Snow in SC!!!!

We had a record amount of snow and ice in South Carolina this past weekend! I was especially fascinated by the icicles that formed on the railings!! Check out some of the pictures Ms. Beth took. I had fun running around in the snow. Ms. Madison especially liked the cooler weather and Ms. Beth took a funny video of her playing in the snow. Now, if only Ms. Beth can figure out how to upload videos onto the blog site..... stay tuned!!!

Rally & Obedience Training.

Currently, I am booked up on Wednesday nights!!! I am taking a Rally Novice class with the Greater Columbia Obedience Club. I like the hour I get to spend with Ms. Beth, learning new exercises and practicing my basic obedience skills. I'm getting lots better at quickly responding to the "down" command, and Ms. Beth is thrilled about that. But stay is really taking me a long time.... I just don't understand why she would ever want to walk away from me and not have me right beside her? What a silly command!!! But, I am trying to do better at it because it makes her so HAPPY when I do spend a few minutes laying or sitting in the place where she issued the "stay" command.

Over the weekend of January 16-17, Ms. Beth took me to the Greater Columbia Obedience Trial at the SC State Fairgrounds. I had the opportunity to watch my Uncle Jackson perform at the Rally Excellent and Rally Advanced levels. (see attached pictures). It looks like he was having so much fun!!! I really hope that I can be as enthusiastic and as accurate as him!! He received 3rd and 4th place ribbons on Saturday! Yay Uncle Jackson!!!

I'll have to keep you posted on my progress ;) Until next time, Happy Training!!

2010!!

Well, it's a new year and we've been super busy!! For the New Year's holiday, we took a trip down to Florida to visit Ms. Beth's family farm and lakehouse. It was sooooooo much fun!!! I wish we lived on a lake. I would go swimming everyday!!! It is so much fun to go tromping in the mud and the muck, and then retrieving in the water and splashing around is fun too!!!

While we were down there visiting, Ms. Beth also read her Christmas present which was a book on the history and development of the Boykin Spaniel breed. The book also had stories about Boykin Spaniels and Ms. Beth said that I shared a lot of characteristics with those famous Boykins!!!

It's been pretty cold as of late and I love to go play outside, but during the day I've been cuddling up inside with Aunt Madison and Uncle Jackson. Setters are the BEST couch potatoes on cold days, and Ms. Beth is glad that they have convinced me that I too can excel at being a couch potato with a little practice ;) ha, ha.

I was also recently in my second dog show. I was entered in the All Breed Confirmation show hosted by the Clemson Kennel Club last weekend. It was super cold that day, but I was just excited to be there spending time with Ms. Beth!! I had to stand still and let the judge run his hands all over me. I keep all of my feet on the ground but I couldn't help but wiggle the whole time..... I am a Boykin Spaniel after all!!! Because this is was one of the first shows where Boykin Spaniels are eligible for AKC confirmation points, the Judge spent some time talking to Ms. Beth and commenting on my wiggly little personality! Once we started moving around the ring though, I was all business!! Couldn't let Ms. Beth down while everyone was watching us!!

Ms. Beth promises that the next show will be bigger and I will get the chance to see LOTS of other Boykins!! That should be in Greenville, sometime in February, so check back in to see how we do :)

Merry Christmas!!

Today was my first Christmas with Ms. Beth and her family in Pickens! What a great time we had! All of the doggies got treats when the family exchanged gifts, we had a yummy Christmas dinner, a long walk in the woods and lots of time for naps!! I enjoyed ever momen!

Hope that your Christmas was everything that you hoped it would be too!! Merry Christmas !!

Christmas Shopping

On Saturday I went Christmas shopping with Ms. Beth. We went down to Pupcakes on Devine Street and we picked up a stocking my picture painted on it!!! How cool!!

I also had the best time playing with the toys and the friendly staff at Pupcakes. The tossed the tennis ball for me repeatedly. They are my new bestest friends :)

If you are interested in getting a handpainted Christmas stocking similar to mine, please stop by Pupcakes on Devine Street or visit their website at: http://www.pupcakespetboutique.com/

Hunt Test!

Last Saturday morning Ms. Beth woke me up and said it was time to "Load Up" with Aunt Madison! We trucked off to Jedburg, SC for the Greater Charleston Weimeraner Club Hunt Test event where Madison was entered in the Junior Hunter division.
Ms. Beth took me around and socialized me with many of the other dogs and people, because she wants be to become familiar with the sounds and goings-ons at hunt tests so that I will ready when my turn comes!!
In the picture you can see how our friend Tony was showing me the ropes along with his dog Torrie. We've never seen a bird like THAT before!!! It was cool!!
Everytime we passed that truck, I made sure to let Ms. Beth know that there were BIRDS over THERE!!! She said it was funny. Whatever !! I really wanted to get those birds!!!!
Miss. Madison had her 15 minute run in the field with her bracemate and the Judges! The backfield was kind of think and Ms. Beth was in a hurry to get to the birdfield. Miss Madison had different plans though!! She went on point on the backfield and at first Ms. Beth could't find the bird.... until she walked behind the tree Miss Madison was pointing at!! And there was the bird!
Miss Madison found another bird in the backfield not 2 minutes later! Ms. Beth said that's the big lesson that she's had to learn about these hunt tests as compared to showing in Rally or Obedience, you really have to learn to trust your dog, to follow the dog's lead...they are the experts out in the field!!
Because she's listened to Miss Madison and followed her lead, they received a qualifying score that day!! Yay!!! Miss Madison now only needs 2 more qualifying scores to earn her JH title!!
I can't wait until it's my turn to start training and performing in Hunt Tests! This is going to be so much fun and I can't WAIT to show Ms. Beth that I can do it!!!

It's Starting to Feel a Lot Like Christmas!!

Last Saturday, I got to go with Ms. Beth to pick out our Christmas tree at the Columbia State Farmers Market!! There are a number of different vendors there selling live Christmas trees, garlands and wreaths from North Carolina. It took Ms. Beth a while to pick out a tree, but FINALLY, she decided on a perfect tree!!

Once we got it home and inside the house, she spent lots of time making us listen to Christmas music and made us worry while she dragged all of the Christmas decorations out of the attic!

Then, she made us take pictures next to the tree as she was decorating it! I've never heard of such a thing, but Uncle Jackson says that she does this every year. Oh well, I guess it's pretty fun. I definitely like having a live tree in the house and checking out all of the pretty, dangling ornaments ;)