Saturday, September 15, 2018

Huge Relief

We had a bit of a scare this week, with Ryme. Our doggie chiropractor was here, to do her magic tuneups on the dogs for their quarterly visit, and she found an egg-sized lump on Ryme, under his ribs on his left side, that was not there the last time she checked him (which was early August in an off-cycle visit). It's a little scary in a nine year old dog to find a fast growing lump like that. The dogs were all due for annual visits to their vet, anyway, so I made an appointment for Ryme to be the first one to get brought up to date. I totally did not need a big expensive vet event, right now, and moreso, was worried about Ryme's health. At nine years old you just never know what is going to happen. Bid was nine when we lost him so it is always a scary year for me with the dogs.



Anyway we were able to get in with our vet the same week, Friday afternoon, which was amazing. They've been booking out two to three weeks recently so I felt this was fortunate. Ryme does not like going to the vet. He gets very worried and in the past we have only been able to do a very sketchy exam on him. But this time he was a trooper. While he was worried, pulling me towards the door, he was good as gold when Dr Joy examined him. She said right away, "oh that's a lipoma". Whew! But then she said she could tap it to make sure. Once again Ryme held still for her to insert a needle into the growth and get some cells to view, and yes, she confirmed it was a fatty tumor, or a lipoma. This was a huge relief!!! I am so grateful that this is not a big problem for Ryme, and a huge bill for me. We have lots of work yet to do; he is my right hand guy for close sheep work, sorting, pushing through the chute, and so forth.  And he will be my backup for exhaust at the Finals.



I felt bad for the staff at the vets office. They were working with a new computer system and Friday was the first day for it. They were a bit stressed. I can relate! They are also combining two practices and offices. A vet practice that burned down last October in the Santa Rosa firestorm is combining with the vet that I have gone to for probably almost twenty years. I am hoping this will be a good thing, but for now, until they get larger quarters, it is a bit crowded and crazy in there. Eventually I think it will be positive. I felt very positive with Ryme's news! Now I just have to go back with the other three dogs, and bring everybody else up to date, probably split into two visits to spread out the cost. No pet insurance here, although that might have to happen someday.

Gratitude all around, for good news... :-)

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Stubbed My Toe

The ground is so darn hard. Poor Cap has bruised his toe again. No sheepdog training for him, this weekend while we rest him and wait for him to heal up. I do not want to work with a limping puppy! (Even though he is willing...). It's hard to wait as he is so much fun to work with.

Here is Cap from a couple of weekends ago, doing some pretty fancy footwork following the ewes...
Watching the live streaming of the International in gloriously green Ireland, it makes me quite jealous of nice green grass to run sheep and dogs on.

Between the hard ground and (even worse) all the fires in California and elsewhere that keep popping up, rain cannot come soon enough!

Meanwhile we are making lists and packing and prepping for the Finals...it's getting real!


Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Unfolding Cap

Cap is going well for me. I'm really pleased with his work ethic and willingness to work with me, and not against me. He is now fourteen, going on fifteen months old.



We have worked nearly every evening, all summer. It was good timing for him to be the right age to train, during summer when I have lots of daylight after my work day.  We have been able to squeeze in for one lesson with our trainer, and that went well...so I am working on those takeaways until such time as we can go back for another lesson. Cap has a very nice feel for sheep, which one would expect given his parents. His stop is fairly reliable for a puppy, and normally on his feet, but sometimes lying down. I haven't pushed for either stop position. He stops fairly well so I don't care at this point if it's standing or lying down. He is learning his sides and will indulge me with a few steps of a drive. All in all, he is a fun project to unfold! I'm excited to see where his progress will take me.


Cosmo keeps watch on the two old girls while they eat separately from the larger group

Are they trying to save on pasture space, or what? :-)
Summer is drawing to an end. Fall is in the air.

Monday, September 3, 2018

It's Getting Real!

It's getting real! The 2018 National Finals website link is below:

https://www.sheepdogfinals.org/

 (photos from 2015 Finals, also in Alturas)