Relaxing Walk... NOT

On Zack's birthday Zack and I walked to the park near my house so I could let him off the lead and have a run. It was not an uneventful walk that evening......

INCIDENT #1

Once we got to the park I started throwing Zack's chuck it ball and he was retrieving it like a yo-yo back and forth having lots of fun. I threw the ball again and Zack ran after it full pelt but this time he tripped and was immediately airborne proceeding into a triple flip before he hit the ground and rolled along the grass just like his chuck it ball. I gasped and cringed and thought OMG he's gonna be hurt. My heart was racing as I ran over there, but up he got up, shook himself off and carried on as though nothing had happened. I swear if he was in the Olympics he would have won a gold medal for that gymnastic routine!!! LOL. He sure is a tough little bugger.

We then continued on our walk round the park minding our own business when....

INCIDENT #2

Out from nowhere ran 4 (yes 4) little dogs (Maltese or giant Yorkie crosses I reckon) running circles and barking at us. Zack couldn't contain himself and took off over there to join in the fun. He was chasing the little dogs all over the place and vice versa. No matter how hard I tried he totally brushed me off and ignored my recall... little Sh**!! Then suddenly all five dogs disappeared one after another through a hedge into the one and only yard that backed onto the park that did not have a fence. I was a little frantic by this point as I lost sight of Zack and I started to run over to the yard calling him all the time, but I needn't have worried as within a split second Zack burst back out of the hedge towards me with a big black lab in hot pursuit!!! What just happened was kinda funny just like a cartoon but I didn't think so at the time.

Note to Zack: The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the hedge.
Note to self: Practice those bloody recalls!!!!

I was a little frazzled after all that so I put Zack back on his extendilead and started my way back home when....

INCIDENT 3

I heard a yip and before I realized what had happened Zack had gone through a whole bunch of smashed glass that was laying on the sidewalk. I quickly look at his feet and luckily I couldn't find any cuts or bleeding anywhere in his paws. Thank god.

Crikey, could anything else happen on our "relaxing" walk. Luckily it didn't and we got home safely. After all that running about, Zack had his supper and was out cold for the rest of the evening. I think he enjoyed his birthday walk much more than I did!!

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Zack - he turns 2 years old today!!!!

Zack wasn't in any hurry to get out of bed this morning, but once he was up, he was game to play with his new Wubba Kong.He nearly knocked himself out once when he shook the leg and the rest hit him in the noggin..

silly dog, but he was soon off again.
Happy Birthday Zacky boy... and many more!!!!

Crikey, Who Would Have Thunk It!!

I couldn't believe what I found at the local hardware store. This Border Terrier mug!!

Of course I had to buy it. I wished I had bought two as I don't want to use this one in case it breaks or something LOL. Other than at the big dog shows, I never see anything to do with border terriers anywhere, even in pet stores, so to find this in Home Hardware, blimy, who would have thunk it!!

What's in the Grass?

There was something in the grass that sent Zack completely doolally.

It was a dead hollyhock flower - but Zack couldn't figure out what it was.

It was so funny because it sent him insane in the brain. Literally. He didn't know if it was going to bite him back or what, so he would tease it and then run.


Why I buy toys I don't know - most dead decaying things give him the most fun!!! LOL

Fall Fun

It is now officially Fall, the grass is now golden and twice as high as Zack, but that hasn't stopped Zack from having his usual fun....



Run Zack run...



Run Dylan run...you can't catch me....



Even tho Zack is a little terrier he runs like a whippet!!! Whoo Hoo... LOL

It's So True

"There is no psychiatrist in the world better than a dog licking your face" - Ben Williams

Another Alias

Zack, a.k.a "Frog Boy"

Agility - Last Class (this go around)

Last night was our last class for now in agility. Zack was great. I don't know how he seems to do what is asked of him so brilliantly especially seeing I don't practice as much as I should. I don't deserve such a good little dog. We did four jumps in a row then to the table last night and Zack didn't run out once. He flew over the A frame for the first time - didn't mind it at all. I am so proud of him.

This last year Zack has come such a long way as he was so unmotivated as a younger dog and hard to train but now seems to have the drive to learn and with obstacles, tunnels, etc. it's great fun for him too. I have had great help from my instructors in both rally and agility and just "hanging in there" and "keeping up" with Zack's training has done wonders.

I can't wait to continue with the agility and looking forward to the next set of classes.

Wash Day

Sunday morning Fat Cat was on the bed with Zack cleaning herself. He inched his way over to her so she would start washing him. On cue, Zack got his wish.

She even gets his pits LOL!

Such a hard life.

Grasshoppers,Hawks and Hay, Oh My!!!

20 years ago I used to live in Stirling, a small village 1/2 hour to the south of Lethbridge so Pete and I thought we would take Zack for a walk along the irrigation canal out there where I used to ride my horse. Sadly when we got there the road was now barely visible and poor Zack disappeared in the long grass and bush and we couldn't see where our feet were either so we had to double back.

Instead we crossed the field back towards the village. The sweet smell of fresh cut hay was all around and there were lots of new smells for Zack to check out. He was here there and everywhere although I think the freshly cut stubble was a bit prickly on his poor little feet.

There were a pair of hawks swooping down and screeching by and we stopped to watch them for a minute or two. It was a pretty awesome sight but very hard to get a good picture.

Zack had to show us his great impersination skills again - I swear he must have been a pointer in his previous life - he is so funny.

Everything in Stirling seems to have changed since I lived there. The railroad is now abandoned too and starting to get overgrown but Zack didn't care - it was a great place to try and catch those pesky grasshoppers which seemed to be everywhere. Blimy, I am serious, it was an invasion.

We decided to take the gravel road back to the vehicle as there is virtually no traffic where we were.

Once we got back to the lane where we had parked the sun was going down and the grasshoppers were shining everywhere as they leapt about.

It was a great 2 hour evening walk and I reminisced about the time I lived out there and the places I went with my horse. I think Zack may have enjoyed it just a little too.

Terrier vs. Towel

This week I have been on holidays so have been spending more time with Zack which has been great. Even though it has been cool and wet we have been going for our usual daily walks. Yesterday it was pouring rain but we went out for an hour anyway. Once we got back I got the "towel" out to dry Zack off and wipe his feet like I usually do when he snatched the "towel" from my hand and took off - full pelt zoomies, growling and shaking the towel as he went crazy round the house. He wiped out on the laminate trying to manoeuvre a corner - which was the towel's fault in Zack's eyes so he gave it another killing shake - he was off again tho - up the stairs - oh great carpet - towel in tow he was zooming round the upstairs bouncing off the bed, down and up back and forth, every so often giving the towel another shake and growling. The funniest part was when he accidentally trod on the towel in mid-run and took a tumble - it was hilarious - towels fault again in Zack's eyes, shake shake shake. Zack then spotted Fat Cat and pounced on her with the towel bunched in his mouth, she woke up from her sleep, he hastened to growl and shake the towel right in her face as if to say "look what I got" and then he took off again. Fat Cat was not amused.

All of this happened so fast I didn't get any photos I am afraid. After all that running about Zack finally realized he had killed the towel and it was time for a nap in front of the fireplace. I did take a picture of him then.

I swear there is not a day goes by where Zack doesn't have me in stitches laughing. Even though he gets up to mischief sometimes he is one funny dog.

Playing Games

Now I see you

Now I don't

Agility

Last night was agility. I can't believe Zack and I have only one more class is in this set of agility lessons. Time has gone by so fast. It was a night of "take offs" and "superglue" in class.

Tucker the Bernese Mountain Dog and Monty the Australian Shepherd decided it was more fun to chase each other round the field - it's amazing how fast that Tucker could run - he was having a blast. As Zack and I were doing the tunnel Zack took off and ran to a Siberian Husky that was out in the run to show him what for (there is a Boarding Kennel attached to our practice area) - LOL. He came back just fine tho and we continued on with the tunnel.

Zack found the superglue again last night and his nose was affixed to every blade of grass in the field. His attention span was less than perfect but he was having fun and so was I. I couldn't help but giggle at him. He knows there are "little" morsels of treat hidden in the grass (that people must have dropped during training) and he was damn sure he was going to find them - which he did some of the time LOL.

We practiced the tunnel, teeter, front crosses and some jump work. It was lots of fun. As there is only one more class I am sure there will be further classes so we can continue to finish learning all of the equipment and gain further experience on the equipment we have started. We shall see.

The "D" Man

We cannot say the word "Dylan" in our house at all any more as Zack goes completely doolally. Dylan is now known as The "D" Man. It's amazing to see how two dogs that are so different can share such a bond.

Dylan at 100 pounds can still get the zoomies...

Of course Zack just had to join in.

He then went on to steal Dylan's ball
Which of course he hastened to "kill" and wouldn't give up the deceased to Dylan's dad.

The "D" Man forgave Zack for his transgressions.

That's what BFFs are for.

Reminiscing

I was looking at Zack's puppy pictures last night and started to reminisce. I thought I would share a few pictures......

This was his first night home. He was terrified of fat cat - see her in the very right hand corner. Poor baby.


Within a couple of hours tho he was charging about. How cute is he, little bugger right from the start LOL!

I forgot how tiny and black Zack was. His coat has changed so much.
Right from the get go Zack liked his creature comforts (and he got them...)
He wasn't too keen on his first outing in the snow....
or the friggin cold wind
but he loved his ball and stalked it constantly (is he border collie or border terrier?). I can't get past this photo without remembering his punk hair do....he had the funniest wispy /wiry top knot....
At about 3 1/2 months old Zack's coat started to change colour and now is a true Grizzle & Tan. I love the impish look on his face. He was the cutest puppy in my eyes and I am lucky to have him.

Confused

Zack is a ballaholic.

We confused poor Zacky when we gave him a ball within a ball.

He couldn't figure it out it was so funny.

My Guys

The two legged kind and the four legged kind.