WordPlay

by Doranna

That’s right.  It’s a post that includes both the Demon Blade series and the small new Beagle girl!  I’m not even going to try to be clever enough to tie those together…

TAMING THE DEMON is juuuust about on the shelves–any day now!–and I’m getting ready for the Supernatural Smackdown that will ensue.  Not that I had any clue what this was until recently, but I was delighted to receive the invitation to join in the fun and I suspect I’ll figure it out as I go along.

Mind you, I don’t expect to emerge with any sort of victorious flavor, because I totally don’t have the time or inclination to batter people to vote for my guy.  But we’ll have fun nonetheless, and the people who derive glee from harvesting votes will find me a usefully easy stepping stone.

Here’s what Dark Faerie Tales has to say about the event so far!:

It’s that time again…Supernatural Smackdown. We wanted to create a fun and interactive event that would highlight all the new paranormal titles releasing over the next few months. We thought a battle theme would be perfect since everyone loves action!

So the second annual Supernatural Smackdown has arrived!  Characters from all over the world unite for the premiere entertainment event.  Held in a super secret location, supernatural characters will pit their talents to win the World Champion title and everything that comes along with it.  [ed note: have no idea what this means, but it's gotta be good, right?  Right?!]

Readers will vote to move characters into the next round.  Final end on May 31st  and the supernatural bad ass will be officially announced a week later.

Are you ready, supernatural fans? Let’s get ready to rumble!

So there you are.  Devin James from Demon Blade will be in the middle of it.  He’s not much for a random brawl, but that demon blade…well, let’s just say it’s sharpening itself as I type.

In part two of the fun parade, BEAGLES!

ConneryBeagle is still working his rehab and will be seeing a new vet on Thursday (a second opinion sort of thing on a particular therapy, about which I’m wavering), Dart Beagle is gearing up for another stab at that novice obedience title, and both boys are completely enthralled with newly arrived Rena Beagle.

Except for a few introductory moments, she’s never had to do anything other than vibe at them to get them to behave.  She owns all the best beds and doesn’t think twice about it, and she says this is how it should be.

Rena herself is slowly settling in.  She has a big adjustment to make–the environment didn’t have her permission to change so radically around her, she says–and of course she misses her old pack terribly.  However, she visibly settles in a little more each day, and her personality is starting to peek through.  Although she’s got a lot of training on her, I’m making it easy right now–all of what we’re doing falls into the category of “play” and “party.”

And here we are with a little of that from the weekend, when she came along to Dart’s VST (urban tracking) practice.

Rena shows off her snappy side gait and a little bit of her fun attitude.

And then she shows off her little strut!

by Doranna

“Hold on there!” the astute among you will say.  “Rena Beagle is a girl name.  And you have two boy Beagles.”

Yes.  And now they have a girl Beagle.

(Or she has them.  As I suspect the case will be.)

Rena upon arrival.  (This isn’t a sneer. This is “My lips are stuck to my teeth, pretend not to notice.”)

About six weeks ago, the universe slammed me upside the head.  It said, in short, “You are about to lose your Princess Belle Dog.”

(Off I go to tear up quietly for a few moments, because of course it’s still like that…)

Okay, I’m back.  And the universe was talking.  It then said, “As it happens, I know of a girl dog who needs a home.  She is much loved, but things have changed in her home and she can no longer do the working Beagle things she craves.”

The universe then explained, “She is five years old, and she is a wee thing who once came from a shelter.  She loves obedience and agility.  She is a very good girl. And her dogmom will make arrangements to send her most of the way across the country to you.”

And oh.  Her full name is Bellerena, because she’s named in honor of another girl dog named Belle.

AKA, the universe slam.

Obviously, this is not about replacing Belle, because…that’s not possible.  Ever.  It’s about a gaping hole in the pack, the boys in need of a girl, Connery’s very uncertain future (we carry on, we just don’t know where it’s going), and a girl in need of the chance to work…and a dogmom who loves her girl so much she’ll do what’s necessary to give her that chance.

I haven’t said anything before now, because I have a jinx superstition.  Yes, I do–and it’s deep.  Comes from years of sitting on contract news until the ink is dry, and an additional stunning series of lessons in not assuming on events until they’re here, or ELSE.  But now Rena Beagle has arrived.  She came via shuttle, which did a wonderful job, and she arrived in the dusk of last night with just enough time for her first raw food snack and some outdoor time before bed.  And I would say that was her big adventure, but I think our big adventure is just starting!

Welcome home, Bellerena CDX OA OAJ!

Frog dog in the office. Already taking over!

PS: Also, the the universe further explained, “And don’t worry about when you’ll have time to get this blog written.  Because Dart Beagle is still Dart Beagle, and he will be so excited to have his new girl dog that the vibrational sound of it will come wailing out of his throat during the wee hours no matter how hard he tries to be good, and therefore you will have some unplanned extra midnight oil of which you can take advantage.”

So I am.

Rena inspects her first desert yucca… She does not entirely approve.

But Connery approves. Oh yes he does.

by ConnneryBeagle

This is ConneryBeagle and I am WRITING THIS BLOG. 

I have been QUIET.  I have been BUSY with a thing called GETTING BETTER.  Sometimes I do ACUPUNCTURE, and sometimes I do HERBAL THINGS, and then I do TREADMILL THINGS and BIKING THINGS.

But DART BEAGLE has been doing all the PLAY things.  The play with agility and the play with obedience and the play with rally.

That is not fair.

It is not RIGHT.

But this past weekend mymom took DART BEAGLE to a thing called a FUN MATCH, which is even better than normal play.  And I came out of the van crate for walkies and I said to her, “I SHOULD DO THIS TOO.”

I said it like this:

“BAWH!!!  BAWOUL!!”

She said, “ConneryBeagle, you have not done rally for almost six years.”

And I said, “BAWH!!!”

And she said, “Well, you can play with rally novice and I will go SIGN YOU UP.”

And I said, “BAWH!”

Then I waited for my turn.  It did not take TOO long.  Mymom reminded me about what we were doing for only a little bit and then she TOOK ME TO THE RING.

This is me waiting my turn and I am READY TO GO.

And I am doing a SPIRAL RIGHT around the cones and we are MOVING SMARTLY

Mymom is laughing with the JUDGE because she made a MISTAKE, but I am not making a MISTAKE. I am GOOD.

We are at the END and I am still being VERY GOOD. I am a GOOD BOY.

Maybe Mymom will see that it is TIME for me to be DOING THINGS again.  I think she SHOULD.

BAWH!

by Doranna

I’d thought that I’d write a blog this weekend, and I’d thought it would probably be about Dart’s first agility trial in four months.

It’s not.

It’s Belle Cardigan’s blog instead.

Miss Belle and one of her agility prizes...can't see, can't hear...but she can still smell the treats!

Belle is now just past thirteen years old, and we’re suddenly–very suddenly–getting ready to say good-bye. 

She’s seen a lot of changes in the past year; she’s now mostly blind and profoundly deaf, and I thought that explained some of the new behaviors that have crept in over the past couple of months.  And maybe to some extent, it did.  But suddenly other changes piled on in the course of the last week, and a visit to the vet quickly revealed the worst–the cancer that Belle has been hiding from us.  Never mind her gorgeous coat or the fact that she looked so good on her Christmas Eve birthday that I thought I’d have years more with her.

Belle was a gift from writer/breeder friend Jennifer Roberson at Cheysuli Kennels, way back when I first moved to the Southwest.  She was too small for conformation shows, but she grew into my first serious agility dog, and she marched through rally excellent and novice obedience with a steady stream of blue ribbons.

She was the first dog in this area to get a PAX (and that was the first PAX title that judge had given).

She was one of only 50 dogs to have a PAX2 at the time she earned hers.

When (in July of ’12)  AKC instituted the more demanding PACH title, she earned her first PACH and very nearly her second; she was at that time #2 Lifetime Preferred Cardigan Corgi.  When I retired her at the end of last year at the age of twelve, she was 100 speed points away from that PACH2 (and nearly a PACH3 with her double Qs).

This is all in spite of calcifying disk disease that struck when she was five years old and partially paralyzed her, a condition from which she was not expected to recover.  Between five to ten years old, she sat out more trials than she ran because of flares, and then the calcification stabilized.  (She continued to run agility at the vet’s behest; keeping her strong was the best thing I could have done for her.)

Belle is my princess dog.  My tries so hard to be perfect you want to cry dog.  My sweet, sweet little blue merle girl with the blue eye.  Bellicious, Bellevator, BelleBelle, Miss B, Princess Belle.

I’m not sure how long we have.  I know it’s not long enough.  And so I am making a bucket list for her, the things I think she most wants from her world in these scant remaining days.

1. 

   The Beloved Tripping Position

   Pleasant afternoons of snoozing in the sun.

2. Evenings of snoozing in the forbidden “trip me” spot RIGHT BESIDE MY FEET at the standing station.
3. Nomming down extra coconut oil, fish oil, and big heapings of yummy meats.  Her appetite is still fine, and she needs this tripled intake to maintain her otherwise rapidly falling weight.
4. This includes Second Breakfast.
5. Getting the office princess bed whenever she wants it, no matter who the boys think owns it (or what they think it’s called).
6. Not worrying about piddling indoors because the office is now one giant incontinence pad.
7. Many couch cuddles.
8. Playtime with the mommy on the floor gently pinching her toes so she can pretend to FIERCELY BITE.

It’s a start.

PACH Cheysuli's Silver Belle, CD RE MXP5 MXPS MJP6 MJPS PAX2 XFP EAC EJC CGC (Belle)

Thank you all for your comments in response to the Imperfect Service Dog post–and for your donations to Paws with a Cause, those of you who made them!

In that post, I asked three questions…I thought maybe it was MY turn to answer them.

1. You’re attending an event.  You see a service dog of awesome cuteness.  YOU CAN’T STAND THE CUTENESS!  You miss your dog who is not at the event.  Because this is a service dog, you feel safe with it.  Also, you used to/do have a dog of that breed.  Your first impulse is to go “AWWW–!” and you feel an inexorable tug to go pet the dog.  What do you do?  (Or if you’re William Shatner, what DO you DO?)
2. You see someone with a service dog who appears to be functionally intact.  You wonder what on earth they need this dog for.  Are they just gaming the system to feel special?  Maybe they’re taking advantage!  You are wildly curious!  Your mouth opens!  What do you say?
3. You’re making casual conversation with someone who happens to have a service dog.  The dog is behaving appropriately, but you’re surprised to see this breed with a service vest on.  You know something about [family dogs/breeds/once taught your dog to sit], and you know this breed has a reputation for its cheerful resistance to training.  You open your mouth and out come the words–

 

So here goes!

1. Generally speaking, I leave the dog alone.  However, if I was to feel utterly compelled to pet, I might ask, “May I say hello to your dog, or is s/he working?”  And then–the most critical part–I would wait for an answer.

As a person with a service dog, this approach would work for me as long as it didn’t interrupt whatever personal business I was handling at the time.  Some folks may be fussier, especially if they’ve dealt with one too many intrusions on their day.  I admit, I have been astonished–speechless, at times–at how many people don’t ask–or if they do ask, they don’t wait for an answer.  Or if they do get an affirmative, they then swoop hastily upon the dog in a fashion guaranteed to alarm all but the stodgiest canine.

For all of these reasons, even if Dart is not working at the time, I no longer allow petting unless I have specifically given him an off-switch of picking him up.  From there, visitors can’t swoop down on him, and I have complete control over how he’s being handled–I can always turn away or gently put my hand between him and a face that’s too close.  Not because I fear for the face, but because hello!  RUDE!  He doesn’t deserve to deal with it.

2.  Although it’s perfectly possible to query appropriately about a service dog’s duties, it may not be as simple as you think.  Not everyone wants to talk about their personal health–and even if they’re fine with that, not every moment is a good one for them to do it.  Even something like “she’s a seizure alert dog” offers a world of personal information.

Also, I’ve found that answering the question often leads to more questions.  My answer is, “He provides me with neurological grounding exercises.”  To which most people say, “What does that mean?”  And suddenly it’s a whole conversation about my health.  Do Not Always Want.

However you decide to handle it, being sensitive to the handler’s response is paramount.  Be curious, not nosy.  And whatever you do, however badly you want to know, there is never any excuse for asking twice if the handler demurs the first time.  Especially if the first response is a very clear, “This isn’t a good time for me to talk about that.”

3.  As long as you’re admiring the dog, you’re good.  It does not count as admiring the dog if you diss his breed in the process.  “I’ve never seen a [insert breed] service dog,” isn’t a bad way to do it.  “Wow, a [insert breed]–awesome!” will probably also get a smile.  “I can’t believe you have a Beagle service dog–that’s such a dumb breed!” might get you a pasted-on smile, but don’t mistake it for the real thing.

(Note that I’ve only had Dart in his active service dog role for a short time, and yet I’ve experienced all the “don’ts” I just mentioned.  I can understand why those with extensive experience might get a little short in their responses, although I hope I never do.  But just maybe, given the great discussion here, we’re a start of the awareness brigade!  Let’s make it contagious…)

Meanwhile, over on the contest side of things…I did my infamous “blind stab at the screen” and Melissa won the WordPlay contest!  Those of you who donated to Paws with a Cause should keep an eye on the Event Web Page to see who wins the grand prizes!

by Doranna

With a title like that, you might be tempted to think I’m talking about the international editions of my books, or the cool covers that sometimes result when the book comes out in a different country.  But no.  Because when my life isn’t all about writing, it’s all about training the dogs.

Yup, it’s time for another Dog Agility Blog Event.  (One of the perks of participation is totally selfish–it spurs me to read all the other blogs, and to look at the subject a whole new way.  Check ‘em out!)  This month we’re pondering the internationalization of the sport, a matter which brought some puzzlement in behind-the-scenes discussion.  “I’ll never compete internationally, so…?”

I am pretty darned sure I won’t ever compete internationally, either.  Never mind being good enough…I don’t fly!  Boom.  Grounded.

But I have a very strong belief in the strength of options.  Options when it comes to training techniques, training tools, training theory.  In fact, I feel strongly enough about having options that even when I run across a technique that makes me wrinkle my nose, I check it out.  You never know when some little piece of information will crop up as useful later on–another dog, another situation, another task.

Just TELL me what to do. Really. Then we'll all be happy.

Once upon a time (she says, by way of illustration), I was new to the idea of shaping behaviors.  Not to mention I had a young dog (ConneryBeagle) who didn’t like shaping behaviors.  Connery wants you to define exactly what you’re asking of him.  Do this; don’t do this.  He doesn’t like being asked to suggest things.  Furthermore, if he thinks his way is valid, he will suggest the same thing over and over and over and over and…look at you in disgust and quit.  Whereas if he does suggest an alternative to a previously defined behavior and you say, “Nope, do it this way,” he will then happily do it that way.

Our experimenting with shaping behaviors was very short lived.  Now that Connery is much more seasoned, I can give him broad hints about what I’d like him to do and then clicker reward, but that’s really a different thing, and I fade the clicker as soon as I can.  But at the time, I read up on it, learned about it…watched other people doing it, and tucked it away.

Fast forward a number of years, and along comes adolescent Dart Beagle–who has flunked being a show dog because he forgot to descend both testicles (this doesn’t surprise me; he’s inordinately fond of them), and who couldn’t be placed in a pet home because he vibrates with intensity.

(The number of people to use the word “vibrate” to describe him, completely independent of one another, is no coincidence.)

So lo, Dart came to my house where I love him fiercely and am willing to be humbled by his antics in agility.  And obedience.  And tracking.  And where in spite of all that, he’s also taken on the mantle of service dog.  (That’s another blog.)

On the other hand, Dart does not love the flash on this particular camera...thus the squint. But he does love the bucket, which--with shaping--he not only learned to balance on in a single session, he also realized that in order to balance on it, he'd have to flip it back upright when he knocked it over.

Dart looooves shaping.  Dart loooves figuring stuff out.  He loooooves knowing he’s clever and proving it.  And Dart LOVES the clicker.  Dart loves the clicker SO MUCH that I use it as a reward during times when he seems stressy.

The point being, if I hadn’t explored both shaping and clicker use just because it wasn’t right for my dog at the time, I wouldn’t have had the option to grab those tools when Dart came along.

So no, I’m not going to compete internationally.  And I don’t particularly like what I’ve seen–safety-wise, fairness-to-the-dog-wise–on some sample AKC Masters C courses (although I also saw one that looked like challenging fun).

But I’ve been watching videos on some of the international techniques, and I’ve watched the videos of world competition, and if some of what I see makes me think “what the effing F is the point of THAT?” it doesn’t mean I won’t look into it, see what proponents of such maneuvers are saying, and see where such handling is supposed to be optimally useful.

Because you never know.  One day it might be the perfect tool to help one of my dogs understand whatever lesson we’re trying to learn on that day.

by Doranna

Also known as “Win Prizes, Support Service Dogs, Feel Good About Self, and also Maybe Win Other Prizes.”

One of the things I don’t generally discuss overmuch is my health (although it’s the reason for my current paucity of posts);  The Lyme has been active for 25 years and diagnosed for less than one.  All the writing, the training, and the trialing is done in spite of…and because I’m really, really stubborn.

There are a lot of things I don’t do, or can’t do without a companion, and these things I integrate into my life as gracefully as possible, so most people don’t even put two and two together.

One of the reasons for that is a sensory dysfunction that generally has me fleeing (literally) for the hills.  (Am I a hermit?  Why yes.  Yes I am.)  To help manage this issue, I use certain focusing and brain exercises that take a lot more effort than you can imagine if you haven’t ever desperately relied on them.  I use these constantly and pretty much invisibly.

One of the things I’ve always done to ground my brain is to bring a dog along when I drive.  Having that quiet presence in the car is one thing–but the real value comes when I get where I’m going and we work together in the parking lot.  It re-grounds me without adding overload…and it’s the very fastest way to do that.  But when it’s too hot to leave a dog in the car…. I stop going places, or I pay a much larger price when I do.

So as of last year, I’ve gone official with Mr. D’Artagnan Beagle:  He’s a service dog. Because a service dog can come inside.

The reason this works for us is not only because of who he is, but because of who we are together.  And because I’ve been training dogs for [mumblemumble] years, I can make choices that are good for him, good for me–and most especially–responsible to the rest of the world.  Before I took this step, I consulted with a service dog trainer–and now Dart and I will grow together in this.  He is an imperfect service dog–eager and learning refinement–with an underlying aptitude, and that’s what makes him exactly perfect for me.

Look who has yet to learn the "tail tuck."

I’m immensely lucky. Not every dog is suited for service work, even if you start from puppyhood.  (Neither of my other two kids would be happy or successful in this role.)  So that’s luck #1.  Luck #2 is of course the fact that training is one of the things I do, and have basically always done.  Had I not run into the health stuff, I would have happily pursued it as a profession; as it is, I simply pursue it with dedication.

I don’t take this luck for granted, and I know…well, how lucky I am to be lucky.  That’s why I’m outing Dart’s quiet Other Role in my life –so I can participate in the “Bloggers Help Paws with Cause” event.

See, FINALLY.  We get to the part about winning things!

Basically, there are whole lot of blogs offering a chance to win a whole lot of bookish things–in return for  donations to Paws for Cause (one entry per each dollar donated).

Here on the blog, I’m giving away an ebook set of the entire Changespell Saga.  (Already have it?  Enter anyway.  We’ll work something out.)

To Enter:  Answer these questions in the comments!  Don’t worry…it could be that there’s no exact right or wrong.  I’ll do the pick from a hat thing–but I won’t lie.  Thoughtful responses (as opposed to token words just to get entered) will have an edge.

1. You’re attending an event.  You see a service dog of awesome cuteness.  YOU CAN’T STAND THE CUTENESS!  You miss your dog who is not at the event.  Because this is a service dog, you feel safe with it.  Also, you used to/do have a dog of that breed.  Your first impulse is to go “AWWW–!” and you feel an inexorable tug to go pet the dog.  What do you do?  (Or if you’re William Shatner, what DO you DO?)
2. You see someone with a service dog who appears to be functionally intact.  You wonder what on earth they need this dog for.  Are they just gaming the system to feel special?  Maybe they’re taking advantage!  You are wildly curious!  Your mouth opens!  What do you say?
3. You’re making casual conversation with someone who happens to have a service dog.  The dog is behaving appropriately, but you’re surprised to see this breed with a service vest on.  You know something about [family dogs/breeds/once taught your dog to sit], and you know this breed has a reputation for its cheerful resistance to training.  You open your mouth and out come the words–

No, wait!  This is a trick question!  Out come the words, “I can’t believe you’re using a Beagle as a service dog!  I [had/knew] a Beagle once, and it was so [dumb/stubborn] that it would never [sit/come/shut up/fill in the blank].”  And here is my answer, the one I will probably never say in public so you now have this sneak peek into my brain: “Right!  Because the dog trained YOU!  Now who’s the SMART ONE?!”  (And in my brain, I will use all caps.)

The MAIN EVENT! The prizes include two $65 gift certificates to any online book store, and a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies (US residents only).

The blog event is being organized by Bitten by Paranormal Romance and Romance Book Junkies–and here’s what they have to say about THAT!:

“We have a total of 59 blogs working together to raise money for this great cause. There are some awesome prizes up for grabs–and here’s a little about the cause:

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.

PAWS is a non-profit organization.  Paws With A Cause/4646 South Division/Wayland, MI 49348″

How to donate:

1. Go to http://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause

2. Click on “Make a Donation”

3. Enter your amount. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.

4. In the box that says “on the behalf of” please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the Everibbon website, so use a public name. Do not check the box to make an anonymous donation because Danielle won’t be able to track your donation and  process your giveaway entry.

5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information.

6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.

7. Ta Da!  Now contact Danielle to enter the giveaway!

8. Please email Danielle (RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com) with the name you used to donate your money, and tell her how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.

9. Ta Da again! Thank you for donating!

Warning: Play nice!  If Danielle receives more than one email with the same person’s name and donation amount, she’ll ask for your receipt from Everibbon.

Have lots of fun, admire a service dog, and head over to the Event Web Page to check out the other participating blogs and their prizes!

The Dart Outtakes…he’s not so fond of the camera flash!  His tail would wag happily until the moment I lifted the camera, and then…oppression…

by Doranna

I’ve been very quiet here for the past month; I’ve been completely under water with the production on the Changespell Saga and the prep to start on LYNX REVEALED (the next Sentinels book). Connery’s re-injury, re-treatment, rehab, and a plethora of new routines have been the other half of things. At some point I guess I admitted to myself that I simply can’t. do. it. all.

But over the weekend I finished a major piece of the backlist work, and today I started writing LYNX REVEALED…and I spent some time thinking about Catherine & Elyse. On this day, I’ll be thinking about them a lot. And I hope you will, too. This is their story…a blog I wrote just under a year ago today…because of what happened a year ago today.

After this, I’ll put on my barn duds and go out for a ride with DuncanHorse. He’s not been so well and I’ve not been so well, but on a day like this, it’s also important to celebrate life. For me, nothing does that like time on the land with my animals.  I suspect Catherine would understand that, too.

=============================================================

(first posted 2/13/12)

For the past week, I’ve been tweeting about Elyse Rescue Puppy.

Elyse was left at an Albuquerque pound at the age of six weeks old. Way off on the East Coast, an eagle-eyed rescue worker spotted her situation and–of all the dogs she’s helped to new homes–chose Elyse to be her own. An Albuquerque rescue worker pulled Elyse from the pound and homed her for two weeks as the call went out for a new Rescue Road Warriors transport route: a long and deftly stitched chain of 90-minute driving legs over two weekends.

My leg was the first–from Albuquerque to Santa Rosa. There, Catherine Bugg took two legs to get Elyse to Amarillo, Texas.

So over the past week, I’ve been on Twitter and FaceBook, blurting out my excitement. “We’re going to get to help Elyse!” “I’m going to pick up Elyse for her overnight stay before we leave!” “ConneryBeagle loves Elyse!” “We’re heading out with Elyse–!” She was 8 weeks old at that point, a 6-pound brindle bundle of energy and personality.

There wasn’t any particular weather forecast for the day, but we soon ran into a strange, thick and freezing Twilight Zone fog–I even took pictures of it, trying to capture its eerie nature. It waxed and waned, and followed us into Santa Rosa.

We met Catherine, and talked about Elyse’s travel accommodations and Catherine’s extensive experience with transport. She was cheerful, friendly, and absolutely dedicated to what she was doing–I remember thinking, “I’d like to have this woman as a friend.” We also talked about the weather, which had been better on her side of Santa Rosa.

It didn’t stay that way.

Shortly after I returned home and made my report to the transport chain, I received a phone call from Kerin, the coordinator for this Rescue Road Warrior transport. She was crying, and in short order, so was I.

TUCUMCARI, N.M. (KRQE) – An animal-rescue volunteer and the adopted puppy she was helping relay to its new owner died Saturday when freezing fog iced over Interstate 40 in Tucumcari.

Catherine Bugg of Tucumcari had picked up the puppy in Santa Rosa and was headed to Amarillo, Texas, when her pickup slid off I-40 and into oncoming traffic Saturday morning and hit a tractor-trailer rig.

The weather was freakish, sudden, and catastrophic, layering hidden black ice over the road, and now we mourn for an exceptional woman and the little piece of hope who was with her.

Catherine making a rescue dog transport exchange (Amy Franks, photo)

I talked to Catherine’s friend Christina today. On the one hand, I wanted to know more about this kindred spirit. On the other, I wanted everyone else to know, too. Because a life such as Catherine’s deserves tribute…and it deserves to be honored by the ongoing support for the causes about which she not only felt so deeply, but that she also did something about. You think I’m kidding? Just look at this.

She was a volunteer firefighter.

She was a volunteer reader for children–and she never let them down, even when it meant missing important events.

She started food co-op in the small, remote town of Tucumcari, changing the lives of those in a community with limited access to healthy food.

She was one of six foundation volunteers who started Quay County Rescue, funding it, organizing it, and providing the people power. She drove transport; she fostered dogs; she did adoption events. And as small as it is, the Tucumcari Rescue group still managed to make national news with their above-and-beyond efforts to return a Maltese to the family who had lost him a year earlier in their own tragic accident–the publicity from that event has helped to keep them going. In 2008, the euthanasia rates in Tucumcari were five times higher than the national average. Now? They’re just about down to nothing.

******

Catherine was raised in Santa Fe and led a fairly privileged early life, but when she came to Tucumcari, she plunged into support and volunteer activities and was adopted as one of their own. She put her journalist’s degree to work at the Quay County Sun, and her lively personality to work at KTMM as an announcer and talk show host. Nine years ago she became a single mother when her husband Allen passed away from West Nile; her son Quinten now lives in Tucumcari with his wife Cara and the step-daughter Catherine loved dearly. Catherine’s parents still live in Santa Fe, and her adventurous family is otherwise spread between Alaska and New Zealand. She recently found joy in a new relationship, a man named Jimmy whom she mentioned to me with a little bit of extra sparkle in her expression.

In other words, that first impression of mine… it was on the money and then some. Catherine was smart and savvy and she had a wicked sense of humor; she always found a way to make things good and positive and she didn’t carry a grudge. She paid it forward, sideways, and every which way but loose, making changes that made a difference.

It must run in the family. For what I’m hearing from those who were close to Catherine is how important it is to them that her work survives…and goes on.

Quay County Rescue (Petfinder #NM144; quaycountyanimals@yahoo.com) would love to continue what Catherine helped them start. They receive no funding from any outside agency; they manage on personal funds and donations. They’re accepting donations in Catherine’s memory.

There are two accounts at which donations are being accepted–the local vet hospital and the local feed store; there, donations are applied directly against expenses. Please mention that the donation is in Catherine’s memory.

Send to:

The Animal Rescue Fund at Tucumcari Animal Hospital
101 North 10th St
Tucumcari, NM 88401

Tucumcari Ranch Supply
Animal Rescue Account
502 S. Lake Street
Tucumcari, NM 88401

Catherine’s story is a compelling one; the rescue has already heard from those as far away as China. For Catherine and Elyse–two brave hearts in two very different packages who we lost far, far too early–this blog, these efforts to fund Catherine’s rescue work–are tributes forward. I hope you’ll join me in spreading the word.

by Doranna

Restraint?  Moi?

Well, yes.  In that this year, I’m not dressing the dogs up, hanging ornaments from their ears, wrapping them in scarves, or posing them to look brightly at the camera.

It’s been a hard year for so many of us.  In particular, I find myself regretting once more the impact that Lyme has had on my life, and on my ability to stay connected to the people who are important to me.

And yet…

There’s always something to be thankful for, and gifts on the way.

This year, ConneryBeagle’s holiday gift to me was to go out in the field and persist like crazy on his certification track (allows us to enter the Tracking Dog test in January), in spite of a stealth sinus infection (now being treated) and a Very Unfortunate Encounter with a Cactus.

Heading out from the start flag...

In my world, we celebrate Christmas.  But wherever you’re coming from this time of year, I hope you’re having a good one, with things to be thankful for.

Duh, right?

ConneryBeagle: Yes!  BAWH!

Or not so much, because not everyone seems to know that when it comes to training.

Maybe that’s why when I think coaches/trainers/clinicians, my first priority is to find someone who knows this particular duh and keeps it in mind.

I mean, yes–for me, I need someone who thinks and speaks constructively, who understands my goals and offers me tools to reach them.  I need someone with a good eye who can discern whatever Stupid Handler Trick I might be pulling this time.  Who doesn’t?

But the reason I habitually train at home is that I also want someone who supports my dogs for who they are.  And I really hate how long it took me to realize that not everyone groks the hound learning process (or has an awareness that they don’t).

All dogs are individuals, of course.  They’re not all typical (or stereotypical) of their breed; they all need to be treated as individuals within their breeds.  But breed matters.  Anyone who says it doesn’t, doesn’t Get It.

Dart Beagle is still figuring out how to use his body...

Beagles (hounds in general) are bred to be independent on the hunt.  They’re bred to make their own decisions and they’re bred to persist with those decisions–come hell or high water, terrible terrain or long hours or descending weather.  Humans may interpret their resulting behaviors as stubborn or hard to train, but context is everything.  (And any human who interprets these resulting behaviors to indicate that a little hound is stupid had best take a second look at their interactions with any such little hound and see who’s trained who…)

ConneryBeagle: BAWH HA HA!

Beagles are linear thinkers.  They’re generally robust and square-built (this affects both jumping and weaves), and they like their rules of behavior written clearly in black and white.  They even have visual idiosyncrasies–many of them don’t tend to “see” an obstacle that isn’t moving relative to their own position.  Woe unto me if I do a front cross that brings ConneryBeagle into direct line with the weaves, because I’ve 1) interfered with his line-of-sight to the next obstacle and then 2) lined him up with a hard-to-see obstacle in a way that it isn’t moving relative to his own position.

ConneryBeagle: You should NOT DO THAT.

So why would I want to work with a coach who instead of accepting that (or knowing it to start with), focuses on “fixing it” instead of building awareness and alternate strategies?

In the Beagle world, it’s important to transfer motivation away from self-rewarding hunt behaviors to our interactions before asking for performance work.  And in Connery’s world, a performance choice is valid until he’s told that it’s not.  He won’t make a different choice simply because there’s no reward at the end–in that case, he thinks I’m the one missing the boat (see above, “bred to persist with those decisions”).  But he understands immediately if I stop him in the middle of that behavior and show him what I want instead.

ConneryBeagle:  Why didn’t you SAY SO in the first place?

And by all means, I know to avoid basing performance criteria on props that are faded–stride regulators and pool noodles and touch pads and hoops and….

They are incredibly literal dogs.  (And yes, all of my contact training is based on physical elements of the equipment that never change!)

ConneryBeagle: Things should BE WHAT THEY ARE.

More wrong thinking?  Looking at the green dog who goes out sniffing in the ring and thinking, “I need to stop that.” Yiii!  Sniffing is a highly self-rewarding default behavior, and it’s the first thing a Beagle will do when stressed.  Want him to stress even more?  Go ahead–make a big deal of it, and see where it gets you.  Support the dog, focus on the positive stuff, and the sniffing will fade.

ConneryBeagle: BAWH!  Respect the SNIFF!

A good coach knows that I celebrate my dogs for what they are and I respect them for what they are, and I don’t try to make them fit into the training mold that serves other breeds with their other breed habits–and neither should they.

ConneryBeagle: BAWHSOME!

Just this week I learned that Connery is among the top title earners for breed champion Beagles (it’s hard to pin that down, because there’s no single resource, but at the moment it looks like the top two).  And this is a dog who’s been through life-changing attacks by giant breeds, who’s been chronically ill from his first year onward (yes, all the proceeds from HEART OF DOG still go toward his medical expenses, which are profound even in a good year), and who spent most of the last 18 months dealing with a complicated mystery ailment that took him out of the fun for far too many months.  That’s what I call positive reinforcement for his handler!  ;>

So there you are:  That’s the deal-breaker for me when it comes to a coach or clinician.  Celebrate the dog; work with the dog’s foundation characteristics in synergy, not in conflict.  Don’t just say that you do…have the experience and depth of understanding to do it.

Respect the sniff!

ConneryBeagle:  BAWH!

~~~

PS! This is a DOG AGILITY BLOG EVENT!  Want to see more on the subject of agility coaches?