Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Category Archives: Katie


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Katie and her Mom reboot

Well I probably over reacted to Katie’s shutdown last night.  Today she seems pretty normal.  We went on a walk in the subdivision, something we hardly ever do, as I prefer taking her to a park where I don’t have to worry about cars.  But this morning I wanted to do something fun and quick and easy; something with which she had no associated fears.

She was happy happy happy to go for a walk!  We moved along and I said a lot of “Leave it! Let’s go!” which worked fine, just like in school.  Once in awhile, maybe a total of three times I brought her in closer to me and we did a one step heel and sit, which she did with only a tiny bit of hesitation.  She didn’t want the treats I brought with me –  not a high enough quality for the princess you know.  Treat refusal is also a sign she’s a bit anxious, but she did what I asked and I gave her lots of praise, and more importantly let her go sniff a mailbox post or two as a reward.  Then we’d be off again.

After her walk I went out for a 3 mile run/walk.  It was hot.  But it went well. This is the longest distance I’ve gone since I fractured my foot in October of 2008!!!  Once I was back home Katie licked the salt off my knees, and now she’s curled up in a happy nap.

Obviously she doesn’t hate me anymore.


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Katie's scared of me now. :(

Katie and I went to our Rally class this afternoon.  It’s 1/2 an hour of obedience and 1/2 an hour of working through a rally course the instructor has set up.  Generally not too stressful.

We got there a bit early, and I put Katie in the honor spot on the course (the spot where in Advanced your dog sits or lays down while another dog does the course.)  I told her to stay and I walked the course a couple of times.  Then we did some figure 8’s with the instructor before class because that’s our hardest thing.  We even did some heeling for her, and Katie was, as the instructor said, “GORGEOUS!”

So I had high hopes for the class today.  Katie was so focused.  We were about 15 minutes into the group class when the instructor called for us to do a 90 degree pivot to the right.  Apparently Katie’s tail was lying behind me big feet, and as I stepped back I stepped on it.  She screamed, I screamed and jumped, next thing I know she’s trying to jump into my arms.

I got her sort of calmed down and we continued in our heeling patterns with the group.  Katie was “heeling” at the far end of her leash even with me encouraging her back to my side.  When we stopped and she is supposed to sit..well…she sits at a 90 degree angle, looking up at me as if to say, “SEE?  I’m keeping my tail as far away from your big fat feet as possible!”  It was sort of amusing…but not really.

THEN we got over to the Rally ring and she basically wouldn’t get near me at all and refused to do most of the stuff.  Stuff she knows and normally would do no problem.  SIGH SIGH SIGH SIGH.  Part of it was that it was HOT and by the time we got to the rally ring she was totally stressed out and so was I.  We probably should have just gone home…but I tried to do the course.

Anyone with advice on how to get her over her fear, let me know.    We have a lot of work to do now!  Luckily (I guess) there’s no agility this week because they are doing an agility trial at another location and have to move all the equipment over there.  I’m hoping to go see some of that…without Katie! LOL!


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Digging the garden

Every year I have such high hopes as I dig up the vegetable garden in the spring.

Last year, after much labor getting weed cloth down I planted green beans and chard and tomatoes.  I ended up with a couple small tomatoes and a handful of green beans that had eluded the neighborhood critters and bugs.  Hardly seems worth the effort.

This morning Katie helped me dig the garden up for this year’s attempt.  She pretty much wanted to know when I’d be done so we could go play, but it was nice to have company.

“How long is this going to take anyway, Mom?”

“You’d be mistaken if you think I’m going to help.  I’m outta here!”

“But first I’ll take some time to smell the thyme!”

“I’ll wait for you out here…hey…can you help me out a bit?  I got sort of excited and got myself all tangled up.”

“Sorry to inconvenience you like that, Mom, I’ll just stand over here and chomp on some mulch…”

“What?!  You want me to just sit down and let you get your work done?  Well OK then…geeze!  All you had to do was just say something.”


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The promised wood peony photos

I know I was going to show you this beautiful plant..then I got distracted with truck stuff.  So…on a lighter note, look at this!

Wait a minute!  That’s a picture of Katie!   “So Mom, aren’t I prettier than some old flowering shrub?”  Well, yes baby you are, but this post is supposed to be about the flower!

It’s about 3 feet tall, doesn’t get cut back like standard peonies, blooms earlier and is just stunning!  This is the first year I’ve had it, I bought it with a friend last fall and wasn’t sure it would survive the snow and then this spring the nibbling of our local deer…but apparently none of that bothered it!

I am so pleased I think I’ll go buy another one!  Now…back to our regularly scheduled Sheltie…


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Backyard goofing off

Katie’s dad built her a few jumps, and sometimes we take the chute and/or the tunnel out to play.  Last night, given the perfect weather, Katie and I couldn’t resist having a little agility fun in our own backyard.

Which way do I go Mom?

OK.  Let me get this straight.  You want me to run THROUGH this thing?

THIS thing?  For sure?  Run through it?  Right?

OK, I’m all ready!  Just say when Mom!

OH!  Through it?  Not around?  Are you SURE?

How about this tunnel Mom…I’m ready to go..

AUGH!!  I forget!  THROUGH it???


I’m confused Mom, you need to be more specific!

OK!  Now that you’ve explained it THAT way…..

Ahhhh…my little one…you always make me laugh.


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Agility! and Rally too!

Guess what?  Katie had a full day of school yesterday.  After so many weeks off, her spring break I guess, we went to Rally class in the morning and Agility in the evening!  I really debated whether to enroll her in the Agility class because we were already committed to the Rally class on Thursdays.   But about an hour before the agility class I asked Katie, who was sprawled out sleeping near my feet, if she wanted to go back to school…and she jumped up, tongue rolling out and grinned at me, then ran for the door.  I took that as a “YES MAMA!!!”

In Rally I’m having trouble with her focus, and she’s surging ahead quite a bit.  So much to see, so many doggy butts to sniff.  I want to get those two more legs for our Rally Novice so I need to make sure we’re working on our heeling every day.  She’s much better when she and I are alone out in the driveway then when we’re in a ring with 8 or 9 or more other dogs, trotting around in a big circle.  But still.

As for Agility?  Well, she wasn’t sure what was up at first.  We are in the beginning agility class (the last one we took was like preschool, pre-agility!)  with about 9 other mostly really big dogs.  There are actually about 15 dogs in the class, but they broke it into two groups, those who had been through this class before, and those of us who had not.  Maybe eventually we’ll all be together, but I hope not, as that would be a BIG class!

We worked on jumps (no problem MOM!) and teeter (I HATE teeter MOM!) and tunnel (ZOOOOOM!!!) and A-frame (Again!  I want to do it AGAIN MOM!) and tire (BOOOOORING!).    We obviously need to keep working on that tiny teeter out in our driveway.  Though before our rally class in the morning she ran up the teeter all by herself, so it might have been more that she didn’t like the stranger hovering nearby then the teeter itself.  Who knows?

Last night she slept great.  No wonder!


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More obedience.

Katie and I went to another drop in competitive obedience class, this one right across the freeway from the airport, last night.  Since I was away almost 6 weeks and Katie didn’t get to go to school during all that time I’m trying to make up to her and go as often as we can.  She had fun, mostly, and was pretty close to perfect, in her own Katie kind of way.   Except on the long down when, as I was walking away a plane went by low and loud overhead at the same time the thunder started.  When I turned around, on the other side of the ring, Katie was right behind me…looking sheepish, but scared.  Poor baby, I couldn’t yell at her.

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But guess what?  She did TWO stand-for-exam exercises for two different instructors and didn’t move her feet at all!!

You go Katie-girl!

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