St. Patrick's Day, a really nice hike and the case of the strange bunny

This week was a good one. Mom was SUPER happy because I looked happy enough on the 3rd day of the Blue Ridge trial to run a full course AND I Q'd. (She has been trying to trick me with this new thing...we go into a run at at a trial and we only do 3 or 4 obstacles and leave...I get LOTS of treats, praise and to run around---SHH!!! She thinks I don't know.)
I did it just to make her a little happy. She has really been trying lately! The woman deserved a little happiness. I made sure that I really poked on the 2nd run...didn't want her to get TOO confident!


I am reporting that St. Patrick's Day was uneventful! Thank goodness! Well, they did put us all in green scarves, but luckily we didn't get dressed up like my cousin Winston! Whew!

The week was pretty uneventful. I did some agility on Friday night. Hasten started her 1st Intermediate Agility class on Thursday--all was good.

On Saturday mom took me to practice Rally. That was OK too--I got lots of treats.
Later that day we all drove to the Shenandoah National Park for a hike...Hasten's first hike. It was the 1st pretty day we had had in quite a long time...I really liked it!

Hasten didn't embarras me even once! We all walked, and sniffed and looked around. Hasten did have to stop and talk to ANYONE who would notice her on the trails. She is such a girl!

We had a really good walk and Hasten met several friends---especially the people who were repelling--they were all resting and were perfect targets for her overly friendly greetings. Don't talk to strangers I tell her...look for vermin! 


So I am closing this post with The Case of the Strange Bunny.

Mom, Dad and Sam have been freaking out about this stuffed bunny toy. Several times they have walked into a room and found it sitting up. 

Here it is in the bathroom!

Here it is in the living room!

I have to admit--it is a bit strange. But I don't get freaked out about these things...but they all think it is SPOOKY!

That's all I have to report this week. 

Have a good one! 

Barclay, Reluctant Agility Dog and brother to Hasten. 

Odds and ends...of stuffed animals!

Hi everyone,
I am happy this week and reporting on some general doggy-related things.

My mom has been trying this new thing with me...she thinks she is SO sneaky...she runs with me and I chase her (to make her happy... a little...I don't want her getting too smug). I get to chase stuff and run recklessly through an agility course...taking stuff or not--however I feel. That has made me pretty happy...but don't tell the humans!



I have been sleeping... I do like to sleep upside down sometimes.

Look at this goofy picture of me after Samy fluffed out my hair!  Embarrasing!

And I have done much playing...here's mouthwars with my sister, Hasten:

This week Hasten did get to finally sleep on a real bed! For the past 3 months she has had to sleep on towels that she shreds to pieces. Mom and Dad finally trusted her (at night) to sleep on a real bed.

Notice--there is nothing else...really--because she pulls it through the crate and shreds whatever is on top of the crate too---everything we own looks like Mothra attacked!

Hasten has been playing but mostly wreaking havoc! That girl never stops!

Deliah is doing well. We all received small bully sticks tonight and as usual, Deliah just carried hers around....for hours! Finally she stopped, put her foot on hers and finally tried to chew a little.

I call this: Bully Stick, I claim thee! 

Not too bad for my 16 year old sister!

This week Hasten got to do many obstacles in Friday night class. She really did a good job...I think I might be somewhat happy for her...but don't tell her. She has been playing with Sully on Thursdays and that makes me mad...he was my friend first! But Mom let me play with him too...so all is good. 

Anyway, not a bad week. 

That's all folks...

Barclay, the Reluctant Agility Dog

Updates...finally!

Greetings all,
My mom has been so busy with school and taking Hasten and I to stuff, that I haven't had a single doggy minute to write on my blog.
So, I will do some quick updating.

First, Hasten and I went to who mom calls, "the goddess of agilty", Silvia Trkman's seminars in Richmond, VA. We left on a Thursday evening and stayed until Saturday afternoon. I overheard mom and Wendy say they were going to kidnap the goddess but I think that didn't happen...no one else rode home with Cheetah, Hasten and I. (Silly humans)

So, some of the things we worked on was motivation. Here is clip of me, mom and the "goddess."

My sister did a bunch of tricks---and learned some new things. Like to put her back feet on stuff and to close a drawer. These new things were really hard for her in the beginning--I am pretty sure it is because she is a GIRL!

Here are a few clips of me doing more motivation things with mom...

I don't mind the getting the food part--just not the touching me to do it part!

Here is Hasten practicing her Tic, Tap

Hasten's practice and mouth wars!

So, my sister has some agility showing off to do---below are some clips of her practicing agility. Mom got a new camera so there are a bunch! I think they are quite boring but I  hear humans like watching these things.  The last clip is of my sister and me. My mom caught me playing with her...busted! But, I was having fun and I don't have to like her ALL the time! 




Wait:

Tunnel combo:

Aframe

Small combination:

Big combination:

Mouth Wars!

TTFN!
Barclay!

toy drive...by Hasten

Hi everyone!
I LOVE agility and so I have taken over my brother's blog---while he is outside looking at squirrels.
I got to practice on the equipment last night and that always makes me happy. My mom has decided that I need to learn to play agility and use toys as motivation...that is ok---I like them--but food is SO much better! I can't think of toys if I know food is coming!

Here are some clips of me playing with the toy for reinforcement.

The one above is my favorite---and the following clip---I figured out that I DO love toys...and no one can have them! Hee hee! Listen closely and you can hear my ferocious bark!

Gotta go...barclay's coming!
Hasten...the less than feral spider monkey

Playing, Destroying and General Slowness

Hi everyone,
There has been no time to post updates lately--so here goes:
1st I went to a three day agility trial in Lexington, VA (site of this year's AKC Agility Nationals!) just 45 minutes from our home.
I was signed up to compete in FAST,  Standard and Jumpers. In the FAST class, I renamed---SLOW. I was thinking about other stuff and not capable of going really fast. Mom had to really cheer--so the the timer went off as I was most successfully going to complete the "send." So, no Q for me or mom.

Friday: Standard class--well, I don't know what was wrong--but I felt very sad as I started the course and mom had to PULL me along---begging, pleading and I just didn't really want to play along. I did like the last 4 jumps. They always make me happy--I can see the end!
Jumpers--Mom handed me over to Wendy. She tried to run me. But I mostly walked for her too.

Saturday: they thought they would trick me. Samy played with me before the run and I was SO happy! I was tugging and playing and then she took me in that dreaded ring and as soon as she touched me to take off my collar...I deflated. I walked through most of the course--trotted some. Yeah, I am not into speed right now.

Sunday: Same thing... I did have a little bit more interest in the scary course with the dreaded "box" that everyone was talking about all day.... but I was still well over time. Samy did a good job handling me...I just didn't feel like going fast.

I am a VERY accurate dog. Some say, it's hard to be inaccurate when you go that slow..but they are just haters! (probably border collies!)

Hasten has been having fun. She had her first official agility class this week and that's all she has been talking to me about. She really likes it and gets really happy when there is equipment. I will say that when I watch her play on the equipment with mom and get treats, I am a tiny bit jealous...but not THAT much.

Mom has some video of Hasten playing with her new friend (and my friend too--I LOVE this dog!) Sully. He is a very cute Jack Russell who I have known longer than Hasten. He is about a month older than her.

Hasten has been destroying many things...toys, garbage, pens, and for some reason the little freak likes baby wipes! Who knows what goes on in that girl's mind.

Here is her pretty pink camo jacket--which she ate the front off on the way to the trial.

No brains in this monkey!

Sincerely, 
Barclay, the REALLY reluctant agility dog

This week in... agility and life

Hi everyone!
This was a great week. Mom was home with us a great deal and we got to get in a lot of great walks in the Arboretum! I LOVE walking---I get to see EVERY single squirrel and try to chase them down.

 Since mom has started taking Hasten with us on our walks I am fine...I just told her, "Keep up with me or you will be left to drag! "  I know that sounds mean--but hey! these walks are awesome and I have stuff to see! She is doing really well and she doesn't bother me at all on these walks. She is a bit confused...she keeps looking at mom every few 50 or so yards...as if to ask..."Is this all there is? Where are we? When do we get THERE?"  Today, we both found a mole---it was black and hairy and smelly and we almost had it...I could feel it near my mouth....but darn it--it got away. Mom was relieved for some silly reason.

This week in agility I went to LOAL on Friday---we did "sends" and I did ok...I think there is a trial coming up so mom is trying to get me ready. I usually like doing the sends---I have no problem working away from my mom.  I have had a nice vacation but we will find out next week how I really feel....things could change at any minute!

Hasten has been practicing her free shaping and her agility. She is really fast! I have tried to tell her that speed is not THAT important--but she didn't listen...she actually cries and whimpers if she can't go fast enough--what is WRONG with that girl?

One thing I have noticed about my new sister. She is a garbage junkie! She loves to take things out of the recycle bin and carries them around, sleeps with them, chews on them--and if we get near...she runs out the dog door with them! This girl is weird!

There is proof that she actually sleeps! She curls up like a hedgehog usually. See below:

Here is a rare shot of her still and in mom's lap.

Below are some clips of Mom and Hasten training. 

Waiting is NOT her thing. This is the 1st time we have had a wait before an obstacle.

The 1st one--great wait--but blew the tire---so I took her to the tunnel--seemed like waiting AND the tire was just too much. 

2nd video--she is showing how frustrating WAIT is!

On the left: Here she is showing her ability to do a combinatino of obstacles.
Right: Her wicked fast dogwalk w/out a leash!