I'm not sure exactly why or how I came to refer to everyone (and everyTHING... even the dog toys...) mentioned in Project Go Dog by non-specific terminology, but I do. Thinking about it, it seems to give the blog a sort of
'Everyman' feel- I like to think that our issues are pretty general and that others can relate. And even if you haven't yet lived through our accomplishments/demises, hopefully you can easily imagine and identify with the experiences.
But philosophical contextualizations aside, I thought that as the list grows it may be helpful to provide a key, because if I have trouble keeping them all straight, I'm sure other people are cursing me inside for doing it this way.
Go Dog... well, a dog who goes for it! Any dog will do, but the training of such a dog must involve striving for the next level at all times. A Go Dog pushes to go further. Personal bests must be bettered.
Banchor is Banchor. He is the one exception to my non-specific name game. The reason for this is that he is the original. His name defines the epitome of a Go Dog to me. Since he is no longer with us, I also want to keep him in memory as much as I possibly can.
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| Banchor! |
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| Original running contact genius! |
"THE" Dog... Shiver, our protagonist. She is a quirky, fun, dramatic, brilliant Border Collie from Stormi and Kickass's first litter. If you need her back story, the first two postings I ever wrote will tell you everything you ever needed to know about her and how she came about as THE Go Dog. The Project is all about making her into the Penultimate Go Dog. I love this dog.
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| Ready to GO. |
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| Going...somewherer? | | | |
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| Us celebrating her Silver ADCH... |
The Pup. Newest addition to the project: Border Collie/Staffordshire Terrier mix (Scorch X Maverick, Texas) named DYNAMITE! Technically, she is a designer dog (we prefer SPORTER COLLIE!), but don't hold it against her, ok? We kinda like her over here at the Project. I think she is a diabolical evil genius at home, but thankfully, only genius when it comes to training. Stay tuned on her development. Only time will tell, but I think we have the makings of a Next Level Go Dog in her.
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| The day I brought her home... |
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| Pup in Action |
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| Running like a big girl! |
White Dog is Pirate, my mom (Carol)'s dog. She is Shiver's older three quarters-ish sister (same mom, Disco was the half brother to Kix I think? Pedigrees are hard!). Pirate is very loud and bossy and thinks the Aframe is stupid, but she manages to be a great agility partner still. She achieved her Platinum Lifetime Achievement Award last fall.
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| BBD and White Dog |
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| Sweet White Dog loves Stuffies... |
Black Dog is Rio, mom's other current show dog. She is the baby, but is a child prodigy sort. Rio is the half niece to Shiver and Pirate (out of Pirate's sister Sony and Nate, a herding dog). We speculate that a washing machine was crossed into her breeding at some points since she has coils for legs (for springing!) and a killer spin cycle. She and The Dog are perma-teamies in USDAA and share a fascination with Earth Balls. Black Dog has so far earned her Silver LAA and Gold ADCH, not to mention earning finalist spots in the 2011 Cynosport World Games. Prodigy!
BIG Black Dog is Lacey. She is a former rescue Border Collie, though she looks and acts more like a bear crossed with a Labrador. She is a lovely girl, retired now from agility to the life of a treat hound. Lacey melts for pets and sweet nothings whispered in her ears (though watch the silly baby voice- she may piddle if you are too sweet to her!)
Brother Dog is Seeker, Shiver's full brother, same litter. We think he is cool- he knows lots of tricks and is a dynamic powerhouse. He is worth mentioning just due to his cooliness. His mom tells tales of his life over at their
blog.
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| Shiver, Stormi (mom), Scorch (bro #1), Seeker! |
Hm, oh yeah. Then there is the Project Leader. Me. My name is Shenna. Hiiiiii. Thanks for stopping by. Usually I write about random stuffs that interest me, and maybe find a way to tie it to dogs at least. Sometimes it might even be smart, relevant training thoughts, but usually it's not. You've really got to pay attention for the clever topics, but if you are looking for thoughts on velociraptors, dog toys, or dramatic interpretations of non essential life matters then you are in luck. One thing I will do regularly is use this as a progress 'journal,' so be ready for a whole lotta trialing updates. If you skip to the end of those posts I can pretty much guarantee some banter on those non essential matters, or maybe a cool new trick I taught the Dog!
We love tricks here at the Project. We prefer clicker training and lots of rewards in everything we do, and we do a LOT. We do USDAA and AKC agility and will someday stop being scared and show in obedience too. But for now, it's just another trick. I also teach agility to the masses and have done so for most of the...17 or so years I've run agility. I would say at this moment in time I am personally most influenced by Silvia Trkman in how I train and teach (but hey, give it 6 months and I could be on to aliens and butterfly techniques). I love her philosophy- it really encompasses our ideals at the Project. I also love the jumping program from Linda Mecklenburg. So you need to get my POV, those are two good places to start!
Mostly I love to play with my dogs and we have a lot of fun while we 'work' to be awesome at this sport. And when we get tired from playing, we go watch Harry Potter.
