Hokey's "official photo" & a great present

We got the digital file for Hokey's official CDX title photo today - Kurtis Photography. I figure he looks great and the judge and I at least look decent!

Hokey is also lucky to be part of a very supportive family - the Sensation Terv family. We got accolades from all his relatives. Then, today, from his favorite sister, T, Hokey got a GREAT toy! He loves the "wubbas". This one is a cute fox and has a great squeak. The one problem will be keeping it away from the other dogs.

Deb E

OH yeah, LOVE my sister T! Her humans are pretty darn nice too :). And their taste in dog toys is fabulous! I consider this to be all mine so I may have to hide it from the other dogs - especially those sneaky Aussies. I feel like the song from the Lion King - "It is good to be king!"

Hokey

Hokey continues on his road to excellence!

On Saturday morning, up in Amherst NY (near Buffalo) the Western Lakes Training Club was holding obedience trials. I drove up the night before and stayed at a Motel 6 with Hokey and Kate's Aussie, Tia. Both dogs were entered in Open A.

In the morning, our judge was Diana McKienzie - lovely woman from Canada. Hokey ended up going first to separate Tian and Hokey. It was not pretty but he was qualifying going into the stays. The dog next to him got up and looked around during the Long Down but then laid back down. He stayed and qualified - finishing his CDX and taking second place!

Tia did her best work ever and was qualifying going into stays as well but laid down with 20 seconds left, so she nq'd. I had told Hokey he never had to do Open again (except next Sunday at Interclub) so he was done! Tia went back in the afternoon and was terrible so she was "removed".

It was great to see a bunch of freinds that I only run into at obedience trials and many, many local friends had great successes. A special tip of the hat to Barb Handelsman who took 4th with her St. Poodle in a very tough Novice B class. This was Barb's first time back in the obedience ring after a 16 year hiatus! And to Pam Cox and Schuyler who pulled off two qualifying runs in Utility A back to back!

Hokey got a double cheeseburger on the way home to celebrate and we had steak yesterday so he got a bunch of that too :). Coming on what is very close to his one year anniversary of his diagnosis of lymphoma, this is even more special. And best of all, he is still feeling fine and in remission.

Deb E

Oh yeah, who, who, who was THE dog?!! Hokey, Hokey, Hokey! Tia fell flat on her face (lying down with 20 seconds to go - how lame!) and *I* was the star! Deb was trying to be cool but she definitely had trouble. Mt double cheeseburger was excellent and the steak yesterday was a nice touch too. Oh, and I got to choose a toy for a prize so I picked out a tiger stripe fuzzy squeaky. It is mine, all mine! Ooooh, and a stunning dark blue and gold title rosette to go along with my red rosette for 2nd place! Yep, I AM the dog!

When my official photo comes in I plan to share it with all of you.

Hokey, now known as Sensation Coyote Heart Dance CDX VST HSAsd RAE AX AXJ XF plus obedience, rally, herding and tracking titles in other venues

Duckling sort of a day

Whew! The ducklings are growing like weeds - or maybe even faster! Today I moved them down to the barn - with an ex-pen in a stall and a cover just in case Firecracker, our barn cat, thought duckling might taste good. He has never bothered the ducks but since these guys don't have a mama duck with them I want to be safe.

I then put them out for about an hour in the smaller pen inside the big duck pen. That way they can become acquainted with the older ducks and vice versa. Since everyone was safely confined, I went off to hang laundry.

When I came back down to move Pip and Squeak back into the barn, I realized that Pip, the tan duckling, had squeezed under the fence in one area and was in with the big ducks! Luckily, no one had gone after him.

The main duck stall inside is smaller than the outside pen so I don't want to mingle them until the ducklings have some more size. Just in case anyone gets territorial!

Never a dull moment!

Deb E

From Hokey - I don't know why she was worried. I LOVE ducks and I would have guarded the babies. (Editorial comment here - he would have, he does love herding the ducks and he is great with them.)

I am working at my obedience. I really like the retrieving and the jumping but the heeling is kind of boring. Deb has promised if I just hold it together one more time at a trial and pass I can stop ever doing this. She says we will work on Utility which is all fun. I hope she is right. I also get a double cheeseburger when I get that last Open A leg!

I track too. We are working on TDX out in the fields and woods which is also fun. I sometimes get distracted in the woods but I am working on it. Deb says when I get my TDX I will get a double cheeseburger AND a steak since that would be my CT (Champion Tracker). Good thing *I* don't feel any pressure!

Busy summer!!!

Boy this has been a busy summer! Making Tom's concerts at Eastern US Music Camp at Colgate University, doing agility and obedience, training in tracking and moving Kate back to Cornell, this time to an apartment with Queezle!
Hokey has continued to do well - even adding his second CDX leg with a first place! Best of all, he feels good and has stayed in remission so far. The end of September will mark one year since his diagnosis.
We have two new family members - Pip and Squeak - ducklings who hatched here. Unknown sex, but they "seem" like boys to me! Pip is the tan one and Squeak is the multi colored one. They are growing daily but at two weeks of age are still too small to join the adult ducks. No female claimed them so they are living in the back room at this time :)

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