Another year ...

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Another year, been and gone, and here we are again ... reminiscing over the past 12 months, chewing over the ups and downs, taking notes on our successes and finding the lessons in our not so successful experiences.

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Sometimes, just when you think you've got it all sorted out, someone throws you a curve-ball and your whole world is turned upside down!

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2009 delivered many challenges for me,

and many successes for Westurn ...

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... oooOOOooo ...

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Firstly, we had a new edition to the family. Something I've wanted for a long time and all I can say is "be careful what you wish for" ... "Party" (Belgian Malinois) joined us in August, threw our household into a whirlwind of chaos with her wild and crazy ways. Nothing has changed, she is still the wild child of the house and I've even heard a whisper that someone here would gladly have another dalmatian puppy instead of a "working-line malinois" puppy! now that's saying something!!! Party will continue to challenge and educate us as the new year evolves and I look forward to the journey with her as our relationship grows.

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Latest video of Party on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuaKY61BXGU

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... oooOOOooo ...

The Girls (Mum and Rene) had a really successful year in the show ring with their Papillons, earning numerous "in Group" awards in 2009 including ... Tiger (2 Minor in Groups), Genie (2 Puppy and 2 Minor In Groups), Satu (State Bred & Junior in Group) and Comet (State Bred & Intermediate In Group) also finishing his Championship Title!

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... oooOOOooo ...

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Krash (Belgian Malinois), or Mr Muscle as we call him, gained his Championship Title and continues to demonstrate his friendly personality to the judges that he has been lucky enough to meet.
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... oooOOOooo ...

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Agility has tapered down for me however we still managed a number of achievements ...

• Ticket gained her Snooker and Gamblers titles (SD & GD)
• Chilli gained her Gambler, Excellent Jumping and Agility Dog Titles (GD, JDX & AD) and also qualified in the finals at the State Trial for Agility and Excellent Jumping!
• Summer gained her Agility, Excellent Jumping and Strategic Pairs Titles (AD, JDX & SPD) and also qualified in the finals at the State Trial for Excellent Jumping!

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... oooOOOooo ...

As you all know I also ventured into a new career last year, with thanks to my friends and family who encouraged, and are still supporting, me ... the detector dogs have arrived and I start full-time "dog training" from tomorrow!

This has brought many changes ... in my daily life and also in my own personal values. I've had to make some serious sacrifices, more so than I really anticipated, sometimes frustrating my human and furry family and sometimes at the expense of my own goals and expectations ... as they say, one door opens yet another door closes and occasionally we are forced to re-evaluate our goals, to move our goal posts to a more realistic place.

2009 has brought me many new friends, many unexpected new experiences and relationships. Some will bless me forever, some will be a memory to cherish.

Roll on 2010!

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Can't get this song out of my head!

Ever had that, when you can't get a tune out of your head?!

I have just spent the morning slashing the bush next door, and I am sure the ear muffs had this song hiding in there somewhere ...

(click on the picture to hear Kate Miller-Heidke's song "The Last Day on Earth")

Would he protect me?

He’s strong, he’s tough, he’s handsome,

he’s got muscles to die for … he’s awesome!
He’s loving, he’s gentle, he’s affectionate, he’s faithful …

but would he protect me?

I have often wondered … if I was ever fronted with the situation where I was in danger of being hurt or assaulted, he would protect me?

I was comforted the other night when we went for a run, a passer-by appeared to be admiring Krash as he approached, and Krash returned the gesture with a rumble as he approached and a definite growl as he came close … not sure what he would have done if I hadn’t had a firm hold of the lead ... well, at least I know he has an opinion and isn’t afraid to let someone know what he thinks.

OK, he might have four legs but he’s still awesome!

Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep!

Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep!

Don't you just love that sound first thing in the morning?!

... especially at 2.30am?!

Well, I’m half way thru my 2nd week of my first airport shift!

4am starts …

I never realized just how many people are actually out and about on the road at 3am. There are some positives ... ummm, the radio still plays some great songs, I have the bathroom all to myself and you don’t have to fight the hum-drum of peak hour traffic.

It’s certainly a matter of discipline, working out when to catch your sleep and making sure that you do. I have a whole new appreciation for all of those shift workers out there whose worlds revolve around shift work jobs that keep our world ticking over.

Now, just got to figure out how to get up without disturbing the rest of the household!

Hmmm, back to normality next week … well, as normal as my life could ever be!

Just getting to the start line ...

"The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure ... these qualities are so much more important than the events that occur."

Vince Lombardi

When a puppy arrives at our home, you can pretty much guarantee that it will never leave.

Ticket came to us in May 2003 as a happy little border collie puppy and we created a web page for her, as we do for every puppy that joins our family ...

along with this webpage came the above quotation ...

Like they say: be careful what you wish for and be careful what you name your dog ... little did I know how appropriate this quotation would be for this little dog who turned out to have so many more challenges in life than most canine companions or team mates than I've ever had before.

Wow, what a journey it has been so far ... just getting Ticket out of the car at training (to stand beside me), just getting her to do one thing for me at training, just getting her to trust me, just getting her to a trial, just getting her to the start line, just getting her over the first jump, just getting her around the course, just getting her to trust me to know it's safe to run off lead, just getting her to focus on me and ignore strangers, just getting her to the airport to travel to the Nationals in Melbourne, just getting her to trust me in a strange unvisited place to stay with strangers, just getting her to the ring at a National event, just getting her to the Royal Show this year, just getting her to stay at the start line with all those strange people surrounding her and watching intently ... little do they know, the troubles Ticket has had to deal with and what an achievement it was for her just to be there!

I'm proud of you little girl!

Thank you for trusting me.

" ... these qualities are so much more important that the events that occur"

I don't care if Ticket takes a trophy home or not, I don't care wether she runs clear or not, I don't care for her to be an Agility Champion ... because in my eyes, she is already a champion, she has taught me perserverance, she has taught me patience (much more than I had before), she has taught me to take home what's important to me ... what I love, not what I strive for.

As Lanny Bassham says ...

it's not what happens to you in life that's important, you have no control over that,

what's important is how you react to what happens to you, and what you learn from that.