Tuesday, June 25, 2013

First Lure Coursing Trial

So as mentioned before the Curly Tails have tried their paws at Lure Coursing before, but it has always just been for fun so far.

This Saturday they got to try it out in earnest. Both Watson and Menchi were entered to run at the Trial in Racine, WI this weekend, hosted by the Midwest Lure Coursing Club.

I am happy to brag that both of them walked away with a ribbon and a leg towards a title. Watson has his first leg toward his JC (Junior Courser) and Menchi is working on her CA (Coursing Ability). Most importantly though both of them loved it... Menchi could hardly wait her turn once she saw other dogs running the lure.

The funnest part for me other than watching them fly after the lure was the reaction of the judge when he saw Menchi run the full 600 yard course.

He said: "Huh, a Shar Pei...!" in an impressed "well I'll be dammend" voice :D

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Menchi does science...

So we had a trip to the vet last night with a squishy, itchy Shar Pei ear. Menchi was not at all thrilled about having her sore spot probed and swabbed. She decided that after the procedure the vet tech Sean was no longer her friend and shunned him with proper Pei scorn.

Apparenly Menchi is running her own little science project using her ear as a culture medium and dish. Dr Miller found not only yeast, but two different types of bacteria in there. One is probably a staphylococcus, the other is an as of yet unidentified rod. If it is still around after her course of antibiotics we are going to culture and id it. Culturing it now would only end up with it being overrun by one of the other microorganisms and give us no answers.

Clearly my dog loves science...she is a microbiolgist in the making. I have to talk to her about not doing any more self experimentation...

Also Watson is the world's worst alarm clock...he decided that five in the morning should be breakfast time this morning. He was an absolute terror when I resisted.

I made him wait until six until breakfast anyway...afterward he was more than happy to go back to sleep. Naughty basenji!!!

Friday, June 14, 2013

Picture Time: Birthday Edition

Today is an important day...two years ago today Miss Menchi entered the world. To celebrate we headed out to the park and took a few pictures. On the way home we stopped by the store and got a couple of new toys and birthday treats.

Menchi is currently happily abusing her shark egg baby...Watson is poking at one of the eggs that he has already pulled out of the sharks tummy. The other toy is a squeaky snake...they have already triumphantly carried it through the house each holding one end at the time.

The wild boar freeze dried treats also were a big hit :)

Good Times!!!

Happy Birthday to my Pei!

The only other dog at the park today...

Things are hiding in the tall gresses...beware!

I love these two...

Happy dogs!

Birthday girl

She such a happy dog...

Let's play find the Shar Pei

Peekaboo

He bounces through the grass like a small gazelle.

Squinty face...

Do you think they see me?




Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Sigh...

So yesterday we went to the park...I opted to leave my camera at home so that we could all just have a relaxed few jaunts about the park area.

It was good...the Curly Tails sniffed things, rolled in the grass (Menchi did anyway), greeted a couple of other dogs, and studiously avoided contact with the water (this park is right by a river marsh).

We were getting ready to leave and I was leashing up Menchi when a man entered the park with his little boy (about 6 I would guess) and a dog of the doodle variety. The doodle approaches to greet the Curly Tails as I am getting a hold of Watson. The man calls the doodle back...and a tiny voice politely asks "Can I pet?" I smile "Sure you may pet them." I expect the kid to reach out and offer his hand to Watson whom he approaches first...instead he leans his little body forward and presses his little face into the dog. Watson does a quick turn to see what that is all about...being a little startled. To his credit he handled it like a pro and merely put a bit of space between himself and the little person. He never made a sound or raised a hair.

So I then tell the little guy "You should never put your face near a dog that you do not know." Dad sheepishly backs me up with a "Yeah!" The boy's response "But I wanted to smell his fur, and Shaemus lets me." He indicates his doodle friend.

I tell both of them "Yeah, but Shaemus knows you and not every dog is going to be like Shaemus!" I am looking at dad while I express this. He replies with a quiet "Thank you." as they go on their way. I hope he heard me and talks to the little one a bit more in depth about this. I may not be a kid person...but I don't like the idea of a kid being injured by a dog because he did not now how to handle the animal properly and with respect.