Agility training begins

I registerd Molly and me for agility training, I'll be off for a month soon, and training will be on Tuesday mornings. I thought it would be fun to try. I'm not interested in doing all kinds of competition. We are both way too lazy for that!

We finally have a dog park in the area. The owner of the petfood store we go to, managed to have a nice area all fenced in with toys and water, on the grounds of the shopping complexe where his shop is. No shade, so not to good in the middle of the day, but we've been a few times in the late afternoon or after suppertime and it's very nice. Some dogs are nicer than others, as are their owners, but overall it's great fun and the dogs have a ball (the tennis kind!).

I'm having trouble with Molly running away from me to great people. I'll be in the yard and if she spots one of our neighbours out, she'll bolt right towards them and won't listen to me. So now, when I'm outside, I have to put on a 30 foot lead that is tied around my waist. She doesn't like that. For that matter, neither do I, it's always getting tangled around something ot caught in the front wheel of the wheelbarrow, grrr @#*&^$, if you know what I mean. I figured I'm the culprit of this bad habit. Andre and I have this thing we do: when the other one comes home, we let Molly out as soon as the car is parked in the driveway. She runs over to greet us. Makes me forget anything bad that happened at work to see that smiling face coming at me full speed. I realize this is exactly the same behaviour she displays towards our neighbours or who knows, soon it will be to people walking by on the street. What if a car happens along... I don't even want to think about it. We are trying to change that, so no more greetings in the driveway :-(

On another subject, going for walks is becoming quite the workout, for me that is! She pulls so much on the lead, my arms are sore after a while. Yesterday, I figured a way and it seems to work. I tie the lead just above my knee and have the other end in my hand. Molly then has a 3-4 feet lead to walk off. If she strays it jerks her and she comes back right away. At first, I had it below my knee and I didn't have enough strenght to hold her back - as was demonstrated when she decided she wanted to go see three little girls who were running over to see her. She responded by running towards them...with me in tow. I ended on my ass and was not as amused as the kids were.

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Molly can now be found in Dogbook! With her new found friends: Luna, Bay, Chili, Bosco and Tia.

Our Molly was a 1-year old yesterday!! How time flies. We have such a good dog. I think not a day goes by that my husband and I don't comment on our luck of owning such a beast. She is playful and gentle, smart and, most of the time obedient (she'll do anything for a treat!). She loves to cuddle, which I really enjoy. For her birthday, she got a stuffed squirrel toy and a big cookie. She is training for the real ones as spring is just around the corner (I hope!). Actually, she will never catch one and I'm not sure what she would do to it...probably play. This squirrel was christened Van Gogh II (another of her stuffed toys in Van Gogh) as she was quick to remove an ear! I had to do some emergency sewing sutures on the poor thing. She loves to rip things, what can I say.

Molly now weights 53.5 pounds and measures 22 inches at her shoulders; we figure this is it, she is done with growing, we'll see.

I'm going away for 6 weeks (work) and I am going to miss Molly and my husband horribly. I'll be using my spare time to plan our summer vacations!

It's been awhile...

I know, I know, it's been a while since my last post...I don't know why. Time flies, seems so many things are going on at the same time. Or maybe I just got lazy or forgot about it. Anyway, to catch up...

August 2006
Molly is enjoying corn season, running in the new park at the end of our street. Just having a great summer!!

September 2006
Molly completed "Basic Obedience" this month. At the end of September, she got spayed. She did very well and even returned to her obedience training within 10 days. It's amazing how these little beasts bounce back easily, she is so healthy. I think her breeding as well as what she eats contributes to her good health. She eats "Wellness Super 5-mix", she loves it! Molly was 6-months old on September 21st 2006.

October 2006
Molly completed "Obedience and Performance" training. Enjoying the fall season, more playing in the park . She follows us around everywhere, loves going for walks and playing with her toys. Everyday she is on squirrel watch, from the living room she has a the greatest view. But she now knows how to follow them by going to the different windows around the house.
Molly's first Halloween, Madison, Luke and Vivian came by in their cute costumes, Molly loves it! She is now a little over 40 pounds!

November 2006
Walking on our dirt road, makes a mess with our puppy. Can't wait for Molly to see and taste her first snow.

December 2006
December 4th, Molly's first snow. Of course she loves it. Andre took some great pictures. On Dec 13th, Molly had a little accident...while I was walking her, she cut the top of her foot on some glass garbage that was on the street. At first I though it was ice! It took a little while for me to notice she was bleeding. Molly didn't make a sound when it happened, what a tough little dog. We took her to the vet that evening and she had a few stitches put in. My poor bubby.
Molly's first Christmas. She had fun opening her presents, but I think she enjoyed more the ripping part, than the actual gift!

January 2007
Now we have more snow, it's fun to walk her and she doesn't get too messy.

Molly is a great assistant chef. When we cook, she always go to lay down on her little bed and waits for offerings. Mainly, I'll give her any vegetable I'm cutting. She loves green beans, zucchini, romaine lettuce, carrots, celery, cabbage, clementines, apples, banana.

February 2007

Okay, I've had it with winter. We have had so much snow, my husband has shovelitis! Molly loves it, but enough is enough as far as I am concerned.

Check out the pictures...