I am happy she can't talk because boy I can only imagine!

Hmm.. I wonder where she gets it?

Father like Daughter :)

Are you ready!?

I'm a gunna spit on you!!

Only one more weekend of nothing and then we get to trial again!! WOO HOO :) And it's extra special because AMP won't get to train before it!! YAY!

I'm ready!

Somethings done and gone...literally ;)

Schnoodle survived her "big" day and I am still standing as well :)

Double plus...Whew!

Turns out she was able to get tooth pulled, Hip X-rays done, and Spayed! Ok, so I know it seems like a lot, but I think it beats having to put her under two times within a couple weeks to get spayed.

She is doing very good afterwards too, possibly, too well. She came home yesterday and was a little out of it at first, it didn't take long. Not 5 minutes after being home she was already barking in her kennel and ok with jumping around ( of course I didn't let the jumping around happen ).

Crazy enough-- vet's don't read blog posts, so therefore they missed a very informative last post about AMP-- They didn't send a cone home :o yeeeeee-aahhhhh! I kinda wanted to say " are you sure? Like REALLY sure?" They included the assuring disclaimer that I could come back to get one if needed. Thanks at least I know when I come back they won't be totally surprised.

Much to my surprise though she is doing GREAT! She doesn't bother them at all and they look super :) GOOOOOOO little evil dog! It did come back to me in my time of astonishment that she wasn't ever one to be bothered by things on her or sewn in her? I guess.... Like that time when I wanted to teach her a trick and that came to an end when she didn't even notice the tape on her nose, yea not bothered.

I am hoping this holds up through the itchy healing stage too :) Good thoughts please!

Vet believes she will have good or excellent hips! YIPPEY :) Not that I ever really doubted her hips being good, but still a nice re-assurance that they will probably be confirmed so :)

As far as the one less tooth-- Really it'll just be one less tooth that is able to grab my arm, leg, or any other appendage when tugging or mad that she didn't get a weave entry, or ect ect.... Sorry you had to go the hard way tooth, but your one that won't be missed!

And as I was thinking that possibly with her being no longer a 'real women' she would lose a slight bit of her bitchy side she clearly proved today that I am not gunna get of quite that easy! *sigh* oh well I guess once a bitch always a bitch. Besides I would hate to have to make a new harness label for her ;)

Gotch ya!

AMP lives a double life ( just bare with me here )

There is the life of the nice, sweet, and happy AMP :) Yay! It's all rainbow, butterflies, and sunshine. She is like the teacher's pet and the honor student that parents put those, lame, stickers on the back of their cars gloating about how smart their honor student is and what ivy league collegeS they recently got accepted into. *eye roll* BTW those kids are the reason teachers frowned on me..thanks..the not so smart kid.

And then we have the other AMP. This is the one that always is getting into some sort of trouble or doing something that really could possibly be life threatening. Honestly, Her name should have been dare devil, or *cough* *cough* devil *cough* you didn't hear that from me though! On the plus side AMP is up there with the perfect name for her.

While at a show she often is sweet and ropes you in with her puppy dog eyes she brings out, her tail wags, and that oh so inviting sit wagging her tail and stare at you until you just can't resist coming to pet her-- yep ya all it is a complete hoax.... Hmmm Hoax possibly a good dog name... anyway, sureeeeeeeee she loves you all, but really it is just to get you fooled into thinking that she couldn't do anything wrong, gaining your trust until the exact moment when she can turn it against you. She'd be great on NCIS- I might sign her up so she can start working to earn money for her endless amount of injuries she is sure to have in her on the edge life.

People often wonder why I call her the "Beotch" and " naughy Panda" well because she is precisely just that.

new true statement AMP label

I even made a label for her harness so that everyone can be pre-warned before getting into her trans of so called "nice" ;)

Case in point would be like yesterday.

I am training dogs in the basement and it's Jinx's turn. AMP as normal is barking up a storm in her kennel because why should anyone else have a turn besides her?! This is nothing unusual of course. Then all of a sudden she starts squealing and going frantic. I look over in a panic and she has her mouth caught in her wire kennel because she once again ( this is round #2 for this ) was biting at her kennel and her mouth got stuck. Then stupid me starts yelling at her to stop freaking out which probably make it worse ( damn reactions ). Finally she gets her mouth out and I put Cat away and take her out to give her a bath and check her mouth ( don't ask why a bath ) and she shootin' she cracked a bottom right side tooth right in half!

F#(#$(%%_#_)#%$( !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I call the vet which I just called about an hour before to re-schedule her spay appointment. She knew who it was right away. I explained she broke her tooth, so bright and early this AM I brought her in to get it most likely removed. I am sure the vet was thinking what in GoD's name do you let your dogs do. Really I do nothing I just own AMP- it's that simple.

So now she sits at the vet to hopefully be able to get spayed, hip x-rayed, and tooth removed. That should be a well learned lesson. I am sure when she comes home, actually I HOPE when she comes home, she will be a cuddly puddle and not an insane animal. Gosh please just be a little calm. Most importantly I am scared to see my battle scares after she has to wear that cone :/ Good bye back of legs, face, and arms, and anything else within reach.

SO there you have it the AMP you all think is sweet and innocent is not so much. I am sure great after vet visit posts will be soon to come.

Now I leave you with a face to remember forever. When you see that sweet face on her this image will always be in the back of your mind ;p

Until you look back

There are those days....

Ya know the ones.....

That seem like no progress is being made....

Like no progress has ever been made.......

You just wanna give up on it all.......

You begin to wonder if things will ever come together.......

Well I didn't have one of those days yesterday :)

I had the complete opposite. It was the day when you realize how far things have come and that really all that was needed was simply; time. There are those moments when no matter how hard you try to push for something and make it as desirable as possible it just doesn't happen. At that moment you basically day F* it and move on because your tired of trying. Then all of a sudden out of no where you stop for a moment to realize that what you were working so hard for before is there. Like magic it has appeared. Out of no where with really no work at all it happened :)

What does this all have to do with AMP?

This is what has happened with almost every pieces of agility training. I can stop and think back and the same trend has happened every time.

I go to teach her ___________ (insert obstacle) she doesn't like it. I try to push her to be faster or like it or whatever the problem is. She rejects and does what she wants. I say FINE. I deal with what she has to offer. I stop and look now and she does exactly what I wanted.

honestly you think I would learn after some time that this is just the way AMP works, but yet I did this again, again, and again!

Last night when I went to set-up a 6 jump, jump line to work zig zag grids, bounce grids, and just some jump lines for practice and she nailed them almost every time I stopped and thought about the very first day when she didn't even want anything to do with that. I could hardly get her to take one jump without losing her melon much less 6 in a row that she would have to.....wait for it.....collect :O last winter and spring I would have said yeah right and now I am saying bring it on :)

I love this dog more than any other dog I have ever trained. She is definitely my heart dog and always will be. There are times I just wanna scream at the things she does, but then I forget all that when I look and see the amazing things she has overcome and does!!!

This girl amazes me more and more every single day! I can't wait for the next chance we get to step to the startline and run our hearts out. I don't think I will ever get sick of that wild stare she gives me waiting for me to release her and let the games begin :)

Sahmart :)

The video really proves it all, but AMP had amazingly genius moments this weekend ;)

I couldn't have been more proud of my little bear!!!

She got her last Starter Jumpers Q to get her SJ!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH first title EVER :)

The startline showed progress..woot woot-- and I didn't have to pull her at all!! It actually got better as the weekend went on!

Can't wait to run her again in a few weeks :) She's a complete blast! For now we will just work on getting some things worked on!

Until We Meet Again...

Today is the day that marks the passing of a dear, loving, and great dog- Ice "Stormfront's To Cool For You"

11/27/09-1/13-12

I can not put into words the emotions and feelings I have running through every vein and every vessel of my body right now. Losing loved one that are so young is never easy, since we always feel their time with us was far too short and we had barely just begun. This was the case for Ice. The passing of a dog is never easy whether they are close to our hearts or maybe a little further away-either way we feel the same grieving and sorrow for them.

Ice loved playing in the mud- the more she was covered in it the wider her grin got. She loved and loved and loved everyone she met and brought a happy energetic feeling to every thing she did. She hadn't gotten much time to participate in flyball due to being diagnosed with the horrible cancer, lymphoma. Annie made sure every day though Ice enjoyed it and got to the most out of it.

10 months ago when Annie found out that Ice was carrying this retched disease she didn't give up or crumble at the words, she stood proud and strong not willing to give the enemy the upper hand. She did all the treatments that were recommended. Some involved miles of driving and scheduling, but that didn't stop these two from the fight. When the cancer tried to step in their way Ice and Annie just stepped back at it, showing it wasn't going to get them. Not once did I ever hear Annie say anything about the medical bills costs or the driving she had to do, or even the nights she got no sleep; she didn't care what had to be done she was going to do it without looking back!

In Ice's last few days she got to enjoy roast, DQ, long walks, and just time to be herself. Annie didn't hold her back she just let her be and do what she wanted. Ice took every moment she had left and cherished as well did Annie.

Until last night at 4a.m. when god called from the heavens above and said that it was time for Ice to be rid of her pains and sufferings, for her to get to run free and wild, to enjoy all the mud puddles their can to be found, and most of all to enjoy her time waiting. Waiting, until the time when Annie walks through those golden gates and their eyes meet again. Ice can run up to Annie and fill her face with kisses and Annie can squeeze Ice with lots of hugs and together they will be with each other forever. Until then Ice will be watching down on all of us making sure that we are smiling and not letting anything bring us down or be too serious of anything.

We will miss you Ice and we will never forget you and the fight you fought- until we are all reunited again with your Sisters: Frost, Dilli, AMP'D and Brothers: Relay and Torque.

Rest in Peace Ice

There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth
It is called Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors

Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows,
hills, valleys with lush green grass

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this special place
There is always food and water and warm spring weather

The old and frail are young again
Those who are maimed are made whole again

They play all day with each other
There is only one thing missing

They are not with their special person who loved them on Earth
So each day they run and play until the day comes
when one suddenly stops playing and looks up !

The nose twitches !
The ears are up !
The eyes are staring !
And this one suddenly runs from the group !

You have been seen, and when you and your special friend meet,
you take him or her into your arms and embrace
your face is kissed again and again,
and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated

Dog-On-Crack!

That's AMP's new name!

Learned some thing this weekend :) AMP can't be near the ring entrance when she is up to run...bad...bad..bad! I am surprised she didn't start doing back flips or something she was so high. No toys before the run- that's just fueling the jet up.

She had GREAT weave poles this weekend though :) I was having mixed feelings about her footwork, but people assured me that it looked fine and she will keep improving, so I can stop worrying about those!

Jumping is looking much more relaxed- probably the only thing relaxed when she runs...tee hee!

Still need to just keep working on different handling skillz and her staying focused on her job and not me--I am not the job I am the assistent ;) ha!

AMP has decided barking while running is exciting..or barks because she is excited..probably both! I am fine with that as long as we are following the above guideline..focus!

Startline is gotta happen! I can't beat the crack addict around the course without one. I am not wanting to pull her, so I am just gunna try to really work it and change the word and do maybe some other things to see if I can fix it without coming down to having to pull her. It has been-- let's let history repeat--this time!

I love my AMPie girl and wouldn't change her for the world! She is a total blast to run and an edge of your seat ride :) what a total high!

Figured the song was WAYY to fitting for her :)

TEETERing on the edge

More like not really.

Story: AMP hates teeter. End of story

This is what I had originally thought- after tonight it turns out she doesn't dislike the wholething-- really she is just holding a grudge against the bang.

Better than the whole thing I suppose :) I am thinking at some point they will become friends though!!

Last night I was determined! She was going to like that teeter, I didn't care what I had to do!

Peanut Butter!!!!!!

She will probably turn into a Peanut with the amount of P.Butter she got yesterday-- I am having visions of Willy Wonka and the blueberry girl..eeks!

After showing her the teeter doesn't bit, nor is it scary we made some HUGE progress! Got the teeter up to regulation height and she was ok with it falling and going up it as long as someone was letting it fall and not her dropping it--and of course she had her face submerged in P.butter! Regardless it made her happy and she could do it! YAY AMP :)

It isn't yet perfected and she will have to get use to the bang noise at some point, but for now we are just going to be her little Peanuty self :)

Hi..I'm AMP..I like Peanut Butter all over my face, hair, ears, ect... yummm

AMP is a crazy ninja if you didn't know ;)

A ninja that can fly too :)

AMP= no patience for any sort of stopping

Yes AMP I see you have a ball-- I am aware your tongue hasn't gotten some rare disease!

AMP's favorite game is racing and running ;)

Raccoon :)

Pleaze put your eye balls back in your head:) haha

She refused to take another picture ;)