Belated Gotcha Days!

We hope everyone had a wonderful New Year! Ours was pretty low key, staying home and going to bed before 10:00pm, but that's the way we wanted it.

With the start of this new year, we begin with celebrating Grace's 3rd Gotcha Day! 1/8/11 we welcomed this wonderful dog into our family and I love every minute she has been with us.

Not to take away from Grace's limelight, but, can it really be 5 years?! Riley's Gotcha Day was 11/3/08! We celebrated his 5th Gotcha Day! I do not feel as if it has been that long, time truly flies by.

I haven't officially celebrated their Gotcha Days, as it has been a little busy around here, but I will do something special for them soon and I will make sure to share it with you. I will leave you with a short video of my spotted duo :) Grace was trying ever so subtly to get Riley to play with her.

Here's to many more Gotcha Days for my spotted duo! LOVE THESE DOGS!

Riley goes dock diving.....kinda

Haha! Well Riley never actually jumped off the dock, and I never expected him too, it was his very first time up there. Although, he did enjoyed the exit ramp very much! So while Red and Mojo were resting in between their jumps Riley and I just had some fun playing in the water :)

"Awww now why did you go and thrown in the water?"

Riley decided right then and there was a good place to try and dry off. Silly boy!

I brought him to the exit ramp to get his toy, but it was off to the side and he was unsure how to get it.

So, I got his toy and threw it ahead and ta-da, Riley goes for it! Yay!

I love this picture :) Such focus!

Splash! He was actually jumping off the ramp into the water once he got comfortable.

That's my boy!!

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Now it's time for the Golden puppies! Red has gotten so big! I remember when she first brought him home, now look at him!

Red getting some air!

Another great picture of Red. I swear the ears on these Golden puppies help them fly!

Getting ready to practice a speed retrieve!

GOT IT!

Mr. Red

Good job! Now he gets to play tug with momma!

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This is one of Red's siblings Mojo! Saying he LOVES to jump and get his bumper is an understatement! Once he gets in the water and to his bumper he does not want to come out, so his owner is training him with a long line to help teach him to come back.

Mr. Mojo!

Being a good boy and coming back when told, without the assistance of the long line.

Grace learns to weave

At the end of our obedience classes we sometimes learn a "Fun" trick/behavior. Last week it was weaving between legs. Grace got it right away and is doing very well. I am slowing adding more weaving and trying to ween off luring her around. But for only the 3rd time practicing she is doing awesome!

The more I talk with the instructors, the more I think about it, and the more I watch Grace learn, I think Grace would make a good Rally dog. She just really seems to like it. Last week one of my teachers said she would LOVE to see Grace do competition. I told her I've been thinking about it a lot and for now we are just going to keep coming to class and see where we go from there!

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As I work with Riley and Grace, I can see their huge differences in personality! 

With Grace, she is very attentive and quiet. Sitting and staring at me, she waits for me to tell her what to do. Then when she does what I ask, it is in a very polite, lady like way :)

Riley on the other hand, not so much. He is very much my spastic agility dog, very quick and trying to think ahead. Before I even had a chance to tell him what I wanted, he was pulling all the stops LOL! Sit, Down, Spin, Down, etc. Then when he did do the weave it was very AHHHHHHH... Must... finish.....as fast..... as I can! AHHHHH!

Such silly pups.

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On a very different note, today was the first day I saw birds on my bird feeder! We put it out about a week ago and haven't seen anything, nothing, nada, zip. It is a much different story today! From what I've seen so far we've had 15+ House Sparrow, male and female Cardinals, a few Starlings, a Red-winged Blackbird, a couple Brown-headed Crowbirds, and a variety of Doves (Mourning, White-winged, and the Eurasian Collared Dove)! To think I was worried the birds wouldn't be able to find my feeder LOL!

Here are some pictures of some of the birds. (Sorry about the quality, I was taking them through the window blinds and screen.)

The male Cardinal and Sparrows

The Eurasian Collared-Doves

The Dove on the far right is the White-winged Dove

The feeder attracting all these birds!

Some Starlings

The Red-winged Blackbird

Easter weekend!

This past Easter weekend we drove 5 hours to Baton Rouge, LA. It is a trip we have made many times before but there was something different about this trip, it was Grace's first road trip and first time meeting the family!

About to embark on our trip!

When we arrived, everyone was happy to see us and excited to meet Grace. She has made HUGE strides over coming her timidness and made friends with the in-laws and friends very quickly.

Grace feeling comfortable with everyone there was a relief but there was still one big concern I had...... the in-laws yard is not fully fenced. But once again Grace pleasantly surprised me!!! Riley knows the rule, and Grace picked up on it very quickly, dogs are not allowed to go under the carport (which then leads to the driveway). She made no attempt to go down the driveway, even though she knew it was open to the world. She also came to me every time her name was called and I couldn't help but feel very proud! All the hard work training and obedience classes were/still are an amazing thing for her!

Once we were settled in, most of the weekend was spent outside enjoying the gorgeous weather! Which Riley and Grace fully supported 100%!

Riley runs but Grace FLYS!

They LOVED running around and rolling in the grass

ZOOMIES!!!

Relaxing in the shade

Uhh Grace... you got a little grass on your tongue. "I know, I put it there".

Lizard hunting!

"I know he's in here somewhere!"

"I know he's close! I can smell it!!!"

Time for some close-ups!

I was holding on to a cracker to give to them after the pictures, their eyes never left it!

Note the string of drool! LOL

Grace knows where to hang out.

Ah Ha! Caught red handed!

 

Just one of the many birds that visit the birdbath

Pretty Gracie in the evening sun

Now it wouldn't be right if I didn't make the dogs pose in a cute picture! :)

 Riley and Grace were only thinking about the food everyone was eating!

Miss Grace showing off her charm!

Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Easter!

♥