Cujo No More

In February 2009, a very special litter of puppies arrived at Casselcreek, the Hannah x Quake litter. Beautiful babies, big, bone, coat, healthy, playful, and content. Well-behaved, easy little puppies, too. Well, except for one, blue merle puppy girl #5. She started out as Shiloh but her behavior quickly earned her the nickname "Cujo". There was no stopping this puppy. Very independent, very determined, inquisitive, brave, strong, and STUBBORN. The first puppy out of the pool, but also the first puppy to scale the ex-pen, the baby gate, or the wooden barricade and flop on the floor to freedom. There was no keeping her contained so I gave up and stopped trying. She was always happy to snuggle in a corner by herself and snooze away from her siblings. She was never an unsocial puppy, never standoffish, just determined to explore the world on her own, impatient to wait for the others to follow.



I knew this little girl would require a very special home with dog-savvy owners, familiar with Aussies, and able to keep her challenged. Thank goodness for Annette and Dave. Annette has successfully trialed Aussies in CKC obedience, and I knew this puppy had likely found her match with Annette. Pretty little puppy soon lost the Cujo handle, and was affectionately named Zoey, by Annette & Dave, registered as Casselcreek I Totally Rock -- and ROCK she does!

In the nearly seven months since Zoey has headed to her wonderful home, I have been the very proud recipient of multiple updates on this incredible little girl. Zoey sailed through puppy classes and has gone on to basic obedience classes, and is now enrolled in classes geared toward the performance puppy headed for a career in the obedience ring. Here's what Annette has to say about Zoey ...

"After just four competitive classes, our instructor gave Zoey and I a really nice compliment after class. She told me that I have a “natural handling ability” and that Zoey is “an exceptional dog” and that she “sees us in the top percentile in the ring”. That was music to my ears! She is a very picky instructor and I love that…I’m picky too. Her classes combine Novice, Open, and Utility skills which is great. Zoey learned the “Stand” command in about two minutes last week. I was delighted! It’s a very positive, upbeat, and fun atmosphere. Zoey loves it there and has a ton of fun learning…sometimes too much! She’s such a clown. She gives me 100% while we’re there and then she has a nice little snooze on the way home. If I haven’t said it recently, thank you so much for our little Zoe-Zoe! She is the perfect fit for us."

In anticipation of a long, cold winter, Dave and Annette purchased a treadmill for Zoey and each morning she has her routine. "Wake up, race downstairs (last one down is a rotten egg!), eat, drink, potty, treadmill (while we have breakfast), play with dad before he leaves, potty, hang out with mom until she leaves, practice obedience stuff for 10 minutes, potty and finally expen for naptime. She is a great little doggie. We love her so much. It’s so funny in the mornings, if we take too long to turn on the treadmill she stands on it and starts squeaking. She cracks us up…sooooo much personality".

Zoey and her family are also very lucky to have Mike and Val and Jenna close by in Edmonton as well. The "girls" get together a few times a month with their "parents" for hikes through the river valley and rambunctious play sessions only other Casselcreek kids can truly appreciate.

Casselcreek Pop Rocks, "Jenna"
Casselcreek I Totally Rock, "Zoey"

Happy Trails ... Theresa

Casselcreek Hot Rocks -A Day In The Life

While "flipping" through the blog the other day, one particular puppy popped into my head and prompted me to send his owner a quick note to see what puppy "Deke" has been up to recently. Terry returned with such a nice, newsy email I've just decided to share it here. If all doggies could only be so lucky. Terry says,

"Deke is doing great. He loves his morning runs. I drive out to the main road before we start. On the way out and on the way back he whines, yips, and shows all kinds of excitement. Not much of a run for him, the more I think about it. As I age, I try to keep my heart rate lower. I love to run but my pace has gone from a run to a jog and at times now it feels like a walk. Deke still gets the opportunity to scamper up and down the road. He doesn't go far from me. Probably because of his protective dad. Always on the look out for cars, deer, and now these funny things with prickles all over the place.

He found a porcupine the other day in the early morning darkness. I think Deke thought it was some garbage to go sniff. As he approached, I noticed him walk around this dark object. Luckily I was right off to the side. I gave Deke a quick call and he left it. No harm to either party.

Deke has found out how to lift his leg. On the morning runs he lifts his leg on everything. After a while he has nothing left to urinate on but he tries anyway. He now has to check out my tires to see what new wonderful smells may be on them or under the back end of the truck. Around the yard he will wander a bit more as he knows his way around everywhere. It may pose a problem down the line as I do not like a wandering dog. I will probably install that invisible fence next year. I don't like it when he gets out further than I can see.

Deke barks very deeply at wildlife. Deer, moose, squirrels, and coyotes. I have been able to call him off deer on three occasions. He is beginning to understand that they should not be chased. We had a young bull moose around daily in early September, before the rut started. He would eat crab apples out of the bird feeder daily. He and Deke became well acquainted each day. Deke would run out barking and attempt to chase him off. Moose, for the most part, are not afraid of dogs and he sure wasn't afraid of Deke. At times they would chase each other back and forth.

Deke's only bad habit is how he loves to jump up and purposely run into you (note from the editor/breeder, must definitely be a Casselcreek trait). We are working on this daily and hopefully will have it resolved down the line. We found the more we swat at him or lift our leg up to protect ourselves, the more he likes it and thinks of it as a game. When I come home, I find its best to make him sit or get on his mat. That way I have some control. He gets his very excited loves and pats.

How is everything with Deke? Just great."

Happy Trails ... Theresa

Bridgie-bridgie-Bridger

On my trip to Greeley, as we traveled south through the Bozeman MT area, we passed a few signs indicating the Bridger Mountains. Made me think rather fondly of my own little Bridger at home. Cute little red tri boy that he is. Hardly "little" though, as this fella has some size from his daddy's side of the family.

After winning my new kick-a** Metro dryer with 4.0 HP, I've been giving it a pretty good workout with Gracin and Bridger both already having to succumb to a bath and blow dry. No point in having only one well-groomed Aussie in the house. Belle is more than happy to see the others endure the shampoos, blow drying, trimming here and there, nails attacked with the Dremel, etc.

Yesterday was Bridger's turn and if I may say so myself, this guy is turning out quite nicely. Lots of coat, again thanks to his dad's "coat gene". He's such an easy going fella, a gem on the grooming table, and a very easy boy to live with. Plus, he's red so he's already got an awful lot going for him. Now, if we could only get a nice smile for the camera.

Happy Trails ... Theresa

A nice little read

My dear friend, and Casselcreek puppy owner, Jill Crossland, interviewed me a little while back about life behind the scenes of Casselcreek. Jill wanted to share with the readers of her blog, what it's like to breed and successfully, carefully raise a little of purebred puppies.

We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch together at one of my favorite spots, the Saskatoon Farm, and over our couple of hours there, had a in-depth chat about what I do and why I love what I do when it comes to my dogs. The end result, is a very complimentary article I hope you'll enjoy reading. You can find it on Jill's site at http://timefindersmagazine.com/articles/coast-to-coast/2-coasttocoast/177-patience

P.S. For autographed copies, Belle and I will be available by appointment LOL

Happy Trails ... Theresa

ASCA Nationals 2009 ~ the road to Greeley ...

... and back again. And it was a helluva long road. Total kilometers on my brand spanking new van was 4933 km round trip. Yikes! That's a lot of miles, or kilometers.

The days before heading south were suuuuuper busy, trying to get as much work done up as I could, offloading work to my helpers, and finally turning off the computer. I KNOW! I can't believe it either. I actually turned off the computer. I did, however, have my laptop and my "crackberry" with me so I was still rather connected LOL. Belle had her first of several baths, Auntie Tammy came to help groom her and give me a little pep talk, I ironed show clothes, hemmed skirts, and packed and repacked until I was sure I had everything I needed, and probably lots I didn't really need.

My traveling & hotel partner, Erin, was here at 6:45 a.m. on Thursday September 25. We loaded her boy, Chipper, and his crate and all their gear, along with ours, and after a stop at Tim Horton's, officially hit the road at 8:10 a.m. We made several stops along the way to potty dogs, potty people, and refuel both the van and our Red Bull and Rockstar energy drinks. Just shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday, we arrived in Buffalo WY where we stayed the night. Up and at 'em early the next morning for our final four hours into Greeley, CO. We arrived about 12:45 p.m. and as we entered the huge fairgrounds, the anticipation and excitement was obvious as both Erin and myself were a little short of breath with hearts racing and palms sweating. I think we felt like a couple of country bumpkins, taking it all in. The dogs could feel the excitement in the air too, as they squealed and whined to bust free of their crates and see what all the hoopla was about.

As soon as we entered the Event Center where registration took place and we picked up our welcome bags, I knew this was going to be a spectacular Aussie-filled week. Soooo many Aussies already, hundreds of expens and crates, RV's, benching areas set up, agility equipment, and in the distance you could hear cattle and sheep, ready for the stockdog trials.

A few hours after arriving, Belle and I were so pleased to finally meet her Grannies in person when Loretta King and Nancy Gagnon of Buff Cap Australian Shepherds arrived. You know how my puppies never forget me? They know my scent, they recognize my high-pitched nasally Granny voice?? It was no different for Belle getting reacquainted with Loretta. Tears from Loretta, tears from me, and lots of squeals from Belle as she launched herself up into Loretta's arms. It didn't take long for Nancy to grab the thinning shears and do a little touching up on Belle, and then to give us some handling lessons and share a few tricks and secrets for stacking. I am in awe of these two incredible women, mentors, friends. I also had the opportunity to meet Brent Kindred, another Buff Cap owner from Wisconson, and that evening the four of us enjoyed the first of several Mexican dinners I had that week.

Day One, Belle and I did a pre-show where she showed beautifully, I got my nerves under control, and we made the cut out of a class of nineteen 12-15 month old bitches. WOW. Being in the ring with the number and caliber of dogs that we were with, plus the large crowd of spectators watching, was a little overwhelming. Fortunately, we were never without Granny Loretta on the sidelines, giving me the thumbs-up.

Day Two, another pre-show where we were entered in 12-15 month Sweeps and 12-18 month bitches. After the Sweeps, we were in possession of our first ribbon as Belle won Second place under Judge Regina Gravette. There's money involved with a Sweeps placement and we pocketed $12. It was wonderful showing to Reggie as I've always admired her Aussies and came close to bringing one home before I found my little Belle.

Day Three, another pre-show and here we placed FIRST in 12-15 Sweeps (another $33) and came soooo close to taking it all in the Sweeps finals under Judge Jeanne-Joy Hartnagle. In the end, the win went to another girl, a Las Rocosa type of bitch which Jeanne may have preferred, but we were still so very proud. Several people came up to me afterward to let me know they felt the win should have been ours, that they'd have given it to us, or just to compliment me on Belle and inquire about her breeding. Huge compliments indeed. When people who introduce themselves as Breeder Judges compliment you on your wonderful little bitch, you just know you're going to have fun and go places with this little girl. Love you, Belle.

Next up was the Nationals Sweeps where we placed Fourth under Judge Eric Brickson (another $17). In the Nationals 12-18 month class, we were in the ring with 30 beautiful Aussie girls and although we didn't make the final cut, we were sure pleased and proud to be there.

Official show photos are up on my website, just follow the Nationals link.

I learned so many grooming tips from Loretta and with the knowledge I already had, along with Loretta's help, the two of us spent some time helping Kelly with her red boy, Nemo, moving him along to a Third place finish in the Nationals Open Red class. Congratulations, Kelly. Nemo looked fantastic. Due to conflicts for Kelly with her collection of Aussies (she took seven down there), I also handled puppy Elton to a Third in puppy sweeps, and Sizzle (Belle's cousin) to a Second in 15-18 Sweeps under Reggie Gravette.

During my down time, I was able to tour around Greeley a little and with the help of "Gloria", my trusty GPS, it took no time to locate the Target, Walmart, and Kohl's stores.

One of the highlights of our week in Greeley was the ASHGI "basket" raffle. Each year, the Australian Shepherd Health & Genetics Institute holds a basket raffle and encourages clubs to put together a basket, win the challenge, and support research into the health of our breed. The "challenge" comes in being the club who puts together the largest bounty of prizes. This year, the challenge was won by a group of enthusiasts from Blue Isle/Caitland, as they put together a "basket" worth about $4500. HOWEVER, the real big win came when they called the name THERESA CASSELMAN to come up and claim the runner up prize in the basket challenge. This "basket", won by yours truly, valued at approx. $1200 contained an expen, a booster bath, wire crate, 4 hp Metro dryer, a grooming smock, tons of shampoos & conditioners, a gazillion brushes & combs, and multiple toys, treats, and other assorted goodies. I was almost speechless, except for the loud "yipppeeee" I let out as I headed to the front to have a look at the booty. The real "challenge", however, came in trying to pack all this additional gear into the van to get it home and across the border. Fortunately for me, Kelly immediately purchased the booster bath (I already have one) so taking it home became her problem and no longer mine.

After coming out of the ring a few times, there were several people who came up to me and extended a warm handshake, introducing themselves as so-and-so from such-and-such kennels. Breeder judges, well respected breeders, new friends, and fellow ethusiasts of the breed. It warmed my heart to have people seek me out to congratulate me on my results in the ring with Belle, to inquire about her pedigree and where she came from, and make inquiries as to when I might be breeding her. I've always known I've got a fantastic little girl here with Belle, but to hear such honest compliments about my StinkerBelle, is SO encouraging for a very exciting future with Belle. I believe I handled her very well, I conquered my nerves and my fears in the show ring, she showed her heart out for me, and I think we're a pretty great team. Of course, she's still as obnoxious and in-your-face as always, but that's part n' parcel with Belle, isn't it?

The week came and went quickly, measured by ring times, grooming sessions, buffet suppers, early morning wake-up calls, late night gab sessions with Erin, and finally an all day/all night drive back home. We left Greeley at 10:30 Saturday morning after a few tearful good-byes. The original plan was to go as far as Great Falls, stay the night, and do the final five hours the next morning. It was still early when we got into Great Falls, ie "only" midnight, and since the van was so jam-packed with things that unpacking and unloading just to get our suitcases out didn't seem worth it, we decided to keep on driving. Going through the border was easy and quick, stopping at Tim's in Lethbridge was mandatory, and carrying on through some ugly Alberta weather and snowy roads was crazy. Nevertheless, we arrived back in Strathmore at 6 a.m., safe and sound, and very happy to be home. Belle patiently waited while we unloaded everything around her and then she flew all around the yard, in the dark, gripped by a very severe case of the puppy zoomies, very relieved to run and stretch her legs sans leash.

The rest of the Aussie crew was happy to see me, Paisley forgave me for leaving her behind, and my human boys faired pretty well, too. First order of business after unpacking ... to Google WACO TEXAS and plan our Mapquest route to the 2010 ASCA Nationals. Anybody wanna go??

Happy Trails ... Theresa