Penny | Change Is Hard

August 16, 2025
by dawnkinster 36 Comments

Camping objectives

Sometimes I go camping just to have a few days away from everyday responsibilities. Time to nap and read and snack and daydream.

Sometimes I go camping with a specific goal in mind. I’m hoping to get that perfect Milky Way image, or find a new bird to photograph, or see a part of the state I haven’t seen before.

Last week, at the last minute, I got to reserve 3 nights in my favorite campsite at the local state park. It’s a spot where Katie and I camped many times. This trip I hoped to introduce Penny to campground noises.

*“Did I hear something over there, mom?”*

She’d been there for a couple visits last year, but it was all overwhelming to her, and even with her dad and me right there she was pretty nervous about all the people and cars and noisy trucks with trailers driving by.

*“Hey! What’s my tent doing out here in the woods, mom?”*

This year she’s older and wiser and a little bit calmer. Though she still looked when noisy things including people with their dogs walked by, she didn’t automatically come undone.

She was only visiting me for a few hours each day, and while she was there we took plenty of walks around the campground, letting her sniff the vacant spots…

…and moving swiftly past those occupied.

*“Nothing to see here, just protecting my bikes.”*

She even got to walk past a couple of pitbulls and their flustered dad. She was a rockstar.

See them coming around the corner up there? Penny’s tail was already up in alarm and I didn’t notice them until they were much closer. She knew right away. She never barked, she just heeled with me right by them.

We spent about an hour on her second visit inside the tent as evening fell. I think she would have been fine spending the night in the tent if I had insisted. But she was a little restless after an hour and if I’m honest, I wasn’t looking forward to packing up in the morning with her on site.

*“I guess this is OK mom. But daddy has air conditioning and a **bed.** Just sayin.”*

It takes me an hour to pack up without the distraction of a curious dog. But next time, if she’s willing I think we’ll spend the night in the tent. Maybe she’ll begin to understand it’s all an adventure and mom’s got her back.

*“Umm, excuse me mother, let me be clear. I’m **not** taking a shower.”*

The other reason I jumped at a chance to camp at this site is the opportunity to photograph birds. Every time I’ve been at site 16 there have been birds flitting around. Their images are hard to capture, they’re not like Kensington birds, posing for treats.

*A really poor image of a cardinal that swooped in and then out.*

These birds are never happy when they stop by and you’re at their site. I sat for hours, still in my chair, camera ready, and didn’t catch a good look at one bird, though I heard redstarts and vireos and wrens all around me.

*Mostly I got bird imposters like these brown leaves.*

Then this guy bounced out of the underbrush.

After looking at me he hopped up on a vine with his back to me. In a moment, though, he turned his head to make sure I got the shot, and then he took off.

I smiled, at least I got one decent image of a bird!

And then I noticed this little red squirrel looking a bit worse for wear. She skittered around the campsite and then disappeared.

While I’m looking for her, tossing a few blueberries in the direction she ran, a opportunistic chipmunk showed up, very happy with the blueberry offering.

*“Hey lady! You got anything to spare?”*

Meanwhile Ms. red squirrel, apparently a tired mom, was up in a tree at the edge of the campsite, happily chowing down on a nut.

She was happy until she noticed the chipmunk was feasting on blueberries.

That seemed to make her very unhappy. She watched the chipmunk more carefully. I tossed a few more blueberries. She was conflicted.

*“Wait! Those blueberries were for ME!”*

And then she ran as fast as she could down that tree and back out into the site where she scored a blueberry of her own.

*“That chipmunk got one, but he’s not going to get the rest!”*

It all made me smile.

Camping generally makes me smile, even when it rains, which it inevitably does at least one day on every camping adventure. At least this time it was overnight. And in the morning the sun rose again.

Time to get packing and head home. A little fuzzy girl was waiting for me to provide her next adventure. She’s kind of demanding that way. I don’t mind.

Till next time, site 16. Thanks for the new memories.

Wordless Wednesday

August 13, 2025 by dawnkinster 26 Comments

August 10, 2025
by dawnkinster 25 Comments

I can explain

Penny here. I interrupt your August to bring you a special announcement. Mom and I NQ’d yesterday.

But I can explain.

You remember last weekend when we went to a ‘fun’ match and I decided in the ring that I wasn’t having fun so I refused to participate?

Well. The real trial was this weekend. Mom signed us up for both Saturday and Sunday, back when she had high hopes. Possibly when she was wearing those rose colored glasses you have heard about. She went to an eye appointment this past Wednesday and doesn’t have rose colored glasses anymore. If you know what I mean.

*My crate is really nice.* *But I’d rather be sitting on mom’s lap.*

So yesterday (Saturday) we got to the venue with a couple hours to spare. Mom wanted me to be fully acclimated to the building and the noise and the other dogs and stuff. No problem mom, none of that stuff bothers me at all!

They were supposed to start my event about 10:50, and we were the third dog in our ‘class, Beginner Novice. Beginner Novice is supposed to be easier stuff than Novice, and the judges just might give you a little more grace if you’re slightly off.

That’s what mom hoped anyway.

*Sitting next to my mom, waiting to compete.*

So last week at the fun run was a disaster. This week mom and I practiced every day and I did everything perfectly in my training basement, and in my driveway and even on my group walk on Friday night.

*My Friday night group walk was in Holly and they have this cool mural on one of their buildings!*

So Saturday, while we were waiting mom tried to balance my in crate rest time with some playful, upbeat practice time where we’d heel around the room a little, or go outside and work on my recalls, which I might add, were perfect.

The judge was running long, so it was 12:45 before our event started. And I was the second dog instead of the third because a dog didn’t show up. Mom wasn’t too worried, I seemed relaxed, happy and alert.

But as soon as we walked into the ring (and mom started heeling me from way back so I was all focused on her when we entered) I started to act different. I refused to sit on my own, and she had to push my behind down and stare at me real hard.

That freaked me out too, and when we set off heeling I stayed a bit behind her just to be safe. Mom was not amused but she just kept walking hoping I was back there somewhere. I did sit when we halted at the end of the heeling pattern. But it took me awhile.

*These evening walks have such great light.*

I lagged as expected on the figure 8, but I sat each time we halted. Slowly, but I sat. I was getting kind of ticked because so far there had been no cheese offered for all my hard work.

Then I let the nice lady judge do her sit for exam thing. I sit, she pats me on the head. I’m not supposed to move. It was the least I could do, as it was obvious she wanted to pet me. I mean, who doesn’t?

Plus not moving was becoming a thing.

I sat still as a rock in the middle of the room for my long sit while mom walked around the room. Everybody in the area was staring at how beautiful I looked sitting there. I didn’t move at all except to keep my eyes on my mom.

*Last week’s Friday night walk was in an enchanted forest!*

She was feeling pretty proud of me and obviously she forgot to give me my cheese.

The last thing I had to do was a recall. I love recall. I get to run straight to my mom and I know I look beautiful doing it. It’s one of my favorite things to do. But mom could already tell from the way I walked with her over to the start line that I was getting more and more miffed about the lack of a proper reward.

So she set me up and kissed me on my head and whispered in my ear to please just come to mom, and she walked over to the other side of the ring, turned around and called me.

*I’m really more of a couch potato than a fierce competitor.*

And I sat. Very still.

Mom knew she could call one more time without disqualifying us and she tried to make it a happier, more excited call, but I didn’t move a hair. The judge even tried to walk in back of me thinking I’d get up and run to mom.

But I didn’t. Nope. Nothing.

Here’s the deal. No treats, no worky. Mom shouldn’t expect me to work for free. I’m holding my skills as hostage until she gives me what I want. And what I want is treats!

So that, ladies and gentlemen, was that. We NQ’d which means we didn’t qualify. And the judge was sad and the crowd was sad, and mom’s friend who is helping to train me was sad.

But mom wasn’t sad. A little disappointed because we were this close, but not sad. Because I had done a lot right that day when I didn’t get freaked by loud noises and other dogs and lots of people going by me real close and stuff. I didn’t get tired of waiting, and I stayed engaged with her right up until we walked in the ring.

*I’m happiest at home with my folks. Especially my dad.*

Mom says she’s realy happy with all of that. And now she says we’re going to work on tightening up that heel and getting a reliable recall and then, whenever that is, we’re going to try again.

She says she loves me very much and she knows I did the best I could. But she also says I’m going to have to get over the not getting treats thing.

Cause, she says, that starts today.

*You wouldn’t withhold cheese from this face, would you?*

Uh oh.

Signing off for now, your home loving sheltie girl Penny who will probably ask you to overnight her some treats to a secret post office box very soon.

(PS: I don’t have any pictures of me in the ring, so these images are mostly from my walks this past week and of me hanging out at home. There’s a couple of me waiting with mom at the trial yesterday.)

August 5, 2025
by dawnkinster 39 Comments

Penny says

Hi everybody! It’s me, your best girl Penny!

Mom gave me permission to write on her blog this time. She says she wasn’t even going to bring this up. And she doesn’t want to talk about it. So now it’s up to me.

You see mom and I have been working really, really hard on obedience. At first I tried my darndest to get her to be more obedient, but that wasn’t working, so I decided maybe I could get more treats if I tried to be more obedient myself.

A girl can grow intellectually even when she’s already full grown physically.

So anyway, mom and I have been practicing in my basement training room and out at a friend’s training barn. I like training a lot. When mom starts chopping up cheese I get all excited and run to the top of the basement stairs, ready to run down to my ~~cheese~~ training room as soon as mom turns the lights on down there.

Then mom and I went to a ‘fun’ run on Sunday, to see if what I am learning would translate to an obedience trial setting. Mom was pretty sure we’d do OK, maybe not perfect, but definitely OK.

Mom was wrong.

I didn’t like the noisy place with all the other dogs and when it was my turn I wanted to run somewhere safe, and I forgot how to heel and I certainly didn’t remember I was supposed to sit when mom stopped. Mom, for her part couldn’t read the signs right and was flustered with my inattention and tripped over her own feet.

And when it came to my recall, when I get to run to mom (I love running to mom) I decided it was safer if I just made myself as small as possible and sat very still. Very very still. On my behind. Not moving.

Even when mom moved closer and offered me cheese.

Mom says she was very discouraged and also worried about me because I was so scared and she felt bad for putting me into a scary situation.

But then!

The next day she took me to the groomer! What was she thinking. After that I got really mad at her and barked at her all the way home.

And then!

We went to my Rally class in my regular building last night and in between running rally courses mom took me to a back room and we heeled enthusiastically and I sat when she stopped and I did three different recalls almost perfectly.

So mom thinks I’m OK and not scared anymore. Which is good because the real obedience trial is this coming Saturday.

Mom says it’s very possible we will still NQ (Not qualify) but she says that’s OK as long as I’m not scared and get used to working in different places. She says this is not a sprint. She says it’s a marathon. I don’t even know what that means.

I’d like to remind mom that I’m still a puppy. (I’m going to milk that concept as long as possible!) And that I love her and daddy and I want to be a good girl. Sometimes I just need more time.

SO… please think about mom and me on Saturday afternoon!

PS: Pictures are stuff mom took of not me in my yard. Silly mom. I’m still the prettiest thing around.

July 24, 2025
by dawnkinster 32 Comments

Backyard shenanigans

A long time ago I promised to show you the shenanigans going on in my backyard. Or should I call it backyardigans?

These are self explanatory, but if the participants had anything to say I’ll add that as comentary under the offender’s image.

*My morning abdominal workout might be offset by my morning snacking.*

You will note there is one pictured here that is not like the others. She knows who she is.

*I have to ask the help to fill this feeder every single day.*

Sometimes I wonder how I get anything done in the house, given all the entertainment just outside my window.

*I emptied out that birdfeeder, now my tummy doesn’t feel so good.*

Oh wait. I really don’t get much done inside. Please don’t look at the dust covering everything or the dog fur rolling across the floor.

*Somebody come help me with these two hooligans!*

But I ask you. Which would you rather do?

*I’m just going to sit here and watch the crazy in real time.*

I thought so.

*Not me, I’m eating while I can. A mom gets so little time to herself around here!*

*You are so right! Eat while you can I always say!*

*I see you lady with the camera! Could you please leave us more peanuts?*

*She always puts the peanuts at the bottom. Good thing I have short legs.*

*Seriously, I’m going to go crazy in .2 seconds.*

July 19, 2025
by dawnkinster 36 Comments

Title!

Hey Peeps! It’s me, Penny! Guess what, guess what, guess what???! Mom and I went to a Rally trial on Friday and in spite of mom I got my first AKC title!

*Where are we going mom? I’m not sure I want to go!*

It all started when mom rushed me into the car in the morning. This was unusual and I wasn’t sure it was going to be a good day. I was afraid maybe I was going to the vet. Or the groomer!

But we ended up at my school and I’m always excited there. I’ll tell you a secret. I’m not excited because I get to hang out with other dogs and do fun stuff.

*Well OK mom! I love school, let’s get going!*

Nope. I’m excited about the cheese. Don’t tell mom, I don’t think she realizes, she still thinks I’m an intellectual dog that’s all invested in learning new things.

Let’s not disappoint her.

Anyway. Mom got us there way too early. We had to wait through a whole lot of people and dogs before we got to go. I mostly sat around and begged other people to share their treats.

Mom kept saying NO! Everybody said I was cute and they all wanted to share but mom was a meanie. Except once when we were all done she let me have a tiny salmon liver thing. OMG! Mom’s cheese is nothing compared to salmon liver!

*Your snack skills are severely lacking, mother.*

Anyway…once it was my turn I was a very good girl and followed mom all around that course. There were lots of circles which are not my favorite but I stuck pretty good, even though mom thought I was lagging behind sometimes.

*We had to wait for almost all these people to do their thing first. I’m in Rally Novice B.*

And we ended up with a 99 out of 100 and first place! And since that was my third leg (you have to get three qualifying runs to get a title) I got my first title too!

*Me and my first place ribbon and my TITLE RIBBON!*

Mom and I went in the back and got our pictures taken with my ribbons.

*Me and mom. She said she was very proud of me.*

But then I found out mom had entered us for a 2nd run. Mom called it insurance in case I didn’t qualify in the first run. But it meant waiting all that time all over again until it was my turn!

*I decided I’d take a nap in my crate while we waited.*

GEEZE mom, this is not fun.

But then my breeder, Mama S, showed up and I was sooooo excited to see her. She’s one of my favorite people, right up there with daddy and mom and she came to watch me! And then we waited and waited and waited…and I was soooo bored. Mom tried to keep me occupied but all I wanted to do was nap.

*While we waited mom studied the map of our next run.*

And when it came my turn, finally, I didn’t want to play the game anymore. I decided to protest by not sitting when she asked me to, until she asked four or five times. I also decided I wasn’t going to circle left at all. And I was going to walk reeaaaal slow. So mom had to keep trying to get me to move along.

I found the whole thing totally boring.

*If that comes with a snack I’ll take it!*

Lucky for us the judge was a nice lady and didn’t disqualify us. I think if we weren’t doing beginning rally we would have been kicked right out of the building! But we got an 89 and qualified and even got a third place ribbon (cause there were only 3 of us in that group) and mom was relieved.

We went in the back and got our pictures taken again, even the lady judge posed with me!

And then mom drove us home. We were both very, very tired. Mom and I took a nap when we got home and today mom’s going to go back to the school to watch the obedience trials. She says we’re going to try that next month! She says I can stay home and rest up.

Cause I’m a rock star. Or something.

*Thinking about my strategy for the next time.*

I think I better rest up!

July 4, 2025
by dawnkinster 20 Comments

4th of July 2025

*Penny wishes you all a good, and safe, 4th*

June 29, 2025
by dawnkinster 17 Comments

A little levity

Penny here!

Mom says she has a whole bunch of camping pictures to sort through and she doesn’t have time to post about my day. So I’ll just do it myself. After all, I am the brilliant, beautiful, competent Unstoppable Pretty Penny!

Ahem.

So as you probably know, since you’re all keeping track of my adventures, my school has been out for weeks. Mom is trying to keep up with my training (and if we’re honest, her own training) by herself and with a lot of help from her friend Diane. But let’s be honest. Mom isn’t always consistant, plus she’s been away having fun and taking pictures of stuff that’s not me.

So she was a little uncertain when today rolled around and it was time to go up to Flint and do a Fun Run or three. That’s when mom and I get to do a Rally course like at a Trial but we aren’t judged. It’s just for practice and mom figured we needed lots of practice.

And guess what ? I did three runs, two at the Novice level and one at the Advanced level! Whoo Hoo! Mom asked the ladies running the show if we could try Advanced even though we haven’t trained at that level yet and they said “Sure! Why not?”

*Staying chill while we were waiting for stuff to get started.*

Did you know Advanced Rally is off leash? YES! OFF LEASH! I got to heel along with my mom without being attached to her! WOW! At first I was kinda excited and started to wander off but mom said “HEEL!” in her school voice when I had taken 1.5 steps away from her and I slapped myself back next to her leg. She smiled and I got a piece of cheese. After that it was all fun, I even got to do a jump! I wasn’t sure what it was at first but then she went on the other side and said “JUMP!” and I did, cause I love to jump over stuff at home! This was fun too. I got more cheese.

*I love school cause mom’s a cheese dispenser there.*

So anyway…mom is a happy camper and she hopes we are able to get my very first Rally title in a couple weeks. I say of course I can do it, the quetion is, as it always is, can mom?

*I deserve this nap with my elephant, I worked hard and did good!*

Stay tuned!

June 12, 2025
by dawnkinster 27 Comments

Me and a Weigela

Hey! It’s Penny here!

Mom says she has lots of photos to edit from her trip, but I keep asking her to do stuff with me so she hasn’t had time to mess with those old photos. I did let her edit the images in this post, cause they’re about me and I know how much you all want to see me.

This is mom’s favorite back yard weigela bush. It has three different shades of pink blossoms, that all bloom at once. This was the bush Mom was asking Katie to pose in front of in June of 2022 when she and dad noticed how sad Katie was.

Mom says that’s when she and daddy decided it was time to let Katie’s soul fly free. So when she sees this bush in bloom she always thinks about Katie and that day, and it makes her sad.

But did you see what’s on the bush, just to the left of my right ear? Go ahead and look again. Maybe make the image bigger on your device.

See it?

Yep…a butterfly! Mom had been out taking pictures of it earlier, from a good distance away because she didn’t want to scare it off. And then, when she thought it was gone, she took me out there to get my picture with the blooms, and the butterfly flew right around our heads and settled down eating and drinking.

It wasn’t afraid of us at all!

It stayed out there, flying around near us the entire time Mom was taking my picture. Do you think maybe it was Katie come to visit?

I think maybe it was!

May 24, 2025
by dawnkinster 15 Comments

Sarah and gang

Hey there, it’s me, Penny!

Once again I’m jumping online late at night while my mom snores over there on the sofa. She says if I want to write I should go get my own blog, but I say why do that when she’s already done all the groundwork?

*This is mom’s garden. It might be the reason she’s snoring on the sofa.*

Hey! Did you guys know I have a niece? I sure do! Her name is Sarah and she lives with my Mama S, the lady that delivered me and my four sisters two and a half years ago. My dog mom, Vivian, and her best friend Olivia live there too.

*That’s me on the left, Sarah standing in back, my dog mom Vivian next and then Olivia.*

She’s almost one year old and I love her so much. Last month my mom and dad took me up to Mama S’s house for a playdate with Sarah who is a bundle of energy.

*Sarah loves to chase me, but I’m FAST! She’ll never catch me, no siree!*

All four of us dogs and the three adult people went into the big fenced in back yard to play. Mama S had a bright orange tennis ball that Vivian and Olivia get very excited over.

She’d fling that ball toward the back of the yard and all four of us would chase after it, a few of us (not me) barking wildly the entire time.

I never once got the ball, it was mostly Olivia who did the ball handling, but sometimes one of the other two would get a chance to take it back to Mama S so she’d throw it again.