Mom says that I'm going to be a working dog...my job is going to be working with her as a therapy dog. At first I wasn't so sure about it all, because it meant that I would have to meet all sorts of new people and I'm kind of shy, but mom keeps taking me all sorts of places and everyone is so nice to me and mom even brings all sorts of yummy treats for them to feed me. I think I could really learn to like this. I'm still not quite sure about other dogs, though. Mom keeps saying that I'm going to be the perfect little therapy dog, even if I'm not so little. She says that because I don't shed and leave hair behind or aggrivate people's allergies that it's easier to take me places with people who may be sick.
We are almost finished with our puppy training class at Tulsa Dog Training Club. Our instructor calls me the little "Obedience Queen." Mom says that I'm "six months going on six years old." I just love my mom so much and want to do everything she wants me to do.
I also have an older sister. Mom adopted her from the animal shelter a long time before I was even born. You can visit her at her own page, too. Just click on "Sissie" below. She didn't like me at first, but I won her over after following her around like a little shadow, doing everything that she did, for a few days. I'm the baby, gotta love me!! Now she's my best buddy (well, dog buddy, 'cause nobody can top Mom!), even though she still picks on me sometimes. We play all the time. Mom gets mad at us sometimes and makes us go outside to play 'cause I'm so big that we knock things over when we start wrestling.
If mom gets in gear, there should be pics of me up here soon!
Click here to view my pedigree.
We finished up our Beginner Obedience class and even took 'Top Dog' honors for all of the beginner classes at TDTC, which was probably over 100 dogs we beat out for the honors! The finals for the competition was judged similar to an AKC obedience show, even judged by an AKC obedience judge.
Over the last month, we've begun to show. We've done three Obedience classes and four Conformation classes, in additon to receiving our AKC CGC. The first two times out in Obedience, we achieved qualifying scores each time, giving us the first two legs of our AKC CD title. The third time out, we really bombed in the ring, so we're still trying for that last leg. A trainer/poodle breeder friend suggested that she thinks Harley's getting bored and that's why she's acting up. Because of this, we skipped out on our Novice I class and moved up to a Novice II class. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this will help and we're headed out to try again next Sunday.
In conformation, we've been in our regular class against bitches who have gone BOV/Reserve as puppies, so we were a bit outclassed. She (because of my ignorance) also doesn't have the hair she needs to really compete successfully. We are working on growing hair right now and are putting her into her adult cut soon. We're keeping our fingers crossed that she'll do better once that's all worked out.
We are going to start doing health screenings soon with the hopes of breeding once she's old enough.
We are also currently exploring alternative feeding options, specifically a raw (aka: BARF) diet. We'll let you know what we decide and how things go.
Wish us luck with these new ventures!!!
PS - We have plenty of pics, but I just need to get the scanner going and get them uploaded to the site.