The post immediately under this one failed to provide a picture for my readers to peruse. So, here's a few you can check out, just to assure you that I won't maintain my remiss attitude for any protracted period of time.

To start with, you can see a picture of Lily in her glory as she is surrounded by severals balls of different color, size and texture:

Lily & Several Balls

Maggie, the (hopefully-soon-to-be-world-famous) Presto Dog Shetland Sheepdog show dog, struts herself in the ring for judge and fans alike:

Struttin' Maggie

Our alpha dog, Declan, smiles as he rests shortly after running around like a mad man (as usual!) with the othe rmembers of the pack:

Declan

The senior member of the Presto Dog pack, Lyric, watches attentively as the other dogs run past her:

Lyric Watches

We also have a tri-color Collie named Doug. Here's a picture of him as he sits on a bench in a park:

Doug Gets Benched

Maggie, Cameron & DJ, all members of the same family, wait at one of the numerous dog shows we've attended over the past summer:

We Are Family

As an aside, we won't be going to the dog show today. The Presto Dog First Lady is a little bit uner the weather & I've never even attempted to groom our li'l show dog. So Maggie's DNE (Did Not Enter) for today's activities.

If you're a frequent visitor to this site, you're quite aware that I take great pains to discuss dogs. More specifically, I have written veritable tomes, expounding the virtues of our lil Shetland Sheepdog named Maggie.

We've traveled near & far, hitting the dog show circuit full tilt, in pursuit of the elusive "points" fostered upon that canine eliciting the poise, the beauty, the joi du vivre a winning pooch possesses, at least in the sometimes all-too-biased opinion of the judge. Be that as it may, our plight is a happy, rewarding one, We've made friends, seen beautiful areas we probably never would have been otherwise been exposed to, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in our endeavors.

Certainly, we'ree to another dog show tomorrow, 10/12/08. I believe it's some place in NJ, about 50-60 miles from the world famous Presto Dog HQs in rural PA. Our pack consists of the aforementioned Maggie, plus Lyric, Lily and Declan, all Shetland Sheepdogs, and our tri-color Collie named Douglas. The pack gets all well, albeit there's an ocassional tiff between members over a chewie, cookie or other item of some import in their canine world.

I'll propbably be posting some pictures of the dog show we'll be at tomorrow (10/12/08), so come on back to check 'em out!

 Now, don't get confused (like I did). Just 'cause it was a dog show sponsored by a Gorden Setter dog club, it didn't mean that other dogs couldn't enter the festivities in their own breed. And that's just what the Presto Dog First Lady (previously known as the Presto Dog Bride, BTW). Our li'l Shetland Sheepdog named Maggie:

Attentive Maggie

...was entered as an adult (she's 19 months old now) and she took her class. But, when she went head-to-head against all adult dogs she didn't make the grade. As the Presto Dog First Lady (on the left in the following picture):

Presto Dog First Lady

...predicted earlier in the day, a Gorden Setter took those honors. As I think about it, the fact that the dog show was sponsored by the Brandywine Gorden Setter club, it really wasn't inordinate that a dog of that same breed would take the honor of being named "Best Adult." Rationalizing, would a judge have the gumption to name a different breed as Best Adult & ever expect to be asked to perform said judging honors at same dog show again?

O.K., I admit, reading this objectively, my comments do sound a wee bit like sour grapes to me. But, hey! That's what a blog is all about right? And, I guess I am just a bit jaded into thinking that our very own li'l Maggie should be awarded the Best Adult designation.

But, we love these endeavors, anyway. Here's a picture of the gorgeous area (Kempton, PA) where we traveled to yesterday for the dog show:

Kempton, PA

And, another picture of the area:

Another Kempton Picture

The Shetland sheepdog club we belong to, the Interstate Shetland Sheepdog Club, is contemplating having one of our own events at this beautiful, pristine area at some time in the future. Come back here & read all about our efforts to make this happen!

Hey! Don’t just run up to a strange dog, stick out your hands and start ruffling its fur! The dog might get spooked by your actions and you also could get a nice little (or big) nip for your troubles, too.

Here's the proper way to make the acquaintance of a dog you want to meet. As you'll see, proceed slowly in your endeavors:

1.       Always ask the owner of the dog if it’s O.K. to pet his/her dog when it’s on a leash . You should never greet a dog that’s loose (not on a leash) without an owner

2.       Approach the dog’s owner and ask if you can pet the dog

3.       If the answer is no, DO NOT pet the dog

4.       If the dog’s owner say’s it’s O.K., slowly curl your hand into a closed fist with the back of your hand facing upwards

5.       Slowly extend your hand toward the dog

6.       Let the dog sniff your hand…this is the way dogs get to know people

7.       Once the dog has sniffed your hand for a few seconds, you can open your hand and pet it slowly under its chin or on the chest

Following these instructions can help you make some new canine friends and quite possibly save you some pain, too.