It's been raining lately, i hate it, i was all geared up to to a whole bunch of gardening. But on the bright side I get to catch up on all the stuff I've been slacking on. Worked on Rascal's coat last night. Got his belly strap measured out, then basted the top & bottom fabric together. I think the quilting on the taffeta looks so awesome.

waiting on the customer to tell me if the placement for the strap is right, since he is a boy, I don't want him peeing on it. LOL.

I got my trailer registered yesterday. I have to say that was one of the best DMV experiences ever! the guy that helped us was awesome, very nice & patient. I was VERY happy!!

Now that I have that out of the way I can start fixing on it. My trimmer's husband has offered to come down and help & maybe teach me how to weld. I've been wanting to learn how to weld forever. My dad is an excellent welder, but just doesn't have the time to teach me. 

I'm very excited about an upcoming project. I'm in the planning stage. It's for Charm the horse. Of course i have to add a pic of her gorgeous face!

Ok. its not her entire face LOL but I really like this pic.

anywho, Miss Charm is getting a breastcollar & a tie down strap to match her reins!  She's also getting a custom aussie saddle pad!  her colors are purple & black :)
Here is a pic of her trying on Daisy's pad ( their aussie saddle is quite a bit bigger, so I am making alterations to make their pad fit their saddle)

I'm very excited about project, and cannot wait to see it all on her. the last thing she'll need is a bridle!

Here's Charm being awesome. 

I swept and mopped the kitchen floor last night, I went to work on Rascal's coat then looked down and saw this.....

LOL, thanks Bug. I guess thats what I get for leaving a garbage can where she could get to it, that apparently had a pretty tasty paper towel in it! *smack yourself in the head*

Speaking of puppy training, I'm reading a great book right now. I never thought I'd get a book like this. But it's sooo awesome!! They really go into great detail to get you, the human, to understand how you can communicate with your dog. Dogs don't speak English LOL. Its so very human of us to think they know what we're saying.

Its just neat to learn how to communicate with another species. I kinda think about it like communication with a foreigner but you can't talk to them at all, no trying to understand their words. you have to communicate through body language only ( well that and clicker!! LOL).

 Like some 'other' methods out there, imagine if it was this situation with people. if you did something and that other person you couldn't talk to didn't like it and they came over and yelled at you & swatted you on the butt, you'd probably think 'wow, I don't like them very much!' but you'd have no idea really why it happened, you would just remember how it made you feel, so you'd probably avoid that person in the future.

but what if they came over and had a very happy expression and handed you a cookie?? wouldn't you think 'wow, I'm so doing that again. I love cookies!' then you'd love being around that person!

Ii love how they reference training marine mammals. You can't force a dolphin or whale to do anything, which you probably already know. Some might say that this idea doesn't apply to dog, that all you have to do is be their 'pack leader' and be dominant or the alpha. Well those marine trainers aren't trying to be a pack member with the whales, they're not trying to be the boss of their whole speciecs or group. thats pretty much impossible. but still they have a level of communication and understanding that results in the animals performing (  including behind the scenes 'tricks' for vetting etc) and being happy while doing it. all without force. think about. it. 

SO i don't really believe in the methods that seem to be popular today or making your dog submit and all that. I just don't. I used to, but after I found out about positive training, it just seemed to make so much more sense to me and just plain seemed nicer! I love that my dog thinks, and that she looks at me with that 'ooooh what are we gonna do' rather than 'oh crap I better just sit here with my head down or she's gonna yank on my collar and yell at me if I try to do anything on my own'.

I just want my dog to enjoy being around me. and I think she does, and i have fun training her. I think thats the most important thing. training the old way used to stress me out, training now is sooo fun because I get to be creative and I get to see the little cogs in my pup's brain working!!

 If training is fun, you're more likely to do it, and you and your dog benefit from that time spent together.

But anyways I highly recommend this book!! ( and i have other books on positive training, this one is just written so well so that ANYONE can understand the theories behind positive training)