Brutus the Frenchie (& Carmen too)

Got a Shrinking Feeling...

2012-01-24T19:39:00.000-05:00

Ever get that funny feeling that something just isn't right? I just SWEAR that Trevor was smaller than both Carmen & myself when he got here.

Are we shrinking or something????

CIrcle of Life

2012-01-16T10:56:00.002-05:00

My first post of 2012 is a happy one - it's an introduction!

As you know, we had to say goodbye to Mason (our 13.5-year-old Chocolate Labrador) just before Thanksgiving. We knew he was in twilight of his life, but that didn't make his loss any easier. Although we had planned to remain a "2-dog household", our family just wasn't the same without a "big dog".

Paul quickly realized that the only way to help heal the hole in his heart left by Mason was to get another Lab. Thanks to my connections in the competitive dog world, our search for a puppy was short and simple. In a series of almost eerie coincidences, we found ourselves driving to visit a breeder within a day of making the first inquiry. We really didn't plan to be bringing home a puppy until at least after the holidays, but fate apparently had other ideas.

There was an 8-week old litter of labs, two yellow males still waiting to meet their new pawrents. We ended up going to see them the same night we called, and within 36 hours of beginning our search came home with our little yellow man. Meet Trevor (officially known as Rockhaven's Twist of Fate):

To say the Frenchies were a little surprised with the new addition is an understatement. What was this funny-looking, yellow-furred thing with a pointy nose & long tail that was invading their home? Still, introductions went well, and by the time we went to bed that night Trevor already felt like part of the pack.

What? He's STAYING????

As things tend to go around here, there hasn't been a dull moment since. Trevor had to hit the ground running, and luckily he was up to the challenge. As soon as he kind of got the hang of things at home, we hit the road in Big Earl (our motorcoach) to travel to Florida for a national agility championship that Brutus had qualified for. Trevor was a great little traveler, and already has a couple thousand miles under his belt - most of it traversed while he slept!

Sisters make great pillows.

All three of them fit on my lap - for now.

We arrived back home just in time for all the holiday hubbub to be in full swing. A 10-week old puppy and christmas decorations? Ugh.

But all things considered we made it through Christmas with no major tragedies, Trevor taking it all in stride.

Our best attempt at posing in front of the (as of yet undecorated) tree.
Too bad that their eyes are glowing brighter than the lights!

He was a hit with our holiday guests both big & small, including some out-of-town company who came to visit with their two dogs (a lab and a Frenchie).

Trevor and Ollie, his "brother from another mother"...

...Who was oohhhhh so patient with Trevor!

Trevor watching the girls (Carmen & Gracie) play.

Now 15 weeks old, Trevor has already outgrown his first crate (although he's in denial of that and still likes to crawl into the Frenchies' crates) and weighs 30 pounds.

Instead of the roomy crate next door, Trevor would rather cram
himself in Carmen's crate for a nap.

One look at those polar bear-sized paws will tell you how big of a dog Trevor will inevitably be. I think he'll eat us out of house & home in no time if he keeps up the current growth rate.

I swear I used to fit in this toy box. It must have shrunk...

Trevor appears to be the most astoundingly "normal" dog we've owned. He is already about 85% housebroken already (by comparison, it took Carmen until almost 6 months, Brutus until over a year to get to that point!). Trev loves to go outside - weather conditions (rain, snow, cold) do nothing to dilute his enthusiasm.

What do you mean it's freezing out here?

Can't catch me! Let's play!

Our vet gave him two thumbs way up for both confirmation at temperament. Already he's the star of his puppy class, walking nicely on a leash and learning basic obedience commands like the working dog he was bred to be. Last week Trevor went to work with Paul for the first time, and got a A+ for his first day on the job as a shop dog. I tell you, nothing fazes the yellow man.

The more, the merrier.
Everybody in "Fort Trevor", the ginormous crate in the bedroom.

Pack dynamics have turned out to be pretty much what we expected. Brutus accepts Trevor - mostly since now there is someone else for Carmen to pick, on but also because there is someone else to take the blame when something has been chewed/peed-on/torn-up/slobbered-on/eaten.

I'll sit next to Trevor, but only because I know there's a cookie in it for me.

Carmen, on the other hand, LOVES Trevor - she is part mother, part rough-and-tumble playmate. Although he already seriously outweighs Carmen (who weighs a little over 20 lbs), she is no doubt the alpha dog around here and has no trouble putting Trevor in line.

Sorry it's blurry -play between Carmen & Trevor is fast-paced to say the least!

Carmen can effortlessly tackle and pin Trevor, and spends most of her waking hours wrestling, playing with and chasing her "little big brother" (while Brutus sits on the sofa and rolls his eyes). They are snuggle buddies too - a nap is always better with company, after all!

We have had a really mild winter so far, and the three dogs love to go for pack walks together. I look like the crazy dog lady for sure, two Frenchies in one hand and a small yellow moose in the other. Funny thing is that Trevor is the easiest to manage of them all!

Trevor is primarily Paul's dog, so no plans for him to follow in the Frenchies' footsteps in the agility ring - in fact one of his main jobs is to keep Paul company when I'm away with Team Frenchie. That's all good with Trevor, he loves being a "daddy's boy"!

I'm planning on doing some obedience with Trevor, and hope to get at least a few basic titles in that type competition as he seems well-suited to it. Beyond that Paul hopes to find some fun things to do together to keep Trevor busy, like dock-diving or some field training. I think no matter what we ask of him, Trevor will always be happy to oblige (especially if you have something to feed him!).

Trevor has already figured out that the camera is a good thing because everyone gets cookies!

So we've come full circle. Lost the founding member of our pack, but seem to have found an even more unflappable dog to fill Mason's shoes - although I think her already out grew them. I will probably revamp the blog (again), as Trevor will most certainly find himself being posting material as often as anyone else. I'm starting another blog (www.teamfrenchie.blogspot.com), so that I can keep our Team Frenchie/competition stuff from clogging up this page. So stay tuned, with a puppy around, there's bound to be no shortage of posts. And no shortage of naps either!

If he outgrows this bed, we're in trouble!

There's an empty bed

2011-11-23T15:54:00.001-05:00

Coming to you with a somber post today. There is an empty bed in front of the fireplace, as we have lost one of our pack members.

This morning we had to say goodbye to our 13 1/2 year old lab, Mason. Can't say that it comes as a complete shock, as he was really quite the senior citizen and old for a big dog. Sure, he had some lumps & bumps, but was impressively healthy and active for his age. Mason had some advanced arthritis that we thought had just suddenly worsened; in fact it was an osteosarcoma in his shoulder. With no real way to make him comfortable or mitigate his pain, we made the hardest choice - to let Mason go with his dignity in tact. I believe he was very much at peace with the fact that his time with us was ending, that he had lived a full, happy, and satisfying life.

Christmas 2010

I've become accustomed to existing amongst exceptional dogs lately. I've had the pleasure of meeting Grand Champions, whose genes will be passed on for many generations to make their breed better. Lucky enough to share space with performance dogs, whose talents and abilities are truly breath-taking. But in a world where letters before and after a dog's name mean so much, there is a something that cannot be bred for or trained: being man's best friend. And THAT is where Mason was truly exceptional.

Mason asleep with his dad and his "baby".

Mason was the ultimate "good dog". Not a mean bone in his body, and loyal in every sense of the word. He asked for very little (well, except maybe that sandwich you were about to take a bite of), and gave everything of himself. He was patient. You could leave him alone all day with no worries, and he was as happy as ever to see you no matter what mood you came home in. An uncomplicated dog, Mason asked for nothing other than a pat on the head & and a cookie.

A hamburger was the ultimate treat for Mason, this one was to celebrate his 13th birthday.

So many fond memories have swirled though my head today, making me smile despite all the emotions. Like the moment I met Mason, who came bounding to greet me at my future-husband's front door on our second date.

About a year old in this photo, Mason was happy to share his dad with me.

Thinking of how gracefully he accepted an endless string of changes - from numerous relocations, to accepting new pack members, and even traveling around the country with us in our motorhome.

Summer 2010, South Dakota at Crazy Horse memorial.

His "starvation song (& dance)" when he felt like it was time to eat. The way he could imperceptibly creep closer to you while you ate - never seemed to move but somehow inched right up to your side. The times I freaked out because I though he had run away, when he instead had somehow gotten closed into the basement or closet - and was just too polite & patient to speak up. The fact that he pooped on command (however did we teach him that???) will never cease to amaze me!

You have to agree, he was just an all-around great dog, labradork and all. Or as Paul rightfully calls him, "the best dog ever". Through it all there was never a day - or maybe even a moment - in all his years where Mason wasn't a happy dog.

Mason always was a cheeseball, just a big goofy guy. Here in the prime of his life, about 5 years old.

What other dog could possibly put up the with Frenchies as mercifully? I smile to think how he'd tolerate them climbing all over him, even (sometimes reluctanlty) engaging in the rough-housing sometimes.

Haven't gotten quite used to not having Mason here yet - still feel his presence very strongly, like he's peeking around the corner at us. Like he's that ray of sunshine that so strikingly shone on his bed this evening (see first picture in this post), almost exactly in the shape & position that Mason would have occupied if he were there. Guess maybe that's because he's here in our hearts, not truly gone. Goodness knows it will be years before I stop finding "tumblefurs" of his neverending brown & white hair. But I will surely smile each time I stumble upon a little piece of Mason - who really was the best dog ever.

April 2, 1998 - November 23, 2011

Love you, big brown buddy - we miss you. Run free up there, you will never be forgotten. I'll leave you with one last photo, one that I have to think could have rightfully been taken right this moment on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. I think he's just looking back to make sure we're all OK :)

Agility 101

2011-11-16T07:30:00.001-05:00

Many of you, both here on the blog or on Facebook, have asked questions about how we got started in agility. So wonderful to hear that we've inspired some of you to do more with your pups - agility is great exercise for the human and dog alike, both physically & mentally. Plus nothing builds the bond between you more than learning new things together!

In this post I'll touch on how we got started in agility, then offer some suggestions for those of you who might want to do the same. Along the way I'm sharing some of our oldest agility photos, lots of them bloopers. It doesn't always go as you plan out there, you know!

Our very first agility photo!!

As far as how we got started, I'll try to be brief (I can always try anyways, LOL). It all began by literally making Brutus jump through hoops! Saw a hula hoop in the basement, and found myself wondering if I could teach Brutus to jump through it. In a matter of minutes I had him bouncing back & forth through it at various heights & he loved it! A light went on in my head, realizing I'd just found a great way to put that endless energy of his to work. I'd seen dog agility televised on Animal Planet numerous times, and figured "why not?".

At one of our first competitions - Brutus and I having a discussion about the jump.

Luckily I live in an area where there are many agility clubs nearby. I picked the least intimidating-looking one - after all Brutus wasn't exactly the typical student, and we never intended to compete. A few email exchanges later & we were signed up for Beginner Agility. Walking into an agility club with a Frenchie on the other end of your leash can cause quite the collection of raised eyebrows. In fact we were told during our first lesson to expect that it would take us many sessions (instead of the usual one) to move to an intermediate level because of Brutus' build & personality. That was May of 2009. Little did they know....

Just look at that concentration (tipping the teeter)

Within a few weeks Brutus had passed his other classmates & was jumping, climbing and tunneling around the field. Apparently he never got the memo that Frenchies are "non-sporting". I loved learning new things with Brutus, seeing him catch on and enjoy the activity so much. It WAS a great way to drain his energy - at least until it got him is such amazing shape that his energy actually increased! That funny little body turned into a lean, well-muscled, well-coordinated agility machine before I even realized what had happened.

Umm.... No, mom. YOU jump through the tire.

By December 2009 we entered our first competition. A little premature, perhaps - I spent as much time chasing Brutus around on the course as I did actually doing agility. But boy, did we have FUN! And I loved how the head-scratching and scoffs of disbelief turned into smiles and applause as they saw what Brutus could do out there (well, at least when he wasn't doing the zoomies...). I came up with a motto then that is still true today: We might not always be good, but at least we're entertaining!!

Brutus thought the A-Frame was just there for a place to get a good view.

Fast-forward through lots of trials and training, switching clubs and starting a new dog (Carmen). Often we've learned what NOT to do, but thankfully have had second chances to get it right. I trained Carmen very differently based on my experience with Brutus - which is why she's caught up to him so quickly. Actual agility is just a small part of what I do with both dogs - they get lots of extra veterninary attention (both traditional and homeopathic) and supplements. We do various things for conditioning, from physio-ball work to hikes in hilly terrain. The variety is good for our bodies as well as our minds!

The beginnings of Team Frenchie!!

Now - as for those of you who'd like to try your hand (er, paw) at agility. I'm no expert, having only been at this a few years myself. Please, Please, PLEASE consult your own resources as well. That being said, I have some unusual insight because of the unusual dogs I run with!

Bottoms up! Carmen showing she could still use a little work on her jumping form!

Before starting any new activity, it is of paramount importance that your dog get a thorough veterinary screening (um, you might want to schedule an appointment with your own physician too!). Agility is one of the most demanding things you can ask of a dog; any underlying physical issues could interfere with training or hurt your dog, so best to get that all sorted out before hand. Just one little asterisk here - agility can be a dangerous activity, dogs can get injured as well as their handlers. Proper training and conditioning for you both is essential to minimize that risk as much as possible!

Agility is serious exercise for both members of the team!

Next, be sure you have some good background in basic obedience. Agility might be much more exciting than sit/stay/come/heel, but without those foundation skills you aren't going to get far! Dogs should also be well-socialized if possible, unless you intend to only ever take private lessons. Agility can be great for the shy dog, as the training & activity can really increase their confidence!

That's Brutus in obedience class - group sit/stay with all the big dogs!

I would suggest attending an agility trial if you can find one. Depending on where you live in the country, different ogranizations may be more popular. Below is a list of the most prominent organizations, along with a link to their event pages. You can find calendars on the site & most will let you search by state to find trails that might be within driving distance for you.

AKC (American Kennel Club)

USDAA (United States Dog Agility Association)

CPE (Canine Performance Events)

NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council)

ASCA (Austrailian Shepard Club of America)

UKC (United Kennel Club)

There are endless theories on training, many handling styles, and the different venues have different rules/obstacles. Find teams that have dogs with a similar attitude to yours, and who you enjoy watching. See if you can approach them outside the ring (BTW, make sure to wait until after they run - we competitors get pretty darn intense). Most of us are happy to talk dogs with anyone! Many people travel extensively to attend trials, but hopefully you can find someone who trains nearby. Usually a local club is the organizer for a trial, so search out the show secretary to find out more about the club.

Is it safe to come out??

I really hope this post answers many of your questions. Feel free to email me (hrncharddsATyahooDOTcom) if you have specific questions. Of post them in the comments and I'll do a follow-up post soon to address them. Doing this post makes me reflect on how far we've come - the photos here are our earliest agility moments captured on film! Whether you just dabble in agility or get addicted like we have, it's a great pastime and I'll never get tired of talking about it!

Team Frenchie at a recent trial.

Come On

2011-11-04T17:09:00.002-04:00

We'll be hitting the road this weekend for yet another agility trial - this time in Edinboro, PA. Several of you asked questions about agility & how we got started. We here at Team Frenchie are SO happy to think that our posts have inspired some of you to try their hands (um, paws) at agility! We'll try to answer your questions in a post very soon.

But for now, speaking of dog competitions....

You may have already seen this video - but if so you'll know it is worth yet another watch! Recently, Will Young (a British pop star, discovered by one of the earliest versions of what eventually became American Idol), released his 6th album "Echoes". One of the tracks, "Come On" was also released as a video with a most interesting setting - dog competition. It's kind of an odd take on the dog world; no combined event like this exists (he combines the breed ring with agility & musical freestyle), and no one runs agility in a skirt, pantyhose & heels LOL. Picky details aside - it's a very tender, moving story about the journey of a man and his dog.

It's actually Will Young doing some of the performance stuff in the video, but the camera angles make me think they probably used a body double for the more technical parts. Still, how cool that Will himself did some of the handling!! What a heartwarming tale he tells though, and I really like the song as well as it's message. It's worth a few minutes for a look/listen - you might even need a Kleenex :)

Did you notice that all the handlers kind of looked like their dogs (either their hair or their clothes)? Funny, that actually happens accidentally more often than you'd think - people start to look like their dogs. Hope I don't end up bearing much resemblance to my Frenchies, even as cute as they are!!

Have a great weekend everyone - we'll be back next week with a report on our latest agility adventures!

Team Frenchie

2011-11-01T15:48:00.002-04:00

I mentioned that agility has become quite the addition for me. It's not just about getting exercise for me & my dogs anymore, it really is a passion for me, and I truly believe that the Frenchies enjoy it as well! You can't look at this photo and NOT see that Brutus & I share something special:

Last minute instructions before we run

Although I am a competitive person by nature and enjoy all the goal-setting and title-getting aspects of the sport, that's not the only reason we spend so much time doing agility. All the training time has fostered an incredible bond between me & Brutus (and more & more so with Carmen as she matures) - I think that is pretty evident to anyone who knows me. I love my unusual little partners - who I affectionately refer to as Team Frenchie - and the strange little niche we've carved out for ourselves in the local (and recently even the national) agility scene!

Picture-perfect form through the tire!

If I had a dollar for every time someone passed by us at a trial and said "Hey Brutus! How you doin' today, buddy?" and not even acknowledged I was on the other end of the leash... think we'd have enough to pay for all our trial entries & then some!! On the rare occasion that we're at a trial & I don't have Brutus (or Carmen) at my side, I swear people don't have the slightest idea who I am half the time! Oddly enough it only makes me smile :) I've said it before and I'll say it again - I've never been so popular in my whole life as when there is a Frenchie on the other end of the leash (or on the course with me)!!

We've had lots of wonderful support and encouragement over the two years we've been competing. Family (who I couldn't do it without), friends (both old & new), trainers, agility co-competitors, judges, and even people we've never actually met - like all of you out there in blogland! It so warms my heart to hear the burst of applause after a successful run with Brutus or Carmen. We've run into a few naysayers - that feel Frenchies shouldn't be doing agility, or that you shouldn't bother to train anything other than the "ideal" agility dog - but thankfully they are few & far between. In the end, all that matters is that we are doing it for the right reasons - meaning both the dogs and I find what we do rewarding!

Carmen mid-course, on the pause table. "Can we just hurry up & go, mom?"
(that's judge Lavonda Herring in the background)

So here are some new videos, see for yourself :) They are from just a few weekends ago, both the Standard and Jumpers runs from a trial at one of our favorite venues. You can really get a sense of how differently the two dogs run, as they are both running exactly the same courses in the videos.

First, here are Brutus' efforts. He might not be fast, but he sure is consistent. Because of the way I can handle him from in front (I call it front-wheel drive), we can usually negotiate the trickiest, trappy-est courses without a problem. This day he double Q's, earning us a bunch of points towards our MACH (Masters' Agility Champion, the ultimate AKC agility title).

Now compare that with Carmen. She is about an inch shorter than Brutus, but looks WAY smaller. Those little legs move so fast, and she jumps like she has springs in her legs! You could find flashier dogs out there running for sure - but I dare you to find one that runs with more joy or more heart!

I know not everyone who reads the blog is that interested in agility, but it's become so much a part of who we are that not sharing it would be giving an incomplete picture of what goes on around here. Hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of what we are doing out there these days!!

Here's our "parting shot" for the post:

That's all, folks!!

Happy Howl-o-ween Everyone!!!

2011-10-31T10:05:00.002-04:00

Are you all ready for trick-or-treating? We certainly are!

Guess we're doing the "good & evil" theme again!

Ahoy mateys! It's Black Brute the pirate!

Admit how cute I am, or you'll be walking the plank!

Every pirate has to have an eye patch & an earring! Now where's my sword & my parrot?

The Fairy Queen, Carmen

And you KNOW sophisticated Frenchies like us need at least one costume change! Here's our "After-party" duds!

Don't I look mahhh-velous??

Gotta know how to work the camera!

Hand over the treats, and no one gets hurt!

No bones about it, this is totally me (and it glows in the dark!)

Are we done yet? I got things to chew here...

Hope that everyone has a safe & fun day, no matter what your silly human dresses you up as!
- Brutus & Carmen (aka Black Brute & the Fairy Queen)

2011-10-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

It's wonderful to know that our core friends are still out there! Heartwarming to see your comments again, I have missed blogging! It's been so long that Blogger has a whole new interface that I have to figure out, please bear with me while I play around with the template & arrangement on the blog!

So...... What have we been up to? Well, since some of you asked, I'll try to briefly (as briefly as I can) bring you up to date on the last 6 months.

Myself, I've been busy at work, drilling away in the trenches more than I have in several years. We did get a nice Earlventure at the beginning of summer, traveling to Colorado & Utah (Frenchies in tow, of course!). Also had a wonderful getaway to Paris late in August (Frenchies stayed home).

As far as the dogs (who are why you are here, let's face it)....

Mason is doing well, 13 1/2 years old and still going strong. A little slow to get up in the mornings sometimes, but for an old guy he's pretty spry. He never lets me forget when it's time for dinner, and he's still good to give the Frenchies a stren talking to when they need it!

Brutus turned 3 this summer, hard to believe! He's going strong in the agility ring, meeting and exceeding every goal I've set for him this year. He is currently the #3 French Bulldog in AKC agility for 2011, and closing in fast on the #2 dog (who we hope to overtake by years' end). We have been invited (and are going!) to Orlando this December for the AKC Agility Invitational - a chance to represent our breed along with the best agility dogs in the country!

Last - and certainly not least - is little miss Carmen, my princess. At less than 20 months old, she is already making waves in the agility world. She started trialling this July, and in less than 3 months is running in the top level (Excellent), having earned her first 4 titles. Carmen amazes me with her heart, and astounds pretty much everyone who sees her run - apparently she never got the memo that she was bred to be a lap dog. She runs faster, jumps higher, and has more gusto out there than Brutus ever dreamed of! He is officially on alert, as I fear (truly in a bittersweet sort of way) that Carmen will overshadow him in no time - she truly is one of a kind.

So there you have it, in the smallest nutshell which it can fit. I hope to post a time or two each week, and will do my very best to catch up on friends' blogs when time allows. A lot of what gets said here will be agility related, but I'll be sure to add some other fun stuff as the material presents itself (and with Team Frenchie, you know that's inevitable!). See you soon!

Been away for a LONG time!

2011-10-18T14:45:00.001-04:00

It's been months since I posted - can't believe how the time has flown. The poor blog had to take a back seat to fixing teeth and chasing the Frenchies around agility courses. I'm thinking of reviving the blog (although I'm not sure there is any audience left!), but mainly as a way to track our agility progress. I'm using this as a test post to see who might still be out there to read. It's a note I posted on Facebook recently, explaining why we've gotten so addicted to this crazy sport called dog agility.

I've been thinking about writing this for a while. Hope that many of my friends (fellow agility enthusiasts or not) will take a moment to read it. I try to keep most of my dog activities on the dogs' own pages, but it's undeniably become one of the biggest passions in my life.

First of all, let me say that I'm unbelievably lucky to have so many people around me who are amazingly understanding. Although they may find it tough to grasp why I love spending so much time doing "crazy dog things", they entertain my quirks, my stories, and even my tardiness to family events! I couldn't do what I do without the support of my dad & stepmom (who let the dogs out a few times each day that I work), my wonderful husband, Paul (who endures my absence on many a weeknight to train and many weekends to trial), and even my extended family & friends (who have come to accept me for the crazy dog person that I am).

Next I have to give credit to my amazing dogs, Brutus & Carmen - who I affectionately refer to as Team Frenchie. French bulldogs have been bred for decades to be companion dogs. Astoundingly enough, mine have allowed me to indulge in a sport developed for performance breeds. Beyond that, they have met & exceeded every goal I've set for them, and become a real source of both pride & joy in my life.

Brutus - my heartdog - who came into my life on a whim during a trip home from Chicago - certainly one of a kind. You can't deny he has issues, but he has taught me so much - not just about dogs, but about life in general too. Although far from perfect by Frenchie standards, Brutus is amazing creature. From puppy classes at PetSmart, to his first agility/obedience titles, to qualifying for the 2011 AKC Invitational & more - he's risen to the challenge every time! He could teach us all a lesson about breaking stereotypes!

Then there's Carmen - my little princess. She came into my life in 2010 as the result of a friendship as well as generations of careful breeding. She has the moxie to make it in the breed ring, but it's like she's known from the get go that there was something else in store for her. Carmen has always had a "small but mighty" mentality, apparent from the time I met her at the tender age of 4 weeks. She has a drive uncharacteristic of her breed, and athleticism & an unbelievable energy level to compliment it. Her desire to please and sheer enjoyment of running/jumping/climbing is something rarely seen in a "nonsporting breed". I am so honored to be her teammate, and so touched by all the people who have gone out of their way to compliment her efforts!

Finally, the element that my (non-agiilty) friends & family find the hardest to understand. The answer to the question "how can you spend ALL DAY sitting around at an agility trial"???? Yes, we drive many hours to spend all day for what amounts to less than 5 minutes in the ring - but there's so much more to it than that. First, the training & goal setting that gets you ready for the trial. There's the mental challenge of memorizing the course. Figuring out how to best handle each individual dog thought the challenges each course presents. The adrenaline rush of actually running the course (as short as it may be). It's all part of the wonderful package of dog agility!

But above that - it's about relationships. Bonding with my dogs and watching them learn is a wonderful thing for sure. But beyond that, it's about all the friends I have made along the way on this crazy journey. From training partners to (seemingly) random friendships that have developed along the way - the bonds I've formed with so many people who share my addiction to dogs. All that time around the ring together, rooting for one another, sharing stories & successes, and consoling one another when it doesn't go so well. The human bonds I've made in the last few years are as much a part of my passion for agility as are the dogs that make it all possible!

So thank you to all those who have made Team Frenchie possible. My family, my dogs, my friends, my trainers - you are all pieces in the puzzle! Whether I know you you well, or only know you through the auspices of Facebook - please know that I appreciate your support! Each time we step into the ring, it is with the understanding that this is something truly special that we are privileged enough to do. We have many more goals to attain, so please bear with us & know that we never take it all for granted!

Frenchie Fourth of July

2011-07-04T08:40:00.001-04:00

Happy Independence Day everyone!

We're not around here much anymore, as mom hasn't had the time to blog lately. She does still have enough time on her hands, however, to do all sorts of silly things to us & then take pictures! So as long as we've got them, might as well share, right??

Have a fun & safe day, watch out for those flashy-boomer things!

Brutus & Carmen

Bitey-Face

2011-06-20T12:20:00.000-04:00

Hello!! Just wanted to let you know we are all still here, alive & well. Sorry we haven't been around lately, thought you might enjoy some live Frenchie action for a reminder of what we're all about here! I assure you that no Frenchies were harmed in the making of this video. I've been told it's sort of hypnotic to watch...

That's several minutes of what we call "bitey-face". It's what goes on all day... every day... Carmen never tires of pestering Brutus!

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T08:21:00.000-04:00

There's nothing like a good chin scratch!!

Ahhhhhh..... A little to the left, please!

A Rare Moment

2011-04-26T18:55:00.001-04:00

Captured this photo a few days ago while trying out some new settings on my camera (tired of all those green/blue glowing eyes!). All 3 pups were sitting there - CALMLY!!! A rare moment indeed!

Easter Frenchies

2011-04-23T10:06:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter everyone!

Yes, it's time for yet another holiday-related, embarrassing photoshoot! As if the Frenchies don't have big enough ears already, I got out the bunny ears and bribed them to cooperate for a while as I snapped away.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend and that the Easter Bunny is good to you!

Hey, Brutus! You got something funny-looking on your head!!

Yeah? Well I hate to tell ya Carm, so do you!!

Great. We're both being humiliated. Don't look at mom, it's our only defense!

I sure hope the Easter Bunny is watching and brings us extra stuff for putting up with all this!

OK, fine. Fine. Let's just get it over with then...

Happy Easter everybody!!!!

Love, Brutus & Carmen

Team Brutus Takes Chicago - the Final Installment

2011-04-11T10:05:00.001-04:00

It was two weeks ago today that we wrapped up our adventure to Chicago. Yes, agility was the our primary agenda, but there was so much more to the trip than jumps & tunnels! In addition to making lots of new friends (both human & canine), we had lots of tasty things to eat, and even got to do a little shopping. We'll wrap up the trip in this post, and share with you the neat stuff we got to do before we came home!

None of it would have been possible without the hospitality & generosity of our wonderful friends - Hope & her sister Fran (pictured above with the Frenchies). I met Hope in Wisconsin last year at the Frenchie National Specialty & we became instant friends. So funny how having only your dogs in common can be grounds for a friendship where it might appear that you had nothing else in common! Who'd have thought that a random conversation at an agility trial would lead to me driving 400 miles to visit less than a year later!

We thoroughly enjoyed our four days in Chicago, playing agility while getting to know Hope & Fran (and many of their friends!) better. The agility trial is where we spent a lot of our weekend hours, but there was still plenty of time to relax and enjoy the finer things of the windy city - like pizza!

Nothing like Chicago deep-dish pizza! This delicious slice is from Malnati's, but I also got to enjoy our all-time favorite, Giordano's!

After all 3 days of agility all day and playing all night, the kids were all seriously tuckered out! The dogs worked hard and played hard, and as you know - tired dogs are happy dogs!! Our last night there Brutus & Carmen crashed on one end of the couch,

Dax on the other end,

While Teddy was zonked out in his lounger!

Thankfully we all got good nights' rest before we headed home on Monday morning. There was one last item on our trip agenda to check off before leaving Chicago - a visit to Golly Gear!

Turns out that Hope & Fran own a small-dog supply store! Behind this unassuming door we found the motherload of all dog stuff!

Golly Gear sells everything imaginable for our furry friends. Collars, treats, toys, training supplies - you name it. They do most of their sales over the internet, but Brutus & Carmen were lucky enough to have the store to themselves to go on a shopping spree!

Talk about kids in a candy store! These bins are bursting with all kinds of cool stuff!

The Frenchies wasted no time diving right in!

We spent over an hour trying on collars, harnesses & coats, taste-testing treats & playing with toys. Hope had a special gift for Brutus, a shirt that was most certainly made with him in mind:

The perfect muscle tee to show off Brute's buff physique!

In case you can't see the logo in the photo above (I was taking photos with my phone, sorry if they are blurry), here's a closer look. It's simply made for Brutus, all too appropriate for my little mama's boy!

Love these new harnesses we found at Golly Gear! Best-fitting ones I've ever seen, plus they are super-easy to put on (look out Teddy, Brutus & Carmen are gunning for your modeling job).

Here's some fun new collars we found there, biggify the photo to see what Brute's says.

Carmen opted for an ultra-comfy, pretty-in-pink martingale for her new training collar.

Brutus & Carmen picked out some toys too (I'd show you, but they've already, um, Frenchie-tested them & they don't look so hot) and a really fun training tool (called a Manners Minder, but that's for another post). There were so many other neat things there I can't begin to tell you, so just go to the Golly Gear website (just click on the name anywhere in this post for a link) and see for yourself!!

As they say, all good things must come to an end. So with many great memories, a couple of qualifying agility scores, a bunch of new friends, and a bag full of great stuff from Golly Gear, we bid farewell to the windy city and headed across the Eisenhower Bridge towards home.

Hope & Fran, we can't thank you enough for all the hospitality and kindness you showed me, Brutus & Carmen (really, who else would be crazy enough to let my crew into their home??). Can't wait to see you all again! Until then, hugs to all our furbuddies! Come visit us here in Ohio sometime!

Team Frenchie takes Chigago (Part Deux)

2011-04-04T08:43:00.000-04:00

After an evening of playing with Teddy & all his pack, we turned for the night with mom warning us that it was going to be an early morning. Sure enough at 5AM the alarm went off & we were on the move.

With four Frenchies safely piled in the car, Hope pointed the car (while mom helped navigate) towards Libertyville, IL. After about 40 minutes, we arrived at the most enormous sports complex my big eyes have ever beheld! Checked on the website, this place is 170,000 sq feet!! Those little dots outside are cars (and BTW, Google Earth is amazing...)

Anyways, don't know if you remember from last summer - but indoor soccer arenas double as agility rings during the off-season. Yep, we were at an agility trial!

Most of you have probably never been to any kind of dog trial/show, so here's the funny thing. Early on the first morning a small city starts to emerge, with each club setting up camp & saving space for everyone in their group. By the time the weekend is in full swing, it looks like a refugee camp, with dog crates, exercise pens, lawn chairs, coolers - often all coordinated in each training club's colors. Quite a thing to behold! Mom staked claim to a couple of square feet with the "All Fours Agility" group (where Hope trains with Dax & Teddy).

I'll try to spare you all the details mom would surely include if she were writing this post, you know how she can go on endlessly about this agility stuff! I must mention that Frenchies were unusually well represented at this trial - there were 3 of us entered and another two (Teddy & Carmen) there who were present, in training but not old enough to compete.

You already know this strapping, athletic (ahem):

Look, mom - a one-paw handstand!!

And here's our friend Dax in action:

We also met this handsome boy, Otto. He's just starting in agility, and watching his runs left us with no doubt that he loves it!

Dax & I kept our respective moms pretty busy, but they did have some time to take the young 'ons over the practice jump. Here's Hope & Teddy practicing their startline stay.

Had to slip in another action shot of yours truly (it is my blog after all), look at that intensity!

Oh yeah, and here's a video of Team Brutus in action. Two runs here for those of you with a broadband connection, the first is the Standard course, and the other is Jumpers With Weaves:

We had a great time over the 3 days of the trial, putting in 6 solid runs and making lots of new friends. We now compete at the top level of AKC agility (Excellent B), where runs have to be perfect to qualify. No mistakes on course, no bars down, no going over the allowed time. We managed to do that twice, and if it weren't for a couple of bone-headed maneuvers on mom's part (ok, and a couple on my behalf as well), we would have had 5 Qs over the course of the weekend - including the much sought-after Double Q (qualifying with both runs in the same day, which gets you special points). All in all mom says she was super-proud of what we did there!

We originally planned to wrap up posting about Chicago in two parts, but there's still more fun stuff to tell you about. The blog has kind of been withering on the vine lately, so hopefully our remaining followers will be entertained enough to tune in for one last (agility-free) installment!!

Later taters-

Brutus

Team Brutus Takes Chicago (Part 1)

2011-03-31T13:06:00.000-04:00

Hello, friends! Brutus here to tell you about our latest adventure!

Mom has been such a lousy blogger lately, making all kinds of promises to post things, then never getting around to it. Once again I am taking matters into my own paws to tell you about all the fun stuff we've been up to.

Early last week mom started moving lots of stuff around - that usually means we're going somewhere. Sure enough, on Thursday morning she loaded me & Carmen up into the car.

We drove & drove. It seemed like forever! After many hours, mom got all excited when she saw this sign:

And then shortly thereafter when this bunch of buildings popped up on the horizon:

Luckily we drove right past all those skyscrapers, and soon got off the highway. Just a few more minutes and we finally stopped, almost 400 miles from home! Mom seemed really happy to be "there" (where ever "there" is), and a nice lady came out to greet us. Turn out she is mom's friend Hope, who we met last summer while at the big show in Wisconsin! We must be here for a visit! Woohoo!

Carmen & I were busy investigating the smells - we knew Hope had some doggies 'cuz we met them last year. Sure enough, pretty soon Dax & Teddy came out to greet us! It's a Frenchie party!!

Me & my bud Teddy.

The lovely Dax

Little did we know, there are other furkids here too! Here's Ceilidh (pronounced Kayleigh) the Boston Terrier. Tough to get a photo of this gal, she kind of made herself scarce...

Here's Tango, a Brussels Griffon (how can you not LOVE that face??)

And the alpha dog, Rock (also a Griff)

It took us a while to figure out the group dynamics, but eventually things settled down enough to go inside. Here's Hope trying to keep some semblance of order amongst the Frenchie mayhem!

Turns out that me, Carmen, & Teddy were great pals, and Rock like to sit & supervise the goings-on. Ceilidh, Tango & Dax weren't so into our roughhousing (can you say "fun police"?) and were happier in the peace & quiet of their crates.

Just when Carmen & I thought this was going to be a kick-back-and-relax kind of vacation, mom reminded me that Dax & Teddy do agility like Carmen & I. Ruh-roh, I got a funny feeling this is a working vacation!

Bet you can guess what happens next. But in case you can't, mom says she'll let me get the second part of this post up sooner than later! Apparently we didn't drive all the way to the windy city to just sit around!

Road Trip!

2011-03-28T21:15:00.000-04:00

No, the Frenchies haven't packed their bags & left - although they've threatened to do so if I don't get back into the blogging groove!

Actually we've been on the road, no time to post. So much to share, so little time! We're already home safe following our recent adventure, and will do our best to get up a post soon. Stay tuned for Team Frenchie's latest escapades!

Hello Spring!!!

2011-03-21T08:07:00.004-04:00

It's official - Winter is finally over! At least according to the calendar... Thankfully we had weather to match this weekend, and the Frenchies & I put in many miles on the trials nearby. 50-60 degress & partly sunny is just perfect weather for them to get some fresh air & exercise, and we took full advantage of it!

Sometimes they walk in stride,

Other times in single file (Carmen always in front in this formation).

But it's all business for Brute. He takes his walks seriously!

A physique like this doesn't just happen, you know!

As for Carmen, that's a whole different story. She covers twice as much ground as the rest of us, trying to check out everything there is to see out there!

Not to mention all the fabulous smells to check out!

Mmmmm, goose poo!

Brutus just stands there looking annoyed while Carmen flits around.

She's crazy, I tell ya...

We did stop a few times along the way to rest in the wonderful sunshine,

With Carmen really stretching out to soak up as many rays as she could.

Brutus meanwhile showed me what he thought of himself on a scale of 1 to 100.

Which then of course prompted Carmen to one-up him (sibling rivalry, you know).

Oh yeah, Brutus? Maybe your scale ends at 100, but mine keeps going!

We did take time to stop & smell the flowers (these are the first buds we've seen this spring!)

And even did a little rock-climbing!

See anything good from up there, sis?

In the end, there were two very relaxed French fries, basking in the sun!

Hope you all had time to relax this weekend & enjoy the beginning of Spring. Our posting will continue to be intermittent at best, due to my work schedule & Brute's agility conquests. In fact, we are off on another adventure later this week, with Team Frenchie hitting the road.

We'll continue to check everyone's blogs as time & internet access permits, even if we can't always comment! Thanks for sticking with us, we always so enjoy the comments left here!

Irish Bulldogs

2011-03-16T22:43:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody! Brutus & Carmen here, wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today we are setting aside our French heritage, and have decided to be Irish Bulldogs! Hope you enjoy what we let mom do to us this time :)

Hey there little shamrock!

Yikes! It jumped right onto my face!

Ooohh, it's shiny! Does that mean I'm gonna have good luck?


Not so sure green is my color.

Kiss me, I'm Irish!!

Seriously, mom?

Oy. The things I put up with....

OK, at least this is a little more distinguished!

It ain't easy being green...

Happy St. Patrick's day everybody!!!

The Drama Queen turns One!!

2011-03-08T00:10:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it - the time has flown by SO fast! Today my little Diva Extraordinaire is one year old!! To think that the little brindle bundle that was born exactly a year ago...

That's Carmen on the right, her sister Vera on the left. They were literally minutes old in this photo!

... has already grown into a beautiful little lady! Seems like just yesterday that Carmen was a floppy puppy, trying to find her legs. From the little potato that could barely negotiate the fleece rim of her puppy nest:

Carmen, 4 weeks old.

To a mountain goat who leaps tall couches in a single bound! They grow up too fast, I tell ya!

Carmen surveying her kingdom from her favorite perch, the back of the couch.

So a very happy birthday to my little Drama Queen. You've come a long way baby, and there's a whole big world out there waiting to see how much further you'll go!!

I smell cake. The only place I'm going right now is the kitchen!!

Weird Weather Wednesday

2011-03-02T08:19:00.000-05:00

What a difference a few days can make. In the midwest we loosely refer to this as "Springtime". We really don't have a Spring - it just alternates between winter & summer for a while before settling on one (the same thing happens in the fall). Recently we had temperatures over 60F, and the dogs we out sunbathing on my deck.

Aaaahhhhhh.....

Does this angle make our butts look big?

Here they are in the exact same spot, just a few days later. 6 inches of snow later, 40 degrees cooler. So much for sunbathing. Anyone up for snowbathing? Don't think I'll have any takers there...

Carmen, we can tell you were eating snow again.

Brutus can't even bear to look - his eyes were closed in every picture!

Guess you just have to be ready for anything around here this time of year. Who knows what tomorrow will bring - get the bathing suits ready, but don't put the snow suits away!

Funtainer Giveaway

2011-02-28T09:37:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It's a really soggy day here - warm enough to melt the 6 or so inches of snow we got on Friday, plus lots of thunderstorms to really make things messy. Think that I should maybe put life vests on the dogs to send them out into the backyard! Yuck. Talk about dreary weather. I've said it before - spring can't get here soon enough!

But until things start looking more promising outside, I've got the perfect thing to help perk you up on a grey Monday - a giveaway! Our friends at CafePress have come up with another cool idea, and they asked me to help share it with you.

It's called a "Funtainer". How can that not make you smile? The name alone is so cheery, plus you can personalize it to your hearts' content! Of course we have no shortage of photos to use, but picked two of our favorite to adorn our little thermos.

There are several thermos designs available, we picked this screw-lidded version (so a certain little black bulldog would be unlikely to open it himself). It can keep things either hot or cold for several hours.

Once again, thwarted by lack of thumbs!

It's perfect to use for taking our Tuna Fudge (go see our last post, the recipe is included there) to agility trials. Brutus gets totally excited when he sees the thermos, as he knows that's his "jackpot" container. After an agility run Brutus gets treated repeatedly, rapid-fire style, for about 30 seconds - that's his "jackpot", and let me tell ya it takes a lot of fudge!

Any goodies in there??

Hellooooooo......

CafePress has so many neat items, we always end up spending tons of time playing around on their website. That being said, the design page is really easy to use - even a bulldog can do it (no offense, Brutus).

Hey - what's that supposed to mean??

Pick out your Funtainer, then upload a couple of photos of your favorite furkids. You can also add text in a huge array of fonts & colors.

Decisions, decisions.

Of course there might be more than one dog who wants a say-so in the design process...

Whatcha doin' big brother??

SO would you like your very own FUNTAINER? As in the past, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post (either via Facebook or through Blogger) and we'll enter you in a drawing to win one, courtesy of our super friends at CafePress. Whether you use it for yummy doggy treats or actually use it for (*gasp*) yourself, this is really a neat little item. In fact it's so nifty, there just might be some competition in the house for who gets to use it....

I want one too, mom!

We'll leave the post open for comments until the end of the day Friday (5PM EST, March 4th). The winner will be chosen by Frenchie-mediated random drawing on Saturday, and announced early next week.

Chef Brutus

2011-02-25T10:42:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! It's Brutus!! Can you believe it? So little posting here lately, I was starting to forget how to do it. Mom has a snow day today (Snowmageddon #4 in Ohio), so we finally have a chance to catch you up on what we've been doing lately.

Mom is always on the lookout for tasty new treats for us to try. You see, we Frenchies have a reputation for eating ANYTHING (underwear, earplugs, christmas tree lights, in no particular order), but actually have a very discriminating palate. It takes something really special to get us genuinely excited, and we get bored quickly with even the most delectable treats. So today I, Chef Brutus, will be sharing the newest - and dare I say BEST EVER - recipe that a friend recently sent to us.

It's called TUNA FUDGE! I'm drooling just thinking about it. Better get on with things before the keyboard gets so full of slobber that my paws can't find the keys... You have to make it through the post (just like I had to make it through the production of the post!) to see the actual recipe. Hehehehe.

First, gather all the ingredients. Oh, and loose the ridiculous chef hat - it only gets in the way.


Let's see... Eggs, Flour, Tuna, Garlic Salt - check!

Next, combine everything into that terrible machine that mom calls a "blender". Press the button that says "puree".

This would be a lot easier if I had thumbs...

It will take a while to smooth everything out. While you are waiting, it's never too early for a taste test (just keep your tongue OUT of the blender itself!).

OK, now that it's all blended, have your human pour the goo into a greased baking dish (it's just not possible to do yourself, I tried).

Never hurts to taste it again, just to be on the safe side.

Now the waiting begins. I had mom turn on the oven, and once it heated up she put the pan inside to cook.

In the mean time, feel free to lick the bowl. And the blender. And the measuring cups. And the spatula...

As if the lovely aroma of the baking fudge wasn't enough to torture me, I had to defend my culinary creation from my pushy little sister.

Step away from the fudge, Carmen!! Make your own!

After what seems like an eternity (actually it's only 20 minutes, but in dog time that's like 4 hours), get your human to take the fudge out of the oven & let it cool. I begged mom for another taste test here, but she said it was still too hot.

Pleeeeeease???

The fudge has a kind of play-dough-like consistency. When it's cool, it can be cut into squares for easy handling (although I'd be perfectly happy to eat it right out of the pan).

At long last; my tuna fudge is ready! You can freeze some, otherwise it'll keep in the fridge for about a week - assuming you can keep your paws off it!!

Finally! Oh, it smells SOOOOOO good!!

I tell ya, I'll do anything for tuna fudge. It is the most amazing thing I've ever tasted! Are you drooling yet?? OK, no more teasing, here's the recipe:

This is Chef Brutus singing off for today. Gee, I wonder if Food TV is looking for a new host....

Oh, no - the hat is back....

Hope you can get your human to help you make some soon. Many thanks to our friend Katie (whose MinPin Mitzi reluctantly allowed her to share the recipe), I do believe that tuna fudge will result in a definite improvement in our agility and obedience performances! Gotta go - the tuna calls!!

Nom, nom, nom, slurp, nom...

Later Taters!

Brutus

A Couple of Caricatures

2011-02-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

We were at an agility trial last weekend (imagine that). As is often the case, there were vendors set up to sell any kind of imaginable dog item, from chew toys to embroidered towels. Usually I try to keep my distance, but once particular vendor caught my attention; a man doing caricature sketches! You can bet it didn't take me long to get in line to have Brutus & Carmen done.

Let's face it, my dogs are sort of caricatures in of themselves, but what fun to have them drawn freehand. Each sketch took the artist about 20 minutes, and took into account not only the dogs' physical characteristics, but also their personality as he worked. Brutus, of course, was way over-stimulated by all the goings-on around him. Drawing really big ears was a given, but the artist also really over-exaggerated Brute's eyes to express his, er..., "intensity".

Here's what he came up with. A little over-the-top, but I guess that's what a caricature is all about!

Next it was Carmen's turn. She just soaked up the attention, sitting and posing like the true Diva we all know her to be!

It's funny how different the two drawings turned out to be. Paul says Carmen's looks kind of like a dolphin with ears, but I think that's because she has kind of a permanent smile just like one those friendly sea mammals! He definitely got her eyes right, and it does convey the Carmen's more laid-back personality.

Not quite sure what I'll end up doing with the caricatures, but they will probably end up in frames in my dog trophy room (aka home office). No matter what, a fun thing to have done.

Is it really me, mom? Looking kind of bug-eyed there, no?

I'm a natural poser, what can I say?

The drawings are very reasonable ($20 each) and the artist (John LaFree) can also do them from photos you email him. In case anyone wants to check out his work, go to www.caninecaricatures.com. BTW, John has no idea I'm posting about this, I just thought it was a cool thing to share with our friends! Plus he donates $1 to the SPCA for each drawing he does, so it benefits a good case as well.

Agility Update

2011-02-17T20:09:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone...

It's been a whole week since we posted, an unprecedented lack of attention. Brutus has been busy running agility courses, and I have been up to my elbows in teeth that need fixing. Hope to be back in regular blogging action soon, but wanted to post something lest you think we had left without a forwarding address!

Just got some new photos of Brutus doing some impressive agility feats recently. Pretty athletic for a bulldog, no?

Full extension over the broad jump

Over the triple - look at that buff physique!

Floating!

Where to next, mom?

Turning in mid-air

All-star!

And for those of you of the moving-picture persuasion, here are some videos from a trial we attended last weekend in Edinboro, PA. Drove through almost 3 hours of blizzard to get there, now that's devotion!! Enjoy :)

Life, According to Brutus

2011-02-10T19:55:00.001-05:00

OK, all our entries at MangoMinster are over, what an adrenaline rush that was! Carmen smashed the Diva category (readers' choice) and Brutus managed to pull out an honorable mention from the honorable judge Fiona. Now that his Bad Sport division has wrapped up, Brutus has given me clearance to post about a recent project that sheds light on his more upstanding side.

Recently we won a contest hosted by our friend Twix.

She & her mom had made their own scrapbook using an online company called Mixbook, and thought it was so cool that he offered to give one away. We were SO excited when Twix picked our name, as this sort of thing is right up our alley!!

What do we have here??

Mixbook is a website where you can upload photos to use in making your very own book. You can use pre-made versions, or start from scratch. There are literally hundreds of backgrounds, stickers, and all kinds of choices - the sky is the limit!

Getting started was the hardest part, as I had NO idea what to do for our book. With literally thousands of photos of Brutus to pick from, I just started uploading my favorites. After many fun hours of playing with the website, we came up with "Life, According to Brutus" - a collection of thoughts from Brutus' perspective, with plenty of photos to make it fun!

I can honestly say this is the coolest prize we've ever won. Our book was so fun & easy to make, and the book arrived literally 2 days after I placed the order.

Pawtigraphs, anyone??

So handsome & clever, I even amaze myself sometimes!

Just fascinating!!

You gotta check it out - this really is cool!

| View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

The little widget above lets you flip through the book, almost like it's right in front of you. Isn't that just the neatest thing ever? The actual book turned out so good that we are going to order a few extra copies for friends and gifts.

Perhaps a sequel is in order...

Thanks again, Twix, for hosting such a great giveaway!! We are Mixbook fans for life!

P.S. Twix hasn't been well lately, so I know she'd appreciate all the positive thoughts and wishes we can muster. Be sure to stop by her page if you haven't already!

Drama Queen Reigns Supreme (a Shamless Brag)!!!!

2011-02-08T19:14:00.002-05:00

WoooooooHooooooooo! Carmen won the Readers' Choice award at MangoMinster for Shameless Diva! All hail HRH the Drama Queen!!

What an outpouring of support from her fans in blogland and beyond. It was close for a long time, but in the end Carmen was able to pull WAY out in front of stiff competition. Congrats to all the other winners, and good luck to all those currently awaiting their turns in the ring.

Speaking of which, Brutus says that as the originator of this blog, he is counting on at least as much love form his loyal followers when he takes the stage at MangoMinster later this week. Spoken like a true Bad Sport, eh??

What? Does my laser-eye glare make you uncomfortable? Then you better vote!!

But for now, Carmen is exhausted from all her campaigning, and is happy to rest on her laurels. The true Diva that she is now confirmed to be, expect a gushy acceptance speech from Carmen soon!

Thanks again to everyone who voted! Not sure that Carmen will ever take her tiara off again - other than to get her beauty sleep!

Shameless Plug for a Shameless Diva!!

2011-02-07T09:20:00.002-05:00

Today is the big day!!!

Well, what are you waiting for???

Please vote for Carmen at MangoMinster!! Polls are now open, so there is no time to waste! In case you didn't catch Carmen's entry, click HERE to see how just how Shameless of a Diva she is!!

There is some stiff competition out there for sure, so each vote counts!! Carmen has decided to take the "iron fist in a velvet glove" approach to gathering votes:

You don't want to see a Diva get angry. It's not pretty.

I think everyone in blogland knows Mango, but in case you don't stop his special blog and check out this fabulous event. And be sure to vote for Carmen in the Shameless Diva category while you are there!!!

Come on, who could gave into her dark brown eyes and not vote for Carmen?? That's the mark of a true diva after all - she gets what she wants!!

Why are you still here?? Go get that vote in already!!!

Super Sunday!

2011-02-06T11:09:00.002-05:00

Not much to say today, too busy getting ready for the Superbowl! Even the Frenchies are getting in the mood for the big game. Not really sure who to root for, so Brutus offered to join the officiating team and make sure it was a fair game!

No foul play will get by my watchful glare!!

Carmen at Center, ready for the snap.

Unsportsmanlike conduct!! Half the distance to the goal, automatic 1st down!

Hey Carmen, no chewing on the game ball!! That's a 15 yard penalty!

Phew! This rufferee stuff is hard work!

Maybe I'll just chew on the flag instead!

Enjoy the game (and all the crazy commercials) everyone! Hope your favorite team wins!!

(almost) Wordless Wednesday: Groundhog Day Edition

2011-02-02T08:27:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Olga Gornorovsky for another fabulous Frenchie cartoon that expresses our feelings exactly!!

Wake up Mr. Groundhog & get out there! We need to know the end of this miserable winter is in sight!!!

We've been (A) Framed!!

2011-01-31T21:09:00.001-05:00

In our last post we mentioned that there had been a lot going on around here lately. The bad news is that the blog has suffered a serious lack of attention. The good news is that we've got lots of new material!

Recently mom got a brilliant idea that it was time to do a little construction. She enlisted the help of her dad (who will henceforth be lovingly referred to as Grandpa Tom) for some kind of project down in our basement.

Wow. That's a lot of wood! What on earth could they be up to??

Oh, geez. Carmen you better come over here & see this...

"Build Your Own Agility Equipment?!?"

I think we're screwed!!

Grandpa Tom wasted no time getting to work - measuring, sawing, & hammering. I figured that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I was right there to supervise & make sure he did everything right.

Safety first!

Are you sure that's straight??

It says he'll need this hammer next.

It's amazing what you humans can do with those thumbs of yours!

Hey, wait a minute. This is starting to look familiar!

Carmen, I think we've been (A) Framed!!

Wow, that's quite the addition to our basement agility course! A couple of trials with some A-Frame issues, and voila - I have one of my very own to practice on. Who'da thunk it?

Now for some sanding so it's safe for our paws!

Did someone say it was time to paint?!?!

Oh, come on. You never let me help paint...

Several hours and coats of paint later, there was a full-size obstacle ready for a test run.

Pretty impressive, eh?

I boldly volunteered to give it a try.

A Frenchie perspective of the A-Frame

Up & over!

Coming in for a landing!

Mom says now we can never move, as the A Frame is too big to fit back up the stairs now that it's built. Plus it weighs over 200 lbs, so it's not going anywhere. Thanks to Grandpa Tom for helping us with the build, don't think we could have nailed two pieces of wood together properly without you!!

We're here!

2011-01-28T18:52:00.000-05:00

Several of our friends have posted lately that they're "still here" since they haven't been able to blog or comment much. WE HEAR YOU!!

Seems like our mom also has her priorities out of line, as she's been working instead of helping us with the bloggie. Really - how much work can humans' teeth possibly need? What in the heck are they doing to their chompers that mom has to spend SO much time away fixing them???

Where does she go???

Anyways, we are attempting to take matters into our own paws. That is unless we can find a new secretary to hire.... We tried just using the laptop ourselves, but this whole "no thumbs" thing makes it tough.

Oh, geez... Where in the heck is the "ON" button???

Mom thinks we just sit home in our crates all day doing nothing but sleeping. She even set up a "nanny cam" to check up on us between patients.

Mom says it's so she can put her mind at rest that we are OK while she's at work - any computer or her iPhone can tap into a streaming video of us doing positively nothing all day. So much for getting anything done while she's away, or any chance of inviting friends over for a little unsupervised fun!! Too bad, we (and by "we" I mean Carmen) really wanted Benny to come & share some sunshine with us!!

So anyways, we are still here too, and totally feel for all of you out there who haven't been able to blog or comment as you'd like lately. Seems to be an epidemic! Mom swears she is reading as many blogs as she can on her lunch hour, even if she doesn't always have time to comment. We pups really need to come up with a way to make computers more dog-friendly - it would free up our humans to do other things, and we could just take over the blogging ourselves!

FAK - Frenchie at Keyboard!!

All that being said, we've got a few fun things to post about soon. Some projects here at home, our prize from Twix's recent Mixbook giveaway, and even a new contest of our own! So stick with us, friends - we promise that cool posts are on their way!

Hang in there everyone - we'll see you soon!!

Brutus & Carmen

Wordless Wednesday: Diva at Sunrise

2011-01-26T07:55:00.005-05:00

January Blahs

2011-01-23T16:43:00.001-05:00

It's the middle of winter. Nothing but snow & cold here in northeast Ohio. Other than a brief thaw around New Year's day, Mother Nature has been relentless. Several feet of snow have fallen since November, and the thermometer has dipped below 0 degrees Fahrenheit a few times recently. And there's a loooooong way to go before we can even start to hope for spring, ugh.

Seriously? Do I have to go out there??

Sure - it's beautiful to look at. But it's getting really old to have to pile on coats, boots, gloves, ect. before going outside. We have toughened up a little, and for short outings (like letting the dogs out back to quickly do their business), we brave it without a coat sometimes.

I vaguely remember a time when the ground wasn't white.


Winter wonderland my foot...

Is the grass still underneath there??

Think I might be frozen to the ground!

Time to head in for some hot chocolate!

See you later this week... assuming we haven't frozen solid!!

(almost) Wordless (almost) Wednesday

2011-01-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

Nope, we haven't taken up exploring HVAC systems in our spare time...

This is the agility tunnel mom got us for Christmas!!!

Brutus' MangoMinster entry: Bad Sport

2011-01-16T13:37:00.006-05:00

Brutus here. I'm back in control after my diva little sister snatched the laptop and monopolized it for hours to make her entry last week. You'd think mom might have intervened, but noooooooo, she got all wrapped up in making collages. Sheesh. This is MY blog after all. I was here first, darnit...

It seems that mom has decided that the best category for me to enter is "Bad Sport". Hmpf. Don't you think I'm an awfully good sport to put up with all the things she does to me? No, wait - I take that back. In fact I'm a great sport, it's just that I happen to be a bad looser.

Case in point: I spent the last few days trying to convince mom to enter me in another category. I want to do this MY way. I did a lot of yapping, even resorted to the dreaded Frenchie death yodel:

I wanted to enter "Shameless Dogs", but mom didn't want me competing against Carmen (I would have put her to shame, might have crushed her fragile little ego, heheehe). The Shameless Doggie in me tried throwing a temper tantrum to get my way, but to no avail.

Even threw in a little pouting for good measure. I ALWAYS get my way, after all.

What the heck??? Why aren't my usual tactics working? Hmmm... Maybe mom is trying to prove a point here? Does being a bad looser (and maybe a bit spoiled overall) make one a bad sport??

But since there's not "bad looser" category, I guess Bad Sport is what I'll have to settle for. Then I heard that Fiona is the judge, that kinda changes things. It just so happens that Fiona & I have a lot in common, maybe this is the category for me after all. Not that I'm asking for anything other than her impartiality. It's just that great minds (and older siblings of attention-hogging, deceptively cute sisters) think alike. Plus Fi's sister Abby also entered the bad sport category, and she would NEVER pick her own sister, so that's one less dog to beat. I'm just sayin....

The most Honorable, beautiful, intelligent, athletic Judge Fiona (not trying to butter you up or anything...).

Anyways, I'd better get on with this before I further incriminate myself. Here's the description of a Bad Sport according to Mango:

Is every toy, bone, or bed on your estate YOURS whether you are using it or not?
Do you bully the other fur kids in your pack?
Do you hide foodables in your mouth even if you don't like them just so nobody else can have them?
Are all your stuffies beheaded or disemboweled?
Do you already have a plan in place to bribe the bad sport judge or to stuff the reader's choice ballet box?
In the absence of medical issues, are your potty habits still, ahem, relaxed?
When your humans say, "come" do you just stare at them waiting for them to prove they have noms?

Is every toy, bone, bed in the estate YOURS whether you are using them or not?

Don't be silly. Of COURSE they are. As you may have seen in the past, we have lots of stuffies here, but that doesn't mean that there's enough to share. If I can see it, its mine. If I can't have it, plentiful yapping ensues.

Don't even think about touching my stuffies.

And as far as the beds... Mason & Carmen have all the dog beds, doesn't bother me one bit. You see, I don't need them! I've got this nice, big cushy one. Its so big that I'll even share it with mom & dad occasionally.

Hey, nap in progress. You mind??

Do you bully the other furkids in your pack?

Um, yeah.
I'm a BULLdog after all. Duh. In my nature, you know?

Besides, someone has to keep Carmen & Mason in line, right?? Or anyone else who could conceivably compete for the attention/toys/treats I rightfully deserve. I do all the special things with mom (agility & obedience), I deserve special privileges in return. That means it's all about ME (no matter what you said in your post, Carmen). When I don't get the respect I deserve the bully in me takes over.

Do you hide foodables in your mouth even if you don't like them just so no one else can have them?

This is a tough one... Mom is pretty careful with this. We get our dinner, we get treats for working. OK, I get LOTS of treats for working, that's what it's all about after all, right?? The finest meats & cheese my friends. I get beef fillet sometimes - really. I mean who would work for just praise anyways (ahem, Carmen)?

Step away from the fridge. It's mine. All mine.

Heeeere nice cookie. Come to Brutus!

Are all your stuffies beheaded or disemboweled?

So what if they are? But this answer is technically a "no," but that's only because mom takes them away when they just start to get good & broken in. The stuffie infirmary has had a "no vacancy" sign up for months. I'm not a ripper, I'm a chewer. Is it my fault that the craftsmanship of stuffies just isn't what it used to be????

Quite a backup forming here at the operating table, mom....

Better hire an extra surgeon.

Do you already have a plan in place to bribe the bad sport judge or to stuff the reader's choice ballet box?

Perhaps. I refuse to answer this on grounds that I might incriminate myself. A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do, ya know what I mean?? Now leave the gun and take the cannoli....

In the absence of medical issues, are your potty habits still, ahem, relaxed?

Depends how you define "relaxed". I haven't had an "accident" since I was 18 months old (mom says this isn't such a great claim, whatever). But there are times that certain things need to be watered - christmas tree skirts, the corners of interesting houseplants, certain crucial locations at mom's friend Courtney's house (someone else marked it first, I swear). There is talk of using a "bellyband" the next time we get invited over to someone else's house - not sure I like that idea. After all, mom has a horrible sense of direction. Maybe I'm just marking our path in case we need to retrace our steps.... Plus if one gets really, really mad (like if they get - gasp - left in another room or a crate!) - their bladder just might not be under conscious control anymore - I take no responsibility for any clean-ups under those circumstances!

When your humans say, "come" do you just stare at them waiting for them to prove they have noms?

Well, that depends on the circumstances. Granted, I did have some "zoomie" issues last winter in the agility ring - but I chalk that up to immaturity and stress. Otherwise, as long as I'm on the clock, for the most part, I come when mom calls me (if not, smoke comes out of her ears, and that's not pretty). Now if anyone else on the planet (like dad, for instance) calls me, that's completely another story! I mean, what if mom needs me all of the sudden & I've gone off in another direction just to listen to dad???

Coming, mom!!

So I do what mom tells to most of the time, even if she has to fake the "air cookie" to convince me. But look where it's gotten me after all. I've got mom under my paw - literally:

Let me also point out that bulldogs deserve lots of extra leeway. We're special after all. If you want a bulldog to do something for you, it is necessary to convince my kind that there's something in it for us. We bullies might have a reputation for being "difficult," but in reality we just march to the beat of a different (and more demanding) drummer.

Rules you say? Sorry, they don't apply to me!

Alright, that's the end of the official description for "bad sport". One more thing though - I contend that you can't be a BAD sport unless you there is SPORT in you. In my own defense, I'd like to offer that I'm entitled to a little "bad" in compensation for all the good sporting activities I happily engage in on a regular basis. One word: AGILITY.

All that jumping, tunneling, climbing, and other general biddable-ness... Don't you think I deserve the chance to be a little bit of a bad ass in my downtime?? Pardon my French (my breeding, sorry...), but I am a bulldog for pete's sake. Cut me a little slack y'all! We've all got skeletons in our closets, so what if I'm a little over-the-top from time to time? I MORE than make up for it as far as I'm concerned. Thank goodness I've also got my overall good looks to rely on; as mom says, some days it's my only asset....

So there you have it. I've let this go on more than long enough. Aired my dirty laundry, shown my Achilles' heel, the chink in my armor, call it what you want. Hope that Mango & Fiona (and everyone who votes in people's choice category) can appreciate what I'm willing to do for your vote! Gotta go now, I think I hear a cheese wrapper rustling in the next room!

Later, taters!
Brutus

Carmen: Doggie DIva (MangoMinster entry)

2011-01-12T16:06:00.003-05:00

Carmen at the keyboard today! I'm soooooo excited, I can barely contain myself! As if it were not enough that I managed to get the 'puter away from Brutus and get to post myself.... This is my very first entry to MangoMinster!!

It was easy to decide which category for me to enter, never a doubt in fact - I am entering the "Doggie Diva" category. Here's Mango's description of the idea entrant:

Doggie Divas & Shamless Dogs

Are there huzzy photos (gals) or lipstick photos (guys) of you peppering the internets?
Is your wardrobe bigger than your humans?
Do you allow yourself to be posed in shockingly embarrassing outfits?
Will you work for (gasp) praise?
Do you howl and moan or head butt when some other fur kid is getting attentions?
Do you posses a crown and / or a tiara?
At the end of the day, is it all about YOU?

I was born to be in this category. My litter was named the "Royal Six Pack" - me (Drama Queen d'Assisi) & my sister Vera (Fashion Queen d'Assisi) were destined to be divas, as we were born to royalty (dad's name is King of Queens). So it's in my genes from the get go, and so far I can definitely say that life has been good for the Queen!!

Please allow me to expand upon that thought and give plentiful examples to support my claim that I am a Doggie Diva. And before I forget, mom is very proud of her new skills of making collages using Picassa - just click on any of them to get a better look. OK, here we go....

Are there huzzy photos of you peppering the internets?

Well, I have my own facebook page. I excel at glamor-shot type images. What can I say, the camera loves me!!!

What?? You make it sound like being popular is easy...

Is your wardrobe bigger than your humans?

OK, this isn't quite as clear-cut, but only because my mom is a bit of a diva herself (I bet you'd never have guessed that BOL). Plus she is WAY overdue for some serious closet-purging. Still, my collection of clothes and collars certainly qualifies as impressive.

There's my collection of dresses for special occasions.

I have some fabulous shirts, and who can forget the Hotpants??

And my outerwear collection is just superb. A diva has to stay warm & dry you know!

Will you allow yourself to be posed in shockingly embarrassing outfits?

This one is a little trickier. I don't always agree with mom's choices for a given photo-shoot, but I figure my natural beauty will shine through enough to overshadow the outfit.

Will you work for (gasp) praise?

Unlike my demanding brother, Brutus, I figured out early that there are many benefits to working without edibles. The praise in itself can be pretty darn cool, not to mention the pretty ribbons that go along with it. Plus you get your picture taken a lot, and that in itself can make a diva's heart go pitter-pat. As evidence of this, I submit the following proof of my award-winning work ethic.

Do you howl/moan when other furkids get attention?

Absolutely not. I would consider this unladylike, and below my majestic self. I just let my greatness speak for itself, it needs no acts of desperation for attention. Having a hissy fit is Brutus' department, after all. Seriously, who can resist this face???

Besides, I've heard that being stressed give you wrinkles...

Do you possess a crown/tiara?

Is the pope Catholic? OF COURSE I have my very own crown, which I thoroughly enjoy wearing whenever possible. You know what they say; if the ~~shoe~~ crown fits, wear it!!

All hail the Drama Queen!

Bring me my scepter!!!

Really gotta do something about the staff around here....

At the end of the day, is it all about you?

Once again, I have to point out a subtlety here. Brutus thinks its all about him, such a silly boy he is *sigh*. I come in so high on the diva scale, there is no need to resort to all sorts of shenanigans to prove it. I simply KNOW it's all about me, period. I submit the following as extensive evidence to that effect:

I have this nifty sign to remind everyone I'm the Queen

I have bells to ring for service.

I get to go on shopping sprees. Ooooh, I want that - it's sparkly!!

The sun shines specifically for me to bask in.

I appreciate beauty (so what if I do it with my tastebuds??)

Even my crate is cushy. Could someone get me a glass of water, please??

So there you have it. I'd better get going, my agent said that Wikipedia called and wants to use my photo for their "diva" entry....

Mango and celebrity judge Anakin - you just have to admit - the Drama Queen is an awesome entry for your 2011 Diva Doggie!!! Pick me, pick me, pick me!!!!

Winter Walking

2011-01-10T10:45:00.002-05:00

It's already been a long winter in the Midwest. Snow on the ground since around Thanksgiving, and lots of it. Scary to think that the worst of what Jack Frost can throw at us is yet to come! Thankfully we recently had a little break in the weather - it got warm enough to melt most of the snow. Before winter returned and put a new white blanket down, we had a few days of sunshine. For the first time in over a month, the Frenchies and I headed out for a walk.

Did someone say "walk"!?!?!

Don't let fact that I mentioned was "warmer" fool you - it was still well below freezing. The sunshine felt good, but we all needed to bundle up to fend off the cold. The Frenchies wore the nifty "1Z Coats" we got from Pawz last winter (it's a sleek coat & harness in one, check out our "Spring Break" post from 2010). I recently got some "HotHands-2" hand warmers to try out, and this seemed like the perfect day to give them a test.

Brutus & Carmen knew that donning the coats meant going for a long-awaited walk. They waited impatiently as I got myself organized.

A little help here, mom. Either that or Carmen is going to have to stand on my back so we can reach the doorknob!

I tossed a hand warmer in each pocket, not without pausing for a brief inspection by Brutus.

Don't I get some? Paws get cold too, you know!

So out we went - the Frenchies looking stylish as usual, trucking along with purpose. I love these coats - they might look a little like scuba gear, but they are streamlined and the perfect weight for exercising dogs. Warm enough to fend of f the chill, but not too heavy as to get them overheated or extra bulk to get in the way. They have a substantial built-in harness as well, a pretty nifty idea I must say (especially if you have a young, wild, little girl Frenchie at the other end of one of your leashes).

Take a look at the neat ice patterns we saw on some frozen puddles!

Here's a close-up, me trying to be artsy with the iPhone's little camera.

All the snow that melted recently had left quite a bit of water around, which was now re-frozen. We had to change our usual route because the path disappeared under a pond of solid ice!

Unfortunately Brutus & Carmen aren't much into ice skating, so this looked like the end of the trail for today.

Better put that tongue back in before it freezes to something!

I briefly entertained the notion of sliding the Frenchies across the ice like curling stones (they have the physique for it, after all), but thought better of it and turned back the way we had come.

Despite the cold, it really was a beautiful day to be out, and goodness knows we all needed the exercise! If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to be on the other end of the leash from two Frenchies, here's a birds-eye video from my perspective:

It's a good thing we got in the walk while we could, because the snow and bitter cold have since returned! We stayed toasty warm, but it still felt good to get home - a cup of hot tea & a little snuggling sure felt good! With a few months to go before there is any end in sight, we'll be lucky to sneak in a few walks here & there. The coats and HotHands warmers will be on standby, hopefully we can sneak in some more walks before too long!

Here are the websites for the products we mentioned in this post. We receive lots of offers for endorsements, but only post about things we truly find useful. There aren't any kickbacks to us from these manufactures, we're just sharing the information with you because we think they're cool!

1Z Coat (Pawz Dog Boots, LLC): pawzdogboots.com


*HotHands-2 hand warmers: www.handwarmers.net**

*One quick note, just as a precaution. In case you get the chance to try the HotHands - their contents contain iron powder, something we wouldn't want our furry friends to munch on. The Frenchies didn't seem interested in the pouches, I don't think they fabric casing wouldn't hold up long against their overly inquisitive mouths!! According to the packaging, the pouches are environmentally safe and don't need any special kind of disposal - so just tossing them in the trash when they cool off is all you need to do.

Hope you enjoyed coming along with us on our walk. Happy (and toasty) trails, wherever you are!!

Why we do what we do

2011-01-06T22:22:00.001-05:00

OK, so I do a blog about my dogs.

Not about my life and some about my dogs - it's ALL about my dogs, and just occasionally and circumstantially a little about me. That alone is probably enough to qualify me as a "dog person," if not "crazy dog person".

Add to that the fact that I have found myself addicted to the strange yet wonderful world of canine performance events. Throughout my life I've enjoyed many forms of competition - I used to figure skate though my grade school years, then got into training and showing horses though high school and college. Then life got a little crazy with graduate school, professional school, and finally a career - many years with no time for anything that resembled a hobby. But still, it was only a matter of time before things settled down a little and I came across something new that fulfilled my competitive streak.

Then along came Brutus.

It all started when I signed up for a puppy class at the local Petsmart. I had a cute - albeit it slightly wild - puppy, and wanted to make sure he was properly socialized and had some basic manners. We luckily happened upon a great trainer who got us started (thanks Julie, we miss you!!). Thanks to her, I learned not only how to teach Brutus how to sit, down, and stay - but also how rewarding it could be to work with my crazy little bulldog. Watching him figure things out was fascinating to me, moreover it fostered a connection with Brute that has far outgrown anything I've never had with any other animal.

I couldn't get enough of working with my Frenchie. After graduating from the "advanced" course at PetSmart and passing our CGC with flying colors, I wanted to take it to the next level. Brutus is the kind of dog that needs a job (despite being a "non-sporting" breed), and I could see how the training helped him grow. I looked for things to teach him, and Brutus seemed to really enjoy learning.

One day I decided to teach Brutus to jump through a hoop (literally). He figured it out instantly, and LOVED to jump. Plus it was a great way to drain some of his boundless enregy. Bulldogs aren't supposed to be good at this sort of thing, but on a whim I signed up for an agility class at a nearby club. Little did I know...

To make what could be a REALLY long story as short as I can - here we are, not quite two years later. We got addicted to agility. Added in a little obedience along the way for good measure. I really enjoy the training, working to teach Brutus new skills to improve his runs, and to better my ability as a handler. I love the challenge of competing of with an "off-breed" dog. The excitement of going to a trial, deciphering & memorizing the course, figuring out how to best run it with my unusual partner. Anyone who has seen our photos or watched our videos can't help but seeing that Brutus loves agility too. I've been delighted to hear several people who have seen some of our recent runs describe them as "joyful".

In short, we have found our niche, and I daresay we aren't too bad at it! Here's a a couple short clips from our most recent trials, in case you haven't yet had a chance to see us run:

Brutus is by no means a "normal" Frenchie. Far from the pudgy couch potato that one might expect a bulldog to be, he's lean & oddly athletic, with energy and drive that only a handful of his breed exhibits. He might have a hard time making a good decision on his own, but put him to work & Brutus is amazing. Being "on the clock" allows him cope with situations that might send him into a frenzy if left to his own devices. I joke (but with a serious undertone) that if anyone else would have taken Brutus home as a pet, he would have ended up in rescue! He can be a handful, gleefully jumping up & down on your last nerve.... but that's just who he is!

We certainly have our own unique (not to mention unorthodox) style, but we're both having a blast, and that's what matters! Brutus has his job, and I have something I enjoy and can excel in. He's My teammate might not be the typical agility competitor, but I can't image running with any other kind of dog!

A friend of my recently shared this little excerpt, and it really struck a chord with me. Maybe you aren't really interested in all the agility, obedience, ect - and goodness knows that I can go on endlessly about it! But if you have a few more minutes to spare, please take the time to read the next few paragraphs, as they so eloquently describe why we do what we do. All the letters that follow Brutus' name might be a formal description of how far we've come, but as you'll see - they are so much more....

What is a Title?

Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores. A Title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honor that dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard, and though the dog himself doesn't know or care that his achievements have been noted, a Title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.

A Title says your dog was intelligent, and adaptable, and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed. And a Title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog, and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed, and that in the end your faith was justified.

A Title proves that your dog inspired you to have the special relationship enjoyed by so few, that in the world of disposable creatures, this dog with a Title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return. And when that dear short life is over, the Title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials before or after the name.

A Title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received, permanently recorded.

Written by Sandy Mowery, Wisconsin

So there you have it. It's not for everyone, in fact it might seem silly or pointless to some. The blog just adds one more layer to that "permanently recorded" concept - whether it's work or play that we post about. But we love what we do, and can't wait to get back out there and go at it again! See you soon with more updates on what adventures Team Brutus (and soon Team Carmen) embark upon next!!

Hello 2011!!!

2011-01-01T09:42:00.002-05:00

The Frenchies donned all their finery last night to welcome in the new year.


Let's get this party started!

Well, actually.... they slept through it. Snoring gloriously in their crates while we were down the street celebrating with family. But who knows, maybe there was a party here that we just didn't know about? If there was, this is what it might have looked like...

Can I interest you in some champagne?

Think the top hat is a bit much?

Ah, yes - much more dignified. Gotta love the tuxecdo. Kinda feel James Bond-ish.


Or perhaps a little more like Marlin Brando... Now leave the gun & take the cannoli!

Of course Carmen would be the most elegant hostess... At least when she wasn't too busy posing for glamor shots!

What can I say...

...the camera just loves me!

Going a little retro here - you can call me the Greta Garbo of Frechies!

Is it midnight yet?

Getting verrrrrrrry sleeeeepy.....

But really, they just aren't party animals. It was waaay after their bedtime after all (or so I think).

Maybe we shouldn't have had that last glass of champagne!

Thanks to everyone for their comments on our last post and header photo. Yes, Brutus really did that - absolutely no photoshopping (although technically he was chewing on the horn, not blowing it)! You just have to have the camera within reach at all times around here - never know what might happen.

Hope you all start 2011 off on the right paw. For us, it's just relaxing with family & friends, and enjoying a bunch of bowl games! How do the rest of you get the new year started??