the sheltiechick blog

Don’t go, Mommy…

Auggie knows. He knows.
Last year I packed for my vacation in secret… he was already in his crate sleeping. He did see the bags before I loaded them into the car in the morning, though, and I think that was enough.

I’ve only gone on vacation once since I’ve had Auggie (he is two and a half.) This is my second time… and I knew it was going to be harder on me, because I felt so much closer to him after our first agility trial a few months ago. I can’t explain it, but we bonded so much more just in that one time. I didn’t think I could love this little dog any more than I did before, but I do.

So… I got out the suitcase. I put it on the floor. I opened it. I turned around to grab some things to pack into it.
I turned back around…


He wants to come with me. =<

He didn’t understand why I started crying.


A Pleasant Pet Store Visit

Took Auggie to the grand opening celebration of our local Pet Supplies Plus. I had to go out there for work reasons and thought it would be fun to take my dog along, so away we went! It was awesome to see a chain store carrying premium dog foods – I was pretty pleasantly surprised.
They had LOTS of lovely leashes, but I was good and only bought one. Also picked up one of those poop bag dispenser thingies because it was a really great deal… even though Auggie never poops away from home! But now I have one just in case. Grabbed some bone-print guaze for his emergency kit, bought a new pair of thinning shears, and got some free samples of Eagle Pack (free treats!)

Auggie is a WONDERFUL ambassador for shelties. This sounds weird, because normally you talk about dogs being ambassadors in breeds that have a bad reputation, like pitties or rotties or dobes or something like that… but today two people exclaimed how surprised they were that Auggie was perfectly happy to come up to them and be pet, because “normally these dogs are so shy!”
It’s nice to have a dog who fits correct sheltie temperament, even though it’s become so accepted in the breed to have dogs who are not just standoffish, but downright SHY.

Met a PWC puppy in the store who desperately wanted to play with Auggie. He was SO FREAKING CUTE. He had no tail, just a little stumpy, and it WAGGED LIKE ALL GET OUT. Soooooooo adorable!


Agility Practice Photos, starring other pups!

Dragged my Rebel out to J’s house for agility practice. After shooting the whole night, I realized I had it on the wrong setting. Bah! Some of these are just a teeny bit blurry and could have been clearer if I were shooting properly.

But, regardless… pics!

Mom took this one of Auggie on the a-frame. (Obviously, I was handling at the time!)


Kaia, a miniature schnauzer, comes over the a-frame. I LOVE this shot and hate that it’s just slightly blurry!


Up the a-frame she goes!


Neeko, related to Auggie in some way that I can’t recall at the moment!


This is Lucky, a rescue sheltie. A great little guy. Down the a-frame!


Auggie the Brat: The Laundry

Tonight I’m doing laundry, and Auggie is with me in the laundry room, poking around by the vaccuum cleaner and finding various things to munch off the floor – dust bunnies, most likely, or maybe a spider. “Auggie,” says I, “stop eating things off the floor.” He looks at me mournfully.
A moment later, I hear him smacking his lips on something else. “AUGGIE,” I say, “stop eating things off the floor!”
I put a few more things in the dryer – and he starts chomping on something again. “Okay, baby, scoot scoot,” I tell him, and he scoots out of the laundry room and I shut the door behind him.

Now, the laundry room is in the basement and there are two doors that lead to it: one, the one I just shut, comes right into it; the other door leads towards my mom’s office and the bathroom, and also has a little hallway that leads into the laundry room.

As I’m putting things into the dryer, I suddenly see little Auggie paws creeping into the room. He stops, hiding behind the open door to the dryer.
I peek over the door and look down at him. He hasn’t noticed a thing… he’s still staring intently at my feet, watching, thinking I haven’t realized he’s snuck back in.
So, as I peer over the dryer door, I say to him… “Do you think I don’t see you there?”

He looks up at me, and – I kid you not – makes a little “D= *GASP*” face, turns around, and RUNS as fast as he can back down the hall and out into the rest of the basement… while I die laughing behind him.

My dog is a SNOT.