This is the start of it....

I actually started a blog. I haven't had a blog since I was an angsty teenager trying to keep up with the Jones's, or whatever equivalent teenagers try to keep up with. I have been fairly anti-blog since then, it just seemed kind of weird keeping a public diary, but here I am.

Let's start by saying this is the dogs' fault. Everything is these days. It's why I eat crappy food, barely pay the bills, and have about 10 times more dog hair on everything I own than the average human being. It's their fault I started reading the 20 or so Yahoo! groups I follow, one of which is where I heard that blogs are supposed to be a good way to keep a training log. It is also their fault that I started reading other people's training blogs. I guess the only thing I am going to own up to is succumbing to the peer pressure and starting a blog of my own.

So, a little about me...I'm a 22 year old college student, making my way toward a Bachelor's degree in Biology with a minor in Biomedical Sciences. After that I want to go to vet school to become a veterinary behaviorist, another thing I am blaming on the dogs. Animal behavior, dogs in particular, is a passion of mine. I am a scientist at heart, and I train my dogs using principles based in science, aka clicker training. I have a boyfriend of 4 years, Jason, who I plan to marry once we both grow up, and he too is obsessed with dogs. Between the two of us we have 4 dogs, and more dog hair on our clothes than one would expect from our household. This is probably because both of work at a grooming shop, a job I've held since the business opened 3 years ago. I am a Border Collie breeder, with the assistance of my mom and litter sister, and we have bred 3 litters in the past 5 years. I compete and/or train in obedience, rally, conformation, herding, disc dog, tracking, lure coursing, agility, and pretty much anything else the dogs drag me into.

I'll introduce the dog's briefly, but as one might guess, this is going to be a blog about them, so as time goes on anyone who might read this will get to know them quite well...

The oldest of the household is Shadow, a 10 year old Border Collie, who also holds the position of goofiest dog in the house. Shadow is currently experiencing a second puppyhood, which involves tearing around the house at breakneck speeds, woofing, grabbing toys, and just generally being silly at least once a day. He is a total attention whore, and has always preferred people over dogs.

Next is Pirate, a 4 (almost 5) year old Border Collie, from my first litter of Border Collies. He is a fetchaholic, and can almost always be found with a toy in his mouth or on the chair next to you waiting to be thrown. He isn't the brightest Border Collie around, but he has amazing athletic ability and a sweet personality. He is also my conformation dog, a sport as controversial in Border Collies as global warming.

Then comes the Queen (aka Queen Bitch), Jason's 3 (almost 4) year old Rhodesian Ridgeback Layla. She runs the roost, and keeps the silly Border Collie antics to a minimum. If you asked her what her favorite things were she would say her Daddy, and prey animals. She's a couch potato in the house, and a crazy running fool on the lure coursing field. She also shows in conformation, and is almost finished depsite the judge's inability to read the size section of the breed standard.

The baby of the family is Tori, another Border Collie from our second litter, only two months younger than Layla, but so deadly cute that you'd swear she was still a puppy. Tori is my heart dog, and a perfect example of the dog gods giving you the dog you need instead of the dog you want. She has "issues" with the way the world works, and is quite convinced that it's her job to control the entire world. She loves herding sheep, chasing Frisbees, and snuggling up on the couch.

Stay tuned to hear about our adventures!

Megan