So Many Frisbees, So Little Time!

Ho-hum.  Another weekend.  A bunch of walkies, a bunch of frisbee acrobatics.  Mom is trying to convince me that she's not boring, but she's "consistent".  Of course, our Granny would say that consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, so I'm not entire sure what to make of all of that!  Ah well, at least Mom throws a decent frisbee.

Abby, get out of my way!  I'm demonstrating Frisbee Jaws of Doom!

While we didn't have any Grand Adventures this weekend (Mom had a busy week at work last week and was "recovering"), we got in a lot of frisbee time.  Which meant Abby had a lot of chances to not exactly catch the frisbee....

Nice Jaws of Doom, Abs, but you get full points only if you actually catch it!

Good extension, complete with ear flappage, although it's unclear as to whether she caught this one or not.

It always seems to me that there are a disproportionate number of photos of Abby doing frisbee maneuvers.  This is in part because Abby is a Frisbee Hog.  However, Mom has this clever technique in which she brings out three frisbees, and while Abby is retrieving one, she's launching one for me.  She's finally also mastered the technique of snapping pictures while juggling frisbees.  If this job thing doesn't work out, Mom could always join the circus...  Heehee!
 

Abby is not the only Flying Doodle in this house!

Another one of those "Did she or didn't she?" photos...  Heehee!

She does get nice ear flappage, I'll grant her that!

Dueling Frisbee Doodles!

I mentioned that I can fly, too, right?

I think Abby missed this one, but she's demonstrating a nice application of the levitation spell!

Of course, with Mom throwing multiple frisbees in rapid succession, we do manage to block each other a fair amount...

Pay no attention to that crazy doodle in the background, Mom.  You've got frisbees to throw!

Yep, we're totally the Frisbee Chicks!  Heehee!

So, yes, even though it was a 'quiet' weekend, we had a good time.  Because really, this frisbee thing NEVER gets old!  And you can tell we had fun, just by looking at our smiling faces!

Have a good week and keep those frisbees flying!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

Of walkies and dog tags and frisbees and things!

After all the time Mom has been spending with Abby, I subtly suggested to Mom that perhaps I could be included in some funballs activities, particularly if we could find some activities that didn't involve posing in aisles of nuts and bolts and whatnot.

Being the good Mom that she is, Mom arranged a "doggie class" for the two of us on Saturday.  It wasn't so much a class as it was a chance to get outside, enjoy the beautiful weather, pose for pictures and catch up with Jessi, the turkey hotdog lady.

And it was a fantastic day!

It's been a while since we did a photo shoot, and we weren't 'cooperative' at first....

But give me my own special photo with Jessi, and I totally rock it!

Mom and Abby, on the other hand, both managed to look like doofuses.  What else is new?

BTW, for those of you who are wondering about Mom's nifty t-shirt, that is, in fact, our buddy Newton in the picture on the shirt.  If you haven't stopped by to say hi to Newton, you totally should.  He's this super-cute Golden puppy, who is building on his late brother Farley's work of training his parents, one fluffy Golden day at a time!

Abby is still a goofball.  Me?  I totally know how to pose for the camera!

Obligatory fountain photo.

Did I mention that it was a gorgeous day?  Sunny and warm but with a breeze.  You couldn't ask for more!

It was a tad hot, so Mom stopped at the car to get our water bottle, and took the chance to get a 'candid' photo!

"Slurp, slurp, slurp."  And yes, we shared our water with Mom!

Why yes, I AM a happy dog!

"Smile for the camera!"

We decided to stop by the bandstand to test out the set-up for our next concert.  Look for 'Sister Goldenhair Surprise' coming to your local outdoor music setting soon!

"Test.  Test.  How's that sound out there?"  Heehee.

We had a grand time, and it really was a nice day.

Saturday was also our first time trying out our new tags.  As you may recall, Mom got us 'training' collars to wear when we are off training (as opposed to our everyday collars - although I like my new everyday collar that I think I may use it all the time).  Anyway, Mom decided we should have tags to go on our new collars, and after much perusing of Etsy, she found some really cool and unique copper bars at a 'store' called Poochy Couture (if you are in the market for new ID tags, you should really check them out - they have some really cool, custom-made stuff, and they ship really quickly, and yes, this is a completely unsolicited endorsement!).  They were extremely reasonably priced, so Mom ordered a set for us...

Here we are, modeling the new tags.

Abby, trying to make sure her ginormous snooter doesn't obscure her tag.

And me, always the happy dog!

And since you can't actually see the tags in those photos, here are close-ups.

The would be, um, well, not Abby's tag.  Heehee.

This is Abby's tag! 

These tags are quite cool - they've got our names on them, as well as phone numbers.  And Mom hasn't seen anything like them before.

In addition to all this excitement, we've (naturally) been working on honing our frisbee skills.

Here I am, demonstrating the basic frisbee catch.

Abby, is, erm, auditioning for the X-Games, I think.

Notice my 'planted' stance and Frisbee Jaws of Doom.  Pay attention young pups - these are basic frisbee techniques!

Of course, I like to cut loose occasionally, too.  This is a variation of the 'Twist'.

Here, Abby is demonstrating perfect advanced technique.  Over-the-shoulder catch in a pike position!

We had a great weekend!  Did you do anything fun?

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

Collars, Frisbees, Ballet and Things

Where to start?  It's been a busy week! 

Mom and Abby have started 'training' again.  Mom talked to some of the therapy dog handlers she's met at hospital (aka The Great Kibble Provider) and one of the suggestions she got was to have a 'special' leash and collar just for training/working.   One of the other suggestions was to use a 'traffic lead' - a very short leash - rather than the 4-foot long leash we use for regular walkies.  So, Mom hit the interwebs and found a 16" traffic lead and a different collar to be used just for training. 

Today, Mom and Abby went back to Home Depot to test out the short leash.  After a little adjusting (if Abby pulls on a 16" leash, it's a lot more obvious than on a 4' leash, and Mom's a lot more likely to dislocate her shoulder, so they had to spend a little time working on 'loose leash walking') they seemed to have a fine time at Home Depot.  And Mom seems to enjoy having Abby on a short leash!  Can you blame her?  Heehee!

Abby on a short leash!

Really short leash!

I think that leash makes her schnoz look big, don't you?  Heehee!

Abby's 'special' collar isn't anything special in the sense of rhinestones, it's just different from her daily collar.  Here's a close-up of the above picture, so you can see the collar.

Special 'working' collar.

Mom said the Home Depot visit was good (no dislocated shoulders), and she's going to be on the lookout for more places to take Abby to get her used to new and different environments.

"But what about you, Fiona?  Surely you got something new and cool, too?" you ask.  Well, as a matter of fact, I did.  When Mom was looking for Abby's collar she found a place that makes custom collars, and Mom was quite enamored with them, but she wasn't super enamored with the price.  However, the company had a 'bargain bin' of pre-made collars for about a quarter of the price.  So, when she got Abby's collar, she got me a new collar, too.

I liked it so much that I requested that my old collar become my 'training' collar (I don't do as much training as Abby - SOMEONE has to stay home and keep Dad company!), and that my new collar become my daily collar.  So, here is my new, super-cool, super-special collar!

It's the angle of the camera, not the collar that makes MY schnoz look big here!

It's a super-comfy heavy-duty cloth collar, and I think I look rather stylish, if I do say so myself!

In addition to all the excitement of the collars and leashes (and possibly a new tag for each of us - Mom has become a big Etsy fan!), we have been getting in our regular allotment of frisbee funballs time.

Abby's not the only Flying Doodle Sister!

But she does fly! 

And she's big on two-footed catches!

And a two-footed catch with full extension and a quarter twist!

I've got moves, too!

Did she catch it, or just plaster it against her face?

Here's a close-up.  Looks to me like she trapped it against her face!

In spite of some of her 'misses', Abby has some graceful moments.  Here she is, rehearsing for her lead role in the famous ballet "Doodle Lake." 

Look at that extension!  All the way up on her tippy-toes!

But don't let that graceful athleticism fool you.  She's still a goofball.

But she's finally learned how to play tug-of-war with Mom...

"I win!  Now will you throw it again?"

Heheh!

And because I can, here's a gratuitous happy dog photo!

Nifty collar, huh?

Yep, we're happy dogs!

Heehee!

Have a great week!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus