Supplemental Income

In these financial times, one should try to make another income if they can. My dogs have their own can picking business.

Thanks to the dehydrated neighbors in the area, every day when we walk, the dogs pick up cans.

Floss has an uncanny ability to find beer cans.

Creed finds his pop cans.

There is a training course that all dogs have to go through.

Fleet has passed his training course, and now is off finding his own cans.

It is an equal opportunity job - Cliff the three legged Jack Russell puts in his full day work as well.

For anyone needing help in their area - please call 1-800-Cans R Us

USBCHA Cattle Dog Finals - The Final Final Verse

Before we put the Cattle Dog Finals to rest, I wanted to share some of the trip. First it was going to Shawna and Doug Burton's to do a quick training session - this is the road up to their place west of Claresholm.

Then it was the trip down - it was snowing that day- lovely Alberta weather.

Then there was the lovely Montana weather.

This was looking off of Scott's Bluff - this was looking into Gering, Nebraska.

Then I thought I would test a panoramic view on my camera - this is looking towards Wyoming off of Scott's Bluff.

I have found that often when trialing, you don't stop and check out the country side -I am going to make it my mission this year to stop at the interesting stops through my travels.

Next trip is to Falkland, BC - we will see what Paxton Valley has to offer!

USBCHA Cattle Dog Finals - The Final Verse

By the time it was our turn (we were running in 10th position), it was known that the cattle were difficult - some were lucky to get to the first drive panels.

I sent Gin out, and had a fair outrun and lift (she was running wide) , and my poor piloting allowed only 1 head through the fetch panels - she did a perfect lookback, and once again, I let her down by not getting any cattle through the panels.

Gin worked hard, and listened to everything I asked her. They were hard to get going on a flow, but eventually we got them driving to the panels. I really must need glasses, I misjudged the drive panels as well, and didn't get many head through.

She was on her game, wish I could have said the same about myself!


We timed out at the chute as a few head were making their way through - of course those points didn't count.

I had really wanted to load those cattle in the trailer - maybe next year.

For our efforts, we ended up 7th - Juan Reyes and his dog Zac are the 2010 USBCHA Cattledog Champions- and it was well deserved. For such a young dog, he is really talented. I am thinking maybe Gin should have a date with this Wyoming fella!

USBCHA Finals - Watching the Youngsters

Because I don't have a nursery dog qualified this year, I sat back and watched the dogs today. Quite a few have competed in the open already, and watching makes me think I should get home and work on the young ones even more - these guys are so broke! Bill Reed from Tennessee has a great young dog pup, and I do mean pup - he is only 10 months old! Has whistles on him and a lot of grit. His mother Ann (who Bill is running as well)is in the nursery as well, as is the sire, Red (run by Juan Reyes). I have put my name down for a pup (don't worry Chris, won't be for a year or two since we have a lot of young pups already). Guess that means I will have to come down again - oh the trials and tribulations of this sport.
Went to the top of Scott's Bluff today (named for a fur trader who died in the bluffs after a trading deal went wrong with the Indians - think it had to do with a casino or something) - as soon as I can, I will put the picture on here - on top of it you can see straight across Nebraska to the east and to Wyoming to the west. There is a lot of history about the trek of the pioneers (along the Old Oregon Trail) - I recommend it highly.
The day will start tomorrow at 7 am with the nursery finals (top 10 go back), and then the open - Gin and I will be 10th running. I have noticed that the cattle are working better in the afternoon, so hopefully this will be the case for tomorrow as well.
One other note - for those who know Joann Zoerb, I have met her twin sister - her name is Lasoya - and (un)like Joann, is part Mexican and Indian. She flew down from California just to watch the dogs. This is her first year trialing, and she has qualified her nursery dog this year for the finals in Virginia this year. Also met Mari, who came from Alaska to buy a dog from Francis Raley - she runs sled dogs in Alaska, and is going to get back into running the border collies as well. I have asked them to come up to Alberta to trial - and I bet we will see them next year. Jimmy Walker is going to come up to Alberta this year and stay a couple of weeks and enter our trials as well as the Calgary Stampede - that is assuming he gets in. With only 60 dogs being allowed, I am sure the fax machine at the Stampede grounds will be smoking 8 am on Monday morning.