Tell Me Thursday #7

It is time for Crooks & Crazies Tell me Thursday once again.  A welcome reprieve to coming up with a blog post all on my own.  A rare occurrence these days, what with sheep, dogs and summertime to enjoy.






1. What five things can't you live without? 

• Our children

• My husband (on a good day, bad days replace this bullet with SHEEP)

• My dogs

• Cotton underwear big enough to sail a boat - no thongs or Victoria's Nightmares here, just good old fashioned grannie panties - yep.  Nothing compares for comfort or to cover a overly large bootaaaah. 

• Powder (I am a powder addict, I love body powder, scented powders, deodorant powders, corn starch...any powder, I love it. Most likely I will die of some powder induced lung disease.)

2. How do you transport your dogs? 

• I have a Ford Freestyle.   I love my car.  It is a cross over utility vehicle, or what we used to call a station wagon.  It seats seven.  I have folded down the third row of seats and put two crates there.  We are in the process of building a platform for the crates to sit on with drawers underneath for storage.  When I need to to have four crates I fold down the middle row of seats and can get two more medium sized crates there.  If I really cram them in there I can fit 5 crates total, when desperate.  If I have to take all the dogs with me (short trips to river or field to play) I stuff Bea & Brynn in one crate.  Ranger & Bonnie together in another and Beth is the princess, she is loose in the back seat with the kids. 

3. What role does obedience play in your training or running of your dog(s)? 

• I taught Brynn how to sit, lie down, stay, perch work & target.  She knows how to speak and a have worked on impulse control & balancing a toy on her head.  - nothing else that I can think of.  I think the little bit of off-sheep training has helped develop our relationship but other than that, I dont think it has made a difference one way or another on sheep. 

• Beth has the full range of obedience from her former drug detection training & agility training when we first adopted her - but she forgets all of it if there are any distractions - the obedience has helped her with impulse control on sheep - however I think it is the basis of her petulant, passive/aggressive behavior on sheep - to some degree.  

• Bonnie has had all her obedience training and several Rally-O classes, CGC & service dog certification.   When we work on sheep she heels, and I have a very hard time getting her to leave my side to go after the sheep.  I wish I would NOT have done so much obedience training with her before she went on sheep - personally I think it messed her up a bit.  We won't talk about her lack of talent or drive, I prefer to blame the obedience training, mmmmkay?  

• Ranger can do everything except herd sheep, so it is a moot point with him.  

• I have not taught Bea how to do anything other than recall (that'll do), stay behind me when I am walking (sometimes), loose leash walking (sometimes), lie down, sit, target with her nose, we are working on a stay and some impulse control (waiting for release to eat her food etc).  Other than that she jumps up on me all the time and her manners are non existent. But she gives the best hugs in the world. She goes to Dianne Deal for training in a couple of months.  I don't want to mess her up or put a bunch of pressure on her for things that don't really matter to me. 

4. At what point do you start putting commands on your dogs? 

• I cant really answer this, as Dianne started Brynn for me.  She will also start Bea.  Until I am confident I will not ruin a young dog I will let a professional help me with the all important foundation.  The only 'command'  I have put on Bea is "that'll do". 

5. Do you talk to strangers in elevators? 

• Typically...no, I take the stairs.  I hate elevators & avoid tall buildings.  If I am on a high enough dose of anti-anxiety meds I will sing, dance and strip for strangers, or so I am told.  I have no memory of this and as far as I am concerned it never happened.