the sheltiechick blog

Payton is six!

Hard to believe it has been six years since my little guy was born.
I love my Payton so much. We have had six years of struggles and I anticipate those struggles will probably continue – at some point, maybe he will become an easy dog to own; maybe he will become a dreamily simple agility dog; but more than likely, he will challenge me every step of the way. If difficult dogs make great dog trainers, he will transform me into a master.
As my journey with Auggie was summed up by the Garth Brooks song “The Dance,” my life with Payton can be described with “The River.”
Each day a constant battle just to stay between the shores.
None of it matters, because the beauty is that we get to sail our vessel together.


Blue cupcakes for my big boy. The frosting came with these fish sprinkles, so why not? I went ahead and put them on.
The cupcake papers are that same sheep design that is hidden on the plate.


Here are three dogs who are very aware there are cupcakes sitting up there on the railing.


Rizzo wearing a hat… yep. That’s a good thing.


A verrrry good thing.


KK has this down now. He knows cake is coming and he’s totally on board.


Okay, so, back to the birthday boy. Happy birthday my big man. Time for your cake.


Do you think he was anticipating this release to his cupcake at all?


Aaaaand he tried to eat the whole thing in one bite.


Licking crumbs and icing and fish sprinkles.


You should try to find someone in your life who looks at you like Kaner is looking at his cupcake.


Kane had a bit more sense to chew his cupcake rather than inhale it whole but it was still intense for a minute there.


Yeah I eated it.


Rizzo has no idea what’s happening but he wants to eat his hat thing on his head and also the other dogs seem happy so okay.


Waiting for cupcake… waaaaaaiting for cupcake.


NOM.
Eating cupcakes is easier to figure out than hunting Easter Eggs.

Happy birthday my awesome little P. I love you very, very much.

Easter 2017

Real talk guys – I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do an Easter egg hunt this year. Auggie was so boss at it, and I knew I would be remembering him the whole time.
But it was also Rizzo’s first Easter, and it didn’t seem fair not to let him play the game… so I sucked it up and got everything ready.


Waiting outside the gate while I hid eggs.


Inside the gate, and I’m armed with three baskets, one for each dog. Payton thinks he’s ready… pretty sure he remembers this game… here we go.


Yes. Yes this is the game.


Rizzo, meanwhile, is like “Wait what we do?”


Kane found one!
But has no clue what to do with it, so he runs off.


Rizzo also found one!


And picks it up…


And figures out how to open it!


Payton, meanwhile, is channeling Auggie for once in his life.


Bing bang boom findin’ all the eggs


Kane is basically just running around behind Payton trying to figure out what everybody is so excited about.


FINDS IT


GOTS IT


Kane is staring really hard at this one, realizing there’s got to be something… SOMETHING… involving these things… but what?!
I felt bad for him so I opened it for him to get the cookie, and put it in his basket.


Payton rockin’ it.


Rizzo, meanwhile, is also pretty good at this…


…but he also would like to carry around and chomp on the empty eggs once he has the cookie out. Noooo no no, let’s not do that.


And Payton likes to lie down while he opens his egg and enjoy his treat. It’s a good thing the other two are kinda slow or he would miss out on a bunch of eggs.


Kane can’t figure out how to open them. He just keeps pushing the egg around with his nose until I come over and open it for him.


Rizzo doesn’t have that problem.


I PUTS IN MOUTH? But he never got this one open either.


Egg hunt done! Payton is the clear winner, but Rizzo did an amazing job for his very first time playing the game! Kane got several in his basket, but not enough for them to peek out the top. Maybe next year kiddo.


Each dog also got special Easter baskets with a bag of treats AND some bunny ears.
Two dogs think this is funny and one does not.

But first, lemme take a selfie


Payton has taken way better selfies than this before. I guess he just wasn’t feeling it that day.


Big smile from Rizzo!


And Kaner who is doing a shoulder stall also, winning the selfie game for the day.