Canine Country Campin'

Last week, my crew and I had the opportunity to return for dog camp, the "Canine Country Camp" at Glen Highland Farm! (Yes I know we were just there a month ago for a Getaway!) A blast was had by all – a really great group of dog-minded folk and their dogs coming together for a week of learning and play!



Camp was full of border collies and Aussies this year! Love those kooky herders... Met some folks from last year’s camp and also got to chat more with the flyball and agility instructors teaching at Camp.

Molly received a novice agility award! (Ok that really gives me some serious motivation to continue the agility fun with both Molly and Ben.) Ben got some accolades from fellow campers about his ability to chill out and look so peaceful. I started to call him Zen Ben and snapped an appropriate photo:


And a few more pics from camp...

Old dog, new tricks

I’ve written about my bestest boy before, who turned 10 this past May. It’s a lovely thing that even after all this time, that dog can still surprise me.

On vacation at Glen Highland Farm, my sister and I worked with Molly, Josey and Lucas on agility equipment. Josey and Lucas were new to the fun and after a lot of encouragement and tasty tidbits, we soon had Josey jumping hoops and hurdles and working the dogwalk. She was a natural! Lucas found other dogs more interesting, so often he was running the fence line with the rescue dogs. I re-introduced Molly to the tunnels and hurdles. On a water break, I looked at Ben who was very interested in the jerky bits that Josey and Molly had been receiving. Hmmm, I wondered if Ben would give agility a whirl. I led him to the dogwalk and he enthusiastically followed the trail of treats I set out for him. Up and across and down. Whoa! I was so thrilled and proud of my boy. “Never mind the praise,” he seemed to say to me, “Gimme jerky.” So he got jerky and we repeated the exercise a few more times.


Not a big deal you think? Oh it was a big deal! Not a toy dog, Not a ball dog. Not athletic like the others. Ben is my laid-back boy. He is my I’ll-take-my-good-ol-time-smell-the-flowers-hangin-out-I’ll-get-back-to-you dog. He moves slow and deliberately – not because he’s older – but because he takes time to observe and consider things, like the feathery green grass beneath him as he makes his way back to me after I call him. I could swear he looks at the tufts of grass, so soft underfoot, sighing, content and then looking off to the right to smell the patch of flowers as he passes them. He’s like that. He’s on his own time and schedule. Like an islander on islander time. And you gotta love it. I just never thought he would be interested in trying agility.


Ben did the hurdles too, I even got him over the A-frame a couple times. But he just loved the dogwalk. Over and over. He smiled every time he went across. We practiced every day during that week. I didn’t have to lay out treats for him anymore, I just praised him and met him at the end with a piece o' jerky. Once he was making his way across, halfway there, I got distracted by Lucas. When I turned back to Ben he was still on the dogwalk, in the same place, looking at me. If he could have tapped his foot at me, I’m sure he would have done so. It was only then when he saw that I was paying attention again and watching him, he continued on happily, pleased, meandering the rest of the way to meet me at the end. Tons of praise. Pride for my boy.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. Does mean that I underestimate him? I suppose he does often get overshadowed by the more outgoing, active and spontaneous Molly. Add to that for the week, the California pups, young Lucas and cuddly Josey. But oh do I love Ben’s quiet unassuming demeanor. And Ben on the dogwalk? He wanted me to see him again. To show me “Hey! I can do that too! Look at me!"


Thanks little buddy for reminding me that you can teach an old dog, new tricks. But I have to laugh because I’m not sure who taught who.

Resident Meteorologist

This is Josey, my brother in law's 5-year old BC rescue... a beauty! She's part of the West Coast Set with Lucas. Josey warms up to people nicely (a super high pitched voice helps) and is a super cuddler. She has the art of the elbow nudge down to a science. Unlike Lucas, Josey doesn't harbor much, if any, curiosity at other dogs. This little girl is the worrying type, and like a lot of BCs, very noise sensitive. Which is peculiar because, well, this girl is noisy. And that to me is funny because I found one of the most endearing qualities about Josey is that she loves to bark.



I could hear my sister say "Are you freakin' crazy?" So yes, barking can be extremely annoying. Bark.. hmmm that is not quite a strong enough word... barkscreaming, yes! But it's the way she does it... while staring up at the sky. Looking up, checking things out and feverishly barking - clearly on a mission to be heard.

During our week at the Farm there were frequent, dramatic and very sudden passing t-storms. I was informed that storms like these do not happen in Sacramento. Josey was used to sunny blue California skies, so she was very keen on letting anyone within earshot know that something was not right up above.



Ominous dark grey blanket of storm clouds to the west. Thunderhead clouds at the horizon. Low quick moving gray clouds moving southeast. Distant rumbling. Flashes of light. Uh oh. There she goes... tense, pacing, on alert. On edge.


Enter fits of high-pitched barking. Circling, pacing, Josey faces us, wild-eyed, exchanging glances at us and up at the sky. All the while barkscreaming. Loudly. Let me translate:

"Don't you see, the clouds are coming? The clouds are coming! Oh no, we just GOTTA hurry up, this doesn't look good, let's GO now, come on, faster now! Let's go, don't you SEE? I'm showing you! The clouds are coming! The clouds are coming! Look! Oh shiz, did you hear THAT, oh no we gotta go, hurry let's go, that was thunder! Eek! THUNDER! And oh no, yup I saw lightning, tell me you saw that, oh gosh we gotsta go right NOW!"

Repeat until trail walk commences and all people and dogs are indoors. (At this point you hear nary a peep from Josey who is now hiding under the bed.) The clouds and thunder and lightning could be miles away or bearing down upon us, or may even be just a passing front. Whatever the weather Josey, would let us know if something was looming. We got in the habit of looking up whenever she did, er, whenever she told us to. And sure enough, inclement weather on the way. Sometimes we made it free and clear to cover, sometimes not. In those instances Josey was barking something a bit different as we got soaked in a downpour:

"Ohhhh you seeeeee.... I told you! The clouds! The CLOUDS! Can we get a move on now? Let's go! Now! I told you! Faster now, let's go! I am getting soaked!"

Here at the Farm for that week, Josey officially became our "Resident Meteorologist." Looking back at all the photos from the trip, I chuckle, because in many shots I catch Josey staring at the sky, studying movement, tracking the weather, in search of those less threatening blue skies.

"Mother Hen"

That's Lucas on the left (West coast dog. Boisterous. Curious. A yearling.) And Molly on the right (East coast dog. Authoritative. Patient. Mature.) Buddies.

My sister, her husband and I were all curious to see how the meeting of Molly and young Lucas would go down. From past experience with other younger dogs, I expected Molly to be the disciplinarian. Lucas, the juvenile that he is, and very curious, is still learning a few things. He doesn’t quite know how to greet other dogs "politely" and so nips and barks and snaps and growls can erupt on both sides.

At the start, Molly and Lucas were at odds. Lucas, with a lot of barking and lunging and Molly totally not impressed and definitely not pleased. I could tell my sis was upset that they weren’t getting along, but her hubby and I kept reassuring her that they will work it out. Within 2 hours of being together, Molly had Lucas pinned belly up. She was growling and lip curling and Lucas was madly barking and screaming, but no biting. As soon as it started it was over and Molly (and we) got the reaction we were waiting for… Lucas got up, crouched, head low, nuzzled Molly in her neck. A beginning! Over the next couple hours if Lucas approached her in a manner too forward for her liking, she would curl her lip and stomp forward and he would back off.

Later on in the day, we 3 humans and 4 canines were having fun on the agility equipment. Suddenly... an outburst of barking by Lucas, then high pitched squealing. We convened on the sight of Molly and Lucas and we could not help but laugh. There was no flying fur, no bloodshed. Just Molly and Lucas. Lucas was laying on his side helplessly wailing as Molly sat there, ON him. Read again… She was sitting. On. Him. Molly would turn her head to stare at him and curl her lip.


When he didn't 'get it' she would snarl and show her teeth.

And she did not let up until he stopped making noise and struggling to get free. The moment he was quiet, she slowly sat up and released him. But not without throwing a dirty look his way.


From that moment on, Lucas and Molly never had a ‘situation’ again. In fact, Lucas really liked Molly. He started to follow her on trails, and they trotted shoulder to shoulder. Lucas looked for her all the time and greeted her respectfully whenever they met – lowered head, a lick on the muzzle. They had made nice-nice!


Playing nicely, chasing, running, in the water in the meadow, through the woods. They greeted other doggies together. Maybe Molly was giving Lucas tips?


They even slept on the same couch together. I know, right? Awwww!

Molly like a good mama, knew how to set Mr. Lucas straight. That's my “Mother Hen.” And you know what is funny… she knows she did good.