Clearwater Stockdogs

08/02/2024

Happy birthday to my Lilly!!! ❤️🐾

07/31/2024

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eiseley

My Chick, looking handsome….❤️

07/28/2024

Chick, Sunny and I had a blast at the Broken Circle Stockdog trial!!! Sunny ended up with a 1st place and a 3rd place for the weekend and Chick did some really cool things!!!

07/28/2024

Pretty happy with my two boys this weekend. Sunny and I struggled on the first “Y” chute today. We just couldn’t find the sweet spot for the pressure to get them through. We would either not have enough pressure and they would skim to the inside or too much pressure and we’d push them to the outside. Odd because Sunny and I usually don’t struggle with that. We ended up timing out at the pen and we came in third place. For the weekend, Sunny won - “Top 3” award for both days, and a check from our 1st place run yesterday.
Chick did so much better today. He was confident enough to let go of the draw and flank for me. He took his lie downs well. We made it to the pen and he was a little tight on them at the pen and we timed out before we could pen them. All in all, a pretty nice run.
It was a good weekend shared with dogs, sheep, and friends!!! ❤️🐾

07/18/2024

I love this. I have long said, “Don’t try to force a square peg into a round hole.” Dogs are individuals. Not every dog will love going to the Home Depot with you. Please respect your dog for who they are…..❤️🙏

07/17/2024

Just wrapped up my latest photos from MSSA Finals!!!

07/17/2024

07/16/2024

Running the final edits of Finals photos right now!!!

07/14/2024

Oh yeah!! This is my vibe!!! ❤️

07/14/2024

I helped out a client this week by recommending a piece of controversial equipment. In one lesson my client with a disability was able to enjoy walking her dog for the first time. The dog was happy and attentive. They can now get out of the house and enjoy each other’s company on walks. Train the dog that is in front of you. Sometimes that means using training equipment that you normally would not.

07/14/2024

I want to take a minute to talk about equipment. Too often I hear debates raging about different pieces of dog training equipment: prong collars should be outlawed. Halti’s can cause neck damage as can slip collars or, any collars. A harness can impede movement and cause injury to the shoulders…. And on and on and on.
The problem with this focus on equipment is that we forget that the end goal is shaping the dog’s mind and helping the dog and the owner communicate better and have a great and happy life. Honestly, the goal is a dog walking happily on a loose leash and if they are damaging themselves on equipment, you are doing it wrong.
I had a client contact me last week who has some serious health issues. She lives alone and recently adopted a young Heeler from a rescue. I was recommended to her by her vet. The first day that she arrived, she had the dog on a thin slip collar. He was coughing frequently, he almost pulled her down, and when I took the leash he paid not one bit of attention to me except for the coughing and gagging whenever I popped his leash because he was pulling constantly on it otherwise. I could see that his owner was unsteady on her feet and I knew that this could be a recipe for disaster if we didn’t find a way for them to be a team. In addition to the coughing, the dog was easily 20 pounds overweight because the owner simply wasn’t able to walk him with his pulling and erratic behavior.
Many people would chide her for having an active dog like this but she adopted him from a rescue. We don’t know where he’d be if she hadn’t adopted him or where he’ll end up if he fails this rescue home. She loves him and she loves having a companion. She expressed that she would like to eventually teach him to pick items up for her to help her with her disability. My very first recommendation for this team was a prong collar. I don’t recommend prongs too often but, in this case, I felt that it would be the safest piece of equipment for both the dog and the owner. I grabbed a prong that I have and set about teaching her dog to walk on a loose leash by my side. By the end of the first lesson, she was able to take his lead and confidently walk with him for the first time since she got him. There was no coughing or gagging, his owner was never pulled off balance. It was a beautiful moment and a huge step towards their new partnership.
We need to stop focusing on equipment so much. If you are considering a piece of equipment that you’ve never used before, find a trainer who is familiar and can help you. The end result is a happy, healthy dog and owner and many years together.
Train the dog that is in front of you. Sometimes that means deciding which training tools will best get you to your goal.

05/03/2024

Lamb selfies!!!!

05/03/2024

I’ve wanted bug screens for my van since I bought it. Me and the dogs travel quite a bit in it and on hot days I have to leave the doors open for ventilation. It will be so nice to not have a van full of flies this summer!!!!

03/18/2024

It was a beautiful day for some obedience lessons!!! Pam and Belle are really coming along!!! 🐾🐾

01/09/2023

Millie is staying with me for a few weeks for some home obedience training. It’s cold and rainy out today and we went out to practice some sits and lie downs but she just couldn’t bring herself to put her butt on that cold, wet ground!!!! 😂😂. Ok, Millie, I wouldn’t want to do that, either, so we can just practice inside today!!!!! ❤️😂😂😂

05/09/2022

We were blessed with babies this Mother’s Day weekend!!! ❤️

04/26/2022

Two beautiful, sunny days followed by nourishing rain…. I went to feed this morning and everyone is under shelter, relaxing. Dogs, sheep, chickens…. A brilliant lesson that nature is teaching this morning. Learning to love days like this for rest and rejuvenation….