On My Soap Box Again (and my High Horse)

OK! I have a pet peeve. I really have a problem with you humans out there that think dogs are supposed to be fat. Even though I am a lean, mean, jumping machine, there are a lot of dogs out there that have a hard time walking, let alone jumping. Why, just yesterday, at the store where my mom works, there was this Belgian Shepherd (beautiful dogs, by the way). The poor girl was waddling down the isles of the store. She looked like she was a very old dog. When my mom asked how old the dog was, the proud owners said she was five years old. My canine heart went out to my furry friend as her people loaded their cart with two giant boxes of Milk Bones.

Unlike humans, dogs don't choose to be fat. Their owners make them that way. Dogs are being killed with human "kindness." Dogs suffer the same illnesses associated with obesity as humans do. Dogs are dying from diabetes and heart disease at alarming rates. Dogs suffer from bone and joint problems due to the stress from excess weight. Dogs are dying much too young simply because their owners overfeed them. Do you know that more than 1/3 of the dogs in the United States are overweight to obese?

Please, please, people, do what you can to keep your dogs healthy. Feed your dogs on a schedule. Measure the amount of food at each feeding. Don't leave uneaten food out for us to snack on all day long. Tale tje bpw; away after about 15 minutes. Don't feed us table scraps as part of our daily diet. Limit the treats. Ditch the biscuits in favor of baby carrots, peices of apple, and small peices of meat. Also remember that treats are just that, only as rewards for good behaviors, and used during training. Treats are not supposed to be a daily part of the diet. Give us plenty of exercise like chasing balls or frisbees, every day (just a walk isn't enough). Play with us instead of giving treats, we like that better anyway.

Climbing off my soapbox now, but still on my high horse!

I am a Good Boy

My momma, Beth, Racer, and I went to an agility trial yesterday. It was another AKC event. I ran three runs, Standard, Jumpers with Weaves, and FAST (that's a game). I ran FAST first. I listened to Mom, did everything exactly as she planned and Guess What! I not only qualified, but I finished with 64 points and Third Place!!! Not only that, it was my Novice FAST title (NF). I was so excited about it that I forgot to qualify in the other two runs. Mom says that's OK though, because the mistakes were hers, not mine. I was a good boy all day, at least that's what she believes. I'll let her keep thinking that, because she gave me those yummy salmon treats all day. She didn't train me in the yard either today. She made Racer work. He was NOT a good boy. Ha, Ha, the Cattle Dog wins again!

A Surprise

Well, I guess I must have touched the yellow at least five times because something exciting came in the mail. It was a USDAA title for Standard Agility (Starters). I didn't even know I was close to getting that one. My momma is in complete shock over that one. She even bought me some yummy fishy treats for it (she says they have Omega 3s).

Hey Kinka, I tried Flyball. It was fun, but the team wanted the BCs, not me. Moe has lots of Flyball points. She is retired now, but she tells me she thinks she can still do it. Mom won't let her anymore. Something about being old and getting hurt. Moe says she is like fine wine, excellent at 12 and getting better.

I have also done a little Rally O. You will have fun with that. So will your momma. Lots of clicks and treats involved with that. My kind of sport!

August Already

Time flies when you're having fun. At least that's what they tell me.

I was at an agility trial yesterday. I was a bad boy for most of it. I didn't put my feet in the yellow part of the Dogwalk, or A-Frame. I don't know what the big deal is. I don't like yellow. I don't want to touch it. And guess what? At a trial, my momma can't make me touch it either. Ha, Ha, I win!

I do love to jump though. I did a Jumpers course (USDAA, no weaves) in 22 seconds. I did not get first place though. Some dumb Border Collies actually finished in 17 seconds, so they beat me (but not by much).

My momma says that tomorrow we are going start retraining my contacts. I think I'll go hide somewhere right now!

The Last Dog Blogger?

I am a lonely guy. I am the only dog that still blogs. Roo, where are you? Kinka, we don't know what you are up to. I miss my friends.

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July again. The Border Collies hate fireworks. I don't care one way or another. The Fourth is a day when my mom doesn't have to work, so she will laze around the house with me and the BCs. I think she said she was going to be in a parade, but not me. I don't care for that kind of stuff anyway.

I've Been too Busy

Wow! I haven't posted anything for a very long time. I've been so busy being Zip the Wonder Dog, and all.

I have been doing agility! Last weekend, we ran in a USDAA trial. Yeah! I'm still in Starters, but that's not really my fault. My mom couldn't walk very well for a while. Well, now she's back, better than ever! Anyway, I did three runs, Gamblers, Standard, and Jumpers. I qualified in all three, fourth place in all three. No mistakes, no wrong courses, no refusals, no barking or biting. I was such a good boy!

In two weeks, I will be running in an AKC trial. I can't wait! Agility is so much fun for dogs, especially this dog.

I also have been visiting the nursing home every Tuesday. They all love me there. I get so many treats.

April, Taxes, and Other Things

OK, so I've been very bad at blogging lately. It's not my fault. It's very hard for a dog use the computer all by himself. I have to have some human help here, and the human has been very, very lazy. So here I am, at last.

It's already April. It is a great month. No more below zero days, more sunshine, birds and bunnies to chase, terriffic. April is also the month for taxes. My humans hate taxes. They say they should keep their money because there is never enough of it. My humans also don't get a whole lot back after they file their taxes, either. They are complaining about high prices at the gas pump, at the grocery store, and lack of pay raises to go along with the newer high prices. I think it sucks to be a human. Much better to be a dog. We don't have to pay for anything. Of course, we don't have any money either, as we don't get paid for the work we do.

Now, the big question is, who will be our next president? Will they fix our problems? Taxes? Education? Gas prices? Health care? Iraq? Afganistan? Does a dog care? You betcha! What happens with the humans affects what happens with the dogs. Now, who will I endorse? I don't know, yet. I really don't like any of the three that are running right now. I think there should be a Cattle Dog running for President. I would definately vote for him.