Sarah Reeder

long day

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:42:09 GMT

Wow! It has been a very long day. We awoke to birds chirping at 6am, took the tram to the Queen Victoria Market for breakfast and some quick shopping. Enjoyed the open air market, which runs 7 days per week with ever changing vendors. Had an amazingly filling breakfast of bacon (delicious Australian style bacon) and eggs at Jose's Place, a local restaurant at the corner of the market. A trek through downtown brought us to our rental car place, and we had a grand time just getting it out of the parking lot! Remember the scene w/ Lucy and Ethel? Well, Susan was driving, and let me tell you, navigating was more like co-driving. Hilarious! Made it to our dive shop, snorkeled in the bay, almost got to snorkel w/ the seals but the waves were too choppy for Susan and me. Another adventure in the car and fighting w/ the GPS which directed us through a golf course... And then we made it, half an hour late, to the horseback ride. Thankfully they waited for us, which was so nice of them. A nice trot along a hilly trail brought us to a beautiful beach. Did I mention it had been pouring rain all day up until the end of our dive? When the sun came out as we cantered down the beach, it was a bit of heaven on earth. I envied my horse - he gets to do this for a living! Got back to the hostel horribly late due to there being about 5 million Chapman streets near Melbourne. I have to volunteer all day tomorrow starting at 8:30 am, followed by the 24 hour design competition right after. I hope Susan can stand me tomorrow night! Off to bed, pictures when I have time.
~Sarah

Melbourne!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:59:37 GMT

It is currently Saturday, November 21 at 6:30 pm in Melbourne, AU - Howdy from down under!

Susan and I spent a very long day in flight. We have begun documenting the many wondrous kiosks we encounter as we enjoy layovers in ORD, LAX, and SYD.

I seem to be adjusting well to the time change, as apparently I slept quite soundly on our flight from LAX to SYD. I had no idea - only remember being annoyed by the beeping of the lavatory "occupied" sign.

It is currently raining gently, as I write by the open window in the small private hostel room Susan and I are sharing. The rain held off for us as we walked about downtown Melbourne, discovered the colorful public transit trams, explored china town and has some MARVELOUS sushi - raw salmon has never tasted so good! We will be renting a car tomorrow to drive down to the southern tip of the cape, for some snorkeling with seals and hopefully horseback riding on the beach if there is time. We were also tuned in to a beer garden en route. Conference volunteer duties begin Monday morning, and the design challenge starts that evening. People here have been so helpful and friendly and very happy to tell us where to go and what to see in this big little town. And it's so diverse! Not just the people, but the architecture and the food, and the shopping.

Traveling with Susan is the way to go, I tell you. She has friends that just pop up out of the woodwork, and if she can't find a friend she'll make some new ones.

Having a great time already!

~sarah

Columbus Show

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:53:12 GMT

Porter took reserve winners at the show in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday. His breeder showed him for us, and I was much more relaxed as a result, and I think Porter had more fun, too. Maybe too much fun. You can see in this picture he was pacing again (both feet up on the same side). Pup, pup, pup!

National Specialty in Wilmington, OH

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:43:09 GMT

I showed Porter at the Chesapeake National Specialty in Wilmington, Ohio the first weekend in October. Porter did not place, but we enjoyed seeing all of the Chessies and meeting lots of Chessie people.

Video montage courtesy redchief16

Show Time!

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:59:32 GMT

We took Porter to the "big show" in Indianapolis this past weekend. I was surprised to see so many entries on Friday, 2/13 as it has been my experience that competitive people are often superstitious. I had to laugh when I checked in at ringside and was given the number 13. Porter showed really well on Friday, and took reserve winners (2nd "unfinished" dog). No points, but I was happy I was able to get him to trot in the ring. We were told the dog that took best of winners did so because he had a crisper coat. I don't think there's a whole lot we can do about the condition of Porter's coat - even if we didn't live in the city I'm not sure I'd be willing to make him sleep outside just to improve his coat. We didn't wash him before the show, which can contribute to a soft coat. We did take him to the lake, though, and even we noticed he was softer than usual from swimming in the ice melt. So next time I think we'll try fish oil (a dietary supplement) and lake-and-wash the weekend before (we tried this time but the lake was frozen solid that weekend).

Porter seemed to really enjoy all the attention - he was smiling all day. Even when we got home he was very content and well-behaved on his walk. This is why I think I'd like to continue showing him, even though our contractual obligation to do so is now fulfilled. I enjoy spending time with my dog, and my "unpaid kennel help" hubby, and Porter enjoys it too. I suspect hubby puts up with it because it makes me happy, but now that we can DVR his sporting events I don't hear him complaining. ;)

At the Saturday show we saw about 3 times as many chessies as on Friday. I love seeing so many chessies in one place - you can really notice the differences in their features. Porter has such a handsome long nose and cheery disposition. By far the best dog in my unbiased opinion ;). But especially I notice the differences in coat. The coat is one of the more important characteristics of the breed, and yet there is such variation! Some are wavy like Porter, some are almost kinky curly. And the colors are very different as well, ranging from solid almost-black brown to yellow with dark brown tips. I'm keeping an eye out for the redish-brown coloring - it's beautiful in the pictures I've seen but I've yet to see one in person.

The Saturday judge seemed to really like Porter. Unfortunately I couldn't get Porter to trot, I expect he was pacing out of excitement. I imagine he's singing to himself "pup, pup, pup" as he moves, like a little kid playing hop-scotch. We sat ringside and watched the rest of the breed judging take place, and afterword the judge made a point to come over and tell us to keep trying. He looked sincerely regretful that he couldn't have placed Porter better. That was very encouraging.

I am considering signing up for a show in Louisville in March, but am definitely planing to attend one of the Terre Haute shows the Bloomington Kennel Club hosts in April. Why doesn't the Bloomington Kennel Club show in Bloomington? When I asked at the last meeting, I was told price is the biggest factor - probably because of the university much of the space in town that is suitable is over-priced. I suspect local laws and general local ignorance plays a roll as well, but this is just speculation. It would be nice to see some cooperation between the "show people" and the "rescue people" in town - after all, don't we all have the welfare of companion dogs in mind?

We were able to take Porter to the lake again after the show on Saturday and got in some good retrieves in a part of the lake that was no longer frozen. Matthew got some good pictures and I have some video footage - very cute! I'll see if I can get them posted here.

Short Show

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:11:12 GMT

We took Porter to a dog show in Muncie, IN on Saturday. We arrived as planned with about 15 minutes to spare, but learned the hard way that isn't enough time for pup to get settled. He was so bouncy in the show ring that the judge couldn't see what she needed to see. She was very nice, though, and explained Porter was "pacing", that pacing is when they move the back and front leg together, and let me have an extra run. He went winner's reserve, which is second place in the newbie group. The judge was encouraging as we left the ring, saying Porter has a good body and should do well in the future. Although disappointed that we didn't earn any points, we did gain some valuable experience.

Our next show will be Saturday, September 6th in Owensville, near Cincinnati.

Porter and I hit the Pate Hollow trail again on Sunday. Sadly I found posted on the way out a blanket National Forest law that pets must be "restrained or on a leash". Porter isn't exactly under voice command yet, although he is getting much better. We encountered only 6 people on our entire 4 hour, 7 mi hike on Sunday afternoon (it was more of a long saunter, really), but he scared 4 of them (through no fault of his own). I'm so frustrated! There are literally hundreds of trails people can hike or jog, but none where people can enjoy these pursuits with their off-leash pets. I mean, people can hunt in National Forests for crying out loud! Can't we have an off-leash season, too???

Hike!

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:28:41 GMT

I took Porter for a really long walk on Saturday. We went to the DNR Pate Hallow trail and walked the full 7 mi loop. What a blast! We took some friends along and Porter was glad of the canine companionship - it has been awhile since he's had someone to play with. I was glad for company too - it was a nice visit. About halfway through the hike the trail came close enough to the water that the dogs decided it was time for a swim. Porter was by far the slowest, clumsiest swimmer! But he's getting to be a fairly reliable retriever ^^ - we just need to work on getting him to bring the bumper back to my hand and not to leave it 2 feet from shore.

I am a BIG fan of the Pate Hallow Hike!

Hoping our big adventure was enough to settle the pup for his show in Muncie, IN this weekend. *fingers crossed*

Did I Say Expensive?

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:03:54 GMT

We took Porter to the vet recently because we noticed the sores on his tummy weren't going away, and seemed to be spreading. The vet told us he had a skin infection (yuck!) probably caused by a flea bite (how??? he's on monthly flea preventative!). So we have upped the frequency of the flea and tick medication and have to give the pup antibiotics. I have to shove four pills a day down Porter's throat for a month. Fortunately I've learned effective pill-giving tactics - Thanks CB! Not only that, but these things are $4 a piece - that's $16.00 a day in pills! Go figure - Porter eats $10.00 happily, but turns his nose up at $16.00 in meds, lol.

Porter actually doesn't get too upset at "pill time", though, 'cuz he gets lots and lots of praise when he's done. He makes awful faces, but his tail is wagging the whole time so it can't be that bad. ^_^

Conclusion to 10 dollar poo

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:44:09 GMT

Found it! If you're curious how to retrieve digested items post canine digestion, I have pictures. It was gross, but just too funny a moment not to immortalize in digital pixels. The teller at the bank had a good laugh at my story. Money recovered! ^_^

An update on the fence progress: First section complete! ...27 more to go. But it looks gorgeous! We are staining the privacy fence with a semi-transparent green stain - I love it, it looks very natural - and will finish the lattice work at the top after we are done with the enclosure. I am very excited, but starting to dread Porter's introduction. Though built primarily to keep him in the yard, I don't really want him to scratch up my pretty fence! Maybe he'll leave it alone... *fingers crossed*

Expensive Puppy

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:39:46 GMT

My dog ate it. No, seriously! But the bank doesn't seem to care how my 10 and 5 dollar bills came to be separated into pieces. I guess there was enough of the 5 left to be worth something, but - get this - they want the rest of the 10 back! Porter's poop has never been worth so much.

LOL!

Let's go for a walk!

Thu, 29 May 2008 17:50:23 GMT

Porter got his first point! He did great at our second show last Sunday near Cincinnati. He still wants to say hello to every dog and person we meet, so we are going to have to work on teaching him to ask first.

Here is a link to some recent pictures of the 10-month-old, 90lb little boy:

http://mypage.iu.edu/~smreeder/FINA/porter1.html

For Fun

Fri, 16 May 2008 13:41:47 GMT

Just for fun...

Moving On

Thu, 01 May 2008 19:10:59 GMT

So our April 17th class was, in fact, our last conformation class. *sniff!* It was fun, even in spite of the hour and fifteen minute drive to Indy every week. I felt like I had learned all I could in preparation for our first show, and that now only experience could bring improvement. Still, I was quite nervous. I hope it didn't show.

Our first show was in Eaton, Ohio on Sunday April 27th. Porter received a blue ribbon, but no points. I didn't realize the judge could withhold ribbons, which she did without explanation. We should have had at least one, maybe two more opportunities in the ring, which would have made the $20.00 entry fee and $40.00 gas bill more palatable, but we were instead left wondering what happened as the next breed brushed past us into the ring. Porter's breeder was there to help explain things (thanks Larkin!), though she still couldn't account for the judge's apparent belief that of the 8 Chesapeakes there none were representative of the breed (and two of them were champions!). I'd say we'll just chalk this one up to experience, but it sounds like this occurrence is so atypical we can hardly even do that. Hopefully our next few shows will prove to be better experiences. I am tentatively planning to attend a show in Cincinnati over Memorial Day weekend, and probably one in Troy, OH in mid June.

In the meantime, we've begun taking obedience classes in Columbus, IN, which is about a 45 minute drive for us. Porter was by far the star of the first class, since he's had some obedience before in puppy class there, but he was still his rambunctious, puppy self. This actually proved to be a good thing, as his acting up in class gets us more useful advice. Matthew had to take him to his second class without me, as I had come down with a spring fever (not kidding, I was quantifiably sick!). It's interesting to note that Porter listens better to Matthew now. He's getting a little less of the "you're not the boss of me!" attitude. :)

Now if only we could work on that 5 a.m. roo-ing. "Roo roo roooooo!"

First Win!

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:30:43 GMT

We spent yesterday's class going over individual issues, which was quite nice. Besides Porter's over exuberance, we had three issues to work on. Porter getting too close, not standing still, and - oh, I can't remember the third. But anyway, we fixed all three! I used a new lead position, with the ring under his chin rather than over his head. This is said to give me a more dominant position, and it does give me more control over his head. I also controlled his head better, which helped keep him from moving around to get a better look at the bitch behind him (The dog, not her handler!). Excepting his obsession with the female dog next to him, and so forcefully pulling to play with her that the knot on his lead came undone, I think we did well. We did well enough, in fact, to win the little practice show at the end of class! I think I'll take my $5.00 trophy and have it framed ;).

I believe we have one more class to go, and then Porter will go to his first show next weekend! Wish us luck :).

Hitting the Mark

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:18:45 GMT

Wow, yesterday's conformation class was... exciting. Porter was kind of wound up for some reason. After trying to mark my foot (inside no less) he just wouldn't settle down! The instructor used him for a demo, and Porter pulled him across the room. Embarrassed though I was, I felt a bit smug in the fact that it isn't just me - my dog really is a handful!

Daffodils!

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:30:11 GMT

Yay, my daffodils are blooming! I didn't miss them, and in fact I might have been a tad bit overly pessimistic as they have been blooming for a few days now. Since I was only out of town overnight, chances of not seeing them bloom were pretty slim. Nonetheless, I am pleasantly surprised, and that is not a bad thing :). Now I need to remember to buy (and plant!) crocuses this fall so my yard can be full of pretty purple and white flowers in March too. I'm also a big fan of the native irises I've been seeing lately. I hope I haven't missed the boat on planting those.

Happily Porter has taken to Frisbee, and we're able to wear him out a little bit in the backyard before going on walks. We've also taken him to the open area at the veterinarian's to play and really let loose. He's getting pretty good and can catch most of the good throws we toss. About 70% of my throws end up sideways... but I'm getting better! I have some good pictures from this evening (as good as they get on my camera) but I'm too cheap to upgrade my account so I can upload pictures. Maybe I'll figure out how to do it via Flickr or something.

We have conformation class for two more Thursdays, and then I've signed up for obedience starting the 22nd. I'm looking forward to that - Porter is great fun when he's listening and paying attention. Um, and not marking my leg. I'm hoping that was an accident!

Pessimist

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:17:00 GMT

It figures... we're headed out of town this weekend and _now_ the forecast is sunny and warm. I bet I'll miss my daffodils beginning to bloom. :( I will put on my smiling face for the weekend, though, and try my hand at some optimism since I really have nothing to loose by being wrong this time.

I was able to meet with our district council representative this past weekend and voice my discontent regarding the city's animal laws. I think she was receptive to the idea of pushing for a dog park to relieve the need for _legal_ off-leash play time, and she definitely has a lot of support from our neighborhood in this. My biggest concern, however, is with the mandatory spay/neuter reprimand. I don't know of anyone else in Bloomington who has an intact dog, so I doubt there are as many who share in this concern. It might be time to get in contact with the local AKC. The fact that their web site is no longer operational does not bode well, though. A group without a web presence can't be very active, in my opinion.

So many groups that need web sites - so little time!

Invisible Puppy

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:22:48 GMT

Porter has a cold. I think he picked it up from his friend Neo while they were playing that fateful Friday I wrote about last. When we were home this past weekend to celebrate Easter, Porter and I were both up coughing and hacking all night. Poor Matthew didn't get much sleep! Although his symptoms aren't slowing him down any, we took Porter to the vet when we returned home. Being new to this puppy thing, I wanted to be sure we did what we could to speed his recovery. As I suspected the vet recommended letting the cold run it's course, and encouraged exercise to help clear out Porter's lungs. Another beneficial outcome of our visit was an invitation to play off-lead on the pet hospital's property. Upon hearing our tale of woe, the vet agreed Bloomington's no-tolerance policy for intact dogs is far too harsh. It feels good to have an ally in the profession of ensuring canine good-health and well-being.

On the downside, the vet indicated Porter will still be contagious for about another week, so I left him at home and went to Thursday's conformation class sans pup. Due to heavy rain the fair weather students stayed home and the class was small, with only three dogs present. Invisible Porter behaved impeccably, and I was able to concentrate on the lesson, which was nice.

Showing, I'm learning, is a combination of a thousand little things that must be done at the right time and in the right order. It's going to take a lot of practice if ever I am to get it just right. The instructor announced a workshop he will be giving in Indy the second weekend in April. I hope we'll be able to attend, but April weekends are rapidly booking up for us!

Other than his cold, Porter's doing well. He's 8 months now and is predictably 80 lbs (he's been consistently gaining 10 lbs a month). I thought he was outgrowing his puppy habit of eating socks, but apparently he got two this past weekend. We were watching him vigilantly, I swear, but the Tuesday after we came back he expelled one from each end.

Since we can't go for our nightly puppy romps in the park anymore Porter is getting restless in the evenings. Two walks a day just isn't enough exercise - he needs to run! I'm hoping there will be a break in the rain this weekend so I can take Porter down to the lake. That reminds me I need to call Monroe County animal control to find out if getting caught off-leash at the lake will count as a second offense. If so, I'll have to keep Porter's 30 foot death rope on him... that thing is lethal! (Have you ever seen a puppy on a rope? Talk about getting clotheslined!)

Bad People

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:54:31 GMT

Porter and I got caught *gasp* off leash at the park on Friday. The bad man gave us a ticket, which is no big deal really, except that the city laws are ridiculously severe for intact dogs. Mandatory neutering for a second offense? Excuse me whilst I go sharpen my pen... somebody is going to get an earful.

I Can Haz More Room Plz?

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:59:48 GMT

Last night's conformation class was instructive, but somewhat less helpful than previous classes have been. We did not have show leads with which to practice, and keeping Porter from playing with his everyday leash was difficult. Matthew did observe, however, improvement in our gate, as we were able to gate properly together in a straight line!

Throughout the session, we concentrated on learning to gate at the correct speed so that the handler and dog show as a team, positioning the lead to adjust for the dog's level of enthusiasm, and how to react when a mistake is made while gating a pattern. I seemed to have trouble with this last objective, as I find it very difficult to watch the dog, pay attention to what I'm doing with the lead, and run in a straight line all at the same time. It was good to learn that there is some room for mistakes in the show ring, however; and that mistakes can even become an advantage. We just need (lots) more practice. ^_^

Porter does seem to enjoy this class, even though it can be tiring for a puppy to behave for so long! It is high time for us to purchase a new travel crate for him, and I am hoping a larger crate will make car rides more pleasant, and that his attention span will therefore be longer during class. He is pretty squished at the moment!

No More Ropes

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:54:56 GMT

Sadly, Porter destroyed his "big" rope that he got for Christmas shortly after returning from our last trip home. He managed to chew through the knot in the middle of the 3-knot rope, rendering it useless as a tug toy. Porter, of course, thought it was still great fun to ingest, and thus it was promptly thrown out.

I had to find my puppy a new rope, and ran out within the week to the local pet store to buy one. This time I found one with two huge knots - it was massive. It didn't make a very good tug toy, however, since Porter's big mouth took up all the space between the knots. Porter loved his new rope - too much, in fact. He managed to untie one of the huge knots, and it was rendered tug-less within a couple weeks.

A day or so after this last rope was thrown out, Porter had another "shoelace" incident. I'll spare details, but this time it was the other end. Now, I know he hadn't eaten any shoelaces lately, and this was far too sturdy to have been a tapeworm. I suspect he had been ingesting strands of his rope and they twisted together to form a new little rope on their way through Porter's stomach of steel.

Given this new evidence, I now doubt my initial tapeworm diagnosis. I'm still glad we gave him the meds, since they were easy to administer and had no side affects for him - it's good to know he's definately tapeworm free - but next time he coughs up something strange looking my first and second guesses will be that he chose to put it in his stomach, and only my third guess will allow that it might have ended up there accidently.

Porter "the goat" gets no more ropes!

Quarter Hide

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:17:32 GMT

Porter really seemed to enjoy his second conformation class yesterday evening. At first he wanted to play and wouldn't settle down, but it didn't take him long to understand we were there for "work," not to play with the other dogs. The instructor brought some of his own leads to lend us for the class, and Porter seemed to make the connection that this wasn't his going-for-a-walk leash. In the book I'm reading about showing your dog, the author talks about her obedience/show/sled dogs. She says they know what they're about to be doing based on the equipment brought out, and she can tell by their different reactions to the different collars and leashes. I can see this happening with Porter - he's a smart dog. :)

I can tell the instructor is trying not to favor Porter to do demonstrations with. He praised Porter's "build" again in class, but said he'd "need a lot of work," which I take to mean I have a lot of work to do to be ready to show this "really great chessie." Overall, we really didn't get a whole lot of feedback this time, so I was really glad to have Matthew there for some constructive criticism afterward. I'll be the first to admit I have trouble walking in a straight line, but Matthew put a positive spin on it, stating I am "gracefully crooked," LOL.

The leads the instructor lent us for the class were made out of quarter hide, which, from what I gather on the Internet, is just a low quality strip of leather. The nice thing about the leads we worked with is that they are pliable, but sort of sticky. The lead stays together in a nice little ball in your hand when you gather it up.

I let Porter relax while the instructor was teaching, or working with other dogs. He was rolling on his back, making the cutest "roo roo" noises. It might have been a bit distracting, but just oh, so adorable I couldn't discourage it! If he pulled that in the show ring I just know the crowds would love it - but it'll take a lot of work to make sure he's not too distracting, and that I can get him back up and stacked in seconds.

Next Thursday's class has been rolled into the following week. Having class from 6:30 to 9:30 will be tough - especially followed by an hour and a half ride home. Oh, the things we do for "roo!"

One Special Dog

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:01:40 GMT

We drove up to Indianapolis last night in the awful awful weather to take Porter to his first conformation class. That's confOrmation, not confIrmation - as in "to conform to a standard". Wow - those handlers on T.V. sure make it look easy; there's a lot more to this than I realized. Those dogs standing so nicely are doing so not because they are trained, but because the handlers are trained. Porter was a handful, but the instructor was able to present him to the class and boy, did he look good! I'm so proud of my pup - the instructor said of Porter "you've got something really special there!" and though he praised the class in general, he said this of no other dog.

Although this will be difficult for me, and frustrating because I'm not immediately good at it, I think it will be a very good experience for us both. I'm looking forward to next week, and hoping for better weather!

Sick Puppy

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:30:41 GMT

Poor puppy.

Porter wasn't feeling well on Friday. We went to visit my parents and to celebrate my birthday. The evening ended with a lovely display of Porter's daily digestion, through which I felt compelled to riffle in search of the culprit. I found what I thought was a shoelace, likely eaten by the goat-dog after having been discarded by the shoelace-loving bird. Assuming this was the end of the saga, I thought nothing of it until we got home on Sunday. After all, what is consumption of a harmless shoelace after having survived the digestion of socks, dirt, sticks, and dandelions, not to mention dead mice. Upon arriving home, however, I discovered Larry Bird's shoelaces were still firmly affixed to his play area, and all other known sources of shoelaces had been accounted for.

Tapeworm.

Some Internet research confirmed Porter's symptoms fit tapeworm infestation perfectly. My poor parasitic puppy!

So we went to the vet today, and the Dr. sent us home with a one-time dosage of medication that will allow the tapeworm(s) to be digested. Yummy. Porter is now on a flea and tick prevention regimen, and hopefully we can prevent any future eating of wild mammals.