A Busy Weekend of Training and Relaxation

This weekend was spent mostly relaxing, with some training thrown in here and there.  I get this guilty feeling when I don't spend time with my Zoo Crew.  They enjoy to learn.  Every one of them seems to strive to figure things out and learn new things.  That's why I love herding breeds so much.  They are thinkers.  They like to stay busy and figure things out.  If you don't provide them with a "job", they will find one themselves.  That holds me accountable and keeps me busy as well. 

I have been feeling a little discontent from Topher lately as I have been putting so much time into the puppies.  Topher was my focus until the puppies arrived.  Now that Bella and Shiloh are part of our family, my day is spent playing and training them when they are awake, and resting or doing something of my own when they sleep.  In the last week or so, Topher has been coming up to me with his ears tilted slightly back, and then yelping at me, like he is saying, "Play with me!  Pay attention to me!"  Topher is my boy.  I adopted Topher for Tanker just a couple of days after Blondie passed away.  I looked at every Australian Cattle Dog on Petfinder and Topher struck me as "the one" from the moment I saw his picture.  He helped Tanker find happiness; he sat by my side every day that I took care of my ailing grandmother; he cooperated and eagerly learned basic obedience as I de-stressed from the emotional turmoil inside of me as I watched my grandmother pass away.  Topher was my shoulder to cry on and my brief moments of happiness during my time of distress.  To say that Topher and I are bonded doesn't even touch the relationship we have together.

I designated Saturday a Topher and me day.  I gave the puppies to Wes and just played with Topher.  We ran around the backyard, I brushed him, and then I decided to teach him how to shake.  Teaching Topher how to shake took me ten minutes.  No joke.  He is smart.

Bella and Shiloh kept themselves busy playing tug of war with a long piece of mulch in the backyard.



Wes enjoyed working with the dogs too.  He normally doesn't do as much of the training as I do because he works, but he does what he can when he is home. 

 

Wes found some solid oak rocking chairs off of Craigslist for only $20.  They are 20 years old!  They are in great condition, but need to be refinished, so that is one of his next projects.  We enjoyed sitting outside Friday night listening to the frogs and crickets.

 

Saturday night, we went to Bella Cafe to watch an Irish band perform.  They are a father/daughter duo with a great fiddle player.  They will be back in September for those of you who expressed interest in seeing them.

 

Sunday, we went to a graduation party of the son of a patient I took care of in Hospice.  I didn't take care of her through Capital Hospice.  Her husband hired me to take care of her at home in her last two months of life.  I bonded with the family and they have kept me a part of their lives since she passed away.  It was great to see them all.

 

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing.

 

 

 

Of course, everybody got treats too, including the cats.  They sit patiently with the dogs.