Penny | Change Is Hard

October 26, 2025
by dawnkinster 25 Comments

Only the sheltie (that’s me) knows

Penny here.

I’ve been very busy, and let me tell you, mom says it’s been a roller coaster ride. I don’t even know what a roller coaster ride is, but I’m pretty sure it’s exciting. Right? I thought so.

*My park trying to scare me. It’s not going to work.*

Anyway, many of you know that I’ve been training in this thing called Rally. Frankly if you ask me there’s not much to it and I don’t know why mom needs all this training. If she paid better attention we could move on to something more fun a lot sooner.

*Me in my basement with all these Rally signs to figure out.*

Basically, she heels around a course and there’s a lot of signs with writing and yellow arrows and red stop signs and stuff and she’s supposed to follow the signs. I go along too, just to make sure she does it right.

Sometimes she reads the signs all wrong. This is not my fault.

Anyway, on Friday we went to a thing called a Trial. I guess it’s a big test to see if mom has learned anything. We were entered in two runs. Mom said she hoped we’d qualify in at least one. We need three qualifying runs to earn a title at whatever level we’re working on. Right now we’re in Intermediate. At that level mom still has to be on a leash because she isn’t reliable yet.

We’re working on it but she’s pretty unpredictable.

Well, Friday we had to wait hours and hours for them to get to Intermediate. No exaggeration. When it was finally my turn I was pretty tired of hanging around and I didn’t want to supervise. In the ring I didn’t want to sit when mom asked me. So I stood and stared at her for awhile while she stared back at me and asked me again. Several times. Then I s.l.o.w.l.y lowered my behind. To make my point, you know, that I was in charge.

We ended up qualifying but mom said it wasn’t pretty and the judge lady was very generous. No matter, I was happy, I even got 2nd place!

*These are my ribbons. I am not sharing them with mom.*

The second run was similar to the first only there was more of me staring at her, pretending I had no idea what a ‘sit’ was. A couple of times I decided not to sit at all and mom sighed and moved on. We still qualified, but had an even lower score.

Mom was just relieved we had two legs toward my title.

That was Friday. Mom and I were exhausted. Saturday we were signed up to do a ‘fun run’ at another dog training facility. This is the place I go to school, so mom figured it would be OK.

And even though we were both tired mom packed me up and we went there and did two more runs, during which I showed my displeasure at having been rousted from my bed to follow mom around some more. I mean, if she hasn’t got it by now, I don’t think making me work on it more is going to help, do you?

THEN, Saturday evening is our normal Rally class, and mom packed me up AGAIN and we went to do what is usually a fun class. But I wasn’t having it. I refused to sit AT ALL at ANY SIGN no matter what it or mom said.

Even when she pulled up on my collar or pushed down on my behind, or both.

Today mom is worried because we’re registered in a trial this coming Friday. Mom thought the hard stuff was over because we only need one leg of the two runs we’re scheduled for, and she figured, since it is in my own school, I’d do better.

Now she doesn’t know if we should even go.

Everybody has advice and it’s all different. Mom is just tired. I’m tired too. Mom says she’s going to work on repairing our relationship cause I was pretty mad at her during class last night. She says we’re not going to train this week, we’re just going to hang out together so that I remember I love her. And she loves me.

Don’t tell her, but as she was typing this I got up off the sofa where I had been napping and came and went back to sleep on top of her foot. That’s because I already know I love her and she loves me. But I’ll let her be nice to me this week. It’s important that mom thinks she’s in charge.

As for what I’ll do next Friday? That’s the mystery, isn’t it.

Wordless Wednesday

October 22, 2025 by dawnkinster 17 Comments

October 13, 2025
by dawnkinster 21 Comments

Penny takes a walk

Hey guys, it’s Penny here! Guess what? Mom and I had the best walk ever yesterday! I’d been asking for attention for awhile.

Mostly she told me to go lay down cause she was busy. So I gave her my big pathetic eyes and it worked!

Suddenly mom was packing me up into the back of the car and we were off to parks unknown!

*This is at Davis Lake Overlook Park, or as we call it Katie’s Park II.*

We went to one of Katie’s parks. I had grand plans of taking you somewhere different, somewhere you’d never been before, but mom said I needed to check reality and until I got my own drivers license I was stuck with where she was willing to take me.

Whatever mom.

*Mom got all sentimental. She said Katie sat right here in a beam of light a few years ago.*

Anyway, this is a very hilly and fun park that I love to explore. And we had a beautiful day for it, so I was happy to be there.

*This is a pretty big hill, mom. Are you sure you’re up for it?*

We were looking for autumn color. At least that’s what mom said. I wasn’t at all sure I knew what autumn color was.

*Mom said the early evening light made these leaves on a brand new baby oak tree glow.*

Eventually mom said I shouldn’t worry about it, that she’d find the color for me this year. But she, of course, reminded me that Katie was very good at finding beautiful things for her Walktobers and next year, when I was three, I’d be responsible for my own color search.

*There might be some color over there, mom!*

We’ll see mom. I’m sort of into good smells and not so much into pretty stuff. I’m a different girl, and sometimes mom forgets that.

Anyway, we walked up and down the hills into the deep woods. Mom even tried to turn around once, way before I was ready to go back and I told her no way!

*Mom wanted to turn around, but I vetoed that idea. It’s MY Walktober!*

So she smiled and said, “whatever you want, sweetie,” and we wandered further into the woods. Isn’t my (um, Katie’s) woods beautiful?

*I had such a good time I couldn’t stop smiling!*

There wasn’t much color, but mom figured that’s because of the drought we’ve had. Most of our color is brown. I don’t really see a problem with that, cause most of my color is brown!

On our way back to the car I took mom on a little diversion. A path out into the marshland that’s closed all summer was open and I wanted to go down that path real bad.

*Mom dropped the leash and let me go at my own speed.*

It leads to a small lake which is part of the Shiawasee River (it’s only a stream here) and on the other side of that lake is the backside of our little town. Maybe someday mom will take me on a walk downtown. I know, it’s only got one block, but you never know…right?

*It’s hard to see our little town, way over there.*

Anyway, mom let me walk all by myself down that grassy path toward the lake. Then I figured out she wasn’t attached to me and I lost my confidence. I’m not quite ready to wonder too far from mom yet.

Mom says that’s a good thing.

So that was my unexpeted walk on a beautiful October Sunday afternoon. I’m calling it my official Walktober and I hope you enjoyed Katie’s park and our walk there.

*After my walk. I am a happy, happy girl.*

We look forward to seeing all your Walktobers when mom puts together the recap post in November. In the meantime, link your posts to the Official Walktober Post just like me! You’ve still got plenty of time to get a Walktober in! Walk, skip, hop or drive somewhere, take a picture or two (or more!) and write up a post. We all want to see where you’ve been!

Talk later,

Your park explorer girl, Penny.

October 10, 2025
by dawnkinster 23 Comments

October has been busy!

Penny here. Mom has asked me to remind you all about Walktober. She says she’s too busy. What the heck? SHE’S too busy? Really? Let me tell you a little about my day today.

First off, SHE set the alarm for 6:00 a.m. because, she said, we had important things to do and we needed to get a move on.

Right.

When that alarm went off I opened one eye, gave her one half of the typical sheltie glare, and went back to sleep. She just sighed and went to take a shower. I napped some more until I figured I should make sure she had made my breakfast.

Of course she had not. So I stood outside the bathroom door until she came out and attended to me. You can never assume anything. It’s important to keep on your folks about their responsibilities all the time.

Then the next thing I know I’m in the back of the car and we’re driving and it’s not even light out yet! We ended up at a dog training place about an hour away from home. I wasn’t nervous, cause I’ve been there before.

Mom said we needed to work, even though this was called a “fun match.” It’s a way to practice stuff without being judged. No stress! And guess what? I did all the parts of the beginner obedience without getting any treats! I’ve never done that before.

I did gave mom several dirty looks when I did something perfectly and I didn’t get a treat right away. Mom thought a couple of times that I was going to shut down and refuse to move at all, but I grudgingly went along with the her.

This time.

At least I got a jackpot after I was done! I’m beginning to figure out that there will be a LOT of treats after we’re done, but it’s hard for me to wait that long. I’m more of an immediate gratification kind of girl.

And we got to do some Rally practice too, cause Mom registered me for TWO trials at the end of October, both of them in Rally. Mom took these pictures in the Rally ring after we had done it three times.

I even did a jump all by myself without mom asking me too, when we were practicing Rally off leash. I took off across the ring to jump over that thing, just because I think it’s fun. Mom laughed at me even though I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to do that, but she said I was cute.

AND THEN…Mom took me to my regular Friday night fun night walk where I meet up with other dogs and we walk around places with distractions to get us used to scary things like other dogs or loud trucks. We walk in downtowns and parks and stuff. Tonight we went to a small town about 10 miles away from home.

*There were people everywhere dressed in strange things!*

Apparently they were doing some Halloweed festival and the town was full of people dressed up as witches and goblins and lords and stuff. I thought it was kinda scary. There was loud music and noisy cars and lots of little kids.

We walked up one side of town and down the other. It took us a very long time cause people kept wanting to pet me. I didn’t like many of them, they looked weird! A lot of little kids pet me too, some of them were OK, but after awhile mom just told everybody I didn’t want to be petted cause I was getting too nervous.

Mom said it was a lot for me and she’s not sure she’d take me there again, even though she thought it was kind of neat and she might go without me next year.

I think that would be fine. I could use a nap!

*Notice my ears are down. I was not happy.*

ANYWAY, this is all to say I don’t know why mom can’t remind you about Walktober herself. I’m just as busy as her. But she says she’s having trouble downloading photos from her camera and her Walktober pictures are in there.

AND I have to remind her that we haven’t even GONE on MY Walktober walk yet! So we have a lot to do before the end of the month. Maybe you do too, but we hope you find some time to do a walk or a ride or whatever you plan to do, write a post and link it to The Official Walktober Post.

Mom says in early November she’ll pull it all together. I told her she has more than the Walktober post to pull together! But that’s another post.

Your exhausted friend, Penny

September 25, 2025
by dawnkinster 60 Comments

Official Walktober Post

Hey! It’s official! It’s time to stand up, step out, get going, and plan your walk or drive or skip or hop or swim or jog for this year’s Walktober!

*These guys get overlooked all the time.*

Take us somewhere that you love to go, or somewhere you’ve never been before. Tell us (and show us with pictures if you can) about it and why you’re happy you went, or why you’re disappointed in your chosen place. Do you think we should stop and visit it if we’re ever in the neighborhood?

Tell us all your hopes and dreams. OK…maybe that’s too much information, but tell us about your adventure, where it is and what it’s like, and then link it to this post.

Early in November I’ll assemble a post with links to all of your posts, and then everyone can come along on your walk, hop, jump, skip…well….you get the idea.

*Common yellowthroat. I waited a long time for him to come pose for me.*

So let’s set the official Walktober dates, OK? Because if you’re like me you’ll let it go until the last minute or you’ll forget about it all together if there aren’t specific dates. Right? Right!

*Mama deer taking a break from parenting. Her youngster is to the left behind the trees.*

So how about our official Walktober kick off on October 1 (who will be our first entry?) and end by October 31? That gives us the entire month of October to get outside and enjoy ourselves. I hope you all have at least one perfect day.

*A bluejay lets his friends know about the treats down below.*

I have a concert to play on the 28th, and dog rally trials on the 24th and 31st, so I’m really busy at the end of the month. I better not wait to get my Walktober done!

The pictures in this post, except the last one, are all from a walk I took a few weeks ago at my favorite bird park, Kensington, with an updated Nikon camera, focus set to latch onto birds eyes.I was pretty happy with it.

*You just know he’s going for the peanut.*

If you have questions about Walktober let me know. I’ll get back to you as quick as I can.

Meanwhile, Ms. Penny is giving serious consideration to where she would like to take you for her version of Walktober. She invites any other dogs (or cats or birds or lizards!) to go on a walk and tell us all about it too. She thinks hopping or skipping would be too hard and she doesn’t have a drivers license.

She says it’s not that difficult to hyjack your mom or dad’s blog.

*This is one option, mom, but I’d like to take the folks somewhere more exotic.*

She does it all the time. She says parents are so gullible.

September 5, 2025
by dawnkinster 29 Comments

Teaser

My sister and I spent four nights camping somewhere not here, but not where we thought we’d be either.

It worked out well, and I have, of course, many photos to share of this place not here.

But Penny is demanding time with her mom so I’m off to do that. Which, I suppose, warrents a post too.

So much to do, so little time.

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.

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: Penny

Only the sheltie (that’s me) knows

Wordless Wednesday

Penny takes a walk

October has been busy!

Official Walktober Post

Teaser

Camping objectives

Wordless Wednesday

Penny says