A QQ drought ends... finally.

The last time Piper and I had a QQ was back in April... a very long time ago in the world of agility. If I wasn't making handling mistakes, Piper was dropping bars.  This past weekend, we came close twice, but on Friday, he dropped the a bar at the first jump in JWW after qualifying in Standard. On Saturday, he off-coursed in JWW after qualifying again in Standard. I was rather disheartened and upset with my handling and our performance as a team. I was not going to go back on Sunday... but I did. Good thing too... Piper earned QQ #12 and we ended our dry spell. He even did it with placements! WOOT!

Not to be overlooked, Seeker finished 2 titles and earned 2 QQs of his own... MXJ and XF have now been added to his accomplishments. He needs a bit over 100 points and 14 QQs for his MACH.

Here's to hoping the QQ rain continues...

Dogs of the past... Gage

Oh my sweet Gage... He was my salvation after all the horrible things that happened with Lyric. I wasn't even sure that I wanted another Border Collie, but one look at his darling puppy face made me rethink that. He was ADORABLE and I was in love! At that time in my personal life, I was undergoing some major changes. My parents had decided that they wanted to retire soon (didn't happen right away) and I needed to find a job as my Dad wanted to sell the business. I was okay with that as his business was 7 days a week, 14 hours a day. Not for me... So I went back to something I knew earlier in my life... Emergency Medical Service. And this is where Gage's name comes from.... He was named after a TV character on the 70's show Emergency! and I thought (and still do think) that Randy Mantooth was the bomb. Lol! More about him later... So Gage it was and it suited him perfectly.  A little quirky, fun-loving, handsome and sweet, he was Johnny Gage in a furcoat. The one ear up, one ear out to the side just added to his personality and cuteness factor. He helped me heal from all the trauma we had endured with Lyric.

He was an active puppy and at about 7 months of age, he starting limping consistently on his right front leg. He was diagnosed with OCD in his shoulder and would need surgery to repair it. He also had a retained testicle which required him to be neutered as well. We were referred to a specialty clinic in OH for his surgery. And I am so sorry that we went there... Something drastic happened during Gage's surgery and they did their best to hide it. But one look at his bill and we knew something was up. Being in EMS, I know first line cardiac drugs when I see them. All we were told was that "his heart slowed down a bit" during surgery. Not likely with the meds that were used on him. Somehow, Gage's brain lacked oxygen at some point. We gave them a bright 9 month old Border Collie puppy and got back something much less... Even though we knew he had surgery, something just wasn't right with him now. His personality and capacity for learning had changed. Within 3 months, he had his first seizure... These would plague him the rest of his life.

At 14 months, we almost lost him to acute hemorrhagic gastritis. But through all of this, he remained sweet and sunny, always a tail wag or smile for everyone he encountered. I'd like to say that all was well from then on, but it wasn't. He had a chronic problem with his tummy and diarrhea which was partially solved by yogurt and enzymes. It would be years later that he would be diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. We spent a great deal of time trying different food and med combinations on him. He ate rocks and other things which didn't help matters either.

Learning frustrated him, so I stopped trying. He was happy just being Gage. He was content to hang out and just be with us. He loved his floppy frisbees. He was not your typical Border Collie in energy or activity level. But that made him a GREAT therapy dog. It took us 3 times to pass the test because although he had the temperament, he just didn't have the skills. He barely passed the last time because he just couldn't do the stay away from me. The tester moved me a bit closer, probably feeling bad that this was our 3rd time trying, and he managed to stay there JUST long enough. I cried when I was told he passed. This was finally something he and I could do together. Something none of the other dogs did. He wasn't an athlete or herding dog. This would be his place to shine.

Shine he did... He so enjoyed visiting nursing homes and their residents. It was not long after that I had heard of dogs being used as "reading dogs" for children with reading disabilities. This was tailor-made for Gage. He adored kids and they him. I found a willing teacher in the school district I attended when I was younger. We got the principal on board and the "Read To Me" program was born. He so enjoyed going to school to see "his" kids. He worked with one group from the time they were 2nd graders. He was a calming presence in the room... not judging, just enjoying being read to, hugged, brushed and kissed. I was pleased that the kids felt as if I was just an extension of Gage and they were comfortable with me too. Sometimes, the kids were inhibited with adults, but with Gage, I was no longer an adult... I was Gage's mom and that was okay.

Gage was also a huge comfort to my mom when she became sick. Several times a week, I would bring him down with me to her house to visit her. He loved his time with Grandma. My mom adored, as she called him, "the lop-eared ginny whimper", and he adored her. We brought him to visit her the day before she passed away. She had become basically unresponsive, but the moment we laid her hand on his black, soft, shiny coat, her eyes opened wide and she smiled, trying to say his name. She passed away in her sleep early the following morning.

In January of 2009, after an ice and snow storm had blanketed us again with a layer of ice underneath the snow, Gage was running across the top of the back yard. His feet slipped out from under him and he came down with his full weight on his right elbow. He laid there crying as my husband got to him and helped him back up. He held the leg in the air and limped back to the house. At first we thought he was just cold and got a stinger. But as he warmed up, I could feel the fracture and my heart sank. My vet was called and off we went. Gage fractured his ulna, about 2 inches from his elbow. My vet decided to try and cast him to give the leg time to heal. But Gage developed complications from this and eventually the fracture came apart again. He was referred to the Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Clinic for surgery.

Dr. Anthony Pardo decided the best course of action would be to pin the fracture. Gage was home the same night. This was also the time that Gage's Angels came about... I had managed to get a credit line with Care Credit for Gage's surgery that covered it and his other medical expenses at PVSEC. It was alot of money but I also knew that we just needed to take one day at a time. Many of my friends new about Gage's plight and about the surgery. As my husband drove down to pick him up after surgery, my friends were calling in their credit card numbers to help with his expenses. When Bob went to pay the bill, it was significantly less, but we had no idea what had happened until we took him back for a re-check. That's when we were told that friends had contributed funds towards Gage's bills. Gage's Angels was born. I couldn't have asked for any greater gift than my friends and their love for us and a little black and white Border Collie.

After several months of rehab and healing, Gage was doing fairly well. He was back to doing therapy and reading visits and thoroughly enjoying life. But a bit over a year after his fall, he came up lame again. He was diagnosed with an infection in his elbow. After two courses of antibiotics, he was still painful and limping. Dr. Pardo is a wonderful, caring vet and surgeon. He examined Gage and had a grave look on his face. He said he hoped he was wrong, but he thought he knew what the problem was... Gage had a nerve root tumor going to his spinal cord. He carefully probed his right shoulder and could feel a very small mass. Without a CT scan, which Gage couldn't have because of a heart murmur he developed, he couldn't be certain, but he was about 95% sure that this was what was wrong.

I take Dr. Pardo very seriously. He told us what to expect and we cried half the way home. If this is what it was, the cancer could progress quickly. It did. This type of cancer is difficult to diagnose and most of the time, it's too late to do anything about it. Most of the time, if it's caught early enough... the treatment is amputation. But usually, the limping is diagnosed incorrectly as an orthopedic problem. But Gage's cancer was already affecting 2 of 3 legs. There was nothing to be done except control his pain. This was in April 2010.

In May, he was able to visit his kids at school one last time. The kids did not know that this would be the last time they visited with their beloved reading partner. I did my level best to fight back the tears in front of the kids. We took pictures and Gage got cuddled, loved, brushed, kissed and hugged. No reading was done that day. At the end of the visit, he was truly tired, but very happy and content. His last job was completed.

By June, we could no longer control his pain and he was maxed out on his pain medications. We made the sad decision to release him from his failing body. On June 9th, the last day of school, Gage went to the Bridge where he is whole and healthy and playing once again. His ashes grace a shelf in the dog room where his therapy tags, bandanna, photos and newspapers articles are also kept.

This school year, Seeker picked up where Gage had left off as a Reading dog... He was working with Gage's kids, now big 5th graders, and they embraced him with the same enthusiasm they did Gage. I had photos of them made from the day of Gage's last visit and the kids treasure them. I was so worried that the kids wouldn't want or like Seeker. But I didn't need to be concerned. Seeker has his own way of being and his enthusiasm for life is just as infectious. And he has Gage by his side...

As I've said before, I believe that dogs come in to our lives for a specific purpose and reason. Gage's lessons were easy... He taught me peace and love all over again. He taught me patience and tolerance. He taught me to laugh at myself and enjoy every moment of life. All valuable lessons... all lessons that I keep with me as I do his love and his memory.

I miss Gage... I miss his comical expression, his concentration as he chased merrily after his flippy, his sweet kisses and snuggles and his easy-going nature. RIP sweet Gagey... and thank you for just being you...

If Gage's story has touched you, please consider giving a donation to the National Canine Cancer Foundation in his memory...


Photo by Cindy Noland... Noland Dog Art

Gem and the sheep...

Little Miss Gem was taken to sheep for the first time last weekend. WHOA NELLIE! She went bananas when she saw them... My friend was working her own dog when I brought Gem to the round pen. She strained at the end of the lead, stood up on her back feet like a meerkat to see over the tall weeds, and barked excitedly. I took her away for the time being.  Ay yi yi...

When it was her turn, she was put on a long line, for her safety and well as the sheep. She wanted so badly to rush in and give chase to these creatures. Nope... however, her wildness made one of the ram lambs exit stage left by crashing the gate. Oh boy... I think I have my work cut out for me. I plan on taking her up again soon and I hope with each exposure, the novelty will wear off. I hope... Video to come...

Dogs of the past... Lyric, a sad tale...

Lyric.. came into my life in 1997 right as my mother-in-law passed away after fracturing her hip. My husband needed the distraction. I had co-owned another dog with friends and that dog, was diagnosed with Addison's Disease. With her having major crises too often and not yet stabilized, my friends decided bringing a new replacement puppy in would be a bad idea. So I offered to raise her through her formative weeks and months and then we would decide what to do.

Lyric, a beautiful, smart, driven blue merle girl jumped in to our lives with all 4 feet. As a puppy, she was problematic and bossy at times, but after having Border Collies for so many years, I felt it was just a phase and that I could train her through the rough spots. The problems were many, and back then I just didn't realize the depth of them. And the escalation of those issues would bring her downfall...

By the time Lyric was 9 to 10 months of age, she had already begun challenging my alpha female for her position. Zoe, a sweet, yet intense, focused dog didn't take her very seriously, nor did I at that time. But in many subtle ways, Lyric began taking over and it wasn't until she was gone, that I realized the horrible impact she had on the other dogs in the family. 

Lyric was a natural, gifted athlete and talent. She was a dream dog on sheep and picked up agility exercises with abandoned fearlessness. She was easy to train. but was beyond overly attached to me. To the point of severe separation anxiety. It wasn't until much later that we found out the Lyric's mother had come from a BC puppy mill breeder down south. This would be a major factor in the events to come. As easy to train as she was, she was becoming increasingly difficult to live with at home. She was bossy and bratty, but rarely showed that side to me. All I heard were the complaints from my husband about her behavior and attitude. Unfortunately one day, I finally got the message. I had Lyric at an agility class. I put her on a sit-stay to do a lead-out and she broke. She did this time and time again and I patiently put her back in the sit where I had left her. Because I was not allowing her to do as she wanted, her frustration level exploded and as I sat her for the 7th time, she leaped straight up and bit my face, drawing blood. I was shocked at the second it happened, but then I grabbed her by the collar and put her down. As my lip and cheek bled, I connected a leash and took her straight to the van and home. It was that day that her behavior began spiralling out of control.                                                                                                                                                      

By the time Lyric was 2 1/2 years old, she was strong, muscular and becoming increasingly more dog aggressive as time went on. She was controlling the house like a sadistic drill Sergeant and had the other members of the household walking on eggshells... all but pack leader Duncan. He did his level best to keep a lid on Lyric's behavior. We honestly didn't realize the scope of it until it was almost too late. She respected him and didn't push Duncan in anyway. In return, he gave her respect, but even that wasn't enough for her.

On May 31, 2000, I had the dogs out in the yard to potty before I took Lyric to agility class. On that fateful day, and for reasons unknown, Lyric unprovoked, attacked and almost killed Zoe in the yard. It took me and broom and every ounce of courage I could muster to get Lyric to release Zoe as she savaged her. It was at that very moment that I was very afraid of Lyric and knew I could no longer manage her. After a quick call to my vet at his home, I gathered a bleeding, shocky Zoe up in towels, after Lyric was crated, and met him at the clinic. He asked me what I wanted him to do and I told him to save Zoe and then in the same breath, I asked him to euthanize Lyric the next morning. Zoe was a mess. She had 70+ bite wounds in her neck and throat as Lyric would release and re-grip over and over. Zoe's ear was ripped wide open as well as her face. And she suffered bite wounds on her her right front leg and foot where Lyric ripped her to the bone. She was in shock from losing so much blood and we were at risk of losing her. But fortunately she responded to the IV fluids, stabilized and was sutured where she could be sutured. Her neck was bandaged in thick gauze, but the light never left her eyes. She was a fighter and this was not going to defeat her. I took her home after several hours of treatment as she would be better off recuperating there. Now came the hard part... telling my husband what had happened as he was at work through the whole ordeal.

Lyric still wanted to kill Zoe, so she was banished to a crate in our finished basement for the night. I didn't sleep... I couldn't. I could only come to the stark realization that Lyric was not safe and never would be and that euthanizing her was the only answer. I couldn't make her someone else's problem. She couldn't be re-homed safely. She was past that now. So as the hours passed into morning, I put Zoe safely away and spent some time with Lyric. We had a fun game of fetch and did some weave pole work. Then we packed her into the van with Zoe safely in a crate and took them back to the vet. Zoe was having some complications, mainly swelling and needed to be checked. And it was time for Lyric to go...

Euthanizing Lyric was one of the most traumatic and difficult things I have ever done in my life. I walked her up the hill behind the vet's office and that is where I said goodbye to her for the last time. She went gently and peacefully and whatever demons that drove her were gone now. I carried her down the hill, close enough for Zoe to be able to limp to and allowed her to see that Lyric was gone and no longer a threat to her or anyone. It was the first time Zoe had relaxed in a very long time. Then we took Zoe home to heal, both mentally and physically, which would take a very long time. Lyric was cremated and her ashes are on a shelf in the dog room.

I never realized the impact this would all have on me. I had "friends" stop talking to me, publicly criticize me and out and out be nasty to me once the word got out that I had euthanized Lyric. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones... and until you have lived in my house with my situation, I wouldn't be too critical. After about a month, my other dogs began to relax, once they realized Lyric would never be back. That is everyone but Duncan. For the first time in Duncan's life, he would have behavioral issues which lasted for several weeks. I am not a dog, and I try not to make them human, but I do know that they grieve. And I think that maybe, just maybe, Duncan felt as though he failed both Lyric and me. But then, that would make him too human I suppose.

I NEVER blamed Lyric's breeder and it took everything I had to contact her and Lyric's co-owners to let them know what had transpired. I found out later that Lyric's dam had been bred by a woman who was a notorius BC puppy mill breeder who scurried away in the night like a rat when she was tracked down and that Hazel had been in 4 other homes before Lyric's breeder bought her. She was only told that she didn't work out. That wasn't even the half of it. Hazel was sold trained for a tidy sum, but Lyric's breeder was never told any of the problems with this particular dog. Several of Lyric's litter had aggression issues and Hazel herself was sold on because she was causing problems with the new owner's other dogs. It wasn't her dogs that were causing the problems, but Hazel. And in the end, she was also euthanized for severe aggression. The apple didn't fall far from the tree it seemed. Although Lyric's sire was a darling, sweet boy, the bad genes from the dam wouldn't be overcome.

It was several years later, on our way to bring Piper puppy home, that we met with an animal communicator at a freestyle competition in NY. Some are believers, some are not, but this man told us things that he shouldn't possibly have known. I harbored incredible guilt about euthanizing Lyric. But she spoke up first and told him to tell me that she was sorry and that she understood and that she loved me for setting her free. Believe what you will. I do. That day gave me peace for the first time in 3 years. I was then able to think about the good times and let go of the sorrow and guilt that I had. And it seemed, Lyric had too. 

It things had been different, Lyric would have been a grand old lady now. But I believe that dogs come into our lives for a reason and to teach us something about them and ourselves. Lyric's lessons were harsh, but I learned them well... They are our greatest teachers...  All we must do is open our hearts and minds. <3

                                                                                                                                         

                      

Ceilidh and Reactivity...

I got the honor and pleasure of attending a Patricia McConnell seminar over the weekend. Her topics were Dog to Dog Reactivity and Play! Play! Play! for her talks. I have heard the Play! seminar before at the 2009 BCSA National Specialty in WI, but I enjoyed it just the same again. This time though, she talked at length about Dog to Dog Reactivity or as I call it Dog Aggressiveness. Not politically correct I fear, but it is what it is. Enter Ceilidh...

Ceilidh is horrendously dog aggressive. Oops... reactive. She is what Patricia calls a "silent runner". She doesn't go crazy, bark and screech at the top pf her lungs when she see another dog, but she freezes and glares, her body very stiff and tense. This came on gradually. When she was a young dog, this problem didn't exist. But slowly, with the help partially of the irresponsible neighbors and their ill-mannered dogs, she has gotten worse. And I will be the first to admit guilt in all of this. As Ceilidh is epileptic, we were definitely more indulgent with her as she grew up, mainly because we never knew what could put her into a seizure. Every seizure burns brain cells. We try to keep them to as low a number as possible. But in doing so, we turned Cei into a BRAT.

Case in point... She grew up with my sister's Golden Retriever Archer. They played together as youngsters, but now, she'll attack him given the opportunity. Why? I have no idea. She seems to get along with other Border Collies. Is she prejudice? She runs and plays with my friend's neutered boys Sputnik and Darwin without a hassle, but both boys know how to deal with her. As do her housemates... She and the boys are the best of friends. She likes Gem for the most part, as long as Gem isn't being an obnoxious puppy. But other breeds bring out the worst in her. She stalks my cousin's old female Lab if she is out in the yard next to ours. That old girl is smart enough to not get too close to the fence. We try to not let that happen.

I have spent most of Ceilidh's life managing her and her behavior. Apparently, I have done a very good job as most people had no idea just how reactive she really is. But it is a constant, very tiring job at times. I can no longer walk her in the neighborhood because she goes ballistic when other dogs bark. I'm not asking for miracles... I just want to be able to enjoy her more. Enter Patricia...

Ceilidh loved Patricia from the minute she met her. All wags, smiles and kisses, she also enjoyed the crowd and being the center of attention. But when the stimulus dog was brought into the room and she saw it, she froze, stiffened and glared at the dog. Poor, sweet Gracie the Greyhound... Ceilidh wanted her for dinner. Ceilidh has a "Look" command, as in watch me, but it seems to only work with movement we noticed. There will be no easy "fix" for Ceilidh. Patricia thinks that some of this is definitely prey driven. Some of it could be caused by her medication. Some of it may be inherent... It really doesn't matter what the reason or reasons may be... I have many months of work ahead of me.

Ceilidh will NEVER be trustworthy with other dogs. She will never be "safe" around dogs she doesn't know but, I can make it better. There is no miracle available for this. I will continue to manage her behavior the best I can. I will continue to not feel guilty about leaving her home with the dogsitter as it is in all of our best interest to do so. And maybe, just maybe I can make things better one baby step at a time... Ceilidh deserves that and more from me.