Kyanite Acres

2009-06-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Proud Quinn and the Puppies at 24 hours old

Carlisle

Jasper

Edward

2009-06-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Blue Merle Male - Jasper - 12:34pm
11.8 oz

2009-06-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Blue Merle Male - Carlisle - 11:24am
13.8 oz

2009-06-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Black Male - Edward - 11:03am
11.8 oz

2009-03-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Whew! I just couldn't wait any longer for the results on Quinn's hips so I called OFA and her hips are officially rated GOOD. This is a weight off my mind and I have just contacted the stud dog owner so that I can make arrangements for Quinn to visit Keegan. Next week we have a visit with the repro vet to do a few tests and then it is just countdown until she comes into heat.

2009-03-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Norman built me a teeter for the dogs! Yep, I now can train them on the first piece of MOVEABLE equipment (which is a scary thing for some dogs). We still have work to do, but now that I have it I can shape the behavior with positive reinforcement.

2009-03-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

I figure it might be nice to keep up with my blog again, we have so much that is and will be going on this year that I decided I better fill everyone in. First off, on a whim I took Laika into the ring for her CGC (canine good citizen) test and she passed with flying colors - we didn't even practice! Not to be outdone, Demi took Opal in the ring last weekend without me knowing and passed her CGC also! I really couldn't be prouder of this young team.

We are gearing up for Quinn's first litter later this year (gosh how time is flying!) to BIS/BISS CH. Bayouland's Creme Brulee. I have been taking seminars and reading many books in order to be best prepare for this big event.

2008-12-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

OK, I know I haven't been good about keeping up with my blog, but I am trying to turn over a new leaf. After following one of the funniest blogs out there Cakewrecks I have decided that the format will still be about my journey with my dogs, but that it will be like me - kinda quirky, erratic, and strange. I will still be posting pictures of my dogs, but will also include my junior handlers (I have TWO of them - how did I get so lucky?!), the progress of the property we have in Dillwyn and what ever else might strike my fancy. So hang folk, this is going to be a bumpy ride!

2008-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Pretty Spring picture with daffodils - or "are you almost through this is REALLY boring".

Pictured here is Opal our fourth furkid and my next hopeful show dog, she was not amused with all the pictures and staying clean, but she had a good romp once I was done.

2008-04-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

Kyan is FINALLY a AKC Champion. It has been a long haul, and I want to thank Reggie Moorehead, Jeff Margeson, and Alex Bialozor for helping reach the goal that I have wanted for so long.

Now that Kyan is finished, I am working with Laika in agility, as this is what I think she would excel in.

2007-03-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

A few weekend ago I took all three of the older dogs for a herding instinct test. I honestly wasn't certain if Kyan was going to even recognize that they needed to be herded, but much to my surprise and that of the instructor, he did VERY well. So well that we will be heading down on March 25th for our first herding lesson. Laika and Moxie were also tested and while they did well, they looked for a lot of reassurance from me that they were doing the "right thing".

What a great day, and all pups were worn out and slept deeply dreaming of sheep that night.

2007-02-10T11:33:00.000-08:00

We have a new addition here at Kyanite Acres, StarValley's Precious Jewel, AKA Opal. This little girl already has Norman wrapped around her little paw. She and Sequin have been having a great time playing together and Laika can't seem get enough of either of them.

2007-01-17T09:45:00.000-08:00

Sequin (StarValley's Sequins n' Lace) is having a wonderful time livign with her father and surrogate sisters, Laika and Moxie. there are so many things that I see that are similar to Kyan in mannerisms, such as they both drink water in a rythm, and they both sit with their left paw curled up when laying on the floor. I know she will have a wonderul home with Brandi, but this cute littel girl will always have a special plac ein my heart.

2007-01-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

As Ms. Laika-lu is going to take her sweet time maturing, she will not be shown in conformation until she is older though we will do matches and possibly UKC. This is due in part to her lines and also her species appropriate diet, so we are going to try our hand at herding. Laika has already shown that she hits well and heads our other aussies, so we are going to take her to a herding clinic in Ashland, VA held by the WAV ASC of whom I am a member. I feel it is very important to keep the aussie innate instinct intact, while still being able to live with their human counterparts

2007-01-13T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well, all of Kyan puppies have wonderful new homes and I look forward to receiving updates on their progress. The red tri female has gone to a performance home in Georgia and the black tri male has gone to a performance home in California. The red merle male and one of the blue merle females are staying with the breeder and the other blue merle female is staying with me until April when she is safely delivered to the co-breeder at USASA Nationals at Purina Farms in Missouri. I will be updating everyone with the antics of Ms. Sequin before she goes to her permanent home.
Actually she came with me today to a BRASC ( I am secretary) meeting and got to play with a good breeder friend of mine's 7 week old puppies and a 13 week old sheltie. I was very please at how gently she played with the babies and handled the evaluations by the breeders present like a champ.

2006-12-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Not to be outdone, here is a picture of one of Kyan's son's. Adrienne has said this is the most laid back aussie she has ever known, I can't wait to meet him next week when we go down to VA Beach for a 2 day AKC show.

2006-12-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Blue Merle Girl
This little girl reminds me so much of Kyan as a puppy, though they all seem to take after him.

This is a picture of Kyan at just a few weeks older than the litter is right now, nice family resemblance, huh?

2006-12-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

Puppy butts

Adrienne emailed me last evening with the 3 week pictures of Kyan's babies and I thought I would share them this week. Here is a picture of everyone sleeping, you can see how well fed and fat they puppies are, Frankey is such a good mom.

This is the Red Tri bitch, Adrienne has said she is a real cuddler and will fall asleep on her when she is sitting down - can we all say AWWWWW?

2006-12-02T05:37:00.000-08:00

Another piece of exciting news is that Kyan has sired his first litter! Frankey, "StarValley's Poetry N'Motion" presented co-breeders Adrienne Isham and Brandi Murray with an all color litter on November 12th. The final count is 1 black tri male, 1 red merle male, 1 red tri female and 2 blue blue merle females. While most of these puppies are probably placed, please feel free to contact Adrienne, Brandi to see who might be available. These are very flashy puppies and show homes are preferred, but a good naturally reared pet home will also be considered.

2006-12-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

Long time no write, but I am back with exciting news. First, let me introduce our new addition, Daybreaks Some Kinda Wonderful - Laika for short.
Laika is a beautiful Black Tri female that Sheryl Kaminski from Daybreak aussies allowed us to take home. She is quite the comedian and is always finding something to pick up to make Moxie chase her. Laika is entered in her first show on December 16 and 17th, I will be happy if we can make it around the ring with out bunny hops.

2006-07-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

We are less than two weeks away from our vacation to Wisconsin to pick up Laika, we are so excited. I have decided to have an animal communicator talk to all three dogs, to find out what they are all thinking and to let Moxie and Kyan know that we have a permanent addition that will be coming hime with us. I will post after the consultation next Monday. This coming weekend we are going to Weyer's Cave, VA to show in BRASC and hopefully come home with a few more points. One of our club members just lost a 3rd dog in 10 months to unusual cause and it really just strengthens my conviction that I am doing the right thing raising my dogs naturally. My hope by being a natural rearer is to have them around and as healthy as possible well into their teens.
Exciting news to come in the near future, Kyan will be siring his first litter with a wonderful little girl that will be announce as soon as the breeding takes place.

2006-07-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Much has happened since I last posted, True had a litter of seven gorgeous, healthy puppies and everyone is doing wonderfully. The puppies are now seven weeks old, and we will be going to pick up Laika on August 5th when I will get to spend a week with my good friend and mentor, Sheryl Kaminski of Daybreak Aussies. There is still one puppy available from this litter, so if you are interested in a naturally reared aussie, please feel free to contact Sheryl directly.

2006-05-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

We are fast approaching True's due date of June 7th, I know I will just be beside myself with anticipation as the date draws even clower.
Kyan took Best of Winners,Best of Breed recently at the Chesapeake VA show under judge Arlene Benko, I was just flying after this great honor!
Kyan also took Winner's Dog Best Opposite Sex at the the BVASC show in New London PA.
Moxie is having fun right now playing big sister to the puppy that is visiting from Milwin Aussies in Madsion VA for socialization. Sophie is a daughter of my favorite red dog, Jordy ( AKC/ASCA Ch. Hisaw's Let him Fly). She has been a real dear and a good reminder to us of what it is like to have a puppy in the house again.

2006-03-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

Happy News!!! Sheryl, my friend and mentor from Daybreak Aussies in WI, is on her way as we speak to breed her beautiful girl True (Daybreak's B True to YourselfAKC/ASCA CDX, CGC, NA, FFX-A P, NAJ, FFX-A P, RS-N, NAC, FFX-A P, JS-N, NJC, DNA-VP (AKC ptd, ASCA major ptd - 10 pts) to Apollo (ASCA Ch. Willowcreek's Pandemonium Sun ASCA CD, CGC, DNA-VP) for a early June litter. Please feel free to check out Sheryl's puppy page for more info....http://daybreakaussies.com/puppies.htm
We will be picking up our little girl when we go up to visit Sheryl in August, which coincides with the Pyrotechnic convention that Norman and I plan to attend (though I will probably be having such a good time with the dogs and puppies that my plans will change drastically!).
Norman ans Moxie entered a Frisbee tournament this past weekend, and while no ribbons were earned, we had a great time socializing with other dog lovers and playing disc.

2006-01-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

Resevoir Dogs Part Deux - OK, so it isn't a follow up to Quentin Tarantino's dark movie (which, BTW has my cousin in Michael Madsen in it), but it is two dogs in in a retention pond. It is a acre area that lays about 6 feet below the level of the path and is greeat found for the dogs to run and burn off their energy. Not conducive to keeping them clean, but their happy faces are worth all the mud and wetness that I have to clean when I get home.

2006-01-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

I spoke too soon about our wonderful weather, we had a terrible wind storm that brought in a cool front right behind it. Our power went out on Saturday evening, right before Eukanuba tournament of champions was supposed to air. The dogs spent the evening watching me fumble around by candle light. Norman had his electronic Soduku game to keep him occupied, but it made me realize how dependent on electricity I am.
Moxie and Kyan have both been taking turns in my Siesta Sac (a 6' foam filled bag), my Christmas gift from Norman. I love snuggling in and watching television, but I guess Kyan and Moxie aren't above creature comforts either!
Kyan and I start Rally classes tonight, I just wish they weren't so late in the evening.

2006-01-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

The weather has been unseasonably warm, we are going to hit the low 60's today! I hope to get the dogs out swimming for a bit today and enough just being out in the nice weather as I am afraid it won't last, plus I get this foreboding that we haven't seen the last of the snow either. I am meeting with the Board members of BRASC this weekend (yep, I am now secretary) to discuss our next show March 18-19. I just recived the premium for the Baltimore show in the middle of Febraury, Kyan is in wonderful coat right now, so hopefully we will show well. Kyan and I are also Rally classes next week and Moxie and I are practicing her targeting and her weaves before we take another course. Norman will probably be doing some more geocaching so I hope to be able to do some chores around the house.

2006-01-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

We have a new addition in our house, a 7.5 inch red ear slider turtle who is living in our bathtub at the moment. Archimedes, as I named him, is quite the inquisitive turtle and doesn't shy away from the dogs wanting to sniff him. In fact Moxie was startled enough at his quick moment towards her that she barked and ran the opposite direction. We are planning a water garden for him outside once the weather is nice enough.
Moxie and Kyan have been well, and we all have had a needed rest from the show circuit. Kyan has 7 points towards him AKC Championship, so we will be looking to start putting his majors on in soon. Norman has built Moxie her weave polls out of PVC piping, very nice and we don't need to worry about leaving them out in the elements.
I have found myself my own personal hunter for the deer meat that I like to feed the dogs, and it is a win-win situation, he gets to do something that he enjoys and I get to feed my dogs.

2005-11-11T05:37:00.000-08:00

I had an orientation meeting last night for the reactive dog class that I will be auditing for the next several weeks. I have hopes that this is will help both Kyan and I. We were out of town this past weekend at a AKC breed show in VA Beach and while Kyan only took one more point, we took Reserve Winners Dog the rest of the days, so we were consistently at the top.
After the show on Sunday we took Moxie and Kyan swimming in the ocean, a true treat for them and we could barely get them to stop as they were having so much fun running in the surf. I really would like to take a family vacation off season at the beach so we could let them run until they stop from exhaustion.

2005-10-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we got up at 5:30 to be out of the house by 6:10 to be at the show by 6:30 and get ready for ring time at 8:00am. While standing getting ready to go in to ring, and steward let us know that since the judge was sick, a substitute judge was called in and that we weren't showing until 1:45. *Sigh*, it was going to long day, and it was cold a windy out, I am just thankful I wore my down coat. After waiting all day to go in the ring, the judge kept telling everyone that she wanted to see a "working gait" and to slow all the dogs down. I now know that she had never judged Aussies (actually no herding breeds) before and didn't obviously read the standard. Kyan didn't do anything and actually lost to dogs that he had won over several times before. My friend Brandi had better luck and her puppy took RWB with her bred-by bitch who I took back in for winner's bitch, so that was nice.
Hopefully tomorrow will be better as this judge knows herding breeds. Now, I am going to join Kyan for a nice long nap!

2005-10-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Another rainy day here in VA, so I doubt there will be much in the way of training this afternoon when I get off of work. It will give me the opportunity to call Frank Baylis of Bayshore Kennel to see if he would sign off on the papers to register Moxie in ASCA. I don't see why he wouldn't she is altered so there is no fear of her having a litter. I would like to be able to take both of them to ASCA events and possibly show Moxie in the altered class. I just spoke with Nadine, who is Kyan's breeder and unfortunately she did not get her entry in on time so we won't get to see her this weekend. Possibly we will go to Gettysburg, PA for a one day show in December so that she can she Kyan.

2005-10-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

As I was gently reminded that I haven't updated my blog in a awhile, there is actually much to tell. First Kyan and I received a 41 out of a possible 45 points at a mock Rally-O trial at our last obedience class. We are waiting to hear if we are enrolled in sub-novice obedience, which the final exam is is a CGC exam! How cool would that be, to start the new year with our first title! Anyway, I get ahead of myself as I am still hoping to either enroll or at least audit the "reactive dog" class at A Click Above where we train. I think with the combination of training, homeoptahy and the realization that I am not the Alpha in our pack, I think we can may some headway with Kyan's reactiveness.
My husband has been telling me for some time now (ok, ever since Kyan came home) that I wasn't asserting myself as the Alpha and that Kyan was walking all over me and had me wrapped around his little paw. It turns out he was absolutely correct. I never made Kyan "work" for anything, would treat him with favoritism, and didn't positively correct behaviors. I know, I know, I should know better, but I am making ammends, both dogs work for everything they get, and I don't allow things to slide just because I'm tired or feel too busy, I take time to analyze everything I do with them now. They are good companions, but I wasn't a very good guardian in the way I was treating them. I promise to do better, they deserve it. They have already made some remarkable strides, we three can go on a walk together without Kyan deciding that he is going to chase after a squirrel or Moxie trying to be a sled dog. They truly seem happier too, I will try to better about updating my progress in becoming Alpha of my pack.
Moxie and I are waiting to hear if we are enrolled in "contacts and weaves" she and I are doing well, but I still don't feel comfortable enough to just enter in a agility trial. This is a public announcement to my husband that we really need to work on making those weave poles, please!
Kyan is entered this weekend in a local AKC show, and for the very first time, he will be in the ring with his full brother, I purposefully entered him in Am. Bred so that we could go in for winners dog and be compared side by side with him. I may have my friend Brandi show him for me as he always slugs around the ring for me, and he handles beautifully for her.
Rabbit was the menu this evening, in fact I need to order some more. I have a couple hundred pounds of deer, but the key to prey model raw feeding is variation. I just don't have the facility to raise rabbits and I also need to learn more from my friend Sheryl, of Daybreak Aussies before I go down that road. More tomorrow, I swear!

2005-10-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

It was a nice long weekend, I had yesterday off because of Columbus day and Moxie and I had class. She did well, and I really think that if she had a christmas list, her first item would be a A-frame, she was hopping on it every chance she got while we were in class. She did a lot of gumping, but she was dosed last Friday morning so I'm not certain if we may need a different remedy or a different dosage. Kyan is still so visually sensitive, I took him out over the weekend in the yard and at first couldn't tell what he was staring at, but then realized that in the distance he was seeing a neighbors television screen, how is that for not missing anything that moves. I still hope that we may get a breakthrough with him, although the remedy he is on right now, doesn't seem to be helping all that much. I will have to wait for Magda to get back to discuss this with her. I have been contacted by the lady that runs the reacitve dog class at "A Click Above" and hopefully there will be a spot for Kyan in the class, at the very least I plan to audit the class so that I can learn how to handle the situation better when we are around other dogs. He and I will continue obedience, he really seems to enjoy it and if we can get past the dog issue, he will definitely be a contender for some obedience titles.
This coming weekend we are back in the show ring for the first time since August, and it is majors in dogs on Saturday, cross your fingers!
That's it for today, my husband said that I need to update this blog more often just so that he knows what is going on!

2005-10-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

It was a wonderful weekend filled with great weather and friendship. My friend and aussie breeder, Juli Wiseman of Skycove kennel stayed with us this weekedn for the Leesburg 3-day dog show. She and her dogs are welcomed back any time, as they were very unassuming guests and fit in quite nicely. A big thank-you to Juli for all the wonderful tips and hints for groming and presenting a gorgeous picture in the breed ring.
Moxie went to class last night and again I was astounded as to the progress she has made on her remedy, she reallly is such a pleasure to work with in class. I still think we have a a little ways to go, but she is definitely a focused happy girl and will work for you, but will settle and be a loving couch potato too, I just love this girl!
Kyan also has been making great strides in the right direction and I have also learned that Kyan is much more willfull and smart than I ever gave him critic for in the past. Because I didn't provide enough structure and postive reinforcement to train him and make sure he understood what I wanted (I was too busy training him for the show ring, where the name of the game is to look pretty and stand still), I am playing catch-up now, but he is turning out to be quite the gentleman, now that he knows the rules. Norman worked with him last night and we will have daily training sessions, now that I know what the heck I am going!
Moxie and Kyan are still able to swim daily, I hope the weather holds a little while longer, it has been such a wonderful gift to be able to excercise then in the middle summer.

2005-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hurray! Kyan and I went to obedience class last night and took 1st place in a game of musical downs, played by 11 dogs. I am so proud of him! We are signing up for sub-novice obedience next session and I hope to have his CGC before the year's end.
Moxie had a case of the "grippies"(she sits with a toy in her mouth for extended periods of time grippping it) last night, and although I don't know for certain, she had a bath and it is always stressful for her so I am thinking this was the cause of the episode. She also has been playing rougher with Kyan and although he takes it I can help but wonder if this is a ploy for top dog or if this another level of vaccinosis, I have alerted Magda at the very least.
Norman has built some wonderful practice boards for Moxie in her agility class, they are very helpful in fine tuning her targeting and I plan to use them with Kyan too.
Kyan was dosed with Belladonna this morning, he is still having issues being reactive to other dogs and stimuli, so I will be reporting back to Magda after the weekend.
Sheryl is going to go see a prospective stud dog for True this Saturday and I will be thrilled to hear her report. I mean, it is the sire of Macy we are talking about, after all...lol.

2005-09-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

Moxie and I went to class last evening and I actually got to see the dog that I knew was there all along, she was just hidden by the vaccinosis. She was attentive and would settle quickly and didn't whine and "gump" at me because things were moving too slowly. She still surfed the ground for leftover treats more than I would have liked, but I know we are the right path. She actually seemed for the first time like she was having fun, in fact she was having great fun getting on the A frame and leaning over to give me kisses. I think this is her favorite piece of equipment. For the first time last evening, I felt as if we actually might be able to go to an agility trial and not totally embarrass ourselves.
Claudia the instructor also have us a new treat to try and you would have thought that she had been given the most delicious piece of meat ever, and this was after eating a 3.5 pound rabbit earlier that day. I will be going to a dog show this weekend and you better bet I will looking for these treats when I am there.
Kyan stayed home with Norman and as Norman has hurt his foot, Kyan had plenty of time to laze around and bother Norman, but fortunately he is learning that I do come back and doesn't stress out as much. I plan to start some of the training that Moxie and I have been learning on Kyan, I already know he loves to jump, so he might enjoy agility too.

2005-09-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Not much going on today, though I am training Kyan to sit politely when introduce to new people. He has no problem in the show ring, but elsewhere he thinks everyone wants kisses from him. We also practiced sitting when dogs walk by the yard, Moxie is trained and know the lot lines so well that if her ball rolls in the street she won't attempt to retrieve it, we actually leave her out because she likes to sun herself and know she won't go anywhere.
Today is a feasting day, and Moxie is going to have the same meat medley that Kyan had on Tuesday, and Kyan is going to get the rest of Moxie's duck, it turns out Moxie only likes white meat and has left all the innards too, so as nothing goes to waste, Kyan will have the rest. He is actually more capable of crushing through some of the bones than Moxie.

2005-09-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

I dosed Moxie last night with a double dilute dose of Arsenicum Album and she then curl back up and went to sleep. I will update Magda on Monday as to her progress.I met up with Billie Hall of Herd About Aussies to drop of the ribbons for BRASC and to obeserve her blue merle boy Moose receiving acupuncture treatment. Billie said she has noticed a marked difference with one treatment in his movement. This is something I am interested in for not only my dogs but myself too.
I also got to hold Ariel,a 14 week old puppy who was a real love, she sat in my lap the whole time Billie had her appointment with Moose. Moxie and Kyan were VERY interested in the smells when I got home!
Kyan has obedience class tonight, and we have been practicing so I hope we perform well.
My good friend and mentor Sheryl Kaminski of Daybreak Aussies has told me that the mother of the puppy that I will be getting from her in 2006 was call Macy Gray when she was born, and if you have read my profile you've seen that she is one of my all time favorite artist! Tenatively, this little girls registered name is going to be "Daybreak TrulyNaturalHigh", but I haven't come up with a good call name yet (nothing like planning a year out ;-) ) but I would love to use something related to Macy Gray, heck I may just call her Macy.

2005-09-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Moxie and I went to Beginner's Agility last night at A Click Above in Leesburg, VA and we practiced our contacts on the A-frame and dog walk, started weaves and also tried the teeter with the aid of the stay table so it didn't move too much. Moxie enjoys agility thought the tiem when we have to sit and listen to the instructor is tedious for her, she whines and gumps or surfs the floor for missed treats until she can go play on the equipment again. Moxie's biddablity is a bit of a hinderance in agility as she is always looking at me for what to do next instead of driving towards an object, but we will work on this. Moxie also had some issue with drooling going and coming home from class, Norman says it's my driving that resembles Mario Andretti's, but I know that she is also needs to be double dillute dosed with Arsenicum Album this evening. I will email Magda,our homeopath, with the update later in the week. Norman had to watch Kyan last night and took him to swim at their swimming hole, but as soon as he got wet he was out of the water and like a shot heading straight for home to find Moxie and I. He does not like to be seperated from me and unfortunately doesn't listen to Norman worth beans. This is something I hope Magda can also help us address. Moxie will be finishing her duck that she started over the weekend adn Kyan with be have a organic meat medley consisting of beef, salmon, bison, and various other meat that I get from Maryland. I generally give them this about once every two weeks, and generally on a day between eating the whole prey animals.

2005-09-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

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.