Herding -the ball

 Bought the big herding ball in June of 2017.  The Cattle dogs were intrigued from the beginning.  In fact here's the unboxing of said ball

The ball has been through hell & back.   It's been through all sorts of terrain & weather.  For 6 years this ball has been Peryn's & Lada's favorite toy. It is scratched, nicked, & dirty.    

Rich & I thought it might be a nice idea to replace it with a new one & take the old one to the farm.   We had no idea the upset this would cause. 

The ball was given to them & at first they were into it.  Until they realized their other ball....the one they have used religiously was still there in the room.   So to transition them to the new ball, it was placed high up on the shelves.    

That was a fail.    So yesterday Rich removed it from the basement all together.    And now this is the situation.   Definitely stubborn & set in their ways...

   

The Farm

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A doggy slice of heaven
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned the Farm here & there in this blog.    Well, today I'm going to tell you about The Farm.-Red River Dog Farm.

We've been taking our dogs to dog parks & dog events for years. We started with Galen & Sheba, but it didn't happen to often while we lived in Cleveland as we had the fenced in back yard for them to chill out in.  

All of our dogs have different reactions to being at the dog park. Duchess used to go off by herself & explore. For that reason she loved the bigger parks that allowed her that option. Her favorites were Medina, Kirtland,  &  Huron. She didn't mind the other smaller parks if we were meeting someone there (Oberlin).  She didn't interact too much with others. It was rare if she did. However, when she was OVER it, she would head to the gate & face out. Waiting for us to get the hint. She would have LOVED the Farm.

Athena....Athena thrived at dog parks. She was all about other dogs, running & chasing, (AND BARKING).  She could spend forever at those places.  If a park was empty, she was happy just exploring with her siblings. She got one visit a few weeks before she past & she LOVED IT!!!

Now Peryn & Lada. They are NOT normal. In the beginning, Peryn was all about wrestling with his buddies, but as he soon discovered FETCH & later -the herding ball-- dog parks were a vary different experience.

Peryn & Lada tend to play with each other either herding their ball or fetching a ball/toy.   They're not necessarily into playing with other dogs.   Depending on Peryn's mood, he may allow other dogs to play along. When he's like this, he encourages other dogs to play with his herding ball.    Other times, nope. Don't come near him. He doesn't want to be bothered. 

Lada does what Peryn does.  That is only if she feels secure enough to be away from Mom.

So going to dog parks was more about the room for them to run than playing with other dogs. In fact, busy parks were often a pain as dogs & people would get in their way.   When we arrived with the ball & let the dogs loose, we always had people coming up to us to ask about it.  "They never have seen such a thing". 

Peryn loves parks where he has the option to cool down while he plays (pool, pond, lake). He only uses them for the cool down.  Now Lada, she likes to swim when fetching.   Down side is there are only so many places with water for the dogs to swim.   Medina (when not having issues), Kirtland (too long of a drive, Stow (again long drive).     Finding the Farm was a miracle!

I first stumbled upon their website: https://www.redriverdogfarm.com/ when searching for a dog park that was nearer to us ( closest was almost 20 mins- Avon Lake) and that had swimming.   I was unsure as it was a Member Only place.  Wasn't sure if the fee was per dog or per family. So I held off for a bit. 

When one of our long time Husky friends (met because of Duchess!) told us about it, I was able to ask questions & find out more.   We did our Free Play Tour Visit last July. The minute I saw the place, I knew it was perfect for us. 

• Large area for the dogs to play with their ball or fetch.....CHECK
• Swimming area for the kids in the summer.....CHECK
• Warm shelter for the freezing winter....CHECK*
• Swimming pools for a quick cool off ....CHECK
• Areas to explore & roam...CHECK
• Not having to deal with over crowding...or any people at all ....CHECK
• 15 Minutes from the house (closest park to date) CHECK
• Member Only.  Better care for the place....CHECK
• Extremely nice owners who are making improvements for a better experience..>CHECK!

This place was/is perfect.  They breed Portuguese Water Dogs who are often on the property.  The dogs are sweet & hilarious & pretty much leave you alone.   Even when they don't they're harmless, so there are no issues.

You'll notice I didn't mention Volos.   Volos is in a category all by himself. He's not one to play with other dogs. He's more of a hang by his Momma kind of dog.  When he's in the mood, he'll go off and explore on his own.  He always makes his way back to my side though.   

He's happy to just lay down at my feet or plop himself in front of me begging for pets while I play with the Chuck-It & Peryn & Lada.

My first thoughts when I toured the farm was that I couldn't wait to get Athena there.  Even though her clock was winding down, I knew she would love it. I am so glad we were able to take her there.  She was having a good day, so that made it even more special.

There have been a few downsides I'll admit for full-disclosure--that this day was a one off--but it was enough of an inconvenience to us. We stopped by one Saturday morning during the winter.  A family member & friends were there to play ice hockey & took up most of the parking spaces (being a small member only place, there aren't that many).   We ended up getting stuck in the snow & ignored by everyone on the ice. We were stuck for a half hour before we stopped & asked the next "friend" who showed up for help that we were able to get out.   
Marti & Janet have since laid down more rocks to avoid this happening in the future.  Additionally we have noticed a camera set up on the barn now.  Heard from our friend that they were able to speak to them through the camera.  So I don't foresee this being an issue in the future.

While the above happened, the family member also had the dogs running all around un-attended & a few of them continued to bother Peryn when he attempted to herd his ball. Dude was not happy.  The others continued to bark at ours & made playing on their own a bit difficult. 

This all was a 1-time thing & each visit we see more improvements to the Farm. 

One more caveat. The neighbor tends to shoot his gun at times.  So if your dog is extremely reactive to noises like that, be aware.   We lived next to a gun range in the last house (in fact we can still hear it at times) so the sound of gun shots does nothing to them. They still carry on as if it's a normal day.  
Volos---the sweet neurotic fluff ball is not a fan.  So he tries to hide in or near the barn or in my arms.      Most times there isn't any, so we have no issues.

Overall, this is the preferred place to go if you & your dog prefer the quieter side of parks or prefer to play by themselves (Or their pack).   
At most, I've been there when 4 others families were there.  No issues what-so-ever. My dogs did their thing, weren't bothered by the curious dogs that wandered over.    Most times we're by ourselves.   It's large enough with a small number of members to make it a pleasant visit. 

Did I mention the barn? The course equipment? The toys?  Yeah.  There is a barn for the human's to rest in, keep out of the sun or cold. It's heated with a picnic table to rest at.  A beverage or two.   

If your dog is into running agility courses, there is equipment there for that. Need a toy to play with, a bucket of toys is right outside the barn.  Your dog doesn't swim? A small pool is available for them to cool off in.  Human needs to use the restroom, a "nice" (can you call the nice) port-a-potty is near the entrance. 

They had a Lure there when we first signed up that was supposed to be getting fixed. I really would like to try that, so maybe one of these days it'll re-appear. 

To view their page & find more information, click the picture below.

 

 

Dogs, Dogs, and more Dogs....

 November 15 2020

Yesterday morning we headed out to Rocky River to meet up with a group of Berner owners. It was so awesome seeing so many of these big bears.   Peryn & Lada came along and had a blast running around with the others. 
Volos...not so much. He was curious about the dogs, but preferred human company.  

We didn't stay long (45 mins). Afterwards we decided to head to the ALDP to let the ACDs play with their herding ball. 

THAT was a treat. When we arrived there were 3 other heelers.  We were in heaven. They ranged in ages from 9 months to 13+ years.   

And there was also a Frenchie trying to be like a cattle dog.....

It was an PAWESOME MORNING

 

At AVON LAKE 

Pupdate April 18 2020

Pretty girl

There was no update last week.   What originally was going to be our saying Goodbye to Athena was put on hold.   Good news that she still has fight in her after having a couple bad weeks.   
She's had 2 good weeks so far. Even yesterday, while physically hard for her, she was still fighting.  

Her front legs slowly continue to decline.   It won't be too much longer before she can't hold herself up at all.  Not looking forward to that day.

But Athena fans, rest assured she's still with us and still playing with her siblings.

hangin in Momma's office

Peryn & Lada are doing well. Lada continues to bond & play with Volos.  Peryn & Volos continue to but heads. Peryn's been a bit of a butt head as of late with his siblings.   He also still loves heading downstairs to play with his herding ball.  He prefers us down there, but we are not necessary most days.

Lada has really blossomed as of late. She is the best little sister.  She loves on Athena quite often & cuddles with her on the bed in the office.  She plays with Volos often now too. The two of them get along well, which makes us happy.

Rough day

She's been much better than she was a month ago.   No more vomiting or lethargy.    She's been her happy little self.

I did notice that both Peryn & Lada were getting rather chunky in the middle.    All of my dogs have always been fit and healthy.  At first I chalked it up to their DNA as most ACDs tend to be stockier.     Then I realized Volos had filled out as well as Athena.  Athena's was wanted, the others not so much.
I had recently changed food (shortly before Duchess passed) in hopes that Duchess would like it.   Well, the rest of the dogs LOVED it.   So much so that they ate a lot of it and it was higher in calories/fat.     So back to the old stuff.   Need to trim these 2 up like they should be. 

VOLOS!
We have had a BUNCH of firsts to tell you about.    This guy has made great strides.  
 

At Daddy's feet

Dude has slept in our room, of course it was due to the storms, but he slept in our room.      He barks now.   He doesn't hesitate to be vocal when it warrants it.   The others barking- he joins in.  
Mommy down in the basement playing with the others, he barked from the top of the stairs.
Someone walking along the back trail, they all bark.     He doesn't over due it-thank goodness-- but he does let us hear his voice.

He has a favorite toy!    Since a few weeks in, he's taken to picking up things/toys and taking them with him.  He doesn't do much with them, but he does like picking up things.      

It was in Rich's office & occasionally when Volos was in there ready to get up, I would hear it make noise.   I thought it was a coincidence because it was right near where he laid.    Last week when she was done, moving onto another toy, Volos proceeded to roll it around, getting excited & proceeded to pick it up. He then carried it around in his mouth.   

His Ball

He's done this a number of times, getting really excited if someone rolls his ball.    He's adorable!

So for a long while when the ACDs get excited & fly down the stairs to the basement, Volos would run with them & stop at the top. He would excitedly wag his tail from the top of the stairs.   I knew eventually he'd get to the point where he would hate being left upstairs. 

Finally----the dude finally had enough.   This past week as I was downstairs with the pups & I started to hear his paws on the steps.   It went on for some time & before we knew it, he came excitedly around the corner to me.  
After seeing what all the fuss was about, he headed upstairs. Then not even 10 mins later, he was back down.      Now that he knows how to do stairs, he uses them.

The strength in his hind legs is building. He even got on his hindlegs to get to me sitting in the drivers seat after a shopping trip.   Dude is on a roll.

Hanging with Dad watching TV

He's out in the house with us 90% of the time.  Before we'd have to call him out to join us. He might stay with us, he might not.  He tends to be right in the middle of it with his siblings all the time now.   He's very much comfortable in his family.
He still LOVES car rides.  All he cares about it getting in the car, lying in the back seat, & sleeping.   He doesn't care about looking out the window or where we're going. That's all irrelevant.  He loves the car!   

In fact after driving around for a bit, after arriving home I left the car door open in the garage.  He stayed there until I eventually made him come back inside.    If he could, he'd stay in the car all the time I'm sure. 

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

As I mentioned earlier, he & Peryn are still 'at odds'.  They just have stand offs where neither will move & they just growl at one another. 

It's only escalated the one time, but I know another is coming.  I think if Volos would just give in & play with Peryn, most of the issues would disappear.   

We still have issues with Volos in spite of these great strides.  Trying to train him is turning out to be difficult.   He will not sit still or focus to try & teach him.     Raising a voice or trying to put his harness on leads to him "leaking'.    When he's outside he loves to visit the neighbors yards even though we've tried over & over to keep him in the yard. He'll listen & do what he's supposed to 9x, but the 10th he's off exploring. 

A big issue is that we do not have back stairs. Ideally we would let them out the back, watch them, & bring them back in.    No, we can't do that yet. We are in & out of the front door. He sees someone he wants to greet, forget it. 

Handsome!!

Another issue we had, but we've changed, was taking them ALL out at the same time.  Athena requires our focus so we may miss the cues he's about to explore.   We're now breaking up the outings to Athena only & the other 3 only.   

Peryn tries to reign him in. He will chase after him barking & nipping (doing what heelers do) trying to get him to come back home. 
We planned on getting Invisible Fence at this house, but had to put that on hold while we waited for the house next door to get built.  FINALLY 7 months later, it's started.     Coinciding with the Stimulus money, we've begun the process.     Another issue holding it up is the possible regrading of our yard.   In the back there is standing water that does not drain & little spots all over like that. Additionally there are spots where NOTHING grows. No grass, no weeds, nothing.        We need to find out when that can happen.   I was hoping they could do spots, but Rich wants them to do the whole thing.         

We're slowly getting there though!!

Who's a handsome boy?

Cheezburger!

UPDATE on Peryn

His alligator

First, I feel bad that Athena's post /update wasn't that long.   Thing is, she's a pretty consistent and happy girl. She doesn't get into trouble and she just is.   So with that out of the way, let's get an update on Peryn!

Peryn. Peryn. Peryn.  What can I tell you about him?  First off, I love this guy with all my heart.  He's my little dude. There is just something about him that gets to you.  He's my little bully and my big sweetie.  

He has an OBSESSION with his toys: Anything that can be thrown or tugged.   His desire to play with other dogs comes way down the list of things he likes to do.  Well, that's not entirely true. He's content to chase after other dogs if he's got his ball in his mouth.    If there is a rope or it's long in nature, tug is his game of choice.   

herding ball

A new thing that has come into his and Lada's lives is the "herding ball".  It's just a big ole hard plastic Jolly Ball that they can't get their teeth around due to the size and material.  He and Lada go BEZERK running around the yard with that ball "herding" it.   When he's in the mood, he'll push it towards the neighbor, MC, to allow him to play along.  When he isn't, he's content to just play by himself.  

EVERY time the 2 of them go out, they're running towards their ball.   They're nutts!!

We've discovered recently that he's very "sensitive" to some things. He cannot stand getting yelled at.  He cannot stand disruption.  We have been in remodel mode for the past 2 weeks. It involved moving all the furniture on the first floor around from room to room. First to paint the living room and then to accommodate the flooring guys as we got new flooring throughout. 

Just prior to this, he attended a new day care* without Lada and regular day care without her.  He's lost without her.

BALL!!

So for those days he was hiding upstairs-even when we were downstairs.  Dude was not happy about the disruption.   Good news is that we're all done and he's mostly regained his equilibrium.

*The reason they were trying a new daycare & without Lada is this one is open on the weekends. I need a place to take them occasionally on the weekend and their regular playground is not open on the weekends.  Lada was unable to join them because they do not allow dogs over 6 months that are not spayed.    


Peryn is doing well otherwise.  He's a healthy 42 lbs and is just a great companion with a major obsession with FETCH.

He and Lada are still besties and he cannot stand doing stuff without her.  He's mopey when he has to do things without her.    He's been without her several times over the last 5 months or so.  She's come with me on my road trips to Tenn and unfortunately he's been unable to join us.    He's a great travel companion, but the dog at the other end of the trip isn't very hospitable.  Two males trying to show who's boss? Yeah not a great idea.

He really is a wonderful dog that I love so very much.   I'll admit, he's my favorite. It's hard not to love him with his personality--even when he annoys you.

His tug

Gramma loves him to death.  She is one of the few people who actually love to play fetch with him.   Too bad she can't visit more or that he can't visit her.    

He still has his tether tug outside which he LOVES.  Let's just face it, he loves all his toys.   His tether tug is great when he's in a frustrated mood to just yank and shake around things.  It's great when he's by himself.  If you have a Heeler and want one, get the XL size.  He broke the one for his "size" within 2 mins of getting his teeth on it.   

When we take him to dog parks or dog gatherings, he's all about the ball/toy/fetch.  He's pretty non-reactive to other dogs and that makes his a great companion.  He is the chillest passenger in the car-just happy to be along for the ride.    He's going to get to come with us on our next vacation & I"m excited about that!

He loves his Tether Tug

Peryn really is a joy to have in our lives. He was the best quick decision we ever made and don't regret it one bit.   He really helped put this breed on our radar more (we knew of them prior, just never considered them).   He is a big teddy bear and best bud in one furry package.   
He still gets along great with his other sisters, Duchess & Athena.  They really all interact more as a foursome than they did as a two-some and three-some.  I think the four of them are at where the Old Guard were as a pack.   They're fiercely protective of one another and love to play together.  Not to mention, only they can pick on each other--no other dog can!

Tug. Tug. Tug.

after Playcare----tired.

Whatcha doing?

So Very Handsome!