Apology?

ROBIN TO ZEEBA: I'm really sorry (not) that I accidently (not) pushed you off the dock into the pond the other day. I was in a hurry to go swimming and you were in my way. However when I first came to live here--before you were even born--I had sheltie friends who looooved the water and swam with me all the time. See how happy they look in their picture all soaking wet. That's Sparrow and Merlin who now live with the angels.

Spring is here

Hi, it's Robin reporting: Sunday Mom took this picture to share of the cherry blossoms against the clear blue sky. On our walk this morning we noticed that the shadbush was blooming, the red maples are shedding their pollen and all kinds of birds are singing including the chipping sparrows which have been away for the winter. There is coltsfoot in bloom along the road and dandylions are popping up in the dog yard. Mom thinks that she'll have to cut the grass next week. A soft spring rain started just as we went out and I think I heard thunder in the distance . Oh Oh!!!
Zeeba has some stuff to report: Mom and I went to agility class yesterday and learned that there are still some things we need to work on like weave entries when I'm running real fast and going from obstacle focus back to handler focus so I go into the tunnel instead up the A-frame. And Mom still needs to support me until I'm committed to an obstacle--I am still a novice dog after all. ( Notice we don't use babydog any more.) I like seeing my friends at class, but most of all I like RUNNING and JUMPING. Robin didn't come because she doesn't like indoor class because of the static shocks. She is sooooo sensitive but I'm, tough. Love, Zeeba

Canie Company visit

Hi everybody it's Zeeba here. Yesterday I went with the AOC Canine Company to do a show for the elder folks at Hawthorne Ridge. We get to show them how well trained we are and demonstrate how we got that way. My job was recalls and retrieving and jumping and a little agility stuff. I showed how we started learning signals too. We also got to do trix and Abbey the Border collie shared her Yuppy Puppy treat machine with me and we took turns helping ourselfs by pushing the lever. Of course I didn't want that to end. I made everybody laugh when I was supposed to get mom a tissue when she sneezed cuz I pulled 6 out of the box before I brought her one. I would have shredded them too if I had time. Finally we showed how we could stay still while our Moms were out of the room even if people clapped or offered us cookies. That's hard for me since I'm a man of action. After the show we went around so people could pet us and tell us how wonderfulwe were.

Robin doesn't have anything to report except that the chipmunks were late getting up this morning since it was only 13 degrees outside. Now I wish that I hadn't left all my undercoat in the wastebasket!

Hi, this is me, Zeeba after my very first agility trial. We went to High Goal Farm---had to get up at 4am in the dark to get there. Robin got to run first in excellent Standard and Jumpers and she was really goofy. Dad is getting pretty fed up with her. Then I finally got to get out on course in Novice--I've been waiting to get my chance for a long time. First was the Standard class and I guess I was pretty good. I held my start line, stayed on all my contacts , didn't slide off the pause table and found the weave poles. I ran very fast also and afterward I got a blue ribbon.
Novice jumpers was at the end of the day but I was still raring to go. I was shaking on the start line but stayed and right away I had to find the weave poles--no problem--then I ran really fast and was doing great until coming around a turn and Mom was kinda late telling me to "keep turning" so I went off course. Bad handler Mom! I did get to finish the course over a long straight line and I didn't even look back once. I still got lots of goodies even tho I didn't Q. That was lots of fun and I'm glad I don't have to only watch from the sidelines anymore.

More snow?

Oh no, it's snowing again! Look how dad's got me decked out in a raincoat. It's embarrassing. He wants to keep me warm because the vet/chiropractor says I have some arthritis. I don't know what that is but it makes me walk funny sometimes when I get tired. She wants me to take some herbal antiinflammatory medicine but all I know is that I get some extra globs of canned salmon before my meals. Also I can't play frisbee for a while until my feets are better. Zeeba now gets to have all the fun . He's in trouble tho and Mom says no more off leash walkies for him . (He is just the same age as Sparrow was when he got lost for 2 days.) This morning we were going out to walk in the fields--where I love hunting voles--- and Mom couldn't find Zeeba. She and Dad called and called and Mom was getting really panicky. Turns out Zeeba had ducked into the barn and was sniffing out that feral cat who probably is going to have kittens again. If that weatherman is right about three storms in a row, the fields will be all full of snow again so walkies will be strictly on the road and Zeeba will get all crazy when the cars zip by. He's gotten better since Mom has been stuffing his face if he looks at her instead of the moving vehicles but it's an uphill struggle. Well I've got to get back to the window and watch for squirrels and deer and stuff. Oh and I saw a chipmunk this morning. Love, Robin

Webb Anderson lesson

HI there, it's Robin here. Dad and I with Mom and Zeeba went for a private lesson yesterday with Webb Anderson. He is doing a handling seminar this weekend at our club but we weren't able to go the whole weekend so we just signed up for an hour of his time. Wow! Dad sure learned a lot about how to run with me. Webb said that I'm such a dedicated herding dog that jumping is not a real priority (well I already know that.) tho I like to jump, herding Dad is much more to my liking. He showed Dad how to set a line (of travel not fishing) so that I would always have a chance to see him and know where I was going a long time ahead. We tried it out and it worked real well -except when Dad forgot. Then of course I have to yell at Dad. Mom wanted to find out why Zeeba sometimes drops bars even tho he's capable of jumping the moon, but of course during the lesson no bars did fall. Zeeba had to show off tho by jumping the triple backwards from a standstill just for the fun of it and lots of other stuff as well .Just because Mom is looking at a jump, Zeeba wants over. It's sort of a control issue but Zeebs sure does have fun. I thought there was a chance I'd have some peace in my life because Webb kept asking Zeeba if he wanted to go home with him. I guess he likes tri Shelties. but--no such luck. We didn't take any pictures but if you can find Mom's profile page on Facebook Lois Fricke posted some photos on her wall from Thursday's class with Sherry.

View from the hill

It's pretty cold and windy on our hill in the winter but the view of sunsets from our yard is spectacular. from Robin and Zeeba


Those are the Catskills in the background.