That would be me, Amy Siegel, recently retired from a long career in Information Technology with Australian Shepherds, Ray who is 13, Flirt, 7 and Bodhi, 4.What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?
It's an every morning thing with me an the herd. There's no getting going without it.
What's brewing?
Trader Joe's Decaf French Roast prepared with a vacuum brewer.
Any goodies to go with the coffee?
Just breakfast.
Any treat for your dogs on this occasion?
Usually they have eaten their breakfast, so to keep them out of my breakfast, they all get a rawhide chew flip to gnaw on and brush their teeth.How were you and your dogs united?
I found Ray through the local newspaper. Flirt and Bodhi are 1/2 siblings from a wonderful breeder of working Aussies in Lawrence KS.
How did the dogs get their names? Any aliases?
Ray is named after an old friend who is a chef. Their mutual love of food just made it a name made for my dog. He is often called PIG because he will eat anything. Flirt was named before I even got her. I wanted a dog with a lot of spirit who loves to play and loves everyone. I thought if
I named her that, she would be that. And I was right. Her nickname is Flirty McSquirty because of her tendency to squirt off course when we are running an agility course. Bodhi was named for his zen like demeanor. His alias is Dopey.Cat, squirrel, postman...?
Anything that moves down our road. Ray is widely known for his success at killing chickens and groundhogs. Flirt and Bodhi are his peanut gallery, cheering him on from the sidelines.
Tennis ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?
A semi deflated soccer ball is the favorite. Hours of chasing, playing keep away.
Where is your dogs' favorite place for an outing?
Round Valley Reservoir in Lebanon, NJ. Hiking and more importantly swimming. Flirt took her 1st dip in the water at 3 months (in the dead of winter) and hasn't come out yet. She loves to swim and will just swim out to visit people in their boats.Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?
Flirt's best pal is a BC named Jus who lives in Michigan now. She misses him a lot.
If your dogs could change one thing about you, what would it be?
They would like me to sleep a little less and feed them more.
What is each dog's proudest moment? Their most embarrassing?
I think my proudest moment with Ray was when he finished his PIII Agility title. He had a early onset of arthritis and I didn't know how much agility he would be able to do, but he loved it so much and kept wanting to play. Eventually he retired at 8 years old has led a life of leisure since. The most embarrassing: The chicken killing. Oh my. He just scared the darn thing to death.Flirt's proudest moment was achieving her Agility Dog Champion title. She's a talented dog but we just couldn't seem to get through a Standard Agility course without one glitch or another. It took us 3+ years to get our 1st Master Standard leg and another year to get the 5 we needed for her Champion title. She had all the other requirements in the bag long before. I don't think Flirt has ever embarrassed me. Likely I have been more of an embarrassment to her.
Bodhi is just too mellow to engender either pride or embarrassment. But he keeps my blood pressure low and assures that I will never be cold at night.
Visit Flirts Dog Agility Blog and the Bodhi Blog.
--Marshal Zeringue
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