Left, Right, Left, Right

We have been doing a lot of work on tracking.  How would you answer this question?  Do you like to turn left or right?  I really prefer left, especially when tracking.  Mom says I have to go both ways so we have been working on that kind of hard.  She thinks that I favor the left because of the way I twitched my right foot...she thinks it's part of my neurological "issues"...maybe so but we are working hard to pay more attention to where the scent goes.  The parts of tracking I really like are the looooong straight legs; I'm pretty sure of myself on them. While Dad was out on a sailboat race, Mom and I went  to a school down the street to practice corners.  Mom put in a track with lots of corners and then we waited for a little bit so the scent could settle...there were robins all over our track.  At least they weren't crows.  I did the track but not very well so she put another one in on the other side of the parking lot and while we waited all the robins moved over there!  I think maybe we will have spring one of these days.  By the way, I did better on the second track so Mom said we quit on a good note.



our snow
 

I know I haven't been very good about blogging and was actually thinking about giving it up.  Maybe I will and just start a FB page. On the other hand you might miss my erudite comments on life.  Wasn't that a fancy word?  See how smart I am. Comes from having teachers for parents.

One of the things Mom started is this obedience stuff she gets on the computer from someone called Denise Fenzi...it's supposed to help me know where "heel" is and to stay in position.  I have to stand next to her with my feet up on this round disc and then turn with her.  Actually, I'm getting pretty good even if I do have to check down and look at my feet once in awhile.  Then there's this platform to sit on and there's only enough room for me so I gotta be in the right place...TODAY we went to Crossroads Mall and did some practicing there and I was pretty much hot stuff as long as we stayed in the quieter part of the mall.  Was just swinging my cute little black tush  around to keep in place.  The big challenge is to get more comfortable in places I don't especially want to be.  I don't really like to stand in line at the Starbucks but when we were waiting for Mom's drink, there were these two nice young girls, about my Elizabeth's age, who thought I was pretty cute, is there any doubt?  Did have to stick my head down in one of their bags just in case they had something for me to munch on.



Monty and Charlie

The other day when it was really nice, Monty and I were out in the back yard with Mom and Dad helping them take out an old ugly rhododendron so we could plant an apple tree. We had to dig a pretty good sized hole and we're good at that! I think it's for Monty and me because we just LOVE apples. Don't see any yet though.  Anyway, our neighbor, Charlie, came over while his dad went to the store. Charlie wasn't really interested in playing. He's a 9 year old Golden and a bit on the chunky side...doesn't get much exercise.  I could sure help him out if he wanted to run. Maybe it was just as well because I have my path in the back yard and he's so much bigger he might wreck some stuff...of course I don't.

Dad's new car

Now here's a bulletin!  Dad got a new car!  It's the same color as mine, sometimes known as Mom's, but it's a Honda and not a Subaru. When he brought it home we had to see if Monty's crate would fit, which it did.  If it hadn't, we would have to take it back.  I was the very first to get in the back!  Special, special; That's me.

Lots has happened since my last post...I looked and saw it was way back in December 2013!  Been thinking about a lot of stuff too.  Guess I'll do another blog...let me know if I should go on.

                                   Best to all of you

                                                 Juno

Baby It's Cold Outside

shopping at Mud Bay

I can't believe it's so cold.  Our little pond is frozen all around the edges and there's ice on the rocks.  I've been able to crush down the ferns by rolling in them and they actually stay down.  Mom has to bring the hummingbird feeder inside at night since it won't thaw during the day and those poor little guys need the sugar water...there aren't any flowers left for them to feed from.  I even got a new coat with puppy dog feet all over it, Mom made it reversible...isn't that special...naturally for a special dog. I wore it today when we went to Mudd Bay to buy a new pooper scooper...after 30 years the old one had just rusted apart.  Last time I went to Mudd Bay, I got lots of treats from the people there but this time I only got one! Did try to do some shopping for myself in the barrels they have that are just chock full of cookies but Mom made me move along.

my new coat

After Mudd Bay we went to Starbuck's.  I never get to go in there because it's a place with food so Mom came out and let me out of the car to do a little bit of obedience work on the sidewalk.  Now this is becoming something new.  Last week she took me to a shopping center and we did some work there and just kind of wandered around.  Once again, I couldn't go all the way to the end because there are eating places.  Don't get that!  Maybe they think I'll try to snatch some kid's food or something.  Not me!  I'm a good girl.  The shopping center had these machines that kids ride; Mom said you put money in the slot and the thing rocks or slides or does some stupid thing.  Kids love them. I DO NOT! They make scary sounds.  Of course Mom had me walk by them a few times.  I'm thinking she's going to take me back there.

helping with leg lifts

Sunday was just the coolest day ever!  We went to a Porti party!  There were only a few people there when we arrived so I got to run around with a dog named Betty while things were being set up.  Then Dad took me outside into this BIG fenced place where there were about 3 others like me and more just kept coming and coming!  I was chasing this one little brown girl named Pearl around and believe it or not she was way faster than me!  There was another brown boy named Maui who belongs to this lady from Dad's sailing group.  I guess this was the first time her friend had seen so many of us together.  They stayed through the meeting and party.  Sarah and Mom were running an obedience ring so Mom thought it'd be a good idea for me to try it.  The things I do best are: a
very fast recall,  good sit (for 1 min with Mom across the ring) and a good down (for 3 min with Mom across the ring).  Gotta work on heeling and keeping up, but there are just so many good smells on the ground.  Remember...I've been tracking! And besides, I have to keep her busy.  What would she do without me around?  Sit on the couch and read.

Monty's new bowl

I am helping her with her exercises for her knees.  When she gets on the bed to do them, I hop up and hold down her upper legs or lie on her stomach.  I think it's a big help because she keeps telling me "good girl".

Monty got this special bowl to eat out of...it's supposed to slow him down because sometimes he almost chokes he eats so fast!  Mom's been timing him...he went from 1min 45.19 seconds to 2min 39.64 seconds.  Guess that's good.  All I know is that I finish before he does now.

If I don't get back to you, have a Merry Christmas!

                                                               Juno

I'm Finally Back

It's taken awhile to get Mom back to the computer.  She was talking about not helping me with writing the blog and just forgetting it.  Can you imagine that???  People count on hearing from me.  She can't just quit!!! You know if you put a bit of a guilt trip on your people, they usually come through for you. 



watching the Hawks at Mike and Jacqui's

Last time I told you how well I was doing at tracking but now it seems I've gone a bit backwards or maybe it's just that I want to do my own thing.  For instance, when our friend, Val,  put in a track  and Mom didn't know where the corners were, I started out great.  Mom said it was the best start she's seen from me...but then, I just kept going straight because there was tall grass straight ahead and I really like tall grass!  Once we got straightened out, I did a pretty good job but as Mom said, "Not good enough."  There were some pretty long legs that I did great on! Then on that really windy Saturday, Sarah put in a short track with a couple of turns.  Considering the wind, I did OK, but "not good enough."

That same day Mom and Sarah were showing this guy, Brandon, how to lay a track.  We need folks to do that when we have our tracking test in January.  Mom hopes we will be able to enter but things have to pick up before we try to certify.

my new friend, Duke

Luther Burbank dog park

Today we went to Luther Burbank park so Dad could give me a couple of short tracks.  Heard them say they would be getting longer after today and Dad is not going to help Mom with the corners so much!  Let's see what happens.  After we did the 2 tracks we walked out to the end of the park and Mom kept hiding a "liver glove" around the concrete foundation of the old dairy barn.  It wasn't much of a challenge because I've got a good nose.  She did the same thing with hiding things in the back yard filled with turkey meatballs she had heated up.  Those were a piece of cake so to speak.  After the hide and find game we went into the dog park.  It's on the lake and I've been there before.  Today there weren't so many dogs there and I met this boxer named Duke.  He and I went out wading; Mom thinks that if he had gone swimming I would have too.  She'll never know will she.  Lake Washington isn't nearly as cold as Puget Sound so maybe I will someday.  Gotta keep them guessing ya' know.

This tracking is going pretty well since I get treats all the time.  Remember when I hardly ate anything?  Now I eat just about everything and, as you probably know (Mom does), it catches up with you.  Starting to hear that word "diet."

                                      Later,
                                          Juno 
 
 

Home Again

Sprague, Washington

the hydroplane


 

That was quite some trip...lots of time in the car, it seemed but then we stopped in a lot of interesting places. At least they smelled interesting!  Mom said that she posted some of our trip on Facebook so I hope I don't repeat too much.  We were in 3 states I haven't been to: Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.  You know I've been to Oregon 'cause that's my birth state.  (Happy Birthday to Nadine, my breeder.)We stopped at a place in Washington called Indian John Rest Stop just for "old times sake" according to Dad.  I guess they always stopped there when going to Granny's house.  The next stop was Sprague, Washington and there was this truck pulling what looked like a hydroplane; we had been passing each other back and forth for a while. There it was, "resting" just like us.



Dillon, Montana

the wedding quilt

The weather got pretty cold when we started down the Continental Divide; we were at an elevation we weren't used to.  It was snowing for our trip down Highway 15 and sometimes Dad called it a blizzard, whatever that is. I was pretty snug in my crate, besides we have a Subaru so we were good! Then we had something to be grateful for...there, across the highway was a jackknifed semi with a really  long line of cars behind it...we were going the other way.  We finally got to Dillon, Montana and Dad started worrying about the rest of our trip...I got to go out in the snow and mess around, almost didn't have time to pee I was so busy... did get snow all over me from sniffing around in the bushes.  The next morning our car was not only filthy but covered with ice and snow.  Dad talked to a "local" who told us, contrary to what Uncle Pete said, NOT to head over Teton Pass.  We followed the local's direction and had a completely uneventful trip to Jackson and then to Teton Village. I didn't get to go to the actual wedding but Mom and Dad said it was beautiful and that Rodeo and Dutch did  nice work as ring bearers.  They are Brad and Megan's border collies.  Nice guys...Dutch likes to run with me.  I did meet Maggie Mae who belongs to Uncle Pete's daughter, Jen.  Maggie is rather a wild child, of course she's only a year old so that's an excuse. I was perfectly well behaved and polite when we met...she, on the other hand, was pretty excited.  That's probably to be expected, after all, I am a Portuguese Water Dog.

tracking at Teton, WY

We had trouble with this blog when we got home so this is a bit disjointed.  I'm changing the subject entirely!!!  I really made Mom happy this week.  Good of me isn't it.  She decided we would have Dad do the tracks instead of her...duh...she is getting the message that I don't track her because she's right there!  Monday we went to Luther Burbank Park and Dad did one pretty long track, he even went over a couple of paths which doesn't bother me much.  Then, today we went to Marymoor.  Remember that lady kicked us out but Mom talked to the lady in the office and we are "good to go".  Dad put in this really short track with no treats except at the glove...I was dead on!  Then he put in a track that was really long, one leg was about 100yds.  That part seemed to be the easiest; one place I did loose the track but got back on.  Dad said I was doing better than Mom!  She says there is hope!  We need to have Mom's friend Sarah give us a track pretty soon so she can tell if we're ready or not to get certified.  Mom's going to ask our friend Val to lay a track when we go over to the beach week after next  'cause she does a really good job.  See...she has finally figured out I don't track her because she is already there at the end of the line.

Better get this posted so Mom can eat dinner.
                             LATER,
                                           JUNO
 

Finally!

getting a drink from the pond

Mom's been home a whole week now, so things are pretty much back to normal.  I even got to go tracking this morning!  That was a frustrating event because we went to Marymoor Park where we have gone lots of times and just as I was starting, this park person came in a white truck and told us we couldn't be where we were.  I think the fact that there was a man throwing a ball for a Golden and a German Shepard close by called her attention to the area.  She told us all that it was not a dog area and we needed to leave.  Mom said we just had to pick up the stuff on our track but she was a little ...you know, upset, since it's hard to find places to practice tracking.  Instead of leaving entirely, we went to the park office and talked to these nice women, the one in charge is Anne, and they thought maybe the person who shooed us off didn't see the line on my harness.  Anyway, we now have permission to use most areas so we stopped and put in a very short track which was kind of a test since it's where the geese like to be...good girl Juno didn't even bother with it much less roll in it.

On the way home we stopped at Starbucks. Monty always gets to go with Dad so Mom thought I should be able to go also...only fair says I. Some very dear friends, Carol and George, were there so I got to visit and Mom kept giving George treats to feed me which, of course, made him pretty special.  I was a very good girl.  Mom saw this little girl looking at me so asked if she wanted to pet me ...that is pretty special because I just LOVE little girls.  She petted me for a long time and Mom let her give me a treat...I am very gentle, not like Monty the piranha.  Finally we came home and I got that bath I've been looking forward to...went right out and climbed in the tub.  Now for the hair cut.




eating pears

Think I've told you about the pear tree in our back yard...well the pears are getting ripe and falling from the tree.  Guess who loves pears?  ME!  Mom finally picked them up after I had eaten a couple.  She also fenced off that area of the yard because
Monty goes back there and chews on wood.  Don't ask me why.  She THINKS she fenced it off but I can charge right through in this one little place.

Ramona

When Mom was in Oregon, she met one of my sisters; her name is Ramona and she kind of looks like me.  Ramona's mom said that she is sensitive to certain sounds like coughing and sneezing...just like me! Maybe I'll get to meet her one day.

We are starting to get ready for a road trip to Wyoming for a wedding and I get to go.  Monty will stay at the beach with a babysitter.  She thinks maybe we can do some tracking someplace along the way.  Looks like there's a push on to enter the test in January.  No more fooling around!

                       Later,
            Juno (the good PWD) 

Oh, Oh

moving out

I've been having this little problem but it's starting to go away, thank goodness.  Been itching like crazy and even pulling some hair out. Mom was getting pretty worried.  It all started after we went to this new place with pretty tall grass to track.  I loved it, but that's when the itching began...Mom gave me a bath, good brushing, and a close clipping.  It didn't stop!  This was all happening at the beach so we had to come home and see Dr. Deb...it was FLEAS!  Monty didn't even have them and my folks couldn't find them or their "dirt" because it's hard to do on an all black Porti.  Dr. Deb put down some white paper and combed me while I was standing on it.  Isn't she smart!  Taught Mom something, too.  Now we are both (Monty and me, not Mom and me) on stuff  to take care of them and I'm feeling a

the find

whole lot better.  Mom is too because she had visions of allergies and all sorts of stuff...  she's like that you know.  We're both sleeping better too.

Then there's Monty who has been having digestion issues which resulted in pretty nasty stuff, if you know what I mean.  Mom says, "Is nothing sacred?"  I say, "We talk about my issues so Monty is fair game."  Anyway, he was taken off all his supplements, which didn't help, and then put on this vet prescribed kibble for sensitive stomachs.  Pretty blah!  Not nearly as good as what I get, poor boy.  I don't think he cares, you know he eats anything and just wolfs this stuff down.  So far he's improving.  Dad says  97% but we won't make a declaration for a couple of weeks then maybe he will get his fish oil back...that really helped him not shed so much and THAT is gooood.

We planted a whole bunch of stuff at our new house and everything is doing quite well but the

for Halloween

problem is we are at the beach most of the time and our zucchini gets too big to really enjoy.  Monty got some of the beans that are too fat and now Mom's afraid that he's going to start picking them himself.  I have been checking the strawberries and there have been a few more of the wild ones ready to eat so.....I ate them!  Look at these big orange things.  Mom says they are for Halloween, but I don't remember what that is.

This weekend is our Porti show and Mom isn't taking me!  I really don't think it's fair but she said she's working and taking care of judges so I would just have to sit in a crate.  If I stay home, Dad will probably take me for a nice walk and after the weekend is over we are going back to the beach for awhile.  Then she's leaving me home to take care of the boys for a WHOLE WEEK to go to the Porti National.  That will be quite a responsibility but I'm up for it.

                              Later,   
                                     Juno

Look What I Got

my new couch

 

This is just pretty cool!  Mom's been spending money lately...of course, what else should she do with it?  She does it really well but whatever she does, I'm sure it's for me.  We have this really cool new couch which I think came from a cow.  The second time I tried to jump on it I slid right off!  Now there's a small quilt so it doesn't happen again. 

We had been at the beach for a long time and came home to do some stuff.  Dad found this cute little stuffed hippo on the beach so Mom brought it up on the deck to dry.  Then she pounded the sand out, washed it and gave it to us.  Monty hasn't even chewed it's ears off.  Sure hope some little kid isn't crying because he lost his toy, we'll take good care of it.  Every night at the beach we have something called the cocktail hour and Mom and Dad have something to drink and some of these little cracker chips that Dad loves.  He usually throws some for Monty and me...we're all family, you know.  After THEY are finished the bag gets put up on top of the refrigerator but I usually want more so I sit in front of the refer and sing.  Hasn't worked yet but sometime it just might.

We had a party for Dad's brothers and sister the other day and that was fun because we got to come out of our deck pen and visit...well, beg too.  Dad's youngest brother is one of Mom's friends on FB and likes to read my blogs.  Paul said if I go more that 3 weeks without writing he gets worried about me.  Isn't that nice?  He has a new wife who is really special because she likes dogs and always spends
time talking to Monty and me.

singing for treats


One bad thing that happened this last time was the creosote I got in my paw.  Mom couldn't figure out what was making the spots on the carpet until I jumped into her lap.  Oh, oh!  Up on the table and out came the scissors.  Then my paw got rubbed with margarine and wiped with a rag.  The last part was paw in soapy water and a rinse.  You need to know I was a REALLY GOOD GIRL.  Course, Mom had liver sitting on the railing and I got a little bit every once in awhile.   It wasn't like the time Monty and I ran away from Dad when he let us go on the beach...actually, Monty was running away from me.  We went up behind the neighbor's house where there is major drainage from the hill and A LOT OF MUD.  Much easier to see what kind of trouble we got in since Monty is so blond but just then was black up to his stomach.  I didn't look dirty at all!  It was bath time for both of us.

Yesterday we went to a Water Trial in Enumclaw and I made some new friends.  I met an uncle named Apollo.  Didn't enter since I don't swim yet.  Maybe some day.


         That's it for now,
                                            Juno