dog show!

Ryan and I train and compete with our aussies, Josh and McKenzie. He competes with Josh, and McKenzie is mine. We are members of the Columbia Basin Dog Training Club...a fun crowd! I have been competing with my dogs since I was in the 5th grade....first Bailey, then Tobie and Rylie, now Josh and McKenzie. I have always loved training, I love my dogs like they are my children, and I am pretty sure any of them would have laid their life down for me if presented the chance.
We had our big club show of the year the first weekend of October. I showed McKenzie in Rally Excellent both days. While she didn't behave as well as I had hoped, we still qualified with 3rd place each day. This finished our RE title!! McKenzie is now, Country-Ways French Kiss, RE. She has earned her Rally Novice, Advanced and Excellent titles! Training consistently is difficult with a baby, and with working full time, but we do what we can. Our dogs are certainly pets/children first, training is a necessity to teach them to be good dogs, and competing is just a hobby.

Another fun part of showing, is that my friend Nicole also competes, so we can go together. Nicole and I started showing dogs in 4-H together almost 15 years ago. We also went to the same high school together, worked together in high school, were together at WSU for 4 years, 2 as room mates, and were then in each others weddings! After all these years, Nicole still associates with me:)

Here is Casey at the dog show! He is very busy, but did well 2 full days of shows!