Category: Uncategorized

8 months old and full of life

Kylie Jean just turned 8 months old this week.  She’s had quite a growth spurt since her spay about six weeks ago – I haven’t had an opportunity to weigh her but she’s popped up in height and now looks to be on track as far as height goes.  Which surprises me because of all the energy she had to expend when she was two months old and we were fighting so hard to save her leg.  I’ve got to admit I still get teary-eyed remembering her accident and the final outcome but its hard to stay in that place with Kylie Jean’s “lets go do something” character.  We were looking forward to puppy agility but the class starts the middle of July and I think we will opt for the A/C and hold off on that til the fall and cooler temperatures. 

We will keep up our daily walkabouts around the farm and our weekly adventures out on trail and perhaps we can start playing some sort of hide-and-go seek games in the house in the hotter parts of the day.

Summer is here

During our daily half-mile walkabouts to check the fields and llamas, Kylie is learning to read body language and there is no mistaking that there are those individuals in the herd who are very comfortable with her presence and others who aren’t quite sure what to expect from this happy go-lucky apprentice.

In addition to our daily walks, for the past six weeks we’ve been going out weekly on our one mile loop and last week Kylie was able to do the 1 mile in 14.48 so it looks like we are ready to add a little more distance. Taking advantage of a cool morning breeze earlier this week we hit the trail at a slow, relaxed pace.  It was a bit of challenge to slow Kylie down but she soon took advantage of the available shade and waited for Zoe and me to catch up.

After an easy two miles, its time to hit the pool.

So far our only concern is Kylie’s rear paw.  Because she’s always pushing off the rear, she’s worn her nails on that foot down to the nub.  It doesn’t seem to bother her but it is worth watching.  Mattie has a set of trail boots but they are still a bit big for Kylie and once they fit better it will take some time for her to get accustom to them.  Til then we will just have to watch for any soreness or change in gait.  But despite any worries we may have, one thing is for sure – Kylie is sure proud of herself … and her enthusiasm for life is a true blessing in our lives.

Graduation Night!

Part of Kylie’s graduation was to “run” the puppy agility course – which is really just a game that puts fun into obedience. The first time Kylie “jumped” up onto the platform it was more of scramble but now she is not only able to jump up on the platform but she’s also confident! “Stay” is a work in progress but she’s pretty solid on the sit and down – if I have her attention. What I have found is that if I take Kylie out on our 1mile loop earlier in the day and get an hour or so nap afterwards, she is much more attentive in class.
These beginner jumps are sure a lot easier than the logs in the back pasture!  It wasn’t till I saw this photo that I could appreciate how much strength Kylie has built up. Our first attempts at going over logs in our back pasture was more like crawling over them so seeing her “launch” herself over this beginner jump makes me want to do the happy dance!
Hardest part of this obstacle is keeping Kylie’s attention, giving her “incentive” to go straight down the middle of the ladder and regulating her speed. She has come a long way since the first time this obstacle was introduced three weeks ago! Even our instructor commented on how much strength Kylie has gained since the beginning of our class. We hope to continue with agility – not to compete but to gain strength, confidence and partnership.

Don’t tell us what we can’t do – let us show you what we can do

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