Week 31 Seven Months

45 Lbs, 24" Wither

August 21 2011 Clover is seven months old

Excited to explore Greenwood trails on our weekly expeditions.

Week 30

Clover would rather watch people than the stock cars at Mosport

After the festivities on Saturday at Pointblank we headed to Mosport International Raceway.  As we arrived you could hear the thunderous roar of stock car engines as they sped around the track. I closely monitored Clover's reaction to the noise levels and busy crowds, prepared to call it quits on spot.  I wasn't especially concerned per se, it was more because we had a busy day and everyone was potentially irritable.

Right about now I'm thankful for following the advice of Dr. Sophia Yin to plan ahead for special circumstances.  I'm grateful for the friendly motorcyclists touring our neighbourhood that provided a positive association for our little girl those first weeks home.  The loud motors and strange uniforms came with cookies. Not so scary at all!

Clover handled the chaos in stride. She never flinched or appeared stressed.  In fact, she was quite happy to be perched on the picnic table nuzzled into my lap. Two families (one, a fellow V owner) were surprised by the lack of interest in her surroundings and made a point to speak to us. In part I knew C was exhausted, but she really was quite comfortable with the action in the pit. We didn't stay more than an hour. I wasn't about to push our luck with tired child and dog in tow.  But it was a nice treat to have the tickets so we decided to stop by on our way home.

Still wearing her seatbelt in case we decided to beeline back to the truck

Sunday morning we hiked through Greenwood and Clover dared to play in deeper water.  She was really diggin' the creek.  Later that afternoon she ran free in the enclosed baseball diamond next to our home.  It started out as a game of fetch but those darn bird feathers (goose or osprey) were far more interesting!!  She came to a screeching halt staring down the random plume.  Though usually a fantastic retriever, her favourite red tennis ball has never been abandoned so easily. I can't wait to get on that bird work in the fall.  I'm excited to see what she is capable of, and learn more about hunting myself.

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

I have kept Clover on a commercial kibble diet, but I do bake my own training treats.  It's economical and I'm happy to avoid extra products containing fillers and preservatives.  William often likes to help to with rolling and cutting dough.  These pumpkin cookies make the house smell fantastic!

Pointblank Puppy Picnic

Saturday August 13th was the Pointblank Puppy Picnic & Beretta Day.  Clover slept soundly during the long traffic ridden trip up to Norwood.  That is, until we turned up 7th line. She popped her head  over the back seat, excitedly panting as if to say, "We're here"! 

Waiting for Beretta Day action to settle and the chance to run with the big V's. 

The afternoon began watching some excellent skeet shooting as William played catch and release with grasshoppers along the path.  Then we took a break while Clover waded in the pond (I managed to escape with only soggy shoes ~ sigh).  A short time later there were people arriving at the potluck picnic tent and the canine fun began.

We've never seen so many Pointers in one place!

Making new friends and enjoying the wonderful hospitality at Pointblank

Wrestling with half-brother Fynn

We were a bit nervous letting Clover off lead, but she proved to us that our fears of her running into the horizon were unfounded.  Most times her recall is pretty solid with a few urban distractions, but let's be honest, this was awfully exciting chaos. Field runs to date have been fenced-in or on a 50' training line. From the first moment I unclipped the leash, I prepared myself for the marathon of my life, over hill and yonder. Turns out she faired pretty well among the big pups; I didn't require CPR and she enjoyed every second of freedom!

Stick hunting

Running with Jenny

Learning to range with Jenny

More field fun

William got to run with the dogs too

Tiptoe through the long grass

We were lucky enough to meet some lovely new people and even more fortunate to play with so many Vizsla's!  Liz and Kris were kept extremely busy tending to their guests and 10 GSP pups who decided to celebrate their early birth-day.  It truly was a special event.  

Week 29

One of my favourite times to photograph Clover is when she's resting...much like my boy she is a bundle of energy and I often don't have time to grab the camera to catch all those cute moments the first time around.  So, I've learned to truly appreciate the serenity of a dream.

William and Clover helped with harvesting our tomatoes this morning (August 8/11).  At times it was a bit of a struggle to keep them on track, but we got the job done with lots of enthusiasm and a little adventure.

Touring with bear through the Secret Garden

I'm fairly certain that's one of those "gourmet" blueberry sticks in her mouth

Puppy's way to say thank you for sharing blueberries♥

Some dogs clean their bowl, or the floor...

Ours licks the fridge!

Week 28

Another holiday weekend filled with the best activities Summer has to offer!

Greenwood

Playing in the creek

After our wild safari trip to the zoo, Clover was in need of a special excursion. We took her exploring at the local off leash park.  It was a fantastic hike through the beautiful trails of Greenwood and a positive puppy social experience.  We met at least a dozen or more canine families.  She tracked every butterfly then led me down to the creek.  There, was a great opportunity to watch a dog working in water retrieval and I was inspired to return and continue training under the canopy of this beautiful forest.

Backyard "camping"

William wanted to practice camping.  I hadn't pulled ALL the equipment out in three years so this was a huge undertaking.  Clover kindly offered to help pitch the tent as she collapsed the six person structure on top of me. She jumped and barked at the big red object invading her space, which promptly gave her a front row ticket to watch from the kennel.  When the chaos was finally over she settled down long enough to join in for a quiet afternoon story or two... and some crazy laps through her new private tunnel!




With a nice view of her derriere, I couldn't resist snapping some photos of her relentless search for ??? God knows what she was tracking... but apparently it must have travelled under the fence.  I can't help but laugh at the most awkward contorted positions she gets herself into.

Anybody under there?

Love presents!

Pure puppy dog excitement

Roll it, shred it, prance around the house with it...what to do...

I can't imagine why our shoes are such a favourable item, but they clearly make her happy.  I caught her snuggling my runner in the family room.  All I could do was shake my head and hope to trade it for a more appropriate chew toy.  Silly dog.

Clover stole my shoe for a pillow...

And, she has NO intention of giving it back!

Clovers outdoor kennel

This is Clover's very own outdoor space.  It was originally designed to fill a 8 x 8' area but after much consideration, the long, more narrow run was practical for the yard. It's also better for sectioning into rest, feed, plus elimination zones.  As a result we lost the use of the pre-fab roof.  I've planted clematis along the sides to grow on a new custom trellis to be installed.  It should then become a shaded shelter and somewhat water resistant too.  There is still much to do to personalize it (I have some special ideas) but she clearly is very comfortable in her kennel.

Taking a nap while we enjoy an afternoon swim