The main reason for me starting a blog is because I have a less than iron-clad memory and with everything that I have been doing with my dogs (Moxie and Kyan) and plan to do with them, I better have a way to document all the trial and errors that take place.
I started in my breed, the Australian Shepherd in March of 2003 with my then boyfriend (now husband)finally submitting to the fact that I was never going to give up the battle to have a dog (or few) in my life. Heck, I chose Francis as my confirmation name after St. Francis of Assisi because he is the patron saint of animals. He tried to appease me by buying tropical fish, and while they are beautiful they certainly cannot curl up on the couch next to you.
I used my trump card with my boyfriend and told him that I understood that he "wasn't a dog person", and that next weekend we were down at Bayshore kennel to look at the only blue merle female they had. Bayshore's Moxie Blue Zazu came home with us 2 weeks later, much to my eternal happiness and thus began my love affair with this versatile breed.

Fast forward through all the relatively easy training of a puppy (which we learned later was called "biddability") and the many adventures she took with us, including a trip to Wyoming for world pyrotechnic convention, to March of 2004, we were feeling pretty cocky about how well trained and well adjusted Ms. Moxie was that when I saw a blue merle male on Bofelli's website, my boyfriend said I could have him too.
Bofelli's Kyanite, or Ky baby, came home with us on April 27th, 2004 and to say that he was different than Moxie was putting it mildly. As I was planning on showing him in the conformation ring, he was being left intact. I had never had a intact dog of either sex, but hey, people do this all the time, certainly it couldn't be that much different than a neutered animal, right?
Kyan really had his own agenda, and it took him much longer to earn the same privileges that Moxie had. My boyfriend said that I babied him too much, but how could resist when he just wanted to be near me. Even when he did do something wrong and I would scold him, he had an endearing way of grinning and placing his head in my lap to say he way sorry. To say that he has me wrapped around his paw is putting it mildly.
Everything was controlled chaos for the next few months, Kyan and I entered our first Australian Shepherd Club show held by BRASC and took Best of Opposite sex puppy at 3 shows at 5.5 months old. Never mind the fact that we were the only male entered and that I have never shown a dog before, I was bit by the show bug! He and I took conformation classes at a local kennel club and hit the AKC ring at 8 months of age. To date we have earned 6 points towards his AKC championship.
The next truly remarkable event was around November of 2004 when I discovered species appropriate (dogs are carnivorous, just look at the way there jaw operates) raw feeding. I had heard about it before, knew a little and started reading everything I could so that I could be more informed. As the benefits greatly outweigh any perceived risks, I took the plunge on Thanksgiving weekend by giving Moxie and Kyan each a 1/2 a raw turkey. Moxie, whom we had hand fed kibble as she just didn't like any kibble (believe me, we were spending a fortune on expensive high- end kibble) looked at me as if to say "well it's about time you got with the program Mom" and happily ate at least 2-3 pounds at her first sitting. Kyan who could inhale a bowl of kibble in 30 seconds flat, actually slowed down some to savor what he was eating. I have to be honest though, the change would not have taken place without the wonderful people on several raw feeding yahoo groups, they were a wealth of knowledge and continue to be a reference for me when I head into uncharted territory. My dogs eat and have eaten every thing I can get my hands on from venison, ducks, chickens, rabbits, beef, pork, goat, lamb, and salmon for example. And I try to feed "whole prey" whenever possible, meaning that the animal is just killed and put in a bag and frozen, all the wonderful innards are still intact as is the hide and it's head and feet. You become very creative with finding sources and sometimes have to be willing to roll up your sleeves to save a few dollars and get the more unusual meats, but when you have a happy dog dancing around you waiting to be fed, it really is worth it.