Vispera Australian Shepherds

January.

2012-01-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas ~ I sure did :) Time with family is most important and we had a wonderful few days. Above is a picture of Camryn, she was a blast this Christmas......

We have had some very unseasonable temperatures this winter and it continues into January... Yesterday was +9!! That is crazy to me.....I hear though that the cold weather is just around the corner next week...
I'm off work all next week so going to concentrate on my basement and get that organized. I want to make a sewing corner as well as a photography corner. Lots to organize but will be nice when it's all done.
Doing tons with the dogs ~ Rayne is continuing training in agility and I am so proud of her. She is a smart little lass and I'm hoping June she will be ready to enter our first trial together. I refuse to enter a trial until I can trust that my dog is confident enough.... too many bad things can happen and then need to be fixed by rushing. So we are just gonna keep training away and having fun. I constantly remind my students that the dogs did not choose to do agility, yes they enjoy it but they don't choose to pack up and drive to the arena so whatever they give us is all a bonus. So, even though I can get frustrated I always keep that mantra playing through my head and it keeps me focused on having fun with my crew!

Everyone have a great day!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

To family & friends!! Happy Holidays and I hope everyone has a fantastic new year and many great adventures in 2012!!

Jackie, Meg, Rayne and Family

Moving.........

2011-11-29T11:05:00.001-07:00

Not only are we moving into December but our family is moving back into town this weekend. After 2 wonderful years on the acreage we decided a flip was in order ~ We sold our house and are moving back into town with plans to rebuild on another piece of land in the next year or two.
I'm looking forward to being in town and avoiding the winter driving across the highways, so far the weather has been very mild but I'm sure it won't stay like that till April....
So, I will be very happy next week when I'm all settled in our new home.

Headed to Cold Lake AB this past weekend for an agility fun day. Was great to get away with great friends and work the dogs. Rayne did pretty good ~ She has lots and lots of learning to do yet but I see so much promise in her......

Meg had an interesting day as Camryn decided she wanted to be out on course and of course Meg was called into duty. Meg was a trooper checking in with me after Camryn gave each command.... I felt like a puppet master ~ directing Camryn what obstacle to go to next and then making sure Meg followed...

I hope that Camryn stays in the doggie world and we can travel to many doggie events together....

Still waiting for my little blue doggie to come into season so I can get my Walker puppy.... dreaming everynight about the new additions :)

Another weekend of trialing :))

2011-11-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Meg was good as gold again... Competing in 6 runs and qualifying in 5 out of them ~ earning 3 titles this past weekend!! Now if she would only listen to me and come into season........ I am eagerly awaiting as I'm so excited for my next pup! And we have so many great homes lined up.......

Rayne has been participating in agility classes and doing amazing! She has impressed me so much and reminds me of her daddy in every way. She is smart and quick and is loving all the equipment. I'm very excited about our competition career together...

Spent last week packing for our big move back into the city, I'm sure not going to miss the drive in on the icy roads. Will really like not having to plan an extra 1/2 hour for the drive.... but will miss country living, but my hubby already has our next house built picked out so I don't anticipate we will not be in the city long.

Stay warm and have some hot chocolate :)

Agility Trialing Again!!

2011-10-17T15:51:00.000-06:00

Well, after 2 years away from agility (doing a few demo's and practices here and there) Meg and I entered a full weekend of trialing. She is such a good girl, qualifying in almost everything and always trying her heart out :) I love this little dog so much. Looking forward to more trialing with my little blue doggie.

I find myself reflecting alot about Ice. I miss him so much ~ 7 years was not near long enough with him........ I think of my dogs now and truly know that every day is a blessing with them cause you just never know.......

Still haven't found a house ~ who knew there wouldn't be anything available!! Good thing the couple purchasing our home aren't in a hurry!!

Enjoy the fall peeps, days are going by fast........

Seize YOUR day

October

2011-10-04T13:10:00.000-06:00

Holds a new exciting litter on the way (I hope) Meg is due in season sometime soon and I couldn't be more excited to welcome another generation of Vispera puppies. Meg did such a great job with her last litter and all the pups are doing so well I'm excited about my new little puppy.
October is bringing changes to us, as we are in the search for a new house!! We sold our acreage to a wonderful couple with 2 little girls and decided to come into town for a few years until we find the perfect piece of land. So, house hunting here we come.
As well just came home from a 3 day grooming seminar with some of the worlds best groomers. It was truly inspiring, so glad I was able to take it in. Learned lots about running a grooming salon and how to do the little things and make your salon stand out.
Excited about the future :)

saying goodbye........

2011-09-04T11:44:00.000-06:00

Is never easy ~ In August we said goodbye to a wonderful freind, sidekick, babysitter and one of the greatest aussies I have ever met and had the wonderful opportunity to share my life with. Ice left us after a short battle with Cancer.......it was quick and took him swiftly. We will miss him dearly.

Things are moving quickly into September already ~ was planning on going to a herding clinic the first weekend in Sept but life got in the way... So sad and dissapointed I missed out on Dave & Trudy Vicklund and their invaluable teachings, but also on the great company a herding clinic provides.

Looking forward to a few things over the next few months (Meg x Walker litter) Camrose show and also the Lloydminster show where I get to watch 2 friends take their Rottie pups in the ring for the first time :) I know they will do great!!

Still enjoying taking pics whenever I can and feeling my way around photoshop..it's a lot to learn but it's coming :)

July flew by!

2011-08-08T17:07:00.000-06:00

Well, where did July go??? Spent most of the month working but was able to slip away to a few things ~ went to a 2 day ASCA show as well as to the lake for 2 nights with great friends. Storms have been plaguing our area so getting anything done is tedious........ Have wonderful family that came and helped us out while we were at the lake. They prepped 2 area's for seeding to grass as well as dug in some flowerbeds for us.......words can't describe our gratitude for their thoughtfulness and hard work!
I'm intently watching Meg as she should be coming into season early Sept.... I am so excited about this cross and can't wait to have puppies again! There have been so many nice litters this summer........
Continuing to shoot my camera anywhere I can. This past weekend was able to do a few pics at our Agility Demo in Clandonald.

Looking forward to Camryn's 4th birthday party later this month ~ we will be having a Black Beauty Theme........

Where is the summer going.......

2011-07-25T16:58:00.002-06:00

Have been very busy doing so many different things. This past weekend we travelled to Wilkie SK (small, small town) for Shane's godmother's 80th Birthday. We were able to visit with family we don't get to see too often....... It was very nice.
Then this past Sunday headed out with Shelley, Tara and Camryn and travelled the hour and a bit to Provost AB for a visit with Debbie Markowski and her litter of Outstanding Aussie pups. These pups are some of the best you will ever find and the quality was outstanding. I was very excited to see these pups as my Rayne x Derby pups will be cousins to Deb's pups..... I was NOT disapointed! These pups were outstanding ~ Deb has a tough choice to make on who she's keeping and I have a tough wait for my pups next spring!!!
Back to work today (Monday) Will be looking forward to getting into my garden this week as it's gotten a little away from me.... Lots growing, peas, carrots, onions, potatoes, corn is coming along nicely.
Dogs are all good ~ enjoying their almost daily quad runs (as am I). We often come across some kind of wildlife that I love to sit and watch.......
Hope you are all enjoying the summer :)

Rayne didn't let me down

2011-07-11T13:28:00.002-06:00

Well, I hit the road with bestie Shelley G and we headed to Southern Sk for 4 ASCA Shows. After having Rayne out of the show ring for well over a year I was hoping her and I both would just get around the ring! Well, we did more than that!
Rayne was "on" and we walked away with 2 Best of Breeds from the bred by class and 1 Best of Opposite over the 4 shows.

Couldn't be more proud to have this great young girl and to have the judges recognize and find her in a Winners Bitch class of Outstanding girls!

Thanks to PASE australian Shepherd club for hosting and thanks To Kelly Campbell for allowing us to stay in her motorhome......makes it easier to go "down the road" with a place to stay.

Thanks to great friends Terry Stickle and Deb Markowski for the laughs and good times! Loved seeing all the aussie folks that were there........

So, Rayne needs 2 final points to finish her ASCA Ch. Not sure when I will be able to get to another show but we hope to finish her soon :)

Jackie

Great Last 2 weeks!

2011-06-26T22:18:00.009-06:00

It has been a busy 2 weeks!
Headed off to my "getaway" if you call sleeping in your truck for 3 nights, during a downpour watching dog/handler teams fight the sticky, yucky mud for 2 days a "getaway"............ I sure do!!! Loved every minute of it! I was trial secretary for the ASCA trials held at the lovely SwedeLee farms so I mostly got to sit in a nice warm truck and help time/scribe for the judges. You can learn so much by sitting with the judges ~ but it is always easier to see a handlers mistakes when your not the one in the middle of it!

Was able to get 2 good days of shooting in and picked up some helpful tips and pointers from good friend/mentor Cathy B.... I will never be able to repay her for everything she has given to me in advice.

Then it was a busy week at work followed by a busy weekend ~ attended the Lloydminster & District SPCA Dog Jog today and once again had my camera ready to take some pics. Was a great day followed by lovely supper with our neighbours.......life in the country is good :)

And now it's Sunday night and I can't wait to see what next week brings!

ta ta for now :)

Excited!

2011-06-14T17:26:00.005-06:00

I have been looking forward to this week for a while now........ It's the herding clinic/trials at Swedelee farms starting Thursday. It's 4 days of working dogs, talking with other herding folks and I'm hoping getting LOTS of practice with my camera.......

This past month has been very hectic ~ the store girlfriend Tara and I own/run has gone through some changes including me being chief groomer girl. I have had years of grooming experience and have spent lots of time with our grooming team this past year learning a few new tricks, so when one gal left us for other pursuits and one gal getting sick and put in the hospital it was down to me to carry the load. It was a challenge but in the face of adversary you either rise up and face it or turn and run, I didn't have a choice ~ I faced all the dogs that have come into our shop and 99% are wonderful clients with only a few bad apples thrown in. I do have to say though that I am looking forward to a bit of a break.......

Will hopefully have some tales to tell and pictures to go with it!

Have posted a pic of Lia (Tray x Meg) daughter - 6 mths old helping with the flower pots this year........

All kids from Tray x Meg are doing fantastic ~ so pleased with them.....and their owners :)

tata for now.......

Catching up.........

2011-05-16T16:05:00.002-06:00

Well how time flies.......days seem to march by quickly these days ~ maybe it's the 100+ hour winds we have been having this last week!
Was able to make a trek to Provost to visit with Mentor Cathy and good friends Deb and Terry and Terry's lovely litter of puppies. These pups are special to me as they are Ice's Grandbabies. What a lovely lovely bunch of puppies ~ fell in love with all of them and would love to bring one home if I had room/time for another little soul........need to concentrate on the kids here first.

Congrats to Talise & Pauline (Meg x Tray daughter)for picking up their first leg in Novice Rally Obedience over the weekend. Talise is just over 6 months old and from pics and video's Pauline sends is doing great! Will enjoy watching this team.......

Also Congrats to Jo & Rojo (another Meg Tray puppy) as they entered their first conformation show over the weekend. From what Jo says Rojo did very well ~ with his only competition being his housemate "Gunny" (a mature male) this show was a good learning experience.

Looking forward to the Herding Clinic/Trials coming up this June in Central Alberta. 4 days of catching up and gaining herding experience from people much more experienced than I.......(If you would like more info email me at jackie@vispera.ca)

Looking forward to some nice warm weather and getting out in the yard ~ hope you do the same!

Spring is here - I think...........

2011-03-31T15:08:00.003-06:00

The past few weeks have been full of adventure :)

Lets start with a week ago yesterday and my friend Tara's litter being born. Tara has Rotties and now has her very first litter on the ground (we are excited for her :), the puppies are now a week old and I am so thankful I was able to be there when they were born. Abbey the mom was in labour but hadn't started strong contractions all day so at 4pm we decided to pack her up and head to the vet just to see if we could get an xray and see if anyone was blocking progress, sure enough! A big boy was blocking the way and thus Abbey couldn't get started. So, we prepared her for a c-section. I was able to help prepare her (thanks Animal Hospital) and be one of the puppy rubbers :). I LOVED it ~ grabbing those wiggly little black lives and getting them going is a feeling unlike any other........
So, When it was all said and done Abbey was the proud mommy of 11 babies!!!

Will be exciting to visit a litter and not have to be responsible for it ;)
Then I was able to help dock their tails (a simple banding procedure).
My next excitement was going to Camrose with Shelley G! Was so very excited to get away to a dog show for a few days and spend some time with friends. It was great to catch up with the "aussie" world for a few days and see what everyone has been up to. Some nice dogs were being shown and some good times were had. And when we got home I promptly got our truck stuck! And by stuck I mean BURIED in our driveway!! To make matters worse my hubby Shane was out on the road for work so it was just Camryn and I at home..... Thank goodness for family! My mom and dad and the plow man came to my rescue!!!!

Then good friend Terry Stickle from Adelyn Aussies had a litter of 10 puppies! These pups are sired by an "Ice" son and I was thrilled to be able to go see them and help Terry with her tails :) A wonderful bunch of pups that I am excited to watch grow.

So, spring is in the air ~ pups are being born and snow is melting!

Middle of March already......

2011-03-14T15:39:00.003-06:00

Geez, where is this year going? Things are pretty quiet around here. I am enjoying a day off today and have accomplished alot! Cleaned bathrooms, floors, laundry is all caught up (even dog bedding!!)Baked cinnamon buns and bread.... Garage is cleaned out and crates rearranged.... I know I'm obsessed with crates because I have at least 20 and keep rearranging them.... (for 3 dogs??)

Looking forward to best friend Tara's upcoming Rottie litter. The whole whelping process is probably my favorite. I love holding those brand new babies as they take their first breaths! Tara's rottie girl is a big girl and with just under a week to go we are excited! I have my overnight bag packed for when that call comes :)

As I look outside I can still imagine my dream of having 20-30 sheep and a few paddocks to work them..... I know this year isn't going to be a reality but I hope soon...
I really want to become a herding judge and can't wait to get trialling my dogs again and get on the path to become one.. I spent some very valuable time with a friend/mentor Heather Forbes last summer at Dog Tale Ranch and she cemented in me my love of judging and why I want to stand out in the sun and watch dog after dog try to achieve that perfect run........

Well, off to find something else to clean or bake....... hmmmmm

Ramblings for March

2011-03-06T11:32:00.002-07:00

So, I am now a puppy free house :) With May making the big trek to Finland (and doing fabulous) and Kalila's gramma home from Mexico I am back down to my regular crew. It seems like such a leisurely life after a few months of chaos......
Funny story about puppy "May". A week after she left I had a customer in our store and she spotted Kalila and Oak (2 Meg puppies) that were visiting with me and asked what kind of dogs are those? I told her Australian Shepherds and she said "Oh, my husband met a couple last week in Calgary who were from Finland to pick up one of those kind of dogs" I was almost speechless and said "That was my puppy" she promptly informed me that it could not be MY puppy as the puppy the finland puppy were picking up had a tail ~ and since these 2 puppies had no tails it certainly couldn't be the same litter. After a little chuckle, I said "Yes, indeed that would have been my puppy and asked if the couples names were Lotta and Toumas........ she seemed surprised that yes, those were their names......and how would I know that ;)
It is such a small world that a customer of mine would have a connection with people visiting here from Finland to pick up a puppy from me :)

Yesterday best friend Tara and I headed to Edmonton to get supplies for her exciting litter of Rottie puppies she is expecting. This is Tara's first litter and I am so excited she has let me be a part of it :) It is going to be very different to help whelp a litter of puppies that all look exactly the same!! Tara has all her supplies, just needs to get the whelping box built and we are expecting puppies (via frozen semen) March 20th. Abbey (rottie mom) is sure big with still over 2 weeks to go...... I love helping and learning so this is going to be both for me.

The Camrose show is 2 weeks away and I am so looking forward to getting away for a night with best friend Shelley and hangin with dog show folks :) It's been a while....... I will not be showing anything this show unfortunately ~ but soaking up all the experience :)

And I have to include a funny Camryn story...... Camryn is the light of my life ~ she makes me laugh more than anyone I know (and if you know Shane, I live with a pretty funny guy :) she is the best snuggler (besides Meg) and I love hanging out with her. Every day, EVERY SINGLE DAY, she asks to go back to Jamaica........I told her that Jamaica costs a lot of money and mommy and daddy don't have lots of money ~ well Ms. Camryn being the sweetheart she is, looked up at me with those innocent eyes and said "Mommy, you can have my money...." how sweet is that!

Well, It's a lazy Sunday morning, we just finished pancakes and bacon and are looking forward to a movie date with Camryn this afternoon and maybe a game of ball with my crew before we go :)

Enjoy your day!

May Arrives in Finland

2011-02-19T13:29:00.002-07:00

So happy that little May had a great trip and has settled in over in Finland. Looking forward to following her and Netta and know they will have a great lifetime together!
Things are settled down here and it's so nice. I have a few funny Camryn stories..... out of the mouths of babes,

Camryn asked when we were driving home the other night "where is May", to which I explained that May was on a plane to her new mommy. Camryn was quiet for a moment and then tells me "I have a new mommy too!, and I have to go on a plane to Jamaica to see her" when your 3 life is full of opportunity ~ including gaining a new mommy in Jamaica.....lol
Sometimes the best talks are on our way home, it's not a long drive, only 20 minutes or so but it is enough time to hear all about her day at daycare and who pushed who, who her best friends are and what her teacher said.......I love our drive home talks :)

Looking forward to the March Camrose dog show to catch up with some friends I haven't seen in a while. Won't be showing dogs much this year as concentrating on getting the store up and going strong before I take some time out to dog show.

Driving into work this morning it was a balmy -35! With the windchill it is around -47.... too cold for me........ Hope it warms up soon ~ hard on everyone when it's this cold.

Saying goodbye to May

2011-02-10T12:14:00.002-07:00

I have been at work most of this week (had Monday off) and have had Meg x Tray puppy May here with me. She is such a busy little aussie puppy.... never skipping the opportunity to have a play with a grooming client or a cuddle with a customer....
Everyone loves her including me and I am going to miss this little red whirlwind. She is my constant shadow ~ if I go to the grooming room she is on my heels, if I'm stocking shelves she is back and forth from the stock room to the shelf, she always has an ear turned my way incase I just might move.... Weren't puppies suppose to spend a good chunk of the day sleeping?? Not little May.....
She handles everything in stride, baths, nail trims, meeting people and dogs, nothing bothers her.....
I know she is going to keep her new mom in Finland very busy ~ I can't wait for updates once she lands.
We have finally had our cold snap snapped! It's a balmy -2 today....... makes for lots of grooming calls as people don't like the muddy, yucky paws from dogs that have gone all winter without their haircuts.....
Looking forward to a weekend off to spend with Shane & Camryn. The rest of Feb and most of March will see Shane on the road away from us so we take advantage of our time together when we get it :)

I just wanted to Drive.........

2011-02-01T16:52:00.003-07:00

So having a three year old in ones life is always full of entertainment! Camryn is a delightful child always telling us stories and she definately has her own mind about things. The other night I was lucky enough to have my sister pick her up from Daycare and take her to our mom's so I could work with a few people and their dogs. When I went to pick Camryn up everything seemed fine until we got loaded up in the good ole explorer to head home. Then the fireworks started ~ I wasn't quite prepared for the onslaught of tears, wailing and for the life of me couldn't figure out what the problem was! After screaming the entire way home and telling me she was less than pleased we arrived home ~ where Camryn to her dismay realized Shane (daddy) wasn't home.....and was going to be stuck with me. Still mad and distraught she collapsed in a cuddle with me on the couch where I was finally able to pry out of her why she was sooooo mad....... She said "Momma, I just wanted to drive" sniff, sniff..... Well, what to say to a 3 year old turning 15??? I chuckled and explained to her that even though she "is" a big girl she isn't big enough to drive........
This goes hand in hand with me finding her in my bathroom applying makeup the other morning.... *sigh* where is the time going????

Dog update: Still have little May at home with me for another few weeks. She makes regular trips to the store for socialization. It has been so cold here this past month it's much to cold to leave her at home. She is a delightful little pup that is very very busy. I can't wait to repeat this cross down the road.

The big dogs are all doing great. Rayne is blowing coat which seems absurd since it's -39 here!! Meg and Ice are going to be getting out more at agility practice. Just decided I have to suck it up and put myself and my dogs first for a while..... So ~ agility practice here we come!!! Going to try to get Camryn to start working Ice a little. He is such a well behaved boy I know they will be a great team in the years to come!

Looking forward to some warm weather soon!!

Talise in Alaska

2011-01-21T20:18:00.005-07:00

As always, Pauline sending through some beautiful pictures of Talise. She is maturing very nicely with Pauline and I am excited to watch her grow. Thanks for the udpates Pauline!

Break in the Weather

2011-01-18T10:18:00.003-07:00

Suppose to be a break in the weather this week ~ down to only -2/-3 for most of the rest of the week. It's been a pretty slow January at work so I have been able to catch up on emails/cleaning/projects I've been thinking about but unable to get in the "works".
Having a hoot with little May, she is so outgoing and busy....... and from what I hear all her sister's and Rojo are exactly the same. Shelley brought Kalila in on the weekend for a play and the two puppies played for hours without slowing down....
May finally crashed when it was time to head home :)
It's been great for her socialization to have her here at the store ~ Hoping for some nice stacked shots today ~ she had a nice warm bath this morning and is all fluffy and cute again :)

I am really going to miss her as is my little girl Camryn. Camryn is very fond of her ~ She is a very bright pup and I hope to repeat this cross down the road.

Deep Freeze in The North

2011-01-13T10:18:00.002-07:00

So, haven't blogged in a while....... Realized that I am going to try to keep up this regular ~ even if nobody reads it it's nice to have a record of the past.....

The past few months have been busy and I am trying to calm things down. Of course that's easier said than done ~ With Shane being gone most of January I find myself as a single mom (kinda) running a business as Tara took some much needed time off this January ~ so things are still hectic but not like December was.
December was filled with a growing litter of puppies ~ trying to get them out the door before I left. All but 3 were able to travel to their new homes and all settled in just fine :) It is very rewarding to get those excited emails from the new puppy people saying how they just love their new sidekick. Rojo & Lia (Trouble) made their way home early January and little "Snooki" or her name May will be travelling home Feb 16th (my birthday). I am really enjoying having the little squirt with me, she has been making regular visit's to the store and learning how to get into Trouble! She is one of the busiest puppies I have ever known.. Rarely sleeping ~ I hope they won't send her back!!! :)

It is very cold this week so dogs are in x-pens in the heated garage when I'm at the store ~ not ideal but better than the -37 degrees outside....

Trip to Jamaica was wonderful ~ would definately recommend to anyone thinking of going there. Camryn was the greatest little traveller! On the way down it was a 12 hr ordeal from when we left Edmonton at 3am to when we got into our resort that night late..... She never fussed once, slept when she was tired and took in all the sights/sounds. Christmas on the beach was so much fun! I would love to go every 3 or so years and have Christmas on the beach.....we will see :)

Hopefully this deep freeze lets up soon..... -10 would feel balmy right now!!!

Puppies are 4 weeks old already!

2010-12-02T10:25:00.004-07:00

I can't believe the puppies are already 4 weeks old. Time has flown by with these babies. They have now graduated to a bigger pen in the garage with regular "kitchen" time. These are going to be well socialized pups with our daughter Camryn taking every opportunity to play with them. Kids and dogs/puppies have a fascinating relationship. It really is something to watch.
Puppies personalities are really starting to develop. We have some very "strong headed" puppies in the group and whoever ends up with those characters are going to have to be on their toes!

Please read...........

2010-11-22T23:41:00.002-07:00

Very important to the breed standard of the "aussie". Please take the time to read and sign the petition......
Jackie
Breed Standard Petition update
Just an update on how the project to follow the ASCA by-laws and allow the membership to vote on the Breed Standards Review Committee revisions is coming. I also need to answer some of the questions I am getting. For those unaware of this effort, there is information and the downloadable petition here: http://users.htcomp.net/slashv/breedstandard.htm
There is also more information on the Facebook group here: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=100001755880633
The suggested revisions written by the ASCA Commitee after 7 years of work and membership input are on the first link above. The ASCA Board of Directors stopped the revisions from going to the membership for a section by section vote in 2007. The by-laws allow a revision to go to the membership for vote only with a petition of 20% of the ASCA membership if the Board will not approve it. That is about the percentage who vote in an election where ballots are mailed to each of our homes with an addressed envelope to return them! At this time we have nearly 400 signatures but need close to 1400 to submit the petition. Remember, this petition is NOT a vote to approve the revisions. It is simply a vote to allow membership voting.
Only with a huge effort by the membership will YOU be allowed to vote on these very important revisions that CLARIFY the 1977 Standard.
Some of you have asked:1. Do I have to print this out and mail it or can I do it via the internet? Answer: it must be signed in person and mailed2. Is there a deadline? No, the only deadline is when 1400 signatures are received.3. Must I be an ASCA member to sign? Yes, per the by-laws one must be a member in good standing.4. What else can I do to help with this?a. You can take the petition to shows, trials, and club meetings to get signatures.b. You can write to the ASCA Board of Directors and again ask them to allow the membership to vote. executive.secretary@asca.orgc.
You can send the link to the revisions and petition to all of your friends who are ASCA members.d. If you are on Facebook, join the Group and invite your friends to join.
The letters and notes sent with petitions that I am receiving make me believe even more that Aussie lovers in all venues from conformation to working to obedience to agility to pet owners, believe this is a worthwhile project for this breed we all love.
The Standard now does not, and the revisions do not, favor anyone's dog(s) or bloodline but rather are the written blueprint of the dog that the present 33 year old Standard and annotations was written for.
The revisions CLARIFY the present Standard to ensure that judges and breeders alike totally understand it, because that is NOT happening and some of the fads and trends are alarming.
Thanks to all who will stand up to the Board and tell them that we want the right to vote on this very important document.
Feel free to ask any questions that you might have either privately or on this list.
Terry
permission to cross post and forward
Terry Martin
Slash V Australian Shepherdshttp://users.htcomp.net/slashvhttp://americanssupportinganimalownership.com/

Puppies are HERE!!!

2010-11-17T21:56:00.006-07:00

I know I'm 2 weeks behind....... :(

Puppies arrived Nov 3rd. A wonderful litter of 7 puppies, 1 little red boy and his 6 sisters of various colors :)
I am over joyed with this litter!!! Couldn't have "ordered" a better combination. Meg didn't have any trouble with delivery starting with the little boy at 10:30 and finishing up with a blue girl at 5:30.
I am already very attached to them all and it's going to be difficult to give them to their new homes but I have such GREAT homes for these pups I know they are going to do great things and have a very loving homelife.

I will keep everyone updated as often as I can :)

Puppies

2010-10-18T17:02:00.004-06:00

We are in the last few weeks of Meg's pregnancy and I am getting very excited!! I have so many great homes lined up for this lot of pups!
Meg is still being very sucky and doesn't have a great appetite.

We are having a wonderful fall with many nice warm days. It is this time of year I so wish I had a nice horse to get out on. The crops are down so it's free range to ride anywhere and we live close to a gully that is beautiful this time of year.
We will have to wait till next year I guess......... as fencing didn't happen this year like it was suppose too.....

Stay tuned for puppy updates!!

Puppies at Vispera

2010-10-04T16:23:00.002-06:00

Well, after 2 years I can say that we will once again have puppies at Vispera. Meg is halfway through her pregnancy and I am so excited to finally have puppies from this amazing little girl. She is such a neat dog to ahve around and spend time with. She has been lucky enough to be spending her time at Hound Junkie with me for the past few days...... She is very good company. She is also getting some special attention at home, sneaking into our bedroom at night ;)

I rub her belly everyday seeing if maybe it grew over night. I'm looking forward to seeing what little bundles we end up with and watching them grow. Camryn is now 3 and I'm sure will be mommys little helper when the puppies come :)

Trying to get the yard all cleaned up before the snow flies, we have so much oats/alfalfa growing wildly around our place it's hard to get a handle on it. We have managed to get quite a bit of grass planted this year considering how wet and cold it was this summer.........

Will keep you updated on Meg's progress!

Summer is slipping away

2010-08-20T17:31:00.005-06:00

I am taking a few moments to upload a few pics from today. I haven't had a chance to take any pictures this summer. Things have been so busy. It always bothers me when things get to hectic because life is too short not to be doing things you absolutely love. I'm at a pretty good place right now, have a family I love, dogs I love, a store I love, a business partner I love and many many friends. It's just hard to sometimes find the time to fit everything in.....
Today I spent the day at home with Camryn and we had a wonderful day together, cleaning/playing and getting into mischief :)

I am looking forward to hitting the road with Rayne in a few weeks to the CNASA Nationals in Saskatoon. I'm going to catch up with aussie folks and family. I hope that Rayne & I do well but I'm going to be thrilled just to be there :)

Remember to always enjoy the day.............

Latest News

2010-08-12T20:14:00.004-06:00

Where has the summer gone??? It seems like only yesterday the kids were getting out of school and now they are already getting ready to go back!!
Things with me and my family are great. We have been so busy with the acreage/new store and general life that I haven't had much time to sit and reflect.

We are still impatiently waiting for Meg to come into season so she can go visit her boyfriend Tray. Not sure what she is waiting for........

The new store "Hound Junkie" is going very well. It is so satisfying coming into work knowing its yours and not having to answer to anyone. It's a lot of work and stress but I know it's going to be worth it. We are developing some great relationships with some of our regular customers........

I am also gearing up for the CNASA Nationals this Sept 1-5 in Saskatoon. It's going to be a blast to meet up with so many aussie people and see all the great dogs. I am only taking Rayne with me. I was hoping to have Meg ready to compete in the arena trials but with only 1 clinic under our belt and no training time since then we are no where near ready to compete. So, Rayne and I will head up there and play in the confirmation ring.

I am also planning on getting my 2 girls back into agility training. Both girls are going to be great ~ I just have to make the time to train.

Will hopefully get some new pics of the crew in the next few weeks :)

WOW

2010-06-11T10:31:00.003-06:00

what a busy few months. I'm sure nobody will even read this as they are sick of coming to this blog only to find the same old rant. But I will post what has been happening anywyay.....
It's been a looonnnngggggg 3 months but I can finally say that my project is finally up and running!! A friend of mine and I opened up a new store in Lloydminster called "Hound Junkie". It's an upscale Horse & Hound Boutique store, that we are in love with!! It's a joy to come to work everyday and know that you built this wonderful space.

I did happen to sneak away the May Long weekend and attend a herding clinic with Meg. It was with Dave & Trudy Vicklund and although I'm sure Dave is a wonderful instructor Meg & I spend all 3 days with Trudy. I am so impressed with both Meg & Trudy!! Not once did I scream or yell at my dog and by day 3 she was covering her stock nicely and was even thoughtfull and responsive. Meg is very one sided so we have to work on that.........
here is a link to Meg working. Thanks to Billie for taking the video.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQYhvJDBD9LA&h=96f55

I will be posting updated pics of our store as I can.........

Bye for now.

Meg

2010-05-03T06:51:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to write a little bit about Meg. I didn't plan on getting Meg from Cathy when the litter was born but some things happened in my life and I felt like I needed a little puppy. So, from the moment I saw the little sausage with the full copper face I knew I wanted her. Poor Shane (my husband) didn't even really have a choice. I just showed him a picture and said that this was our new puppy. He wasn't pleased but he knew better than to argue......
One lovely summer day I headed down to pick up my new pup from Cathy with Shane & my good friend Shelley and it was love at first site. She was the cutest little thing.........until we started home.......... She was in a crate and SCREAMED the whole hour home. It was a horrible sound LOL. I was still in love though.
Meg has been a treat since she came home, she has a passion for drywall, especially when she can fit her feet through the smallest hole in her crate to pick away at it. She also had a choice as a puppy to chew up my very expensive CHI hair straightener or my $10.00 hair dryer and guess which one she chose? All from within her crate mind you........
The really great things about Meg are that she loves everyone. She especially loves Camryn (our daughter) and will put up with anything. She will also try anything! She is honestly a great little agility dog and if I had more time to get to a few trials she would have a ton of letters behind her name.
I am taking her to a herding clinic in a few weekends and I can't wait. The few times she has been on stock she has been a star. She is a fabulous little worker.
My favorite memory of Meg right now is a few weeks ago we were in Camrose at the spring dog show and we had an ASCA show on the sunday night. We needed 1 more bitch to make it a major so I threw the little blue dynamo Meg in to make enough bitches. I wasn't feeling so well so my good friend Terry was handling Rayne and I asked her daughter Taylor to handle Meg.
Meg was thrilled to be with this great young handler!!! She spend most of the time going around the ring jumping up and down and when Taylor tried to stack her it was like trying to corral a monkey!! Meg was flipping on her back and spinning around because she was so thrilled that she was with Taylor.
It was a huge hit with the audience and I was thinking "Taylor, if you can handle this little weasel in there, you can handle anything!!"
Taylor went on to win her class with the little monkey!! It was unbelievable and I will always cherish that moment :)
Thanks Taylor :)

And thanks to Cathy for my little blue girl. She is a favorite around here :)

updates

2010-04-08T10:35:00.004-06:00

Wow, it's been forever since I updated this!!!
Here goes.......
In case anyone is reading that doesn't know, Meg is not pregnant. I'm not sure what happened, all I know is how dissapointed I was when we had the ultrasound. We will be trying again with Tray and look forward to the puppies when they finally come.
We travelled with Rayne & Meg down to Camrose for BRCA spring show and 2 ASCA shows put on by the ASF club of Alberta. It was a very fun weekend that was capped off by my little girl Rayne winning BOB in the Sunday night ASCA show. The entry was about 26 aussies and some beautiful dogs were there ~ we were thrilled with the win and I want to thank my good friend Terry Stickle for her expert handling of Rayne!! It was wonderful to watch my little girl in the ring :)
Some other highlights was Ice's son Ralf (owned by Terry) winning the BOB in the ASCA show Saturday night.
ALSO ~ Breeze a girl from my Ice x Hillary litter earned her CKC Championship going Best of Winners and winners bitch twice. So proud of Sandy & Breeze

Spring is around the corner so we are very busy getting the yard going. We will be constructing my sheep fence and hope to have sheep soon to start training on for the CNASA national show this fall in Saskatoon.

that's all for now :)

pregnancy progressing.........

2010-03-06T13:56:00.003-07:00

Meg is on day 31 today (approx.) and seems to be gaining her appetite back. I have started her on some puppy food with cottage cheese mixed in and she seems to like it. She hasn't grown very much this past week so I hope she will start filling out soon. She definately has a "different" body shape but she's not as big as I thought she would be at this stage of the game. She is loving being the only dog in the house on the nice comfy cushion, the others are banished outside right now just because it's soooo muddy and with our home only being 6mths old I want to keep it looking as nice as I can for as long as I can :)

We weren't able to get much grass seeded before winter set in so we are virtually in a mudhole except for our driveway which thank heavens we decided to get professionally done. It was 3 HUGE loads of gravel and alot of shaping but it has made a world of difference........

Will keep updating as Meg progresses.

Megs up to 20"

2010-02-26T20:58:00.004-07:00

Meg is on her second day of not eating very much. I hope she starts feeling better soon ~ but I am so excited about this litter!! She is starting to get a little belly on her and it looks funny on her cute little usually trim frame. Camryn was a big help today with Meg. She was hand feeding Meg for a good chunk of the afternoon, she is going to be a big help when the puppies come!! It shows what a great temperment Meg has. She will put up with anything from Camryn.......

Here are a few pics of Meg & Camryn and one of Meg already with a "pregnancy" sit. If she only knew how uncomfortable it's really going to get for her..........

Megs pregnancy

2010-02-25T11:17:00.002-07:00

My little girl Meg is coping well so far with her pregnancy. She looks very different than a few weeks ago, she has noticeably filled out and yesterday she must have been feeling a bit sickly as she wouldn't finish her breakfast.....
I am so excited for this litter ~ I have some really great homes lined up for these pups. They are very lucky little Aussies and they aren't even born yet :)
a few more short weeks and we will see her brood.

Winter Fun

2010-02-15T11:30:00.004-07:00

With the Olympics on right now it gives a person an overwhelming feeling to get outside and be active (at least me) so I have been taking the dogs for long walks when I can squeeze them in. I'm not working right now so you would think that I would have lots of free time but I am keeping myself busy with a few projects. Yesterday we had some family out and had a fun day of sledding and firing up a few skidoo's to have some fun. It was a great day capped off by Alex winning Canada's FIRST Gold in the Men's moguls. It brought me to tears considering his families story and if anyone hasn't seen what this young man did for his country & family please tune in and watch. With that here are a few pics of the crew here at Vispera playing.

2010-02-07T13:45:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was a very exciting day, after a week without Meg it was time to go get her. She was visiting her new boyfriend Tray at the Swede-Lee farm and I want to thank Lill & Jerry for taking such great care of her ~ I'm sure she would have stayed without missing us one bit!
So, we will know in a few short weeks if her vacation was worth it :)
I am so excited for this litter of pups, it will be my second litter and like all mothers who are expecting their second child I am going to remember all my previous mistakes and make sure I don't do that again!!
My previous litter turned out very nice (I think) they are all in loving homes and I get regular updates on everybody (keep em coming!!) but there are still some things I would like to improve on. I was diligent the first 3 days with record keeping and then I just didn't find the time/energy to keep it up so that is first on my list to "do better". Another thing I want to improve on is to get them up on the table quicker and more frequently so picture taking won't be as frustrating :)
I was able to take the dogs out for a stroll this afternoon and snap a few pics of the crew here. Ice was the most accomodating ~ and the one dog I really wanted updated pics of "Meg" was very uncooperative! figures eh??
Will keep you updated on Meg's progress!!
Feb 6th ~ stomach is 17 inches round.

Vegas!!!

2010-01-24T08:22:00.003-07:00

We are home and had the most wonderful time in Vegas. It was extremely hard leaving Camryn ~ I cried a little bit but when we left Lloyd I started to get excited. I always thought I was afraid to fly, I'm not sure why but after zipping across the country a few times last year I realized that I LOVE it, and I told Shane he could surprise me sometime with flying lessons :) (subtle eh??)
So we took off and I was thrilled ~ it was a very smooth flight with us landing in Vegas at approx 10pm. We checked in quickly then headed out to the "strip". It was amazing ~ because it was the eve of Martin Luther King day the place was buzzing. We had the greatest time. Nothing really exciting to report, except we had a wonderful time, came home safe and I am so glad to be home.

I start agility classes tomorrow night with Rayne and am looking forward to working with her. She is a very smart little pup and should catch on easily.

We are still waiting "impatiently" for Ms.Meg to come into season so she can go visit Tray. I am so excited about this litter of working pups.

But I must run ~ Shane is upstairs making our traditional sunday morning breakfast and it smells just about ready...........

2010-01-11T20:02:00.004-07:00

This past weekend was finally a warm one. With less than a week before Shane & I leave for sunny Vegas this silly country decides to warm up! Well, we will take the warm weather whenever it comes! Like any true Canadian when the weather turns warm we bundled up and headed outdoors. One of the hobbies of my family is to collect sheds, not a wooden structure that you put your garden tools in but the pointy hard cartlidge headgear that fall off male deer. If your reading this and your not from the prairies you are probably thinking how silly this may seem, but to us out here it's a great past time that provides family bonding and great exercise.

So, off the 3 of us went with the dogs "up north" to put some grain out for the deer and look for sheds. Deer sheds aren't normally dropped this early but once in a while you can find 1 or 2. There is something so special about being in the wilderness with hardly a noise, just your thoughts and the occasional bird chirping.......that is until you have 3 aussie's blow past you!! The dogs had a great time running in the bush. So many new sights & smells. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures........

I am looking forward to Vegas next week and can't believe my Mom agreed to take care of the place here! She is the best mom ever!!! and she has no idea what she's in for........:)
I will write after I get back with pics from VEGAS!!!

Life is Busy........

2009-12-04T21:02:00.004-07:00

One thing that doesn't slow down is time ~ no matter what is going on time always marches on. Camryn is growing up on us at a very rapid rate ~ telling us more and more everyday her opinion on things (and she has a few opinions). I can't believe that she is over 2 years now and I also can't believe that my little baby dog Rayne is almost a year old. This time last year I was thrilled to feel the baby puppies inside Hillary and just guess what they would look like and now they are all doing great and about to celebrate their first birthday.
It has been a whirlwind year for me and my family, we have a new house, I have a new job, and things are great. We have a lot to be thankfull this Christmas and I know I will be taking a few quiet moments to thank those responsible.

2009-11-15T07:54:00.002-07:00

There really is something special about kids and pets. We had Meg before we had Camryn but I believe that Meg was put here for Camryn. She is so incredibly patient, no matter what Camryn wants to do with her, lead her around on a leash, brush her for hours, paint her toenails even, Meg is always up for the attention.
Meg is a very special dog, always knowing when someone is hurt or not feeling well and knowing how to respond. When Camryn received her 3mth needles we came home and I layed Camryn on the floor. Within 2 minutes Meg was sniffing Camryn all over and had laid her head ever so gently across Camryn's leg where she had the needle. I have never seen anything like it ~ since that day I have watched Meg and she will always inspect you for any cuts/scrapes and try to make them feel better. I can't wait to see how her puppies turn out and if they will carry on this nurturing trait.

2009-11-12T08:33:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was remembrance day and with 2 deceased grandparents that both served in the army it is always a day that I spend reflecting on memories and the freedoms that we have in this country. I took the opportunity to get bundled up and head out on the quad with the dogs. The dogs love to run with the quad and we go miles and miles across the fields all around our place. We live in a beautiful part of the country with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and wildlife galore. As the dogs and I were cruisin around the country we stumbled upon a huge mule deer buck. I was able to stop and turn off the quad and just watch him pick his way through the bush trying to elude detection. He was majestic and I was so very thankfull that people before me had sacrificed everything so I could sit and watch this beutiful animal. That was until my 3 dogs caught a whiff of him and went charging through the bush. I sighed with a smile, started up the quad and carried on my way.
It was a wonderful afternoon spent alone with my 3 aussies.

2009-11-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

In Flanders Fields By:
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

Decisions, Decisions

2009-11-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Back in December of last year when Hillary surprised & delighted us with 6 little bundles I was so thrilled with all of them but as always their were 2 that really snuggled in close to my heart, it was the blk tri (Rayne) and we all know how that has worked out :) but the other was the little black girl that was marked just like her daddy, this little girl was always so silly & smart and cute as a button. I nicknamed her Breeze and week after week it kept switching between her and Rayne on who I was going to keep. All the other puppies went to their new families and I still had these two girls and could not decide what to do ~ when one day I had a nice email show up in my box from Sandy.
I have to say that I truly believe EVERYTHING happens for a reason and I was hanging onto Breeze FOR Sandy. They were meant to be together. Sandy has 3 beautiful, wonderful kids and a very supportive husband and Breeze couldn't be in a better home. Sandy & her family were able to join us in Camrose and show off Breeze (who picked up her first point). I love how this little girl has grown up. She is a fantastic mover with a beautiful head. I can't wait to hear how Breeze does down the road in Sandy's hands ~ and am looking forward to a great friendship with Sandy :)
Thanks for giving my little a great home :)

2009-11-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Had a GREAT time at the Camrose dog show a few weekends ago. Rayne competed all weekend as a special and although she was cute as a button just couldn't get past the stiff competition to make it into any breed wins BUT she came away with a very cool BPIG win (her 7th!!) It was a huge adrenaline rush to win such a prize in a tough tough puppy group and then to head back into the ring for Best puppy in Show. It was a thrill to be showing off my girl in the ring in front of so many people (including mentors in the aussie world).
One of the best parts of the Camrose weekend was hanging out with Cathy. It is very rare we get to just hang out ~ the knowledge that is gained around experienced dog people is invaluable, and I soak it up like a sponge.....or maybe that's a parasite??
Since we have been home I was struck down with the flu for a few days but other than that it's been smooth sailing. For those that don't know I have a very opinionated 2 year old that inhabits my life :) She is the love of my life and only she can make me laugh my pants off. She entertains me with her antics everyday. Yesterday, I went to pick her up from daycare and I was given a stern look as she grabbed a play cell phone and went to the corner to make an important call. Who she was calling ~ we will never know ~ but I can tell you I have never laughed so hard during a 2 minute pretend phone call by a 2 year old.
Agility trials this weekend that I am looking forward too ~ wish us luck!!

New Beginnings

2009-10-20T16:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I can finally announce that I am changing jobs/careers. I am so thrilled to be moving on from a company I have completely lost faith in to a new exciting opportunity. I will be starting with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) on November 23rd and couldn't be happier. I love my job as a newspaper sales rep but with recent lay-offs, product changes, I felt I needed to make a change.
2009 is shaping up to be a big year in my life. New house, New job, First litter, first Champion (homebred that I showed ALL myself :). I love our new acreage and the dogs love it too ~ Allie is content to kill anything that comes in the yard, Ice is content to protect the yard from any intruders and the two young girls (Meg & Rayne) are happy just running :)
We are getting excited about some new litter plans for Meg and hope that we can finally have a litter out of this special little girl.
I'm off to Camrose this coming weekend to put my girl up against 17 other aussies!! That's right ~ 17 other aussies entered. Litter sister Breeze will also be there and she is cute as a button. It is going to be extra special to catch up with old friends and people I don't get to see very often.

Starting at the beginning

2009-10-06T08:40:00.000-06:00

Its always a thrill to start with a new dog in agility. I may be biased but to me Aussie's are the smartest most forgiving breed of dog to train. Last night was our first agility class (Rayne & I) and I was a little worried she wouldn't have the "jam" to be a fast, love the sport agility dog ~ but boy was I wrong! She instantly loved what we were doing and was pulling on the leash to do more! She is going to take after her great daddy Ice ~ Ice was so easy to train I thought I lucked out with the worlds smartest dog :) BUT it seems it's all in the genetics of the "Caitland" dogs. I'm already excited to go back next week!

Lloyd Dog Show

2009-09-30T12:15:00.000-06:00

WOW is all I can say about last weekend. I headed into the weekend hoping that Rayne would pick up a couple more points toward her championship. Not only did she pick up a few points she is now CH. Vispera Freezing Rayne!!!! She completed her championship going BOB over specials from the bred by class and then went on to place in the group (2 - 4th group & 1-3rd group placement) She also won Best puppy in Group at ALL 6 shows!!
I am soooo incredibly proud to have my first home bred champion that I owner/handled. She is an incredible little girl and has achieved so much already and she just turned 9months old.
I want to thank Cathy Bishop for her constant guidance & support through acquiring my first aussie (Ice) to where I am today. I wouldn't be anywhere if it wasn't for her. THANK YOU!!

I am also pleased to announce that Rayne's sister Breeze (owned by Sandy) was also at the show and did a great job. It was her first time in the ring so she had lots of little bouncy puppy dances going on ~ and couldn't always figure out where her feet were suppose to land but when Sandy & Breeze get it together they are going to be a GREAT team!!!

I am looking forward to a busy fall season with a few agility trials and more conformation shows :)

Agility Trial Weekend

2009-09-22T08:16:00.000-06:00

The dogs and I had our annual September Agility Trial here in Lloyd. It was a very hectic week as Shane had been gone for a week to BC and when he walked in the door Friday night I left to go help set-up. Good thing I have a very understanding husband!! Friday night was 1 round of Hoopers. I'm still not totally in love with this class but it seems like it's staying so I had better figure it out. Meg had a beautiful run with a Qualifying score, Ice on the other hand had some strange idea's of what this class should be like..........I should have known that night we were in for a less than spectacular weekend. The shining star was Meg, she picked up a few titles, Novice Jumpers, Novice Chances and a few other Q's along the way. She loves to run agility ~ If only she was trained to do weave poles she would eat up the novice courses!! My goal is to have her weaving before snow flies!! Poor girl is 4 years old.
Ice and I struggled all weekend. We still aren't working together as a team. He always tried 110% of the time so I can never get upset with him, just upset that I'm hindering such a great dog :)
Next up is this weekend at the Lloyd Dog Show with Rayne. Wish us luck!!

Saskatoon Dog Show

2009-09-08T15:02:00.000-06:00

Had a GREAT time in Saskatoon. Thanks so much to Debbie, Laurie & Ron for being great to bench with. It was fun listening to all the dog knowledge these 3 have.
The first show was Saturday in the a.m. and I was sooooo nervous but even with my nerves and Rayne's inexperience we came out with Winners Bitch & Best of Breed Puppy.
Sunday we went reserve and then Monday we went Winners Bitch & BOBP again.
It was a fantastic weekend picking up 4pts on my little baby.
Great friends, great dogs ~ who could ask for more :)

Dog Show Weekends

2009-09-02T16:01:00.000-06:00

As I am preparing for my much anticipated "weekend away" at the Saskatoon Dog Show the nerves are starting to creep in. I am nervous because of a few things:
A) It is a BIG aussie entry with many experienced handlers.
B) My little girl Rayne is from my very (only) litter I have had to date
C) I want to do well and not fall on my face!!!
I bathed/blow dried and trimmed Rayne Monday night in the hopes that I made any huge mistakes with my scissors 5 days would be enough time for the hair to grow back and also to try to get some nice natural photo's of her around the yard. I am very happy with how I trimmed her ears and feet but unfortunately ran out of light to get any pics of her and by the time the next morning rolled around her white collar and front legs had turned to black because we don't have grass yet........so alas, I will just have to wait to the weekend to see her pretty white legs again.
Wish us luck!!!

Living in the Country

2009-09-02T15:52:00.000-06:00

Ahhhhh ~ the country life. There is nothing like getting up when the sun is rising, for those that may not be morning people this is around 6am, hopping on the quad and taking the dogs for a run..........
This was what I did this a.m. We go about 3km's roundtrip and always stop half way to investigate something along the way. This gives the dogs a nice break and lets me connect with the day.
This morning was no different except when I stopped Ice came around the front of the quad and his beautiful white collar was crimson, CRIMSON!!! Eeeehhhhh gad I said "What did you do???" Upon closer inspection his young impulsive daughter "Rayne" had grabbed his ear and tore a small hole in it and as we went down the country road blood was spurting out his ear and spraying his neck. By the time we stopped the bleeding had stopped but it was still a ghastly site. Ice is the kind of stoic dog that never whimpers when he feels pain, never gives up is something becomes difficult so of course he would never let me know what happened and would NEVER tell his daughter to smarten up.

aahhhhh ~ the country life ~

The Start........

2009-07-27T16:24:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Vispera Australian Shepherds. My name is Jackie Tomayer and I am hoping to use this blog to keep everyone updated on the happenings at the "Ranch".
We aren't out at our ranch yet but soon. Our family is making our new home on a beautiful 10 acre parcel north/east of Lloydminster, Sk Canada. We will have a stock dog training facility, fully equiped to train dogs & hold trials/clinics. We are looking forward to getting our new venture off the ground.
Right now I have 3 aussies and you can read more about them on our website www.vispera.ca

Have a great summer and check back to see what we are up too!!