Understatement. A dog and his blog.: It's My Birthday!!! And I went to a Barn Hunt!

Greetings Humans!

Yep, that's right, today I am two years old. I am the happiest, goofiest, food obsessed dog on the planet and I turned 2!

I have much to report in my blog. When I wrote the first post (I know, a month or two ago!), I was going to tell you about The Incident of the dog and the goat. The dog...Hasten. The goat--a very tall dude who was curious about Hasten. This all took place at an agility trial. Hasten went for her post run celebration to look for water. They did find the water--a really pretty pond with geese that Hasten could yell at. Mom then spotted a really tall goat...and being our mom and her obsession with goats, she had to check it out. She got closer (with Hasten on a flexi w/ her) and then a little closer and it was all going well. The goat then decided to sniff Hasten. Hasten then lost her mind!! She started barking at the goat and then...he started butting her! Hasten was REALLY angry then. So there is Mom, trying to hold back a dog who is on a flexi-leash, and a goat butting. She is trying to save the goat from a possible bite, save Hasten from a headache and all the time they are both dancing around an auger!!! Mom finally gets Hasten out of there and then worries if the owner of the property might come and yell at them!!! I so wish I had video of the whole event folks, alas, I do not.

My parents and Samy went to Florida--I don't know where that is, because I have never been there--but they say it is very pretty this time of year.

I am also "re-learning" my weaves with the 2 x 2 method. Since we have had lots of snow and rain and the backyard is either messy or uninhabitable---mom moved the 1st three into the house. So EVERYONE in our house (humans too!) have to weave to get down the hallway. I am getting much better...but it is so easy to get distracted.

There's The Precious at the end...the Manners Minder!!

We went to an agility trial this month--where I earned a leg in Open Jumpers with my dad. I had some focus issues but that horse barn is so smelly and there are people to talk to (ring crew) and other dogs that are distracting. It's hard for a little guy who is terrier AND hound to focus!!!

At that trial, I also got my own coat! I have only had hand-me-downs but finally got one that is MY color and fits me very well!!! It was a rainy day so it was nice to not get soaked every time I went outside!

Aren't I handsome? Do you have any treats?

Today on my birthday, I went to Hunter Mountain Farm with Peak Performance Dog Sports http://www.peakperformancedogsports.us and learned about rats and barn hunts. It was pretty overwhelming for me. Hasten and Barclay went on Saturday and spent the whole day and today we all 3 went. I met Raj--he was v...e...r...y. interesting. I was so excited that I tore open my nice agility soft crate and now I am told I will be in a hard crate...maybe forever!!! Sheesh! Humans are so cranky sometimes!

It was very cold over the weekend in that unheated barn!! We dogs were great!!

The rats are in thick PVC tubes and the tubes are hidden around bales of hay. We have 2 minutes to find the rat by scent (or sound) and the most important part--for our handlers to know if we have located it or the decoy (one with litter), we also have to climb on one bale of hay and go under a hay tunnel. That is just for Novice dogs.

Our two rats for the seminar were Sheldon and Raj (Yes, of Big Bang Theory fame)