The story of one little black dog, the one who changed so much...

Just about 10 years ago, I was 7 years old. I was with my Great Grandma and Grandma as we went to pick out their puppy. I knew I'd be spending just as much time with this new dog as they would, as I would always sleepover there and take visits down to their house all the time. We walked into the house where the puppies were. One of the parents was a purebred Shih Tzu, and the other was a purebred Miniature Pinscher. I believe it was an oops litter, as I have no idea why someone would breed those two breeds together haha, but it was a perfect oops litter <3. 

There were a bunch of pups. All of them were males, light brown and seemed to have wirey short coats, except for one....

This one was a dark shiny black, with longer hair and was a female. They called her little Lady.

We all knew instantly that this was the pick, hands down. We took her home to my Grandma and Great Grandma's house. She was the most perfect oops litter free puppy that you could ever pick up. 

We soon realized that Lady was not going to be appropriate as a name! Right from the beginning she'd follow everyone around like a shadow, and wouldn't leave until you did and there we got it; Shadow. I have never known a dog to suit it's name so well, even though it's so simple. Right from the get go. 

As time went by, I grew a bond with this pup. I grew one very strong. She'd listen to me, she'd follow me, she loved me. I loved her just as well. She was perfect. I wasn't allowed my own dog quite yet, and  Shadow was the closest I got for almost 7 years so she felt a whole lot like my own. 

My Great Grandma passed away a year or so ago and I'm sure this hurt Shadow a whole lot, considering she was mostly my Great Grandmas dog. She followed her everywhere, she was her little Shadow <3. Just recently, Shadow has been having a few problems, anywhere from arthritis to going partially blind or deaf to losing all of her teeth. It was time and just within the past few days my Grandma made the decision and had to get Shadow put down to stop her suffering. I wish I could have said good-bye.

I will never forget this little dog and all of the lessons she ever taught me. Run free little Shadow, run free throughout the rainbow bridge and jump into Great Grandmas lap again and kiss her and stay with her forever now.

I love you, you little black dog <3

~July 17th 2002 - August 2012~

Kelowna Trip Soon!

Hai ho, hai ho!

Yes! Back to this place we go!

Ahh! Words cannot describe how excited I am! From August 23rd-29th, we're going back to Kelowna, British Columbia! My mom, Andrew (boyfriend) and I are heading out there and I'm OH so excited! Living in a province like Alberta (in a part with no mountains for a few hours of course ;)), you get quite excited to get back into the mountains ESPECIALLY when it's been a year since I've seem 'em last! 

I'm going to get to see Paris and her dogs again, well, until next year :(. I'm SO stoked to be seeing her and the dogs again one more time for this year (she spent july 6-16 at my house in Alberta). We're going to be doing a lot of stuff at the dog beach, and probably walking up in the trestles again, but who knows what we'll do. I think Paris will be taking a ton of photos as usual, and I'll be making a very awesome video like this one from last year when I went! :)  But I promise, it might even be better ;) hehe.

I'm also entering a Huckleberry Hounds trial, on the 25th and 26th! It'll be awesome to get some more runs done in a different place! Especially since I focus better on myself because I don't know anyone around me. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm entering in 6 runs; 2 advanced gamblers (to get that darn title hopefully!), 2 masters snookers, 1 masters standard and 1 masters jumpers! :) I wish there were more jumpers, but I'll take what I can get. It's going to be a ton of fun and I hope to come home with more Q's than I did last year at this trial! :) 

I'm all so excited, and it's JUST ABOUT a week before we leave! Ahhhh!!!

So much excitement, I just cannot wait! 

July 6th-16th 2012 = Paris Visits!

Yes, I admit.. I'm very bad. I need to start posting as soon as things happen and not a month later!

So, anyways! My good friend Paris came to Alberta this from the 6-16th of July to visit Shyloh and I!

I went up there to British Columbia last summer, so we decided she would come down this summer. She brought both Roxy (Border) and Juelle (Shepherd) down with her. Roxy and Shyloh kind of have this love thing going on...

Anyways, on the 6th we got all settled in and figured out our stuff and just hung out for the most part :) We had a trial the next 2 days so we went to bed fairly early :)

Day 1 of the trial (July 7th) was a not too bad one actually! Shyloh went into the first advanced standard and rocked it, but had a refusal on the last jump of the course, as it was a serp and I just didn't pull her back in enough and she instead got distracted and ran past. Oh well, she tried wonderfully! My 2nd run was another advanced standard that she ROCKED! She did so amazing, although it was a NQ, it was my favourite run of both the July 7-8 and July 14-15 weekends. She ran a beautiful run entirely, amazing quick weaves for her at a trial, and then BAM off-course tire as she is VERY good at following her line and I failed to call her but I can't complain as it was a GORGEOUS run :)

The last run was another advanced standard. She was a lot slower during this run, but I don't blame her as the day ran on and on, and it was very hot out actually! She ran the course entirely clean, although slower; it was still a Q!! This was our 2nd leg towards our AADC [Advanced Agility Dog of Canada] title! Ahhh! So exciting! 

[See Her Awesome!]

Day 2 wasn't so well, but that's fine. We first had an advanced gamblers run... You see, advanced gambler is my nemesis. I just can't manage to get this last advanced gamblers Q to get my AGDC title and be in masters gamblers! I ran the gamble nicely, she earned quite a few points, but sadly it wasn't recorded until the buzzer rang for the main gamble to start... She performed the gamble nicely up until I stopped and it pulled her back into me which then caused her to get distracted and walk past the last jump of the gamble :( Silly dog, why can't you just jump it instead of walk past it! 

Oh well, so anyways!

Then I had a masters jumpers run. This run was. hands down. my worst run I think I have almost ever run with her. She was stressed right off the bat and it did NOT help that there was a nasty threadle right in the first 3 jumps. She was so *bleh* that she knocked a bar and just wasn't trying AT all. So I stopped and petting her, gave her some reassurance and then kept going :) I tried my best, it didn't help much but oh well, I guess she tried. This run was definitely a NQ for sure.

Our last run was another masters jumpers. But guess what!

AMAZING.

It was Q/1st, 36.81 seconds! She did amazing, what else can I say. I love this run and I'm VERY proud of her :)

[See, she rocked it]

So, yes only 2 Q's for her out of the 6 but that's fine! She tried and I think she did pretty well, although I was really discouraged after the trial because of her jumpers run that went bad. I honestly can't help but feel that way because I don't know whats stressing her out, and I can't help her :( It makes me feel horrible, sometimes I just want to break down and cry but I know I have to stay strong for the both of us :)

Anyways, Roxy earned an advanced standard Q as well that weekend, which was also her second leg towards her AADC title as well! Juelle got an AWESOME starters gamble Q which moved her up to advanced standard! Juelle also got a NICE starters jumpers Q :) Not bad for a starters dog, she's doing amazing! I also got to run Juelle in a starters jumpers run as well. She was VERY fun to run, although the course was so short haha! She had a bit of a bobble where she looked for Paris, otherwise she ran very nicely for me and I enjoyed it a lot!

If you'd like to see the videos of Paris, Roxy and Juelle, you can see here and here.

Anywho!!! While we had the rest of the week 9-13 we just messed around and had fun together :) Paris took a TON of pictures of the dogs and they all turned out amazing. I will share some, write a bit more about the 2nd trial, then share some more :)

These dogs love some dog diving! They even got featured in the newspaper for my city :)

We had another trial on the 14th and 15th of July. This trial unfortunately did not go so well with ANY of us. Shyloh and Roxy were their usual selves [stressballs!]. 

On the first day, I managed to somehow walk my masters jumpers course wrong [adding a tunnel where it shouldn't have been], so I ran it clean MY way [with added tunnel], but it a NQ cause of that tunnel off course :(. Paris managed to realize we had walked it wrong, so she was safe when she ran Roxy and did not add that extra in, but sadly Roxy was 2 seconds over time so did not Q.

The second run was an advanced standard. We only needed 1 Q for our AADC title [both Paris and I]. Shyloh ran the course clean, and I got excited, only then to realize she was 1.5 seconds too slow and Roxy had 5 faults in her run. Darn, we were both very close...

Not quite any Juelle Q's yet, but her jumpers was quite nice otherwise :)

Our next run was another advanced and GUESS WHAT!?!?!?

Roxy and Shyloh BOTH Q'd, and had very nice runs :)

That means our AADC title for both dogs!

Shyloh and her AADC ribbon :)

We then had gamblers to run. Once again, I only need 1 Q for my AGDC! We ran the courses, Roxy almost Q'd but was a bit over the time [went through last obstacle as buzzer went] and Shyloh JUST about Q'd but didn't because she was a bit too slow, darn!

You can see my July 14th trial video here and you can see Paris' July 14th video here.

Anyways, a few photos of the crew and then the Day 2 info!

The 2nd day of the trial brought us a TON of stress and grief. It was raining all day and very gloomy out, lovely. We didn't have sweaters so we needed to run to the nearest wal-mart and buy one! 

Very rainy out!

Anywho, we had our first run which was an advanced gambler. Shyloh ran past the last jump, or should I say walked, and earned a refusal which earned a NQ for the gamble AGAIN, DARNED GAMBLE. Roxy got a nice gamble Q and earned her AGDC title. 

Then we both ran our first masters standard runs ever, and both dogs did not do so well =/ Shyloh decided it was cool to drink in all the tunnels due to the downpour and I decided to take her off of the course, I'm sure she did not mind that however....

After that VERY discouraging run, me and Paris were both very down and didn't really want to continue the day much... along with a few others, ahemmm, things going on earlier that morning.

Juelle ran a nice starters standard and earned a Q for that at least! :)

Paris ran steeple with both her dogs while I waited around for my next run :)

Then we ran masters jumpers with Shyloh and Roxy. 

Shyloh Q'd this masters jumpers in 39 seconds, with a TAD of a bobble so technically it'd be MUCH faster ;) but anyways, thats her 2nd masters jumpers and only 2 more for a title which shouldn't be too hard with Shyloh as she LOVES her jumpers, as do I! 

You can see my July 15th video here and Paris' July 15th video here.

Then Paris had to go back to British Columbia on July 16th, which sucks but we had an AMAZING time together and so did the dogs. Paris and her brother made me a teeter base and gave it to me as a present for letting her stay over for 10 days! I am so grateful for it, and am so glad Paris came this summer. I might be going back to British Columbia at the end of this August [2012] to see them again as well! I am planning on entering a trial there as well and trying again with Shyloh and seeing where she goes from there. Sorry for such a long post, I'm sure I'm forgiven!