June is over. I don´t know how a whole month can disappear like that. Almost unnoticed....
Only when I look at the pics I had taken I can recall some great events during that time. It has been a busy month, as it should be during the short training season.
First nice event was a family trip to Gimo where my son works during the summer holiday. Beautiful little town and spectacular nature around, like in many places in Sweden. Nice day with dogs playing on common beach with some unknown people around. And nobody seemed to mind, nobody complained about them being off leash, just on the contrary- some people watched them playing with a friendly smile. Just a normal, tolerant reaction. Afterwards the dogs rested in the shadow while we were talking, totally exhausted. Water and sand, such a powerful combination! .
In Stockholm most people are either afraid of dogs or alergic and some have the urge to control that the poo (and preferably the pee also) will be collected. And the dogs have to be on leash no matter what. I do understand and respect their fears and medical issues but how come this only affects residents of big cities? Strange... Big cities are sick formations...
In the middle of the month we took a part in obedience camp. Two wonderful, inspiring and joyful days with two experienced trainers. I did not have so much time of my own with every coach as I had to devide it between two dogs but learned also a lot by watching the others. As dogs are different individuals different approaches might be needed to solve the same problem.. Working with positive reinforcement gives a lot of room for testing. While I was learning the new methods my dogs trained passivity during the long breaks, the essential training which unfortunately is often neglected.
In the end of that week we had 4 days off from work to celebrate Midsummer. This holiday falls out around the time for a shortest night of the year. We usually travel away to the little cottage owned by a friend of ours in the coutryside, hidden in huge forests.. We have been walking a lot, swiming in a lake nearby and enjoying the silence and peaceful environment.
I even managed to track with both once and met another friend that owns a Border Collie from the same breeder. We trained obedience on the soccer grounds in the nearest village. Flat surface with shortly cut grass- a dream for obedience freaks! And such a pleasure to have a friend that shares the same hobby even in the countryside!
Happy Minna med Karolina
The weather was as it usually is around Midsummer, both sunny and rainy. Our second training was suddenly interrupted by heavy rain.
But hopefully we will meet again!
There was another activity the dogs were exposed to. Our neighbour Frida has 4 sheep and invited me with the dogs to meet them. Prima was a bit shy and followed them from a distance but Ruda had a very close , nose to nose contact with one of them, a very tame little sheep from last years litter. Next time we`ll meet I will have my camera with me!
The world around me is in full bloom. Sometimes it is a bit too hot to train and the mosquitos and midges try to poison our life but I would never change it for something else if I could!
