A Dogs' Life

Loving life!

Mom says that I am a wild wild fox, especially when I get in ‘that mood’ as she calls it. Well I can’t help it that her shoes are really exciting looking when she walks! It’s like a game of tag and fetch, all rolled into one!

My big sister Tinja also seems to think I’m less of a stinker now. She even plays with me, and lets me paw at her face! It’s great! 

Hello, my name is Asni! 

I’m the new addition to this blog. You’ll be seeing a lot of me along with my big sister Tinja in the future! I’m a bit of a sweet devil, according to Mom. I like biting her toes. Mom likes it less. But that’s what makes it fun!

Say hello to my little sister, Asni!

This is going to be my new little sister! We’re going to have so much fun together! Mom says her name means ‘flash of light’, and says she seems like she’s going to be a great addition to the family. I’m so excited!

The importance of functional fur

If your dog has double coated fur, like most breeds, then it is super important that their fur is functional. So what makes a coat functional?

Your dog should naturally shed its undercoat when the temperature rises so that its fur can circulate more cool air to help it cool down on hot summer days and dry off quickly. When the temperature drops, it should start setting a thick undercoat to help insulate the dog and keep it warm during the cold winter days.  The guard hairs are meant to be coarse enough to keep debris out of the fur and protect against wind, rain and sun.

If I had to live out in the wild, I would survive. My coat would protect me. It would keep me from getting cold, it would keep me from overheating and from being weighed down by muck and debris. It won’t tangle and knot or grow wildly, stopping me from hunting or looking for shelter. How would your dog do?

So how do we make sure dogs have functional fur? First off - it’s a matter of genetics! If you breed for a functional coat, you get a functional coat. A dog that struggles from heat will have puppies that struggle from heat. A dog that has fur that constantly tangles and needs to be brushed will have puppies who will also need to be brushed. A dog whose fur soaks up water and takes ages to dry will have puppies that take ages to dry. A dog whose fur collects twigs, sticks and debris will have puppies that do the same. 

You have to ask yourself - is it fair to the dogs? 

Does my desire for fluffy fur rank above their right to a coat that makes their lives more comfortable?

Goodbye cherry blossoms. See you next year.

Mom took me to the city because she wanted to photograph me with the cherry blossoms. Sadly there were not many flowers left. Spring is moving super fast here in Sweden since the warmth finally came, a month late. But Mom got a few good pictures of me regardless!

Glorious spring!

Finally the warmth has come to Sweden. I love being able to be outside all day! Mom got a new thing for her camera, says it’ll make me look even better than before. I was a bit tired though, didn’t really feel like being a model. Get me my dinner already!

I might be getting a baby sister!

The picture above is of puppy me by the way. Wasn’t I just heavenly? Anyway, I might be getting a baby sister! This baby sister of mine needs a name. Mom’s all particular about names so she hasn’t found one she really loves. Maybe you can help her find the perfect name?

Mom likes names that are short and sweet. One or two syllables! 

Mom hates common names and word-names. None of those! It needs to be unique, like mine!

It needs to be easy to say!

Mom wants the name to have at least one hard sound in it. Like mine! Though mine has two. Two is even better!

No X, S, Y or Z. Mom doesn’t like those!

Mom’s favorite letters to have in names are T, K, L and R.

Mom doesn’t need it to be a super girly names, unisex names are fine too!

Today it’s my 3rd Birthday!

Mom says she’s going to get me something special, a real tasty treat. Maybe it’s a raw ox tail or chicken thigh, I love those! 

In other news I ended up in 5th place in Obedience of Aussie of the Year! On only 5 competitions. I’d say that’s worth another hurrah for me!

Training with Tinja!

Did you know I have my very own YouTube channel? Well I do! There’s only two videos so far but I think you should go watch them anyway, so that Mom gets motivated to make more!

One dog, so many looks

Hi everyone! I can’t believe it, but Mom says I’m turning 3! Three years old already? I’m all grown up! Mom says I’ve got tons of life ahead of me yet and I agree. Maybe Mom will get me something special for my birthday. 

What do you think she should get me?

Another win for me!

Today me and Mom competed in Obedience Class 1! (That’s the international Class 2.) I got a bit distracted, it’s been a really busy week. But even when I’m not at my best, I’m still awesome. I got proof too, since I went and won the entire class for Mom! This means I get the official title LD1, because I’ve gotten 3 qualifying results (two of them class wins!), and in a row to boot! I am amazing.

Brains, Beauty and Brawn!  (Oh, and Speed. Lots of it.)

Isn’t it amazing how some dogs just have it all? Like me! It’s no accident that I’m as good as I am. I am carefully bred! My entire family is health checked when it comes to eyes, hips and elbows and are clear there. They’ve also proven their worth in competitions, in everything from herding and tracking to agility and obedience. Isn’t that amazing? But that’s not all! Almost everyone in my family has done a mental evaluation. I have too! It was a fun day, I got to do lots of different stuff. Mom says it’s something we working dogs have to do to test how we interact with strangers, how well we can be handled, if we want to play with others.. And I mean of course I do, duh! Who wouldn’t want to play tug-o-war?? It’s the most fun! But Mom says it’s not all fun and games. We Australian Shepherds are working dogs, we have to prove we’re sound of mind. Can’t go breeding scared dogs, or we’ll make scared puppies!

My Mom cares a lot about us dogs. She wants us all to be healthy, happy and carefree. I want that too. I hope you do too!

Two sides of the same coin

Mom says I shouldn’t complain about being photographed. But it’s so boring! I know I look amazing regardless, but still. Good thing I have a lot of fur, or I’d be freezing my tail off!

I now have a youtube channel!

Lucky you, getting to watch videos of me! And, I suppose there’s a bit of Mom in there as well, but it’s mostly about me. Hope to see you there!

Great news everyone!

I am free to do agility and all other sorts of training again! Mom has been doing so well with my rehabilitation, stretching and muscle building exercises that we’re in the all clear för more training. Not a moment too soon, I’m starving for some agility! Watch out agility world, Tinja is on the move!

Australian Shepherd

I am a working dog. That means I’m super useful! I can become a herding dog, I can become a police dog, I can compete in all kinds of sports. But most of all, I am drop dead gorgeous!