Back to reality

Enough with the pretty pictures. We've been playing catch-up for the last couple of weeks. Finally caught up on orders at the shop - thank goodness in this technologically advanced age we were able to keep in touch with customers through email while we were away, and were even able to place tag orders remotely! (If you haven't seen the new Red Dingo Tribal-design tags, you should. I especially like Tribal Arrow.) 
This last Saturday we hosted the first annual C.A.R.E. Scare to benefit the volunteer organization for the local animal shelter. Check out the photos! Everyone, especially the dogs, had a super-fun, scary time!
And on the training front, we've been working away. In Agility Class, our instructor has been bending our brains with mind-twisting, confusing layouts that make no intuitive sense whatsoever. (This is in the Intermediate Class....) She said her objective is to test the dog's ability to stay with the handler. OK, we both got it wrong!
Back to work! - Fran

What happened to Halloween?

Friday is my day off. I was totally, totally psyched for trick-or-treaters. For some reason, it's usually Fran who gets to see them and I get to hear all about how adorable they were and how cute their costumes were and how they even dressed their dogs in costume to go trick-or-treating.
Trick-or-treat hours in our town are 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. So I got totally ready - even prepared a casserole early, so I wouldn't be busy cooking when the doorbell started ringing. Candy was ready in a bowl, top window of the screen door removed so the dogs could see the kids and not get out. I was ready!
And nothing. Hours and hours of nothing. One group finally showed up about 5:30, another one child about a half hour later.
After the second time the doorbell rang, Dax sat by the door waiting for the next time. She adores seeing the kids. It never happened. She was disappointed. So was I.

Lessening the Halloween headache

A few years ago, trying madly to contain four dogs who all wanted to lick tiny little trick-or-treaters to pieces, I came up with a great idea. And for no cost whatsoever - I'll share it with everybody. Those of us with dogs will use it about once a year - every Halloween.
It's not exactly a dog-friendly holiday. The doorbell rings constantly for four hours. And the dogs weren't allowed to see any of our visitors, for fear they'd dash out into the night.
I solved our problem by taking out the top window of our self-storing storm door. I lock the storm so it can't open, even when four furry bodies go dashing at it.
Even the tiniest trick-or-treaters can hold up their loot-sacks for me to toss in some goodies.
The dogs get to see the kids. The kids get to see the dogs. It's a win-win situation for everybody. Including the people over at Bayer. Whose fine analgesic pain relievers we rely on tonight.