Controversy, Blogs, Tricks?

I’ve been trawling about trying to find something to blog about — everywhere is quiet at the moment! No major controversies about (that I can find!) so I did think about starting one, but that seemed like an awful lot of work. I was going to blog about “Barbie Collies” following Inca’s Reserve Best of Breed win, which is a controversial topic (Barbie Collies, not the RBOB), but is also seriously confusing and seems more American than British. Anyway, I can solve it easily, because I know a dog from pure show lines who is the most work-y collie in existence. I have to admit that she doesn’t herd because she’s a flyball dog, but her owner has been offered a considerable amount of money by farmers and working stock breeders for her, untrained, because they think she has so much potential. Most of them can’t actually believe she’s a proper show dog, but there you go.

So instead, my two new favourite blogs.

Three Woofs & A Woo
Just Another Dog Blog

In the meantime, we are getting bored over here. Kim has already tried to leave home by attempting to go down a badger sett, but she’s a bit bigger than she thinks she is and couldn’t fit. She did get very dirty and needed a bath though. Dylan took a different approach and decided that if he smelt really really bad, we’d have to give him away. He also got very dirty, and had his second bath this week. Third, if you count hydro as a bath. Mollie is happy sleeping on her trampoline and letting her ear hair grow back, but she has already notched up one escape attempt this month.

So, if anyone has any trick suggestions, please let me know! Dylan and Kim can do

• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Wait
• Stand
• Paw (left and right)
• Beg
• Crawl
• Rollover
• Twist Left/Right
• Back up
• Leg weave (stationary and moving, and it’s really hard not to stand on them)
• Dead
• Sad Face
• Retrieve various articles, including newspapers/”post” left in another room
• Bow
• Shut the Door

Dylan can also cover himself with a blanket and do “flat”, and Kim can do “kill it” which means she shakes whatever she’s holding madly or (if she has nothing in her mouth), attacks the nearest thing to her. Without actually harming them, she knows to be gentle.

Any suggestions? Indoor games are hard with three dogs, they all get too competitive and noisy, so we have to make do with tricks.

[Edited to add: Thanks guys! I’ve actually found this fantastic list of tricks which has given me quite a few ideas … !]