Anything she can do...

Bail can do better! ...or so he thinks.

Lilly got to work on agility jumps today. I can't tell whether she really even likes it yet. Lilly seems generally annoyed by expending energy just for the sake of expending energy. She would be happy to chase small furry animals for hours, but roller blading makes her look at me wondering what kind of drugs I might be on, and when I'm planning to end this nonsense and just take her home. The same seems to go for the jumps. She looks at me as if to say "Yes, Mom, I know what 'hup' means... I just don't know WHY you are asking me to do it."

I wonder if they offer herding lessons anywhere around here.

I can tell you Bailey was pretty pissed that he had to stay in the fence while she did it. Bailey likes the jumps. Bailey, for that matter, likes anything that he can do in a wild and out of control manner in order to push me just a little closer to a full out stroke. It's just his way.

I keep telling him he's getting too old for it, and he's going to hurt himself if he's not more careful. He thinks that's hogwash. I can't say I blame him. Sometimes, in my mind, I can still do cartwheels without pulling a groin muscle and rendering myself crippled for a week. It's the body that serves as the violent reminder that, No, you most certainly cannot still do everything you could 10 years ago.

Anyway, when Lilly and I were finished (and I had reached the level of sweatiness I was willing to tolerate for one training session), I figured I would let Bailey have his fun. I was pretty impressed that he didn't cheat the jumps, which has always been his specialty. Of course, the jumps were very much in a straight line.




Yes, Bailey knows how to do a "Sit/Stay", but he really does not like to sit anymore. I can tell it hurts him. So, I don't make him.
Usually, if he has to stay for any length of time, he will just lay down.

Can I just say how funny I find it that Lilly is running right along side him... on the OUTSIDE of all the jumps. Hilarious! Little brat.

Note to Self:

Bailey does not understand the concept of a chicken popsicle. He decided he wanted to eat his chicken, and he wanted to eat it NOW. No glass baby food jar was going to stop him - so, he just crushed the jar and started trying to chew up the remains to get the chicken out. I don't think I've jumped off the couch and run through the house that fast in all my life.

Note to self: No more frozen baby food jars for Bailey!

Mmmmm....Chicken Slop

Ok, so I'm not eating anything created in this post. That's ok. The dogs think it's some of my best cooking.

First, find an all NATURAL (no injected "juices" or "flavoring") chicken. Here's how to make delicious "Chicken Slop".

1 - Get a pot big enough for a whole (cleaned) chicken, toss in the chicken, cover the chicken with water
2 - Put burner on low and go do something fun and exciting all day while the chicken cooks (preferably out of the house - the smell of the cooking chicken could make your dog insane!)
3 - By the evening, the chicken should be ready for dismantling. Dismantle chicken.
4 - Place meat (NO bones) removed from the chicken in a food processor. (Do this in batches, overfilling the food processor really sucks - trust me!)
5 - Add a little broth from pot and process until "slop" is formed.

Mmmm...... Slop.

6 - Spoon slop into baby food jars




OR into empty marrow bones arranged in a freezable container...


Or kongs, ice cube trays, etc....

7 - Place in freezer

8 - Ask if anybody wants to lick the bowl (but take the blade out of the food processor bowl first)


Frozen Chicken Slop makes for a delicious cool treat, and is great for when the dogs just need to stay occupied for a little bit.

Note: Don't just toss out the chicken broth! This is the best stuff you can get for a pup with an upset stomach. (store bought chicken broth is loaded with extra junk that's no good for your dog) Put the broth in a container, label it, and freeze it for later. (broth is also great to use instead of water in dog treat recipes)