Keepin' it in the Family

A Great Day for Seastar & Cooper!

Camden is very proud to be a Seastar Toller and Cooper pup!

Fitchburg was, in one word, fun! I love being around all the different breeds and people who share my love of dogs. It makes my soul happy.

Our day started out a little crazy. I don't know why but we thought it was only going to take about an hour and 20 mins to an hour and 30 mins to get to the show. It took "over" two hours according to my GPS. Oh boy! Talk about panic... on my part, not Camden's. She just slept the whole way. I managed to get there in a little less than two hours and make the end of the toller judging.

THE RESULTS

BOB: GCH Lennoxlove Susqudilla's Mini Cooper (Cooper - Cami's Dad)

BOS/WB: Seastar's Northern Cay (Cay)

BOW/WD: Seastar's Northern Jumpin' Jake Flash (Jake)

SELECT DOG: CH Seastar's Welcome Brother (Emmet)

Camden got a good once over from Robyn (Cooper's owner) and the results are good. Laurie said she definitely gained some leg since the last show we went to in November!! Her high white is only about two fingers too high so not that much. Not bad, but some judges won't like the fact the other one has next to nothing. I'm so glad to hear that they all think we should give it a try and have fun with it! Seastar is all about having fun with your dog. 

Jane & Robyn were so nice and down to earth. Just like all "toller people" I've met. I also got to meet Hope, Magic, and Sadie (the original Toller in Seastar!) Jane was nice enough to bring them. They are still beautiful dogs even as they age! 

Laurie brought her dog and was showing me what to do for some basic retrieval training. She also brought three dummies for Cam-cam to use! Camden wanted to chase it down and did a wonderful job... until it came to picking it up. I don't think she has had any "toy" in her mouth with that much weight to it and that large around. She would rather just pick up the throwing rope. Laurie showed me how to make it fun for her and teach her how to hold the dummy at the same time. We have already had a "training session" at home and she got really excited about it. We will just keep working on it until she can hold it herself for longer than a few seconds. 

Overall, it was a really fun day and we learned a lot. Debbie has offered to go in the ring to show Cami and we will most likely take her up on that offer since I am not that comfortable going in to the ring yet.  Probably going to hold out a little for some more training and for her coat to fill in more. Jane said that a lot of changes come between 8 and 12 months! Looking forward to those changes and all of what 2013 has to bring! 

-Ashley

On the Road Again

Back to Fitchburg we go! 

This is going to be short and sweet. I just wanted to inform the Cam-arazzi about upcoming events! 

Camden and I are packing up and headed back to Fitchburg, MA again this weekend. Once again... not to compete, but to be with the lovely ladies of Seastar and support tollers. Jake only needs 3pts to finish! Wow what a boy! He already has had his two majors and is so close to his CH. Maybe Cam is his good luck charm! Crossing our paws!!

I am really excited to be going to another show. I'm sure Camden is also. I know she had a lot of fun last time. I think we definately would have fun doing this, but we shall see where Camden brings me. She opens up doors to places I only thought about. We have so much ahead of us on this crazy journey! I am already worlds away from where I thought I would ever be with a dog. 

I can't wait to hang out with Debbie and Laurie again!! Two ladies who are just so much fun to be around and a wealth of knowledge! Camden will also be able to meet a lot of other Seastar people... including Jane, the lady who started it all. Intimidated doesn't really begin to describe it. I'm anxious and nervous... but oh so excited! I'm sure she is just like every other toller person I have met or talked to, super nice and friendly. 

All rights belong to You Dirty Dog Wash & Boutique

I'm going to have to take Cam by our favorite doggie spa, You Dirty Dog! This place is really awesome. If anyone is in the Southern Maine area (South Portland), I highly recommend them! They are such lovely people with a great facility. Not to mention reasonable priced. Camden's favorite part is their treat bar! So much yumminess in one place! 

Picture they took of Cam-cam last time we were there... right before the first show!

I will be sure to take lots of pictures and post about our experiences at the show! I just hope this flu/cold I have leaves before Saturday so I can really have a good time. Keep checking back for more updates! 

-Ashley 

Curled up with James

A book, silly.

No... this is not a friend of mine, but the author of a book I am reading. Unlike conformation, there is not a class I can sign up for to learn how to train Camden to retrieve. I am not a hunter and I do not know the first thing about hunting. I wouldn't even know where to start to train her to do what these amazing dogs do. Just seeing some videos of them working is intimidating enough. Am I really going to be able to get Cam to do THAT?! (Click the link below... You must be joking. ME?!)

Youtube Video of a Toller at work!

The answer is yes.... ME, with the help of Seastar Kennels and numerous other wonderful people. Maybe even a professional or two along the way. With that in mind, I did what I always do. Ask for advice. I went directly to the person who introduced me to the idea, Laurie (one of the fabulous Seastar ladies). She said a great place to start was with a good book about retrievers and hunting. Not just any book though... a book. 'Training Retrievers for Marshes and Meadows' by James B. Spencer to be exact. She said it would give me a good introduction to hunting trials and the world of a working retriever. I ended up finding the book through a local book/music store and am happy to say it came in the mail yesterday. 

It came! It finally came!

I instantly opened it and was rewarded with the lovely smell of brand new pages and the almost silent crack of a new binding. Ahhhh... the joys of books! Ok, ok... back on track. I could tell after a few pages that Laurie was right. This book is going to be wonderful for me. He provides a wealth of knowledge and doesn't give a ridged timeline like most training books I've read. Those never seem to work. Oh and he mentions "Nova Scotia dock tolling retriever" AND "tollers". I was very impressed! The other books only mentioned labradors and goldens. 

After finishing the first chapter (in which he talks about the following chapters), I can say I am excited to start. It seems like a good program for the amateur handler, aka me. I am going to take his advice and read the entire book before going back and starting to train Cam. 

I'm already seeing how some of her conformation training is going to pay off with hunting trials. She has already started to learn how to read me and look to me for what to do next. She seems like a pro at stay (I may be a bit bias). She has drive and focus that will also go along way in training and trials. She is toy crazy. When I have a toy (or a treat) I am the only person in the world. This will come in handy for those longer training sessions that I'm sure we have ahead of us. 

I also am taking his advice and stopping after chapter one and playing with my pup, saving chapter one for after work tomorrow. Good advice already (no really... that was his advice)! So I am off to do just that... cuddle with Cam-cam and the Quinnster and dream about the future ahead of us. :-) 

-Ashley 

Little Red Duck Dog and Her Ball

Hi everyone! As some of you may know, the world of conformation is very particular and subjective. Each judge is different and have different things that they are looking for. One might be looking at the coloring another movement. Camden has a high white front paw that is a little too high for the breed standard. This isn't a huge problem, but it isn't offset very well. Her other front paw has very minimal white. There is also some other concerns I have, but I wont sit here and list them all... it boils down to her having a lot going against her for showing. A true underdog.

This however does not mean that it all ends. I am going to keep training her for conformation. If for nothing more than the bond and the fun we have training. Not to mention the great manners and control it gives you and the dog. The name of the game is to have fun with your dog! I want to do something we will both enjoy and I think Cami has found her calling.

Being a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever obviously means she is born to retrieve... I believe it is more than that. She absolutely loves retrieving. She goes nuts. Her face lights up and she has the focus and dedication to learning that I haven't experienced in another dog. She focuses on the toy... on me.... and really seems like she wants to learn. She was a natural and picked it up without any real training. I never really taught her to fetch, or bring a toy back, drop it, or leave it. She just seems to get it.

With all that being said, we are going to focus on training for retrieving and hunt trails. I have a wonderful group of breeders who are there for me and support me. After talking with Laurie and really seeing Cami's face light up while retrieving we are going to dive into hunting trials. After all, it is really what NSDTRs are born to do.

This is going to be interesting for a girl who doesn't hunt and has never picked up a gun in her life to transform her and her dog into hunting partners. For now I will not be going hunting with Camden... if that is required I have some family friends who I am sure would love to take her :-)

We are taking it day by day and just trying to have fun. I'm a competitive person and really have been searching for something I can do that I love. I think NSDTRs are it :-) So happy about my choice in breed! I'm loving this journey with an amazing four legged red head!

(Pictures and videos of her playing and fetching in the snow to follow)

-Ashley