One more day until Truman

Tomorrow is the big day for Holly. She is going to pick up her sheltie, Truman, Sunday afternoon. She can hardly stand it.
Piper has no idea what is coming but I think she will be fine. She is very easy going and likes other pets too. Tonight, my 16yr old cat Emma, rubbed up against her. I guess she has finally accepted Piper as a housemate. Now, if I can only get Emma to accept Biko, the other cat. She still gives him the rooster when he walks by and it has been nearly 15 yr since I brought him home.
I'll post photos of Truman asap.

Grooming day

Today was grooming day and it went very well. Piper is very tolerant of her grooming and only needs a little assist with standing. Thanks to Mom for helping hold her while I groomed her tail, etc. Piper tends to sit down making it very hard to brush out her backside.
We finished up with a toe nail trim this evening and that was the end of her spa tolerance. She allowed me to complete the job but now she is not talking to me. The little imp ran to her aunt Holly for comfort and refused to come anywhere near me. How long will this grudge last? Who knows.
Thank goodness we did our obedience work before the sulking began.
Truman arrives on Sunday and we are all very excited about this. For those of you who don't know, Truman is my sister's new sheltie puppy. I'll add a photo once he comes to Columbus!

First day of school

Hello. Piper had her first day of obedience class today and she did very well. She is still very shy but luckily she will take food from strangers. This is helping her improve. We will be spending our spring working on her social skills. As for class, she is a quick learning and aims to please. Her instructors are excellent and compete with their dogs in many sports. I can only hope to be as active with Piper.

I am greatful for Al's game of "get the mouse". I used it to get her attention and to calm her. It was a success. Thanks to Morgan for helping with game.

Makenna was also in class with her Great Dane Murphy. She has a lot of potential for a junior handler and her dog adores her. I think Murphy will do just about anything for her.

We tried to get pictures of both dogs after class, but neither one of them are very solid on their sit-stays. Maybe by the end of the session, we will have a photo op for this blog. I'll keep everyone posted.

That is all for now. Piper is fast asleep after her first day of school. Thanks to Donna and Doreen, her breeders, for giving me a dog with such potential. I can wait to see how far she will go!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone.
Piper had a great holiday. We had an entertaining time hiding the eggs for Collin and Courtney. Piper tried to assist me by following behind me and "relocating" the eggs after I had hidden them. I have no idea why she did that but she carried off many of the eggs to other places. Eventually dropping them at random. She did not have an Easter basket, but she got a new ball, rope toy and Nylabone. She couldn't have been more thrilled. Here she is waiting for Courtney to open her candy. Fortunately, Courtney was not able to open that chocolate. Much to her, and Piper's, disappointment.

Trip to the vet

Today was Piper's yearly trip to the vet. She was amazing. She is very tolerant of the exam and sitting on the table.
She had half her vaccines today and did very well. Last year, she had several vaccines at once and had a reaction. Who knows which one caused it. All I know, is that once I got her home, I thought I had made a huge mistake and adopted the ugliest puppy. Her eyes and lips swelled to 3x their size and she was terribly unattractive. Thankfully, she was back in the office in a few minutes and received Benadryl. All was normal a few minutes later.
We didn't have a repeat this year. Piper is as beautiful as the day I brought her home. She is up to 27 lbs and her coat is really coming in. Just in time to blow it out for spring. Will get photos of that experience.

I love Daylight Savings

Don't you just love daylight savings time. It was so nice to come home from work while it was still light outside.

Nothing new for Piper since I worked the last two days. She spent her time with my parents. I added a list to the side of things that make her bark. Shelties are known for being vocal. Piper is no exception, but I can't complain because she does listen and will stop when I ask. Shelties are quick learners too. For my friends and family, let me know if I have forgotten any thing else that makes her bark. There are the usual suspects, but she adds her own quirkiness to the list. What is a herding dog if it is not quirky?

Trimming Piper's ears

Today was the first time I tried to trim out Piper's ears. I had a great lesson from my friend ( and Piper's breeder ) Doreen and I thought I was good to go. She made it look easy. I can't believe how hard it was. First of all, Piper pulled her ears into her head so far she looked like a baby seal. I could barely pull them out enough to trim, so I had no idea how they looked. She kept pulling them in when I stopped too. She is still sulking, so I don't really know how they look yet. I have a picture and they look a little better.
Thank you Doreen for the lesson. Now how do I stop Piper from pulling the baby seal move?

First Posting

Hi All.


This is my first attempt at blogging. Most of this blog will be about Piper, my sheltie, and her adventures. Next week, she begins her quest to become an obedience dog. We are cramming and socializing this week in the hopes that it will make a difference. It probably won't. But it makes me feel better.