Year In Review- 2008

As I looked back and reflected on the year, I was amazed at how successful it had been for Acadia. I hadn't realized it until I began compiling, and then I was surprised to see that some of the fun and "eventful" things I had done had not even made the blog!

One example of a missed blog entry- I showed at Westminster! I can't believe I didn't write about it. It was a wonderful experience and I have Chris and Madeleine Griffin-Cone to thank. I showed the lovely Ch. Gryphyn The Aviator for them. He was a pleasure to show, and they were a pleasure to show for.

Another happening that I didn't write about- I was elected to serve as an American Shetland Sheepdog Association Regional Representative. I attended my first ASSA board meeting in September in St. Louis. It is exciting and also a responsibility to serve this breed I love so much.

I had two sweepstakes judging assignments- one for Three Rivers Shetland Sheepdog Club of Greater Pittsburgh and one for the Northern California Shetland Sheepdog Club. I enjoyed both assignments and noticed that both times Blue merles were Best in Sweeps. In Pittsburgh a Bi-color was Runner-up and in No. Cal a sable was Runner-up.

While in No. Calif. I got to meet and stay with Amy- Quill's mom. That was a pleasure.

A Fun and exciting surprise was when I discovered that I had been quoted on Shelties On Line (see June 7th). What a thrill!

The magazine ShowSights asked me to participate in the "Tell us about the Herding Group" for a second time this year (I participated in 2007 as well).

Dogs In Review accepted an Opinion piece I had written and it is in the Annual Issue due out this month. I couldn't believe it when I found out that I would get paid for my opinion. My husband says that I have so many opinions, if I could figure out how to get paid for even a fraction of them I would be rich!

Then of course there were the many successes of the dogs and their owners- these are the ones I am most proud of. All-in-all, in 2008 Acadia shelties earned:

5 new Rally-O titles

23 new Agility titles (I think I got them all- if not, then there are more than 23!)

1 New Obedience title

5 New Herding titles

1 Canadian Championship

and I finished 1 champion for Ken and Gloria Hansen- Belaire Shelties

The titles that were earned in 2008 are in italics.

Sunburst Bright Sunny Day won a 5 pt. specialty major (I bred her). Shown by her owner Sharon Crawford, Sunburst shelties (and also a co-breeder)

Belaire's Little Bit Country won a 5 pt. specialty major (I showed her). Owned by Ken and Gloria Hansen, Belaire Manor shelties and corgis.

Acadia Aquilegia, RN,RA,RE, CD, AX,AXJ Owned, loved, and trained by Amy

Acadia Catcher In the Rye, CDX, NAJ, TN-N, WV-N Owned, loved and trained by Dr. Amy

Linden Acadia Stacked Deck, HIAd Show Low is owned, loved, and trained by Penny

Acadia Cierra Like a Rock, OAJ, AXJ, HT, RN Owned and loved by Merrylee and loved and trained by Arlene.

Acadia Sweet Emotion, AXJ, OF, PT, OA both Molly and Valerie are now owned, loved and trained by Pam

MACH 4 Acadia Color of Passion, HSAds, MX, MXJ

NATCH, V-NATCH Acadia Rally Round The Flag, O-TN-N, S-WV-E, S-HP-N both Rally and Rumor are owned, loved and trained by Phyllis

Acadia Rumor Has It, NAC, NCC, NJC, TN-N,O-TN-N, HP-N

Acadia Paint The Town, O-EAC, NATCH-Jump, HP-N, S-WV-O, NATCH-Reg Both Hannah and Hope are owned, loved and trained by Sharon

Acadia I Hope Ewe Can, NAC, NJC, O-TN-N, TG-N,HP-N

Acadia What Ever It Takes, OA, OAJ, AD, OAC, OJC,OCC,TG-O,TN-O, TN-E, HTAD II-s, HTAD III-s, HRDII-s, OTDs Both WIT and Kaibab are owned, loved, and trained by Morene

MACH, ADCH, NATCH2, V-NATCH Acadia's Candidate, MS, GS-E, JS-E, RS-E, HSAs, STDs

Acadia Livana Heirloom Jewels, RN Lizzy is owned, loved and trained by Luann

Acadia Sweet Confection, RN Candy is owned, loved, and trained by Jan

Can. Ch. Grandgables Acadia Accolade Allie is owned and loved by me, but was loved and shown by Guy.

Ch. Belaire's Town N' Country Owned and loved by Ken and Gloria Hansen and shown and loved by me.

PLEASE- If I missed any of your great accomplishements- let me know!!!

And finally- 2008 ends with 7 healthy puppies born on Dec. 30. What a great ending- really, a beginning.

THANK YOU to all who have made 2008 so memorable, successful, and fun.

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New *AXJ* Acadia Cierra Like A Rock, *AXJ*, NA, HT, RN

Merrylee called with very exciting news today. Nicky has completed the AXJ (Agility Excellent Jumpers title). Nicky is working on becoming a Champion/VCX. In order to accomplish this goal, he needed to have a herding title (he has the Herding Tested - or HT- title), he needed a higher level title in either obedience, agility, or tracking (and he LOVES agility), and of course he needs to complete the AKC breed Championship. He is pointed and hopes to complete that goal next year.

If he succeeds in this goal (Ch/VCX) he will earn an ASSA "LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT" award for his Owner, Merrylee, and if he becomes a Champion, he (should be) # 5 for his mother, Carrie, which would make her a Register of Merit (ROM)- which would earn a "Lifetime Achievement" award for me.

One Championship has never meant so much! (Well, he needed this AXJ AND the Championship for his Ch/VCX- so this accomplishment has lined him up perfectly). Wish us all (me, Merrylee, and Nicky) good luck!

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Christmas Cards and updates

One thing I love about Christmas time is the cards with news from "the puppies". Every day I look forward to getting the mail. I like to hear from my friends and family, but the cards I look forward to the most are those that contain news from the families with the dogs.
I spent some time putting together a collage of the pictures that were sent, but I couldn't save it as a jpeg, only as a PDF, and blogspot won't accept PDF files. I guess I will be the only one who gets to enjoy my "Sheltie family collage". I will just include some of the fun news (and pictures that were sent as email attachments. Taylor- if you send a digital picture of Sara- I will post it). Most of the notes were much more detailed than this (and I love to read every bit of them), but I have just included bits and pieces.
"This is your 2008 update from Sara's family. She is just so smart she most probably could have written this note herself if the keyboard was a bit more dog user friendly :-) " - The McDuffee family.

-I find this really funny- MacDuff is the name of Sara's litter brother. MacDuff was named by his new owner before Sara went to live with the McDuffee family.
"Here are some photos of MacDuff taken today. He just had a bath. Some of the pictures are with his "bathrobe" still on.

He is very outgoing and loves our granddaughters (2 1/2 and 5). Whenever he sees children he wants to go be with them. People who meet him are often surprised at how outgoing he is. They expect a Sheltie to be somewhat retiring. His response to voice commands has improved substantially. We still keep him on a leash unless the area is fenced but when he occasionally escapes he will come upon command quite well.

His senses are extraordinary. His nose, eyes and hearing are all among the most keen we have ever noted in an animal. He can tell instantly upon going out the door whether there is a deer or a cat in the proximate area. We have never had a dog that immediately scans the trees for activity when he goes outside. " - The Loveless Family

Noreen used to call and ask me about Kelsey's eye sight. He also has an extraordinary sense of sight and scans the woods for any activity.

Kelsey has completed the Therapy Training and is now certified as a TDI.- From Noreen

"Jenna is such a great dog, we all love her very much!"- The Hartwell family

"Stevie is the sweetest, lovable dog. She is one of a kind!"- The Crosson family.

"It is so weird for me to be working with a dog that has no fear issues (thank you thank you thank you!!!). She is such a joy to work with."- Heidi

Heidi sent the CUTEST calendar of Piper. Piper is so photogenic and it is such fun to see all of the pretty, goofy, serious, pictures of her. Thank you Heidi.

"It just occurred to me that I should send you this photo; we used it on our Christmas card this year. I took it about a week after Lilly's first birthday. She is doing so well! Having her join our family was definitely the biggest highlight of our year."- The Law Family

"Snickers is doing well and is good company for me while everyone is gone."- Mr. Macri

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Weather

That is the topic of conversation from coast to coast. My sister who lives in Seattle was fortunate to arrive on Monday. That was the day she was supposed to arrive. I had been hearing so many reports saying, "Seattle airport is cancelled flights.............." but she arrived.
My parents drove down from Connecticut. They left the snow. Everyone is congregating in Philly at my other sister's house- no snow there.

In central PA- we have ice.

I wish we had snow. It is a lot nicer than ice.

I went to Philly yesterday to see everyone, but I am back home now waiting for my Christmas presents to arrive. I think they will even be on time. I am waiting for puppies and we are getting very close.

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Ch.Acadia Another Story, UD, NA, PT, VCX (Gracie)'s REAL work

I had emailed Penny to ask her a question about Show Low, and she mentioned that Gracie had been such a star this summer. I asked what Gracie did this summer that was so special- and this is what she said.

"Gracie is certified through Delta Society as a therapy dog. We regularly visit at Loyola Medical Center rehab floor, burn unit, pediatrics floor, and other hospitals and nursing homes. She helps with physical therapy at some hospitals, and also participates in children's reading programs at libraries and schools. Thanks to Cadie's breeding for exceptional temperament, she is a completely bomb proof and confident therapy dog, certified for any kind of situation, no matter how challenging. (Thanks Penny!- that is nice)

Summer of 2008 we were contacted by a school for special needs kids (they specialize in speech therapy, behavioral and social skills programs). They were looking for a therapy dog for an eight week program to work with a boy who was terrified of dogs. They needed a smaller dog who was not overwhelming. It involved playing with kids, going for walks and eating treats. Gracie said "sign me up"!

The teacher had devised a special program of desensitization - the first visit we had to sneak in a back door and stay in a separate room, the boy was too scared to be in the same room with a dog. By the end of the program, the boy was brushing, feeding and walking Gracie. She just waited for him to realize how wonderful she is! It was very rewarding for everyone involved."

Penny
Gracie is a daughter of Ch. Acadia Rock Solid x Ch. Zion Acadia Town Heroine, CDX, PT, VCX

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Acadia What Ever It Takes (WIT)

Morene sent me an update on WIT. This is the dog that got 2 HX herding legs at his VERY FIRST herding trial. WIT is a litter brother to Belle, and Bonnie's, Mike. He is a Show Low x Valerie son.

"Here's a current picture of WIT, and his current titles are...

Agility: AD, OA, OAJ, OAC, OJC, OCC, ETN, NWV, OTG

Herding: HTAD III-s, HRD II-s, OTDs He has one leg toward his ASCA Advanced title (the only non-Q he's ever gotten was his first try at this title), and he has two legs towards his AKC Advanced Title. I just received the Arena Dog Title cert in the mail so thought I'd share.

End of January he'll be going for his level III Ranch dog title, and championship points in Arena Dog.

End of February he'll be trying to finish the Advanced ACSA and Advanced AKC titles. So far all titles have been earned on sheep. However, he's finally beginning to think perhaps ducks are something that he may condescend to herd!

Happy Holidays, Morene"

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Spirit of Giving

Mike, Rincon, and I went to Henry's to pick out a Christmas Tree and we saw Santa and Mrs. Claus. We thanked them for the wonderful spirit of giving they have given to the world, and we asked for the same this Christmas.

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Picking out a Tree

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Another Great weekend for Phyllis & lots of new agility titles

"We went to an agility trial in College Station, TX and it was Rumor's turn to shine. He qualified 7 times Rally wasn't too far behind as he qualified 5 times and is getting closer to his 2nd NATCH and 2nd Versatility NATCH.

Rumor completed his Novice Agility Cert. (NAC), Novice Chances Cert. (NCC), and Novice Jumpers Cert. (NJC) this weekend. This is added to his Outstanding Novice Tunnelers (O-TN-N) and Novice Hoopers (HP-N). Rumor is doing awesome weaves now got his first Q in Novice Weavers.

Both boys would qualify more if my brain worked as fast as their feet. Also, if Rumor would bark and jump up and down less, we could make our way through the course better. No dog enjoys agility more than Rumor." - Phyllis

Rally is NATCH/V-NATCH Acadia Rally Round The Flag. He is a Payson x Valerie son. Rally is the one pictured in this post.

Rumor is Acadia Rumor Has It *NAC*, *NCC*, *NJC*, O-TN-N, HP-N the * indicates new titles earned. Rumor is a son of Ch. Apple Acres Expedition, ROM x Valerie

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A Puppy for Christmas?

Responsible breeders cringe when people call and say they would like a puppy for Christmas. Pets are a huge responsibility and so much goes into choosing the right puppy, the right breed, and establishing who is responsible for what activities (feeding, walking, poop scooping! etc) and attempting to "surprise" someone with a puppy precludes these conversations.

Even if these conversations have already taken place and it is established who is responsible for what- Christmas time is very busy with family, company, cooking, decorating- and potty training the puppy or making sure the puppy is not chewing on the Christmas lights is not usually the highest priority. For these reasons, bringing a new puppy home AFTER Christmas is the best option.

Here are my recommendations for how to give pets as Christmas presents.

• Accessories make GREAT gifts. They need to be purchased anyway, so you can accomplish two things at once. Crate, collar, leash, bowls, toys, beds, brushes, nail trimmers, treats, baby gate (not in picture) all provide endless unwrapping opportunities for everyone in the family and make it clear that the new pet will be everyone's responsibility.


• The Anticipation that unwrapping the accessories creates is even more exciting than "unwrapping" a pet anyway.
• shopping for pet supplies is fun.
  
• It is very clear what the "Real" gift will be-
  
• A picture of a dog (or cat) with a note saying, "this gift card is good for one..... (puppy, dog, cat, whatever) can be the "final clue".
  
• If the conversation of "what breed, what color, what sex" has not taken place, the picture will foster this conversation and good choices will result. Everyone will win.

When the hustle and bustle of the Holiday is over- then the puppy can come home and be the center of attention.

"A Dog is For Life"

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2009 Calendars

I had some calendars printed for 2009. These are pictures that some of you may have sent to me, or that I took myself. I got this idea when Piper's mom sent me a calendar of her puppy pictures. I just loved it. If you would like one, please contact me at acadia@lcworkshop.com and put Calendar in the subject line. I am selling them (at cost) of $22.00 a piece. Here are some of the pictures in the calendar.

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My Vision for this Country

President-Elect Obama has a website where we can all share our vision for what America can be. It asks the question, "Where should we start together?"

This is my vision--
My Vision for this County is one where ALL diversity is embraced. Cultural, social, and ideological diversity is allowed to co-exist. For our Country to remain truly diverse, special interest groups seeking to limit the rights of others must not be allowed to prevail.

For me, the Special Interest group, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is a real threat to my way of life. HSUS is seeking to limit animal ownership, use, breeding, consumption, and over-all, any life that involves animal-husbandry as its core. My dream was never to “Grow up to be the President”- but rather, to “grow up and raise animals”. I have been very fortunate that up until recently, this dream was not a stretch. Currently the special interest group, HSUS, is successfully promoting unreasonable limits on dog breeding, dog ownership, farming, and hunting. Groups such as this, which imposes their values onto others through laws, makes criminals out of many, otherwise good people. They must not be allowed to run (ruin) our Country.

To share your vision- go to http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision

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Anticipation, Excitement, Disappointment

I remember a high school teacher once saying to me, "don't wish your life away." Funny what quotes we remember. This past week I was excited all week long. Chip needs one major to finish his championship. He minored out in July and then I spent lots of money on entry fees for shows that didn't get enough entries for a major. In August there was 1 major- and he won it! None of the shows he was entered in since August were majors.

Yesterday was finally a major. He had the opportunity to finish in this calendar year! This was not a two show weekend- there was only 1 show (Saturday) and oddly, the entry was enough for a major in both dogs and bitches.

I was excited all week long. I kept thinking about "the big day". I was anticipating the call to my sister to say, Chip is now a Champion!!! I knew that there would be 15 other males (it takes 16 males for a major) whose owners were feeling the same way I was- excited for the opportunity! I tried not to think too much about them because I wanted to remain focused.

I think it is VERY important to be excited and happy for who ever wins. We all work hard at this, we all have the same goals, and we all love our dogs. Still, I think that it is important to stay focused up until you need to be happy for someone else. Well, that time came yesterday for me and Chip. We were Reserve Winners Dog- 2nd best-not good enough to finish. I congratulated the winner, but still I felt disappointment. No new Championship for Chip this year. Bummer.

I think I would rather go back to the excitement, anticipation, hope, of last week- so I am looking forward to Christmas when my whole family will be together!

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Hope's Great weekend- 8 Q's! and 3 new titles.

Acadia I Hope Ewe Can, NAC, NJC O-TN-O, TG-N, HP-N had a great weekend! Sharon reports that her friend Phyllis (who also has 2 Acadia shelties) took Hope to a NADAC agility trial this past weekend. Poor Sharon had to go to work- so Phyllis had the enjoyment of playing with the dogs. Well, they had a VERY successful weekend. Hope had 8!! Qualifying runs and finished her Regular title, her hoopers title, and her Outstanding Tunnelers title. That is a great weekend!

Sharon also owns Hannah (Acadia Paint the Town) who only needs 5 Qualifying scores in Chances for her NADAC agility championship (the NATCH). This is a huge accomplishment and I really look forward to reporting her continued successes.

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Poking fun at Show Dog Lingo (and those who show dogs)

Pet dogs versus show dogs...
Pet dogs shed ............ ...... Show dogs blow coat.
Pet dogs are in heat ......... Show dogs come into season.
Pet dogs trot ............ ........ Show dogs gait or move.
Pet dogs stand ............ .... Show dogs stack.
Pet dogs get a bath ......... Show dogs are groomed.
Pet dogs beg for treats .... Show dogs bait.
Pet dogs poop ............ .... Show dogs toilet or eliminate.
Pet dogs bark at other dogs ..... Show dogs spar.

Yup- it's true, this is the language we use. Here it is "decoded" for the rest of the world.

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