Cleaned out the bird room

Well, my bird room needed a really good scrubbing, so today i took everything OUT, washed the windows, walls, and scrubbed the floor (a couple of times) and then stuck everything back in. It took about two hours. I'm just sad because my little area rug I throw in there, I could only air out.. my vacuum burnt a belt out yesterday and the SO hasn't replaced it yet. Sigh... but I rearranged the birdies as well, so everyone is in a totally different spot! I really need to organize the sink area, but I'm too pooped to pop just now...

I'm taking all the dogs (except Murphy) over to my parents' house today. They have a very large, fenced-in backyard that Roofus can actually get to a full gallop in, unlike my house! I've been walking them everyday but I did not get to it today, so they can run around like maniacs over there.

Learning the Weaves - Part II

Okay, I've tried this new weave pole method - and it's awesome!! Popper doesn't have that "what the heck does mommy WANT??" look on his face anymore. I can just walk beside the weaves, and he automatically starts weaving now. Better than last week, where I had to lure in, lure out, lure in, lure out. We practice at least once every other day (I'm shooting for twice a day, it's hard with all the other dogs around) and he drastically improves each time. I can't wait until we're running through them!

The method I keep referring to is at BAD Agility, the bearded collie agility website. If you think about it, it makes total sense! I love that it's something you can do at home, that it relies heavily on YOUR body language, and that there are no stupid wires or guides required. Since I'd been using food luring, it only took Popper two times before he caught on to what I was doing and now he wiggles his way through, prancing the entire way. I'm going to work on stepping it up a notch now. Hopefully I can get a video on here to show his weaving skills! I'm so proud this is one agility obstacle I have taught Popper 100% on my own.

Dog Fighting - My Solution

On the episode of Bones last night, Dr Brennan and Booth were investigating a dog fighting ring and a death to a human from a dog. Turns out the dog was ordered to kill a person. They made it clear the dog was very nice, but was forced to kill and hurt people to please its master.

Now, I'm sick and tired of all these jerks killing people with dogs and fighting dog against dog. It's just sickening. If anything has been made obvious, it is that the penalties for these crimes are far too lenient. And who suffers? The dogs!

So, my solution. Henceforth, all dog fighters will be rounded up and thrown into a barbed wire pit, in a gigantic fight to the death, until there is only one person remaining. That one person will be the lucky one who gets to decide if they want the bullet in the back of their head, or right between the eyes.

Now, it may seem a little extreme, but be honest - would you engage in dog fighting if that was the penalty? Right now, they either get little slaps on the wrists with fines, or a bit of jail time. Now, the jails are overcrowded and it costs US money to keep these idiots alive. If we simply eliminated them and their violent tendencies from the gene pool, there would be a lot more happy dogs and pet owners. AND, best of all, the punishment fits the crime.

Agree with it, or don't. I think it's a workable solution.

Learning Weaves

So I have been taking Popper out nearly every day, a few times a day, trying to get him to do the weaves consistently, and most importantly, on his own. He's caught on to the point where if he isn't quite sure what I want, will start weaving in and out of a few poles to see if he gets rewarded for it. He hasn't caught on, unfortunately, to enter on the right side. I found a webpage that had some great tips for teaching weaves, but I'm not coordinated enough at this point to follow them. I'm working on it, though, because it relied HEAVILY on body language, and Popper definitely follows my body language intently.

Since we've been focusing so much on dog agility, I made a bunch of general dog agility tshirts and other cool products. They're all cartoons, and the dog in them isn't breed specific (though I did base him on my Popper!). The crying dog at the teeter totter, in particular, is Popper... he really REALLY does not like the buja board so far! I'm hoping we'll have more success with the teeter since it only goes ONE direction.

So please, check out my cool agility apparel. Starving artist here! :D

Not all fun and games...

Just sometimes!

I get asked a lot about dog aggression in my multi-dog household. While it rarely occurs, the fact is, it does. Anyone with more than one dog can report a scuffle from time to time.

Last night, Popper had a really, really off day. He's normally only ball aggressive, and he's not *horrible* about it, and he has a couple other minor issues where if he gets frustrated or bored, he takes it out on one of his brothers. I know this and so it's not too difficult to keep him in check.

Yesterday was "attack Blossom day." TWO dogfights and one quick nip. The first time, it was over food - food not even in his dog bowl, food in a bowl he can't even reach. Didn't matter. Blossom mosied over to grab a few bites and he launched into beagle warfare on her. I had to restrain him for several minutes after it was finished, because he was still visible and audibly upset. Blossom was quite a scrapper in her youth, but has mellowed considerably in her old age. She was shaking pretty badly but was unhurt.

The second time, I was working with popper on weave poles in the back yard. I was tossing treats to all the dogs. Blossom missed hers and started sniffing around for it. Apparently that offended Popper, he again attacked her. I was only a step away and curtailed it REALLY quick.

The quick nip was before bedtime, when Blossom was on my bed, Popper in Roofus's bed, and Roofus also on my bed. Roofus leapt off the bed because my SO was being annoying to me (Roofus is my gallant knight), which startled Blossom (who is deaf) so she too leapt down - unfortunately right next to Popper, who had just been trompled by Roofus. Popper nipped her in the face. :(

I have seen absolutely NO trace of this aggression today. Normally he ignores B, and B ignores him. That's how it is again today... though when I fed Blossom a little extra in Roofus's bowl as a treat, and to watch and correct Popper, she did eyeball him several times before she would eat from the bowl. Popper was fine with her.

I attribute most of Popper's behavioral problems to the half of his pedigree that makes him such a great agility dog - the Australian cattle dog part. They are known for a tendency to be dog aggressive, and have extremely high physical and emotional needs. They need a JOB to be completely happy, which is partly why we started agility in the first place. I actually don't care for cattle dogs at all, and never expected to own even a part heeler, but now I find myself thinking that as I am becoming more and more familiar with the breed, I may just keep getting cattle dog mixes. There's tons of them in pounds and rsecues.

Popper is an agility pro! And Halloween design...

We had another agility class last night, it's the second session (out of seven), so hopefully Popper finishes up next year... sure hope so, since he'll be getting older and older. I actually kinda wonder about this place, because it takes a good year and a half to train your dog going just once a week, with nearly a month break between classes. I can't imagine a lot of people do that - you're losing a lot of "prime of life" time, in my opinion. Well, hopefully when I one day get my farm, I can own the teeter and a-frame and not have to worry about it any more.

Popper is absolutely amazing - it is I that sucks. One thing, though, was the building isn't air-conditioned, and it was ungodly hot last night. When it gets hot like that, Popper gets unresponsive and doesn't want to do ANYTHING. I saw him slowing down... we got on the dog walk, and he started slowly trudging onwards... until he decided he'd had enough, and jumped off in the middle. I made him do it again, and the instructor gave him an insane amount of treats at the end. She made me do it one more time, and this time he raced to the end like he normally does.

I was thinking about Halloween coming up. Every year except last year, I passed out candy. I kinda hate to NOT pass it out, except I don't have any kids, don't plan to have any kids, and there are so many children in the neighborhood that we easily spend $50+ on candy, and we don't have the kind of money that $50 is easily spent. However, we do usually spend less if I let Roofus sit outside with us. He's so big, a lot of people are scared and as such keep walking (but I still see their costumes!). If they were REALLY smart they'd be scared of Merlin or Popper. Anyhow, I made a cute little corgi Frankenstein design. It's fairly spooky, I think, or as spooky as a corgi cartoon can be made. It's got bats and a jack o' lantern and I think it's adorable. I am going to buy myself one on a black t-shirt.

Easy way to Exercise your Dog(s)

If your dog likes water, that is!

Go into the backyard with the hose, and just slowly turn in circles so your dog has to chase the water. I always keep it *just* out of their reach, with an occasional dousing to keep them interested. I don't have a treadmill, so doing this I can keep my dogs running for 15 minutes or more at a time - and not worry about overheating! Plus it's just a fun summer activity for when it's too hot to do anything else.

Never exercise your dog 2 hours before or 2 hours after eating a meal.

Happy September everybody!

Poor, poor Bently!

My mom's new rescue dog, that I drove a distance for to rescue from euthanasia, was neutered two days ago, after he had gained some weight and gotten over a nasty case of kennel cough. Bently was advertised as a 10 year old dog, but the vet believes his age his probably half that! I nearly bought him a can of tennis balls to replace the ones he had lost.

But, all in all, he's recovered quite well. I was talking to my mom when he walked up and put my hand in his mouth. When I glanced down at him, he wiggled his tail and gave me a "big brown eyed" look, which I am a sucker for, and he's got a pretty good one going for him. Actually, that's probably the one thing I'll remember about him, long after he's gone and I'm getting long in the tooth myself. When I picked him up from the dog pound, he was curled tightly into a ball. He didn't even stand up, he just raised his head slightly and gazed up sadly with those two big brown eyes.

Now he's gaining about 3 pounds per week, getting way more hugs, scratches, and treats in a day than most dogs get in a month, and quite happily terrorizing my dad's dog, a former princess who still doesn't understand why her daddy hasn't cast out "that filthy mongrel."

After an early lunch today, I was pondering what the heck I could draw when I thought of one feat Merlin the Corgi has not yet attempted - surfing! Now, I was perhaps a bit more ambitious than I had talent, and was clueless about how to create waves crashing. However, after the fact, I think I ended up doing a marvelous job and I still can't believe little ole me drew it! So if you want a really cool surfer corgi t-shirt, well, support a starving artist and buy one of mine. Coming soon - hippie corgi!

So I've been really busy...

Busy designing new stuff, that is! I FINALLY, almost four years later, got the hang of drawing cartoons. So I've been drawing away! I'm trying to do a lot of breed specific stuff, which can be kinda tough, because a lot of breeds look so similar anyway. Add in the genericness of a cartoon, and poof, it COULD be that dog... or it could be another... Anyhow, I've been giving it my best shot. *I* like them, and I suppose that's what matters, right? Merlin our Pembroke Welsh Corgi is the subject of a good many designs... he's so freaking cute, I just can't help it!

I was having some little flashbacks the other day, about working in a pet store. Boy, if you love animals, I don't recommend working in a pet store! At least not a big chain. A smaller one is usually okay (I've done that too). I was reminded of some experiences I had, mostly because I am a huge bird lover. And, of course, I had to make some funny drawings about it. I think that a lot of it is stuff most people don't think about - until they've worked in a pet store.

The dogs are really itchy lately. I've tried, REALLY TRIED to do holistic flea control this year. I honestly think that if we hadn't had such a warm winter that it would have worked. As it is, it's only this month, really, that the dogs have started itching. I can't find a single flea anywhere, though, and nothing's biting me. Even after flea baths, I find nothing. So I'm not convinced it IS fleas, because I've never NOT seen a flea. I've had the humidifier on because that solves a lot of problems (and is GREAT for birds!) but it's not solving this one. Roofus did have some flea dirt on him at his last bath. But again - where are the stupid fleas??? I'm going to buy a couple single doses of Advantix or Frontline Plus and hopefully it's the only time I'll have to use it this year. I am not fond at all of putting powerful chemical pesticides on my pets. Especially when they have warnings all over the box that I have to wash my hands, not touch my pets for a while, etc. Scary!!

Not animal related...

So one of the people i chat occasionally with has some awesome artwork and drawings on sale at Cafepress. My absolute favorite design is this Geisha Girl design. Isn't it FABULOUS? This dood is really talented. I still can't make up my mind whether I want it on a t-shirt, magnet or what, I just know that it's great.

If you want to purchase this Geisha Girl t-shirt, the url to do so is http://www.cafepress.com/brev87/5814657. Of course, he has many great designs including urban wear, dragons, and other fantastic art. I wish I were that talented!

Pit Bull Saves Family from Fire

Dog credited with saving family from burning home

By Norb Franz
Macomb Daily Staff Writer


A bite to Matthew Duda's ankle by his pit bull terrier probably saved his life and the lives of his family.

Duda, 21, was jarred out of his sleep by the pain in his foot and tumbled out of bed early Thursday morning. From the floor, he saw Roxie staring at him - and flames along a wall, part of the ceiling and floor.

The Clinton Township man began yelling "Fire!" to alert his mother, Lori Duda, and his sisters, Amy, 24, and Alicia, 19, who were sleeping. They escaped the burning colonial on Touraine, near Canal and Hayes roads. Matthew let the family's other two dogs into the yard before he ran out - followed the whole time by Roxie.

"If it wasn't for my puppy I probably wouldn't be standing here," he said Friday afternoon in front of their charred home and debris scattered in the front yard.

Matthew, who suffered second-degree burns to his hip, said he didn't fully realize the heroic action of his 10-month-old dog until he was outside and noticed two red dots where he felt pain.
Teeth marks.

"It didn't dawn on me," he said, adding that Roxie doesn't fit the stereotype viciousness of the breed. Matthew figures Roxie was returning a favor; he says he rescued the malnourished puppy earlier this year from an acquaintance of a friend in Detroit.

Amy Duda said she was awakened by her brother's yelling. She grabbed a cell phone, the family's pet Calico cat and fled.

"I think I'm alive because of my brother Matt," she said. "All the firemen said if it wasn't for the dog we wouldn't have woken up."

When she initially heard her son yelling upstairs, Lori Duda didn't realize her family's safety was in jeopardy.

"I thought Matt was dreaming and yelling in his sleep. I went upstairs and saw smoke," she said.

The cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit, linked to a portable fan. The 1,600-square-foot house was destroyed by a combination of flames, smoke and water. The family is insured for their losses, but what remains of most of their belongings now fits into eight plastic storage bins.

The fan was in Lori's bedroom. She had suggested that Matthew sleep there instead of her late Wednesday because he arrived home late and she was still cleaning downstairs to prepare for a visit from out-of-town relatives.

Ironically, Lori initially opposed her son bringing Roxie into the house when he first got the pit bull because of the breed.

The playful pet is very friendly and quiet, although Roxie has ruined several shoes since they got her.

For grateful family members, that's now easily forgiven.

Terrible Car Accident

Popper was involved in a horrendous car accident!!



hehehee! He got the car as his reward for completing the first class of agility at BRAG. Three weeks later, he destroyed it. Easy come, easy go, I guess!

Interesting weekend...

Thursday evening I found an emergency post about a dog about to be euthanized at Muskingum County dog pound simply because he was old and they had to make room for the younger dogs that were more likely to be adopted. That was absolutely appalling to me, to put to sleep a perfectly good animal just because he's got higher mileage.

So I trotted on down there (120 miles round trip) and rescued him.

Then I had a minor panic attack about what to DO with him - I have five dogs of my own, after all!

Well, without going into too much detail, the next day I brought him to my parents' house with me while I went swimming... and he never left there again. :) My mom adores the dog, and he adores her right back. He was a very nonresponsive dog towards EVERYTHING - food, scratches, etc - he just stood there and acknowledged nothing. The first time he saw my mom, he trotted right up to her wagging his tail.

She's named him Bandit, and he is extremely underweight, has kennel cough, and god knows what else, but he's going to the vet to get all checked out and NEUTERED (yeah, pound neglected to mention he had his little friends) after he's recovered from his stay at the pound.

All's well that ends well. :)

Can't wait until one day when I have a lot of land - I'm going to set up a nice kennel area in a heated/ACd barn, and REALLY have my dog rescue going - Senior Scamps - where I'll only take in old dogs. When I was trying to find Bandit a home, rescue after rescue kept turning me down, because "older dogs are hard to move." Like they're merchandise!! So I will ONLY take in the older, the decrepit, the "retiring" pooches. This was my second rescue that I've rescued and rehomed... it's a good feeling. :)

Update and PETA tactics

It's been a while since I blogged, and I apologize. While I was vacationing in Mexico late May, I became very ill, and it was only a week and a half ago I was finally diagnosed with a kidney stone that was blocking my ureter. It was extremely painful, and very frustrating to not be able to pin down a diagnosis. After my visit with the urologist, he scheduled an emergency surgery to remove the stone immediately. I am still in a bit of pain, mostly soreness, but I feel a thousand times better than I did pre-op and look forward to posting more in my blog!

I just dewormed all the dogs, they were eating a LOT more grass, and for some reason, dirt, than I was comfortable with, and Blossom has had a hacking cough for months now. She's also started actually wanted FED, if you can believe that. I think she might have switched from anorexia to bulemia. She's a weird dog. They're all dewormed now, and B isn't coughing as much and nobody's eating dirt. That makes me a lot happier. :)

Here's a bit from one of the dog forums I frequent, about the latest monstrosity committed by PETA. It's ludicrous what they'll go through to try to get their point across. Maybe if they weren't so much like terrorists, more people would try to work with them.

Bogus ad placed in Dog Fancy Magazine by Peta:


"Just bought a brand-new purebred puppy? Welcome him or her
into your home with a free gift bag! Call us today at 1-866-834-6061 to
claim your bag and hear about our products,"

Reads a new ad appearing in the July 7 issue of Dog Fancy magazine, which is on newsstands now. But when respondents call the number, they'll learn that the ad was placed by PETA and that the bag offered is really a body bag--for the unlucky dog in an animal shelter who is "sentenced to death" because the respondents bought a purebred pup from a breeder or a pet store.

Dog Fancy rsponse

http://board.dogchannel.com/Topic45646-35-1.aspx

Hello fellow dog lovers,

Lots of comments have been circulating on the Internet this week about the following ad that appeared in the August issue of DOG FANCY:

"ABC PUPPY PRODUCTS -- Just bought a brand-new puppy? Welcome him or her into your home with a free gift bag! Call us today at (xxx) xxx-xxxx to claim your bag and hear about our products."

This ad was placed by a private individual on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

DOG FANCY does not knowingly accept advertising from PETA and does not agree with its extremist views. Unfortunately, the organization resorted to guerilla tactics by placing an ad in DOG FANCY under a pseudonym to deceive readers with a free gift bag offer, opting to use shock tactics to try get its message heard.

DOG FANCY promotes responsible dog ownership, including the responsible breeding and sale of purebred dogs. This is the first time in many, many years that the organization has succeeded in slipping past our screening measures, and we accept responsibility for the failure to catch this ad before going to press. We apologize to all who have been offended by this offensive and misleading stunt, and will continue to refine the systems in place to prevent our readers and advertisers from being exposed to such distasteful hoaxes.

Sincerely,
Susan Chaney, Editor
DOG FANCY

New corals!

I just got back from Phishy Business, where I got two new corals - a Hammer and Frogspawn coral. They're just so cool... it seems to me that the coolest corals are always labeled as "beginner," which makes me feel a bit stupid every time I buy one, but oh well. The salesguy was reasonably impressed when I described my black and orange sun coral tank so that made me feel a bit better. I'll have pics tomorrow, I hope... the lights are off to give everyone a chance to adjust, although the frogspawn already has its sweeper tentacles out looking for tidbits.

I also got a peppermint shrimp for that tank to take care of any little stray aiptasia. Still working on the darkness method in my 7 gallon nano, but I have the feeling I'll be back to injecting with kalkwasser here soon. Sigh!

Pesky Aiptasia and Libby

First things first- I am trying a new method to get rid of all that freaking aiptasia that has multiplied overnight as well as some red bubble algae. I saw one of my sun corals had an aiptasia attached - there's not much I can do about that, as any chemical treatment will likely kill off the coral as well. I can't use a peppermint shrimp because my strawberry dottyback will eat it. I'm not interested in trying to keep berghia alive since the dottyback will probably kill them too.

So, I opted for total darkness. For at least one week, there'll be no lights on in the tank. I'll reevaluate the situation then. None of the corals in there need light to live, the only things that'll suffer will be the aiptasia, algae, and my live rock, unfortunately. I've been battling it for a year and a half, but it has recently gotten waaay out of control.

Libby is my parents' dog, and she's staying with us for a week or so while her parents go on vacation. When I went to get her, I let her out first since it had been about 7 hours since she was last out, and she peeked off the deck... the next door neighbor's five german shepherds all started barking and snarling, and she raced back into the house. Poor dog! She can't even piddle in her own backyard. :( I hate people who take no responsibility for their pets.

Libby has stayed with us before, but for some reason this time my SO's dogs are being pretty unfriendly about it. I know they'll settle down eventually but Libby is very attached to my dad and is stressed enough without them adding to it!

Arkansas solves animal problem

This is a true news story, dated 6-13-08. Apparently, the mayor of Arkansas has decided that instead of taking care of homeless pets, the best thing to do is release them into the wild.

From ArkansasMatters.com
You've heard it before.....Arkansas animal shelters struggling to take care of unwanted dogs and cats. One mayor has decided the best way to fix the problem in his town is to set the animals free.
KARK visited the Helena-West Helena animal shelter back in January. Conditions were dirty and animals were in poor health.
Thursday, KARK learned the town's mayor James Valley has taken the unconventional approach of releasing the animals into the wild.
In a press release, the mayor says "we fed and watered them and took them to the St. Francis National Forest."

We're told about ten dogs, including several pit bulls were set free and that some of the dogs were sick.

Here is Wednesday's news release from Mayor Valley:

Ladies and Gentlemen:
This morning we began the process of dealing with our animal shelter problem. I have met, today, with Ms. Gloria Higginbotham. She is heading up a committee to create a county-wide animal shelter and perhaps with the participation of all governmental units, we can provide the kind of facility that will be deemed appropriate.
In the mean time, we are or have released all but a few our those animals heretofore housed at the sanitation shop. We fed and watered them and took them to the St. Francis National Forest and released them to freedom. We are disassembling the pens or fences and will not any longer house or keep any of these animals. This problem is dogging us and taking away from our ability to focus on the greater good for the community as a whole. One of our animal control officers has been to the hospital three times in as many months. Twice for bites and once for a severally sprain ankle growing out of incidents with these animals.
When Ms. Higginbotham's full plan is revealed, I plan to support it and assist her and the group in caring for our animals.
I just wanted to let you know.
Sincerely,
James F. Valley

Silly Havoc

Today, I had Havoc in the shower with me, which I do at least twice a week. I was soaking my pancake tortoise in the sink at the same time, and she had pooped right away. So after I set Havoc on her shower perch I took care of my tortoise, since showers with Havoc have a tendency to be lengthy.

I told her I'd be right back. After I shut the door so she wouldn't fly out, I hear a tentative "squawk?" I call, I'm coming back, don't worry. SQUAWK?? I'll be right there, hang on! SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK!!!! until I open the door, and she's sitting calmly on her perch. I close the door behind me and she says, "Bad Girl!!"

hehehe What a goofy bird. :)

Agility Equipment at Toys R Us!

The AKC Junior Handler's agility equipment is 40% off right now at Toys R Us. These are great if you want inexpensive equipment to practice on at home. It is a little smaller, though, so if you've got a dog 50# or more it probably won't work. They have a bar jump, weave poles that slant, tunnel with detachable chute, and a "tire" jump. It should be on sale through the end of the week.

My significant other bought us the set, and when we got home after agility class, I demonstrated Popper's newfound mastery of the chute. :)

Herding Clinic This Weekend!

I, for one, was delighted to see there was a Herding Clinic in Ohio this weekend (June 14th and 15th), just outside Cincy. Two of my pooches are booked for Saturday, and I will of course be blogging about it! Hopefully with a few pics.

Here's the info in case anyone else is interested:

There's still space available in the sheep and duck herding clinic June 14 and 15! Please email me if you plan to attend.

Here's all the info:

Sheep and Duck Herding Clinic Schedule for 2008

Mark your calendars! Below is the sheep and duck herding clinic schedule for 2008! All clinics will be taught by Kelly Malone and held at the Stocker farm just outside of Lebanon , OH . Please let me know which dates you’re interested in and send me a check at least 2 weeks before the clinic date to hold your registration.

If you’ve never taken your dog to a herding clinic, give it a try! It’s a lot of fun and most of the other dogs are beginners, too!

Check out Kelly’s website for more herding info and events: http://www.karmaperformance.com

------------------------------------------------------

Attn: Herding Dog Owners

Herding Clinics: Maineville , OH (near Lebanon )

All breeds welcome

Sheep and Duck Herding Clinics ’08 event dates:

June 14 & 15; September 13 & 14; and October 25 & 26.

We are scheduling sheep/duck herding clinics for the above dates in 2008. Charlene and David Stocker have again offered the use of their farm in Maineville (just south of Lebanon ), Ohio ( 896 E. Foster-Maineville Rd. ). Kelly Malone (http://www.karmaperformance.com) will be our instructor and she’s bringing sheep and ducks, too! Most of the dogs will be beginners. Come on out and join the fun! Sign up for one day or 2!

The cost is $60 for both days of a clinic (if you can only make it for one day, the charge is $30, please email me a to make sure we can schedule something for you). Please bring cash to the clinic to give to Kelly. There is no need to mail a check ahead of time.

All days will start at 9AM and go until about 4PM. Saturday morning will be instinct testing, and then we proceed to instruction tailored for you in the fenced areas with you and your dog. Sundays proceed the same way if new dogs join. We adjust the day for the attendees and the dogs’ abilities. We all watch and learn from one another as Kelly instructs each dog/owner pair.

If you have more than one dog you’d like to have instinct tested, there will be a $15 charge for each additional dog. However, you can only work with one dog (typically the one with the better instinct). If you also have a non-herding dog, you can bring it so you don’t have to run home to let it out.

Space is limited so please respond as soon as possible. We’ll have the clinics rain or shine – there’s a nice barn we can use in case of rain. There will be water for dogs but please bring crates – depending on the weather, we may not be able to park close to the herding area, and there may be a large number of dogs around. You will also need a crate if you use the restroom, etc. If you cannot bring a crate, please email Charlene Stocker (aussie@aol.com) to see if she may have a crate you can use for the day. You'll also need folding chairs. We’ll send out directions & further instructions to everyone who registers.

Registration is by email should be received at least 2 weeks before the clinic date to hold your registration. Please bring cash to the clinic to give to Kelly.

Any questions, please contact me (Beth) at b_meece@hotmail.com or call Charlene or David Stocker at 513-899-4764 for more information.

Please feel free to give this info to anyone who might be interested.

Maineville is in the northeast suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio

Directions:

Please arrive by 8:45AM to have time to park your car, set up your crate and
get your dog settled in.

Please remember to bring the following:
- Crate for your dog(s) - you will not be able to park your car in the shade
nearby. There is a barn nearby where we can put the dogs in the crates when
they're not herding and a fan to keep them cool. Also, if you have a
non-herding dog feel free to bring him/her with a crate so you don't have to
run home to let him/her out. With possibly a large number of dogs, a crate is recommended. You will need to have your dog crated if you use the restroom, etc. If you cannot bring a crate, please email Charlene Stocker (aussie@aol.com) to see if she may have a crate you can use for the day.

- Water bowls for dogs and a water bottle for you. There's also a pond the
dogs can swim in.

- Lawn chair.

- Sunscreen

- Hiking boots or tennis shoes to wear in the barn and/or pasture.

- Bring your own lunch

The clinic will be held at Charlene and David Stocker's farm, which they
have kindly allowed us to use again.

Charlene's cell number is 513-479-8994 in case you get lost. If you get her
voice mail - leave a message and she'll return your call.

Directions:
(keep in mind Internet maps may be wrong due to construction)

from Dayton :
I-75 S to exit 29 Monroe OH Rte 63 E. Turn left off the exit
ramp. Rte 63 becomes Main St in Lebanon . Stay on Rte 63 ( Main St ) for
about 10 miles and turn right onto 48 S near the BP Station. Stay on 48 S
for about 8 miles until you reach the small town of Mainesville . Turn left
at the only stoplight in Mainesville onto E. Foster-Mainesville Rd. The
place will be on the left in about a mile. The Stockers' address is 896 E.
Foster-Mainesville Rd. When you see the white 3 rail horse fencing, turn in
the next driveway. The driveway has a stone entranceway with coachlights.

from Bellbrook:
Take 42 S to 48 S. Turn left onto 48 S near Wal-Mart.
Stay on 48 S until you reach the small town of Mainesville . Turn left at
the only stoplight in Mainesville onto E. Foster-Mainesville Rd. The place
will be on the left in about a mile. The Stockers' address is 896 E.
Foster-Mainesville Rd. When you see the white 3 rail horse fencing, turn in
the next driveway. The driveway has a stone entranceway with coachlights.

from Beavercreek :
Take I-675 S to the Rte 48 S exit. Go south on 48 for about 20
minutes. When you see the Lebanon City water tower, take the next left,
which is Miller. Stay on Miller and it will become 48 S again. Cross 42
and go under I-71. Stay on 48 S until you reach the small town of
Mainesville . Turn left at the only stoplight in Mainesville onto E.
Foster-Mainesville Rd. The place will be on the left in about a mile. The
Stockers' address is 896 E. Foster-Mainesville Rd. When you see the white 3
rail horse fencing, turn in the next driveway. The driveway has a stone
entranceway with coachlights.

from Springfield :
I-71 South to exit 28 (Rte 48 South Lebanon). Turn right onto 48
south. Go about 5 miles until you reach the small town of Mainesville .
Turn left at the only stoplight in Mainesville onto E. Foster-Mainesville
Rd. The place will be on the left in about a mile. The Stockers' address is
896 E. Foster-Mainesville Rd. When you see the white 3 rail horse fencing,
turn in the next driveway. The driveway has a stone entranceway with
coachlights.