Midtown Ranch

Puppy grads and seagull chicks

By Jenny on 7/8/2010 4:55 PM

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The last few weeks have been very exciting and very busy.

Kate and Bing BOTH earned their Canine Good Citizen cerfiticates last weekend at the AKC Conformation show at the high school. Bing has gained so much confidence with the herding that we decided to give it a go. In the past I’ve been concerned about how he would do with Accepting a friendly stranger, supervised seperation, and greeting another dog. The sheep have helped him to blossom and have given his training a real boost. He surpassed my expectations with the CGC – no problems with the friendly stranger or supervised seperation, and only a minor (and fully acceptable) amount of quickly calmed barking with the neutral dog. Kate’s sticking spot in the past has been supervised seperation. A small amount of whining, again, easily calmed. We were very proud of them.

We’ve been taking herding lessons Friday mornings since the herding instinct test 8 weeks ago. It’s nearly all cardigans which makes it especially fun. We are quite proud of the good showing cardigans made this weekend.

This weekend was the AKC Herding trial. Both judges were sticklers for no ‘gripping’, which was challenging for Bing as he likes to taste the sheep. He qualified both days on his Herding Test, working with me to take his sheep through a mishapen figure 8 around cones, with two changes of directions and an acceptable recall. He was amazing and has really found his calling. Kissing the judge is a lovely example of how far our beloved Bing man has come in the last 2 months.

Kate. Holy cow, Kate! At their herding instinct test 8 weeks ago, and at her early lessons, Kate seemed more concerned with breaking a nail than getting the sheep. This weekend she was celebrating Indepence Day with a rocket up her keister. That girl was flying loops around me, leaving me completely bewildered and wondering where my ‘calm’ corgi went. Somehow we managed to get the sheep around the cones. She was quite reluctant to recall today, and I was afraid we were going to blow it (normally she has quite a nice recall). But she finally got a few brain cells to rub together and despite the seductive siren call of the sheep came back to me and so qualified both days.

We won 6 stunningly beautiful ribbons (a ‘qualified’ ribbon for each dog, each day, and a ‘new title’ ribbon for each dog today).

Streaker and Cory, Bing and Kate’s classmates had really nice runs and also earned their HT’s.

Everyone is sacked out. More soon.

CH Wales Tails Kiss Me Kate, HT, CGC

“Bing”, Wales Tails Roque’s Crooner, HT, CGC

It was a great time! While Jenny was maneuvering the Corgis through the sheep herding trial, I went to the 4th of July parade in downtown Anchorage. The Anchorage Second Amendment Task Force had their second showing in the parade.

It seemed like there may have been fewer spectators, which I would attribute to the drizzle right before the parade started, and to the Muni ripping up 9th Ave. 10th seemed like it had more people than last year, but not quite enough to include everyone that had been on 9th as well (last year). However, a spectator said they thought there were more people than last year from where he was.

Brian again got the most ‘gun’ comments that I heard (and photos taken). Yes, that is a Barrett .50BMG. Yes, he carried it through the whole parade. No, I don’t have any photos of the entire 2ATF group; something to remember for next year. 

Pause for a moment…

By scott on 7/30/2010 4:41 PM

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Today was the Alaska Herding Group show.  It’s our favorite conformation show. It’s small and only herding breeds. It’s outside, in a quiet area north of Eagle River. The site is lightly shaded, and folks just seem more relaxed.

It is also the show where Kate began her Conformation career with a Best of Breed. That was two years ago.

Today Kate took Best of Winners. That meant she was the best girl Cardigan who had not yet earned her Championship AND better than the best boy Cardigan who had not yet earned his Championship.

In this case there were enough boys to form a major (a win worth 3 points or more – must have 2 majors as part of the 15 points required for a championship). When Kate beat the boys, she earned their major!

Kate has now earned the points (15) and majors (2) for her Championship.

She showed great for me today. Initially she was a little bouncy on the grass but we played mark/treat for nose up and mark/treat for trotting instead of cantering, and she pulled it together. She also did very well on stacking and keeping her paws where I placed them. I remembered to slow down on the down and back, and sped her up around the ring. I also got a clue on all four legs and helped her position her paws just right. Our friends and mentors were there today and we are grateful for their extensive help over the years. We are fortunate to have such knowledgeable and skilled friends.

Kate did a beautiful job and we are very very proud of her.

We are off to the dog wash, not the vet, this afternoon.

This morning Kate and Bing discovered the new fly trap – it’s a plastic bag you fill with water which activates the remarkably stinky bait. Flys enter and drown. Instead of attending to their morning constitutional they shredded open the fly trap, anointed themselves with the bait, then consumed said bait.

I knew there was a problem when I called them to the house and they didn’t come. Few things rank higher in importance to a Corgi than breakfast. They stood in the middle of the lawn, heads high, tails flying with big grins on their faces. Sh*t, I thought. Then the wind shifted. After my eyes stopped watering I searched the yard (they helped) and found the tattered remains of the fly trap. Not a scrap of bait remained. Bing obligingly belched and confirmed my suspicions.

Several phone calls later the Corgi’s were showing no ill effects (beyond an abominable stink) and we were in the possession of new knowledge.

What, may you ask, has Victor Pest determined to be the most efficacious bait for flies?

Dried putrescent eggs. Rotten eggs to you and me. Fortunately the fly trap contained no poison, just scrumptious and oddly appealing joy for corgi’s.

The dogs are no worse for wear. They didn’t even puke. They did grind it into their coats, though.

We stuffed them in the recently vacated chicken kennel in the bathroom (Is it clean enough for them? Scott wanted to know. Then he caught another whiff and answered his own question) and joined our friends for brunch (a little late).

Off to the dog wash.

Anyone know how to neutralize rotten egg?

We live in midtown Anchorage, surrounded by other houses and people. We like it – we are a few minutes away from everything and have great neighbors.

Our next door neighbor called this morning to deliver a bear warning. Police swung by her house around 10 AM today and told her a black bear was in our neighborhood.

Earlier this week a black bear broke into a chicken coop after the birds had been put up for the night and had a little snack. Since we didn’t want to be a news feature we gathered up the girls (really hard to do mid-morning – they KNOW it’s not time for bed) who were not the least bit cooperative. We hadn’t torn down the chicken infirmary in the bathroom so we stuffed them into the kennel and rabbit cage with some food and water.  Brought the feed and garbage into the garage, dumped the water containers, and did a quick walk thru to see if there was anything else that might look delectable to a bear.

The chickens are indignant and vocal about missing prime bug chasing time.

The corgis are vocal and indignant about being denied chicken access.

The humans went to breakfast.

Bing and Kate started herding lessons with some of their relatives last Friday. Kate is still not sure about sheep. Bing is sure I am an idiot. We had fun but my ineptitude was frustrating for Bing. His turn to be patient with me.

Lesson 2 tomorrow. I have been practicing walking backwards quickly, and throwing objects for the dogs to get them moving clockwise (go bye) and counter clockwise (away). Less said about that the better. Technique needs to be developed.

We are also working on our wind and general fitness. Helpful for working the sheep as well as general health. Scott joined us for a fast walk/slow bike around the block. That was a lot of fun but challenging to find a speed comfortable for all of us.

Today I biked about 6 miles. Back and forth to work. Back and forth to ACT (started a new puppy class tonight). Around the neighborhood and a loop down the main road through the library and back home again with the dogs. I gave the dogs regular breaks, a little water as needed, and kept them at a working trot with periodic galloping when they instigated it. I don’t want to over due it particularly for Kate. Bing has better muscle tone (you should feel his tight little piggy legs!) and endurance than Kate. It would be very easy to bike at his tempo and wear Kate out.  They both enjoyed seeing the geese (including a snow goose!) and ducks near the library.

Kate was glad to get home. They drank some water and relaxed in the grass until they cooled off. While they were relaxing Scott hung out with us, I washed the bike and oiled the chain. Then inside for a couple of ice cubes, belly rubs, and sacking out.

Great day.

Kate and Bing passed their AKC Herding Instinct test today.

More about that later.

Meanwhile here’s Bing…

And here is Kate too

Light breeze, warm blue skies. Alaska spring.

Neighborhood children are out playing, very nice to see. Dogs get wound up but that’s okay.

Installed the rear rack on the bike, also the bell. Added lubrication to the chain. Tomorrow Scott and I are going to work with the dogs and see if our herding beasts can be conditioned to ignore the very exciting stimuli of spinning wheels and run alongside the bike instead. Today I am working on c/t for being in heeling position while I straddle the seat.

Erin Mckeown is playing in Palmer tonight. Haven’t heard her for several years, looking forward to good music and good company this evening.

Did a little raking out front.  Scooper Troopers came out and picked up our slothful winter sins, and Tony Enterprises took away the stinky contents of our procrastinated trash cans (and the poo). I’ve been working on the chicken run a little at a time. It’s very wet and heavy and no fun at all.

The chickens are happily pecking and scratching in back. Yesterday Bing scrambed into the compost bin. He appeared to enjoy the elevated view of the yard. We haven’t added anything to the bin lately so it was no worse than the muddy yard. Kate helped herself to several eggs from the hen house. They Wyandotte’s (mean girls) chased Kate off the first egg she broke (pretty funny to see a 24 pound corgi chased away by a 6 pound chicken). She carefully took her next eggs farther away from the hens.

A good time was had by all.