Clay's Bark in the Park 2009 - DockDogs

Clay's Bark in the Park in North Lawrence, OH was a blast! There were over 600 teams entered for the weekend, two pools and lots of sunshine & fun!! Lenny & I didn't make it into the Finals on Sun, but we sure had a great time.
There were some HUGE jumps over the weekend, with the winning jump in BA coming in at a whopping 27' 7" from Dart & Pam Karr . . .Dart makes it look so darn easy!! There were 4 jumps over the weekend of 27' + . . . . . . a team needed over a 24' jump to make it into Finals!!
Jordan & Sean McCarthy swept Speed Retrieve again with an amazing 4.968 seconds!! This team also had a BA qualifying jump of 26'11"! Ares & Jeff Wells won EV with an incredible 7' 2" grab!

It was quite a trip down . . . it seemed to take forever to get out of Buffalo! First, we went to the wrong restaurant to meet Karen & Mark. Finally made it to the right one, had lunch, then I just had to take some pics of this hotel that we saw on the way to the second restaurant . . .it was amazing.

Welcome to Ohio!

We drove in & out of rain, sometimes very heavy, most of the way down

Finally made it to Clay's Park!

A very beautiful, huge camping park

Getting ready for EV

Ready . . . . . Get it, get it, get it!!!

Karen, Bond, & Mark

had this caricature done at the park

Our new club . . . . Canada's 2nd Affiliate DockDogs club

Lenny trying on some bathing suits

Mark & Bond waiting in line for practice in the pool

Roo's first time on the dock!!! She didn't go off this time but she will!

This was the set-up for Clay's Park . . . . lots & lots of room!

The kids checking out their crates with new crate covers made by Auntie Vickie

Jett going for the DFT in Speed Retrieve

This little guy LOVED getting his toy & his little tail would wag the whole time he was in the water . . . .just like a little rudder!

This golf cart was the best thing for the weekend

Chic & Roo relaxing between waves

This is EV!!

What's a park without a campfire with good friends & bevvies?

On the way down to Ohio, we found this dog park just across the border into Buffalo. We stopped on the way down and on the way back home. We met these guys in the park during our stop on the way home. These staffies were adorable (no Breed Specific Legislation there) and this Great Dane was soooooo handsome!

Also on our way home, we stopped in Niagra-on-the-Lake for supper and found this neat little restaurant that had the most charming patio out back - it was lovely! This place had great food too! I wanted to take this bird sculpture home!

Clay's Bark in the Park was a really great time. I would definitely plan to go back next year!

Putting the Water in at the Cottage - May 16/09

Cathie & the kids on the beach

Chic

Miss Roo . . .she's a water baby!!

Thank God for tall people & chest waders!!!

The water going in for the season

After the Bath

Had to give Lenny a bath last night b/c he spent a bit of time in a swampy, mucky part of the woods on our walk . . . .he was filthy . . . .caked on mud almost everywhere!! After I bathed him, I went downstairs on the computer for awhile & when I was ready to go up to bed, I went to put him out for his last whiz before bed . . . .and there he was on the couch (his couch in the recroom) . . . . looking as comfortable as could be!!! Not really sure just how he got under the afghan, but it wasn't bothering him in the least!

Lenny Has Another Cousin!

Meet Lenny's other cousin, who lives with us . .. .she is a border collie named Roo! She is a cutie-pututie!!!

Roo's 6 month birthday was on Sunday, May 3!! She had a great birthday day - she went to visit sheep in the morning, then we went to the woods to run & swim in the pond & creeks, and then . .. we went to swim at the therapy pool . . . .we had very, very tired puppies in the van on the way home but, oh what a fun day was had by all!!!

Tara, Coco, and Roo - first-timers at the pool have to wear their life jackets!!

Roo & Coco (we were looking after Coco for the weekend)

Roo & Coco having fun at the therapy pool!

Lenny getting a workout on the underwater treadmill!

Tired, happy puppies!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LENNY!!

Hi everyone! Lenny here. I turned 3 years old today! I had a great day!! Mostly I slept on my mom's bed all day waiting for her to get home from work so we could do some fun stuff. She finally got home & we went to the woods . . . . . I love it in the woods . . . I run & run & run & try to catch those pesky squirrels, but they always seem to get up the trees faster than me.

When we got home, I had to stay behind the babygate at the back door cause Mom said I was all dirty . . .. I don't know what she expects . . . jeeze . . . .you can't run through the woods through all the puddles & stuff and not get dirty!! I know what that means . . . .I'm probably headed for the shower before too long . . . . I'm really good now . . . .I just walk right in the bathroom & walk right into the shower-tub . . . . . Mom doesn't even have to say anything anymore. I'm not really impressed with having to get so many baths, but boy, do I ever feel great afterwards!!!

Well, I had my bath and then guess what? Mom had some birthday treats for me. I asked her to include some of the pics in here. . .see them, see them??!! I had a yummy chocolate cupcake and a cupcake with sprinkles all over it and a bone cookie with sprinkles on half . . . .WOW!! They sure were yummy!!!

Mmmmmm . . . . . . good!!!

2008 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - STILLWATER, MN - Update

Finally, my pics of Lenny & me from the DockDogs World Championships 2008

Stillwater, MN Jul 24-27

First item of business - get the portrait picture taken

Then . . . . . Get it, get it, get it!!!!

Big Air - Wave #1

Big Air - Wave #2

Getting set for EV!

Jaws!

Big Air - Wave #3

2008 DD World Championships Group Photo

Travelling companions

Relaxing after the event

I'm proud of my kid!

Therapeutic Swim Pool

We have found a wonderful location to take the dogs for swim practice . . . . . CWC in Toronto. Tara is awesome . . .so friendly & helpful. The water is warm & the dogs always smell sooooo good afterwards. Their coats are oh so soft as well! The dogs love going here - helps to keep them in shape for DockDogs season! The first time the kids went in the pool (these pics), they had to wear life-jackets - for safety sake - in case they had trouble swimming {not likely :) } and it also gives Tara a means to hold onto them & keep control.

Here is Lenny his first time at the pool. First he gets on the treadmill to be lowered into the water:

Now, it's Chic's turrn:

This is soooo much fun! We have been a few times now - we usually go about every 3 weeks. It is a wonderful place . . . .this is actually a therapeutic pool for dogs to do re-hab from injury or surgery.

Lenny's new cousin

Introducing Lenny's new little cousin, Woodstock . . . . .Woody for short! Here he is . . . an 8 week old Jack Russell terrier. What a cutie! We haven't met Woody yet, but really look forward to our first visit.

Here is a little clip of Woody & Foofer (Foofer was given to the Kincardine Vodden family many years ago and somehow he has survived living with a few dogs . . . . Foofer would last maybe 1/2 hour at our house!!!)

Porcupines DO NOT make good play buddies!!

Well, Lenny had his first encounter with a porcupine this afternoon at my girlfriend's near Peterborough, ON.

We were out for a walk through the fields behind her house, and he took off into the woods. Next thing, I hear him yelping . . .wasn't sure if he was hurt or not b/c he also yelps like that when he sees a squirrel in the trees above him. I whistled, and whistled, and finally he came out of the woods (not moving very quickly) and pawing franticly at his muzzle. I thought, oh f***, what has he gotten into . . . .then as he got closer I could see what it was. The left side of his face, his left shoulder & part way down his left leg all had quills, and his mouth was FULL of quills!!! It was horrible. We got back to the house & my girlfriend called the Vet service in Peterborough; the on-call vet called back in about 5 mins and so we were off to Peterborough to get the quills removed.

Lenny was a very, very good boy throughout the whole ordeal. He was very well-behaved and even let the vet take a quick peek inside his mouth to see the damage. We needed to leave him there for about an hour, so we went to the new Costco in town, which my girlfriend had never been to, and looked around there.

When we got back to pick Lenny up, the vet said there were alot in, right through, and under his tongue & there had been a lot of bleeding. She said there is one in his chin & one in his cheek that she had to cut, and she said they will likely abcess & then the quill can be removed which will relieve the abcess. So, I have to keep an eye on those and any other unusual swelling that may occur.

Lenny was a bit like a drunk sailor when we picked him up so when we got back to her house, he snoozed on his blanket while we had some dinner & played cards. He is sleeping contentedly now in his bed upstairs. He has perked up some since we picked him up and should be fine by morning. He is on antibiotics for 10 days.

I told him yesterday that we were going on a big adventure today, but I certainly did not have this in mind! I hope we never go through this again!! My other two dogs, Ranii & Scalla never did run into a porcupine, but they did get mixed up with a skunk a time or two.

It seems to be prime porcupine territory at my girlfriend's so I think I will be much more careful where Lenny ventures when we visit there. I would never have considered running into a porcupine on a cold winter's day!