Grooming With Grace

In this Year Of The Dog Training, I’ve had a most unexpected pleasure. Over the years I’ve attended a fair number of Puppy Kindergarten classes, including some offered now and again ‘up here’ in the mountains. Those ‘up here’ were always a crap shoot. Only once did the instructor have more than rudimentary knowledge. Still, even those classes weren’t a waste. I don’t necessarily need instruction. I need floor time. Delighted to find training classes up here, early this spring I enrolled Margo and Anna’s trio of girls – Norma, Rita and Lana – in Puppy Socialization. Even the time frame worked perfect for my overly scheduled life. I also enrolled Edie in Family Dog. After all, it’s the Year Of The Dog Training.

What I found with Ana and Training With Grace was a treasure. A true treasure. Her knowledge and application of training principles are like none other I’ve experienced. Well, maybe once. But I had to drive to the border of New Mexico for an all-day private clicker training lesson. Not really practical in day-to-day life. Ana incorporates all the stuff. Turid Rugaas’ ground-breaking work with calming signals. Patricia McConnell’s work, including Both Ends of the Leash. And on and on. She attends workshops throughout the country. The classes Ana offers around the Denver area have practical application – like preparing your dog for dog parks – to competitive application – particularly agility. In Puppy Socialization she teaches people to read canine body language, among other things. It’s great fun and even I’m learning something each class…which just goes to show…an old dog can learn new tricks!

Ana uses two of her three dogs as assistants in Puppy Socialization. Meg, a charming black Labrador Retriever. And Grace. Training With Grace. Ana found her abandoned, tied to a fence in New York City some years ago. During puppy group playtime, Ana releases Grace and Meg to mill with the group. Like the old school teachers that had no tolerance for inappropriate behavior, Grace is ever vigilant about the puppies’ manners. I’m proud to say she’s never corrected any of my puppies…apparently the school marms in my kennel have done their job well! It is fascinating to watch Grace do her job.

Honored when she inquired, yesterday I got to groom Grace, Meg and Argos. It was big deal really. For me and for Ana. Argos had an unfortunate experience or three with groomers and/or grooming situations. Ana was concerned about leaving him; her dogs trust her to keep them safe. I explained my procedures and the equipment used. For whatever reason, although it makes her uncomfortable to leave her dogs (believe me, I know the feeling!), she trusted me enough to do so.

Waiting in my inbox this morning was the above photo and a thank you note. Ana wants to do a feature on me and my grooming shop for her newsletter.

Tibetan Breeds Symposium

One never knows what life will present. Or what new paths might come along the way. The following arrived via ALAConline Saturday evening.

Early plans of a Tibetan Breeds Symposium

 a very important message to the whole membership, there is a Tibetan Biology professor at Columbia who is interested in Tibetan breeds, and specifically in the Lhasa Apso.  He and his friend who works for an NGO in Tibet, want to have a symposium on the Lhasa Apso, preferably in conjunction with ALAC, but if not, independently.  They would bring Tibetan experts on the breed together with American experts for an all day symposium at the Tibetan Library in Manhattan.  The tentative plans are for the following:
1. Tibetan Expert:  History and mythology of the breed in Tibet.
2. US Expert: History of the breed in the West
3. US Expert: The breed from the Western perspective
4. Tibetan Expert: The breed from the Tibetan perspective
5. Global conservation of the breed / biodiversity/ geopolitical aspects lunch
6. Presentation of live dogs each to be critiqued first by US experts, then by Tibetan experts
7. Public discussion
We (my friends, Enrico DelAngelo and Tenzing Norbu and I ) would like to invite the AKC to participate, and Debby R. with the Gompa dogs, as well as encouraging any judges that are interested in the breed to attend. The plans are for early 2010.  These are only tentative plans, but this will be done under the auspices of a very powerful Foundation (one of George Surous’s) which can bring people from Tibet, and furnish all audio-visual assets we need, and provide a very nice venue as well.  Transltors will be on hand – both Tenzing and Enrico speak both Tibetan and English – (Actually Tenzing is better at English than Enrico is). More details to follow later. Cathy Marley.

Falcons

When Nate’s soon-to-be-in-laws invited Rick and I to attend Kyle’s graduation from the Air Force Academy, the first thing I asked was about the falcons. Were they going to fly? The Thunderbird airshow would be awesome, but it was the birds I especially wanted to see fly. This photo was taken the day before graduation by Nan, Kelly’s mother. Thoughtfully, she printed this photo, along with two others, for me. Alas. Alack. I’m going to have to attend an Air Force football game in order to see the falcons perform. For one brief day, I’ll take back my vow to never attend another football game!

Here’s info on Falconry at the United States Air Force Academy: The Story of the Cadets’ Unique Performing Mascot, by A.P. Clark

Thursday morning, here I am…

My garden doesn’t yet look like this. This photo was taken last year.  While I have lots of things sitting in my in-box for sharing, along with questions on the blog to answer, today I wanted to share this photo…along with some words.

I knew May was going to be busy crazy. I couldn’t have predicted how crazy. My Twitterisk post hit some bullet points, but that was about it. Perhaps I should have taken a photo of myself, particularly several days ago. A picture is worth a thousand words. Sunburn peeling like snake skin. Two cold sores; one the size of a quarter right under my right nostril distracts from the lesser on my lip. Yesterday the whites of my eyes showed blood vessels better fit for a horror movie. I have not a clue why that happened.  Night before last, out in the dark with the house dogs for one last pit stop, thinking I was grounded to the earth, I stepped sideways. Ha! I was on the bottom stair step…which was better than being on one of the other stair steps. I tweaked my left foot.

All of this is minor compared to the stress of, once again, having the IRS breathing down my neck. Say what?! Apparently once they’ve played with you (make that twice) and won, they love to play again. Three times in five years seems a bit excessive to me. My CPA says not to worry. Okey dokey. Ya. Right. Rick and I have already been worried, given the state of construction in our current economy. I fluctuate from fantasies of becoming an ex-pat to changing my entire value system and becoming on of the those militant militia people. You’d think there were bigger fish to fry, but probably the odds of ‘winning’ are better when playing with minnows. Yesterday, when picking his dog up from being groomed, my old accountant commented, “Lucy, you survived another one.” I replied, “and I hope I do too. We’re being audited again.” This was bad enough before, but right now when many families – including ours – are hopeful they’ll have jobs and be able to pay the mortgage…

Vincent was returned Tuesday. His people said he was creating stress in their home. He’ll be 5 months old next Tuesday. Several people volunteered to ‘help’ Vincent, including my husband. Vincent has been in the house since his return. He’s doing awesome! Hasn’t had one accident. Has mastered going up and down the deck stairs to go potty. Sleeps in his crate next to our bed. He has whimpered softly, shortly after dawn, but responds to a quiet ‘no’. Rick wants me to give Vincent a haircut. Does that mean we have another house dog? Time will tell. He has the laid-back personality of his sire, Edmund. His mother Anna is an easy going dog, as well. For whatever reason, his owners think he’ll be better in August, after they’re in a new house. Better? Better than what? I admit to total confusion after living with this puppy. He’s wonderful. My husband says he’s a ‘real dog’. If you know my husband, that sums it up in a nutshell!

Time, once again, has passed too quickly this morning. There are chores waiting and dogs to be groomed. Please know that I’ll be back in action with the blog. I’ll continue to use scheduled posts because I LOVE having something here each morning. But, I’m also going to, once again, write…write more than a little…when I’ve got something to say.

Rainy Days and Mondays

..don’t get me down. Although I did oversleep. I need to blog. It’s been days. In Twitter-isk fashion…

Debby Rothman…

…overslept.

…got sun-burned last Wednesday at the Air Force Academy’s graduation.

…thinks it’s cool Nan brought her photos of a falcon, a real air-force falcon.

…wants to see the falcons fly.

…saw the Thunderbirds. Wow!

…found it strange to be in the midst of the elite of the military industrial complex.

…enjoyed the pomp and circumstance.

…is thankful her future daughter-in-law’s family included us.

…worked weird days last week, which is one reason she’s been out-of-sync.

…is happy Jill is now on her way to Championship.

…enjoyed time with her friends at the dog shows and CERF clinic.

…is also happy there are people volunteering to help me with Vincent.

…loves to Train With Grace.

…is looking forward to revisiting the Gompas’ past, preparing for ALAC’s breeders education program in October.

…loves gloomy days.

…but hopes to see the sun too.

…wishes she had four days at home.

…better get on with her day.