Roadtrip & Other Ramblings

We are off on another trip to Idaho.  Just the two of us...Brynn and me. 

We are attending the Patrick Shannahan / Dianne Deal Novice Handlers clinic this weekend. 

We need it.  While Brynn looks great....

....I need some help.   The month since she has been home from Dianne has been rocky.  Brynn is awesome, but my insecurities in handling and my overwhelming fear I am going to 'break' Brynn has been shadowing the fun we should be having. 

Most days we work have been going really well.  I have been trying to keep it light and fun, yet work on the basics.

The weekend of the 1st John and I attended a fantastic novice handling clinic at Sue MacDonalds.  She took us through the basics of trials.  Then we each ran a novice course with Sue looking over and giving us tips every step of the way. 

John experienced penning for the first time. 

Wow, those sheep look cooperative

Uhhh...John.  Beth is up and moving...watch your dog!

The expression on his face is priceless

Not sooooo easy now huh?  Around, around they go...where they stop no one knows!

Giving it another try....almost there

Oops....John, look behind you. 

I felt his pain.  My pens didnt go much better that day.  The clinic was fantastic.  We both really enjoyed it. 

If you would like to see some really bad pictures I shot at the clinic click here EWESFUL ACRES HANDLING CLINIC

Beth has come leaps and bounds since her time with Dianne.  She is a driving maniac.  She is learning how to work with John.  It is still very difficult to see her look at me with those sad eyes when I go out in the field with Brynn.  My heart breaks a little... 

 Bonnie continues to amaze me.  She has really surprised Sue too.  I dont know what light bulb switched on in her brain, but something changed.  Could it have been all the work we did for the CGC?  I don't know for sure. 

I am gradually lengthening her outruns and we have started driving a smidgen.  She is going to be one of those dogs that prefers to drive. 

I am so proud of the progress she has made.  She is proud of herself too and isn't afraid to let everyone know. 

My heart smiles when I see pictures like this

I can forget all about any stress in my life

Dogs are great that way...

Happy and joyful

Joyful and happy

No obstacle seems to high for a dog

In my next life...I want to be a dog

I want to be a spoiled border collie. 

Uhn, I cant think of anything to say for this picture.  Can you? 

Ranger can't either...

Have a great weekend! 

Ranger Reports on Cover Shoot

Hiya, this is Ranger.  I wanted to tell you about my trip to Couer d'Alene, Idaho where they shot the cover for Dr. Marty Becker's new book that will be coming out next year, "Your Dog: The Owners Manual".

Since I am a prime specimen of doghood I was selected to be on the cover with two other fine examples, Quixote and Henry.

Quixote is Dr. Becker's nice little dog.  He didn't like me much because I kept trying to get him to play with me.  He was very serious about the photo shoot and told me he thought I was a big black and white goober.  

Henry brought his mom and dad with him all the way from Montana for this shoot.  They had a longer drive than us.  Henry is a one year old golden retriever.  He was fun even though he didn't like me bonking him in the butt with my nose all the time.  I just wanted to play! 

Because Henry is so young he had some problems with sitting still.  Quixote scared him too. He liked Dr. Becker but wasn't all that happy being close to Quixote.  Quixote was nice to him, but Henry was being  freaky-deaky about it.  That is normal for a young whippersnapper.

So his mom took good care of him.  Her name was Jill.  Henry loves Jill. 

Henry brought his dad Curtis with him too.  The night before at dinner Mom said Jill and Curtis made them all laugh so hard her face hurt.  Dr. Becker gave my mom and Jill copies of some of his books.  (picture snagged from Dr. Becker's Facebook page)

They left us dogs in the car when they ate dinner with Dr. Becker & Mikkel.   I don't think that is fair.  Dogs should be able to go into human restaurants.  Just think of all the food they wouldn't have to throw away!  

The next day there were a lot of people there for the photo shoot.  It was done at Quicksilver Commercial Photography 

The photographers were Dustin Weed and Joel Riner.  Here they are pictured with Dr. Becker.  Dustin is on the left, Joel on the right.  (another picture snagged from Dr. Becker's Facebook page). 

People were doing things like straightening ties and stuff. 

Dr. Becker was cool and nice the whole time.  My mom said he had a contagious positive attitude.  He was fun, I liked him.

Dr. Becker's daughter Mikkel was there with her baby daughter, Reagan.  I liked them too.  I licked the baby's head.  She smelled funny, but I liked it.  Bonnie liked her too.

Dustin was fun.  He liked dogs.  He had some at home too. 

I liked the photographer, Joel Riner, because he was nice and patient.  He made lots of squeaky sounds before flashes.  I liked looking at him. I tried to bonk his laptop with my nose a couple of times.  My mom kept me from knocking the computer off the little table.  Joel looked kinda scared a couple of times but he petted me lots. 

My mom liked his camera.  I saw her drooling a couple of times. 

The whole shoot was kinda crazy!  (another picture from Dr. Becker's Facebook page)  We took lots of breaks when we got to play with our toys.

We needed breaks because it was hot under the lights.

I would hold my stay, then Henry would leave.  His mom would come back and put him down.  Then sometimes I got up and walked away. 

But the photographer, Joel,  was really good and he got lots of excellent pictures.  The pictures in this blog were taken by Dustin.   He was nice to take these pictures with my mom's camera.  He told my mom he would be happy to take her camera off her hands.  My mom laughed at him. 

There was lots of running around all for one shot.

They would be in our faces shoving treats down our snouts. Then bam, just like that they say STAY and would fly backward at the photographer...then FLASH the big lights went off.

I was a good boy and held my stays for a long time.

Toward the end I started to get tired.  It is hard work to hold stay after stay for 3 hours.  Not to mention a young boy like Henry. 

My mom was proud of me. 

She told me so lots of times. 

Dr. Becker held his stays the longest. 

My mom told Dr. Becker he was a good boy and tried to give him a treat too.

The whole morning was fun.  I was happy to be chosen and liked meeting everyone.  My mom said she cant wait to see the book.  It will be a must have for any dog owner.  Just look at the handsome crew that will be on the cover. 

The best part of the whole day was the ice cream cone I got on the way home.... and the TOYS!  Dr. Becker gave us a whole bunch of Kong, Planet Dog and Orbee toys.  My mom was smiling the whole way home.

It was a good time, new friends and lots of excellent memories. 

Thank you Dr. Becker and Gina! 

Photo Shoot Video

We are home from our trip to Coeur d'Alene for the book cover photo shoot with Dr. Marty Becker & friends. 

This is just a quick post because I am heading out to do a photo session this afternoon and need to get my equipment together.  I will do a more detailed about our trip later this evening. 

I cannot convey how very proud I am of Ranger. 

You can see from watching the video posted by Dr. B how many distractions there were.  The dogs all handled them with ease and a cheerful wag of the tail.  Considering the stress they went through to get there, the traveling, staying in a strange place over night, new people, sights, sounds, baby crying, flashing lights...Ranger remained happy and relaxed. 



More later!  

Bad Busy Blogger

I have so many things to write about.

I want to tell you about the handlers clinic we went to this weekend at Sue MacDonalds.  How John experienced the trials and tribulations of penning with Beth.  How I experienced the trials and tribulations of penning with Brynn.   I have a whole photographic journey through this clinic to share.  But first I need to have time to sit down and go through all the pictures I shot..and of course right after I dig myself out of the huge hole of self pity I buried myself in.  

I could tell you about taking portraits of the kids.

Perhaps you could empathize with my pain.

The things one must go through to get them to cooperate.  The threats of pain, smashed video games, broken bones...all fall on deaf ears if it means you get to spit on your sibling.  That is worth any amount of punishment to befall you later. 

Unless your someone really does post them on the internet like she said she would.  HA HA!  Next time don't spit on each other while I am taking your pictures. 

Logical consequences...I am just sayin'

I could be telling you how shooting pictures of teenagers makes you want to hide under a log

Like Ranger does...

Eventually I will tell you about working dogs today and Friday at Cindy's.  The progress that has been made...and lost.

I ride the sheep herding short bus. <-------glaring example of self pity

You have heard about Big Hats and Little Hats right?  Well I am a Dumb Hat.  Yep, that is me (more self pity).  

I am glad my dogs love me regardless of my hat status.

It is cuz I give them food.  And scratch their itches, kiss them all over and spoil them more than my kids.

Oh crap...I am one of those freaky dog people.

I have a whole post planned on nothing but tongues.  Dog tongues.  Yep...written by your resident freaky dog person.  Betcha cant wait eh?

Oh yeah...I forgot to tell you all about the photo shoot I did of a lovely young woman and her horse.

I could look at this horse all day. 

I will tell you all about it soon. 

Soon...Sometime around 2015 I think.