Test Results:

Just got my test results via email for some of the dogs:

Sadie - DM carrier. I was curious to her status even though she is spayed. This makes me feel good as she will not ever be at risk for this disease.

Ell - Pink test; E/E (normal). she does not carry the pink gene 'e'. After finding that Daisy did, I wanted to make sure with Ell.


Ava - Pink test E/E (normal), DM N/A (carrier), Fluff N/A (carrier)


Ballantyne - Pink test E/E (normal), DM N/A (carrier), Fluff N/A (carrier)

Bolin's tests were sent off today as I was able to collect them from her when i visited Denise's place. Will keep you posted.

I am a little bummed about the fluff and DM status of Ava and Ballantyne. Their mothers were carriers for both, sires were clear/normal for DM and Hux was clear for fluff, so was hoping to 'improve' on their statuses. Oh well...at least they are not at risk or affected.

Keepin' Cool

I just got back from my shenanigans in Minneapolis! so much good food, wine, friends and fireworks! And I didn't have to clean up after 50 people! NICE! I could get used to this!

I got home, let the dogs out and refilled their pool. Sadie and Ballantyne (working on a name change) and Brewer all hop right in. Ell and Ava usually stay back about 10 feet and when they see me, they run away thinking I"m going to put them in the pool. Daisy also loves the pool, but waits until the more rambuncious ones are done. I'm surprised Ell and Ava are so close to the pool in these photos! Sadie loves to bite the hose and pull it around in the pool (or drag it out).

*note the still naked Ell!
Here Brewer and Sadie are playing. I wish I got a video of this. Sadie is SO happy all the time. She cracks me up. Ballantyne is plotting a way to get in and get as wet as possible and then jump on me. And I fall for it every time. ahem.

A little while later...Brewer is too pooped to play anymore. At least for 10 minutes. He has the most 'bedroom eyes' look ever!

Ballantyne asks' Hey! Where did everyone go?!'

Its official!

Qwaynt's Midnightforest Sadie RN NAJ - DN08798402

	Rally - Awards Processed Through 25-APR-2010
	RN Number Different Judges 3 Number Qualifying Scores 3

Sadie's big week

The above photo is from day 1!

I was going to post this while at the National, but I didn't get to a computer for 12 days (a new record I know!) and then this all happened with Oliver.

I'll be writing about my week at the nationals, but wanted to share the good news!

On the Monday of the National, we were entered in Novice Preferred Jumpers With Weaves and also Novice Preferred Standard. Sadie made a clean run with 100 points (out of 100) and earned a 1st place ribbon and her first Q (Qualifiying leg) for her NJP title. Her 1st place was later lost due to a recalculation. she ended up getting 2nd place by a mere .06 of a second! D'oh! The second day she Q'ed again with another 100 points (perfect score) and this time earned her 1st place with many more entries in the same division! She made me so proud! She now has two legs for her NJP in two tries!

Unfortunately she didn't Q either day in the Novice Preferred Standard. She decided on day one that the table was a 'command free zone' and refused to SIT on the table for me! The rest of the run was beautiful and the judge even commented on it later how great my handling skills were and she agreed that Sadie KNEW what to do, she just knew she could get away with it. What a stinker.

day 2 she leaped off the teeter to the side and then ran to the table for a 'down' . She basically stuck her tongue out and had the command free zone mentality again. *sigh*. I guess we know what to work on for the next trial!

The biggest news was that Sadie, the Princess, earned her THIRD qualifying leg for her Rally Novice title! Last year we entered her in Rally Novice B and she Q'ed both days with no formal training (ever) and never having been in the ring for Rally. We didn't practice all year again (my fault) and we then went in and got our third leg on our third try! The sits were NOT pretty as she likes to heel perpendicular to my body, but we did pass with an 87 (out of 100). She didn't go on Tuesday as I wanted to concentrate on her agility.

Plus I wanted the huge CWCCA New Title rosette and that is why I waited so long to get that title :)

So Sadie, pending AKC, now has her NAJ, CGC and her RN titles! I can't wait to see what's next for the Princess!

Catching UP! So much has happened!!

I was being gently prodded by Sarah to post some photos and get everyone caught up with my doggie life :)

Below are some photos to play 'catch up' with. Janey here being so stinking adorable. She is such a love.

Walkin' about....
Yup, she's a tan pointed blue! (very light tan)

Here little Crockett man is looking for just the tiniest bit of affection from Sadie and hoping she'll let him share the space with her and Mitcham. It didn't work out...lol
This face is pretty much the cutest face ever. I'm not even partial.
My nephew is the cutest thing too! Here he is dancing. One day he just started dancing by twisiting his torso to and fro, and moving his feet up and down and back and forth, AND he claps his hands to the beat and slaps his knee when a really good song comes on. He's so cute.
Chase here with Grandpa and two of the pups.
Alamo's favorite spot is to sit on the treadmill. Here he can see his 'kingdom' and all his subjects. Erica said he would rule the world some day. I have no doubt in my mind that he will! (he is still available to a pet home too!)

On Saturday, Justice went to his new forever home. While I felt Justice has some redeeming qualities, there were also some things that his breeder and I decided were just not going to turn out. I was sad that he was my second tri boy that I've had to home as I just love that marking and its getting seemingly more rare all the time (he was the only tri dog at Western Reserve this year....there was one tri bitch only also). I do think however if you are going to show, you must only show the best. Not just what you have available. Justice still had a level top line and he wasn't out at the elbows which are two of my pet peeves. There is more to a dog obviously, and he still moved well and such, but some things just didn't seem to turn out. I hope I'm wrong and he turns out smashing and I'm kicking myself.However the home he went to is probably the best home ever! Nancy has two other Cardigans (10 yrs and 9 yrs old) and Justice has brought puppy hood back to them and to their househould. He has fit right in and they are already talking obedience, rally, therapy dog to name just a few. Justice is also cattle and sheep experienced too!. Nancy, when trialing competitively was in the top 10 Cardigans of the year for obedience and agility when she had her dogs competing, so he is going to be a great dog with her! Make sure you watch for updates on him.

The best part is he is now in Fargo, so I'll be able to see him at trials and whenever I have time to visit him. So I guess I'm lucky too :)

Back in the saddle

Sadie and I FINALLY got back to agility training tonight in Fargo. Yes its 90 miles. One WAY. 180 round trip in the big Expedition (the focus wagon's motor blew on me last week and i'm not replacing it. the motor costs more than the car is worth).

I was pretty anxious going into the ring as I didn'tk now if Sadie would be terrible (we were bumped up three levels from our last training level) and not remember anything or go off course or something. It was actually me we had to worry about! My trainer looked at me and finally said' Garrett, gather yourself and start over' LOL. Ok note taken!

Sadie was looking really good. We did serpentine jumps, contacts (perfect on the teeter and tire finally!) and down on the table with little coaxing. We did front crosses, rear crosses, weaves, broad jumps, panel jumps, triples, doubles, singles. You name it we did it! Sadie was SUPER happy to be back to doing something.

The silliness was right before I got into the vehicle i tripped and sprained my RIGHT ankle. Remmeber I broke my LEFT foot last September? That's why I hadn't been back to class. Well that and Zoe being pregnant. I didn't want to leave her, or bring home terrible koodies or something.

I also took the pups up for socialization and evaluations by non corgi breeders. Hey they got the structure down! They all sat happily in a Cocker xpen (the ones with the grated floor) and I just put a plastic piece and blankets over the grates. They watched us and the other dogs do agility and obedience, cuddled the people and wormed their way into several hearts. One friend even asked if I had any females left available, which I sadly said no! She would have been a perfect home and does NOT want a boy. Even after all the puppy kisses!

I'm going to take Zoe and Daisy to Detroit Lakes (only 60 miles round trip) for obedience and hopefully get their CGC/TDI hopefully if nothing else.

I brought Daisy in for her OFA certifcation for her Thyroid. She was SO good in the clinic, giving hand and face licks to all the techs and happily standing amongst us while we waited for the blood to clot so they could spin it down and send it out. Now we just wait for the results!

a busy dog day. If i didn't have dogs, I wouldn't have a life :)

Over the shoulder supervisor

I had the hair on my neck stand up as I felt someone breathing on my neck. I kind of s.l.o.w.l.y. turned to see what/who it was and here was what I found:




Yup. Its Sadie. The smart one. Directly behind my desk is now the grooming table (to be close to the PC when new email comes in and I'm grooming. Hey don't laugh...you are addicted too). The table it butted up against one of the couches. I typically have the dogs laying around my feet to be by me, but apparently Sadie wanted to know what was going on.......

She was just sitting there all happy as can be, and honestly doing the 'elevator' look up and down the desk to see if there was something in/on there for her to get at (she loves fly swatters and Swiffer Duster handles for example).

She apparently jumped UP on to the couch and then UP on to the back of the couch, which is nearly the same height as the grooming table. Since this happened, Oliver has also learned this new trick and they both sit on the table behind me...watching me type and surf the web. Kind of scary....almost feels like I'm being watched...or judged....

Or they want to see the CWCCA website too! :D

Sleigh Ride

I was over at "Grandma's" house today with some of the 'babies' and my nephew Chase was there too! My mom aka Grandma to Chase and my fur kids has a small wooden sleigh in her living room. Chase thought it was a new toy for him and repeatedly got in and out of the sleigh. Mom thought it would be a cute photo for Sadie to join him. While it wasn't really big enough to fit a LONG dog in it, I thought it was cute nonetheless :)

Happy 5th Birthday Sadie!!

Sadie Girl, the Princess, SG, aka my heart dog had a birthday today with ice cream, a nice long walk and even some agility training and sheep herding (the rams got out today!). Sadie as you all know, was in a terrible accident about a month after her four point major in St Joe, MO under Brian Meyer, back in April 2006.

Sadie loves her herding, agility and meeting all kinds of dogs and people. She is undoubtedly my first love who brought me to the Cardigan world and no one could ask for a better first dog. She has a VERY STUBBORN but loving personality and I've learned a lot from my little brindle girl.

Every night when we snuggle in bed I always tell her how much I love her and how grateful I had another day with her. She is really truly a gift. Thanks Sadie for a wonderful life experience!

Every day with her is a gift! Happy Birthday Sadie Girl! (And to Edward and Magic and the rest of the crew!)

No excuses

Yesterday I picked up my new four jumps and weaves (that can be made into channels or in-line weaves with the twist of a few poles). They have been added to the tire jump. THANK YOU to Luanne for doing a 'trade' deal for mowing her lawn, she gave me agility equipment in payment! How cool! They are top notch, AKC approved jumps and tire and weaves and they are done with the utmost care and craftsmanship. I just need to get colored tape for the jumps and weaves and tire and we should be set. Now I just need someone to make the contacts for me. :)

So Sadie, Ell and Zoe won't know what hit them and we have no excuses but to practice now at home too!

How do you say no......

Guess who thought she was going on a trip! As I was packing the car she kept trying to get in the back, front, side, doors and I was like NO NO NO! Then she for some reason left me alone to my packing. When I went to close the rear door this is what I found......

....makes my heart brake that I can't take her with. Sorry Sadie...not this time......

Agility videos of the girls

**WARNING! Dial up may take forever to show these videos!! I won't haven't had the time to to learn how to edit the videos so what you see is what you get! So Good luck if you try to view them! >:) All of them were taking tonight at class.

The first video is of Merrymoon Ebonwald I'm a Q.T. aka 'Ell'. She has only had 5 weeks of formal training for agility. Her first session was cut by nearly 2/3 as she was in heat for most of her session so we are 'retaking' the foundation class. This is our second week in and I am already able to work her off leash. The A frame is going 'up' next week to the full height but otherwise I'm really REALLY happy with her progress so far! She is a natural! I love working her! (And she isn't as stubborn as Sadie to work!) The course is not that long (7 obstacles) so its really more of a 'sequence' but she loves it and that's why I do it!!


The next video is of Sadie. She is in the 'advanced' agility class (there are only two classes at this training facility). I really wanted a second night during the week of something other than inside training as there are a host of different distractions in an outside setting. In the beginning of this class Sadie would NOT do a rear cross and she kept stopping. This video doesn't show that (on purpose!) I personally think the two jumps are too close together and you can't see the rear cross thanks to the A frame but you get the idea. She did do it this time in the video so I guess she decided not to give me the 'middle finger' the entire night :)


Last week it was down pouring rain and we ran it. Yes the Sadie Princess actually WALKED and RAN and did the course under time in the rain! I was so proud of my spoiled rotten, Miss 'have it your way' independent girl work in the rain! Now I know that rain or shine we can do outside agility runs! WOHOO!

And last but not least we have Bendi Ebonwald Smthing 2 Prove aka 'Zoe'. She filled in for Ell for two weeks while Ell was in season. This is her fourth night of classes and is currently being handled by my sister. I thought they could learn together :) My sister had a little problem with the leash and it getting in the way of Zoe going down the A frame but it was resolved! Zoe LOVES this agility stuff and I can't wait to have all my girls competing shortly!

GO TIRE!

With my sister working Mac at agility, and Ell and Zoe both now in their second sessions of agility I thought it fitting to get a tire. Well mostly because Sadie is going NEXT to the tire now instead of THROUGH it.

She just needed inspiration!!

I made her down stay and then she HAD TO WATCH Ell, Mac and Zoe and I have so much fun running up to the tire and me saying "GO TIRE" and the three of them (sometimes two at a time) would jump through the tire.

I nearly thought Sadie would have a seizure she was all worked up. Needless to say our down stay didn't work for very long and every time I'd ask Ell or maybe Zoe to "go tire" Sadie would break from her 'wait' or 'down stay' and follow them through the tire and then she'd growl at them as if she was saying "how dare you jump through MY tire!"

She hasn't gone next to the tire since then in our 1-on-1's so I'm hoping that that is all she needed was some incentive :)

Oh and its much easier to run the dogs through the course at home when there IS only one dog jumping through at a time LOL

And NO I will NOT youtube it!

Emily and Sarah Special :)

I can't usually get a photo of Mitcham, unless you get them like this one:

So I put him behind the fence and let the rest of the dogs out. Below is the Sadie Princess surveying her domain.
Or Mitcham smiling for the camera and Daisy frolicking around!
This one isn't so close?
Finally...laying down, although through the chain link!
Finally standing still...but he is on a potty break! (Notice ears UP!) and Oliver with his happy face. don't you just love the random cardigan in the background of each photo??!!

I was able to get him MOVING fairly nicely. He is so happy!I had to throw a few non Mitcham photos in! (Sorry I know I know!) Below is Justice taking a tinkle....he did get a bath last night and of course wasn't completely dry when he went to bed...so needless to say that hair normally does NOT look like that....new bath again tomorrow :)
Zoe is turned funny but is waiting and watching Justice and Ell running like maniacs...she was waiting to pounce :)

Sleepy Wednesday?

Oliver getting comfy with Grandma

Sadie's middle finger

What happened to my finger? Well I was working and got my finger in a place it should not have been.....between the tongue of the trailer and the jack holding it up :) It wasn't quite on the ball of the hitch and i went to move it over and it did go on, but unfortunately i didn't lower the jack low enough and my finger got smashed/cut/chopped/squished/compressed/squeezed in there. I didn't hardly yell, but I did start to profusely sweat. I did end up going home to get aspirin and a band aid and went back to work. The next day i could hardly move it. I'll probably lose the nail, it looks hideously blue and black with the nail cracked in half. Not a pretty sight. That night Sadie jumped up and bit it as she though it was a 'treat' in my hand. I fell to the floor in pain and she high tailed it outta there only to come back and lick my face....she just knows when you need a good face lick ;)

So Sadie's middle finger....Ah yes. Well she didn't hurt it but she sure showed it to me at the Agility trial!

The Fargo-Moorhead Kennel Club had an AKC agility trial last weekend. I only entered one day as I thought Sunday was Mother's Day when I entered ( I was off by a week and was notified by my sister that i had two days to prepare a Mother's Day gift lol)

So Saturday I get up at 5:30am, out the door by 6;15. I figured it started at 8 and I'd get there just in time to help with pole setting. I looked at the schedule and noticed jumpers was first and they were doing tall to small. I race there and realize that they didn't start until NINE AM on Saturday. UGH!

We help during Excellent and Sadie is entered in Open, so we go potty, do some stretching and head to the entrance. We start the course beautifully and Sadie is RIGHT with me the whole way...watching which way I turn, moving where she needed to be, going 'out', and turning when I asked her. Just beautiful. The last two obstacles were a jump and the tunnel was the last obstacle. As she jumps the final jump and I yell "GO TUNNEL" i hear the pole hit the ground. Sadie came out of the tire with that "Corgi Smile" like she was thinking 'HA HA UP YOURS'. I couldn't do anything but laugh. Shoot. Sooooo close!

After our run an older gentleman approached us as we were getting water for Sadie Princess and he said that every agility even there is usually one dog that stands out as a good listener, jumper and just plain all around good dog for agility. He said she (meaning Sadie Princess) was that one dog at this trial. I thanked him and listened to him gush about how she watched me and turned with just the slightest movement from me. Gosh I think I need him to come with and give me pep talks prior to running!

We then braked for lunch after Novice and then got the course out for Standard. I helped again with Excellent and Open Standard and then it was our turn for Novice. Please Sadie let's do this! In our run throughs the week before she went through the tire on the way around the course but on the way back she went under it. repeatedly. Until we moved it back down to 8 inches. then she zoomed right through it.

So obviously I was nervous. I brought her to the tire and made her look at it and told everyone to think happy thoughts about the tire and Sadie going through it and to send good vibes and say 'go tire! over!' when she got to it.

So we start the standard course and things are going well. The 9th obstacle was the table and it was a down. Great! we have no problem with this, we know how to down. we do it everywhere. I said Sadie table! and Down! and she stood there like she knew nothing. Her mind went blank. Like hell it did! Corgi smile and all she TURNED away from me and faced the judge. After a good 15 seconds of embarrassing "Sadie come ON! DOWN" the judge finally said "you can continue on" and I was like "HEY! this is novice! I can!" So we barrel onto the rest of the course and on the VERY last obstacle it was the tire! I figure I can get two refusals and still qualify so we WILL go through the tire! I yelled "Sadie! Go! TIRE! OVER!" and she went ZZZZZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOOM right underneath it. CRAP! I went back and made her look through it and said "Sadie! OVER! TIRE!" and she went under again. SO now I KNOW we NQ'ed and she struts up to me, smiling, like she had just told the funniest joke at the bar! (or showing me her middle finger) Oh you LITTLE .....I trailed off as I kissed her head. "WHAT A STINKER!"

I told her the sooner we complete the titles the sooner we can do other fun things like herding!

I guess we'll be going to MORE agility events :)

My little Sadie Princess. *sigh* what will I do with her? :) :)

Sadie Princess

Ever tried typing with one finger missing from your left hand? Its harder than you think! And lots of backspacing :) :)

Sadie Girl and I will be going to Fargo for an AKC agility trial. I entered only one day as I thought Mother's Day was this coming weekend when I entered. Oh well I did have work that needed to be done!!

Hopefully good results tomorrow night!