Junie is just getting started in her agility training but she’s learning quickly and we’re having a blast! Below is a video of Junie at 16 months old, starting to get the hang of jumps and a little sequence. 

Our basic puppy training classes are in full swing at Brandow’s Feed Store in Oneonta, NY. Stop by the store to sign up for our next round of classes which will begin on Thursday, April 27, 2017.

Our 4h basic dog training classes have also begun, and we are looking forward to another season of Agility training which will be starting soon. I enjoy these kids and their dogs so much!!

With the pending arrival of another litter of puppies and a new round of classes in progress, we have been very busy with our dogs and enjoying every minute of it! The 4-h dog program is in full swing. We started this spring with a basic class for some new puppies and have now moved back into the agility ring. We have a mixture of some wonderful, seasoned teams that we have enjoyed for a couple years now as well as some new faces that are just getting started. I can’t say enough good things about this group! Both the kids and their dogs have been such a joy to work with. We are working hard to put together an Agility demo at this year’s county fair. My own dog, Kitt has also been coming along to play with us and he really enjoys being back in the field. He is quite lazy at home, but boy, does he come to life when he sees those jumps and tunnels!

Because Scout was a singleton puppy, we have been making regular visits up to Top Notch kennel and Equestrian Center to play with some of the puppies up there. We felt it was important for her to begin proper socialization from a very young age and research has shown that these lessons are best taught by litter mates. Since Scout doesn’t actually have any litter mates, we went and found her some. It was truly amazing to watch her discover how to play like a puppy!

On our first visit, Scout didn’t actually play. She was very lazy and a bit overwhelmed by the other pups and was not really interested in playing with them. I didn’t think the visit was a success. However, once we got home we saw an instant change in her behavior. Scout actually pounced and barked! Something she had never done before! At first she tried to play with inanimate objects….. slippers, the stuffed animal we had given her, the fridge (I know, weird!) Then she actually tried to play with one of our bigger dogs. She didnt quite know what to do when he played back, but she was trying. By the time she came home from her second visit, she had this play stuff down. Within the next few days she became a much happier and more playful puppy. by her 3rd visit, she was getting right in there with the rest of the group.

Below are a few pictures of our most recent visit. Thank you, Dani and Mike at Top Notch for providing us with some great playmates!!

It seems lately I have been spending a great deal of my time in training classes and I find that I enjoy that very much! I have taken on the task of instructing dog training classes through our local 4h program and honestly, Im not sure which I am enjoying more…. the dogs or the kids! Both have been delightful to work with. We are just finishing up our 6 weeks of basic dog training. In a few weeks we will once again begin our agility classes. Last year’s group was so much fun and it looks like we have another great group to work with this year. I am excited to watch both the kids and their dogs grow their skills in the coming months. They never cease to impress me!

In addition to the 4h classes, I have decided to return to agility classes with my own dog, Kitt. We have been enjoying rally-o for the past few years, but I think he will enjoy going back to agility. It has been a while. I don’t expect great things from him in the realm of competition, but time spent with Kitt is always a pleasure and I know he enjoys his time with me as well. There is no love quite like that of a dedicated dog.

No, I am not new to the wonderful world of dogs, or to rescue or to retrievers. However, I am very new to blogging! So, we begin a new adventure…. a way to share our journey with our dogs, our own as well as our fosters, and some belonging to friends and family whom we have had the pleasure of enjoying, as well.

We have been away from rescue for a little while as we have dedicated our time this past year to helping our human children along their own life paths (we have 8 of them!) but we and the few children that remain here with us are very anxious to get back into the fostering game and excited to meet whoever God sends our way!