Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of dog is that again?
Lizzie (small, black, fuzzy) is a German Mittelspitz, the middle size of the 5 German Spitz varieties. She will be 12-15" at the shoulder as an adult (around the same size as a small sheltie) and weigh between 16-22 pounds. They're not currently fully recognized with the AKC but should be soon. Her mother was imported in utero from England and her father is the offspring of an English dog and an Australian dog. The breed is distantly related to American Eskimos and more closely related to Keeshonds and Pomeranians. They were originally a small all-purpose farm dog (ratters, some herding, family companions and watchdogs) with a similar purpose to a sheltie or corgi, but evolved much more as a companion. More information about Spitz can be found on Mittelspitz.org- coming soon!
Malcolm (Mal) (large, tricolor, shorthaired, barks a lot) is a smooth-coated collie. Think Lassie's short(er) haired cousin. Smooth collies originated in Scotland. They're a herding dog that was originally used to drive sheep to market in the south of england and evolved the shorter coat so as not to overheat. Mal will be two years old in July and is still very much a puppy.
Indy (short legged, tricolor, shorthaired) is a 6 year old Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Cardigans are the less popular of the two corgi breeds, the corgi 'with the tail'. They're a Welsh herding dog that evolved to work cattle as well as other general farm tasks such as ratting, watchdog work, and keeping track of the kids.
If you couldn't tell, I love herding dogs!
What are you doing with that clicky noise?
The clicker is a marker- it tells Lizzie that whatever she's doing at the moment she hears the click, I like it. It's a a way of communicating very precisely what I like about her current behavior, and means that a treat is on the way. Why use the clicker instead of just giving a treat? Sometimes I want her to be further away from me, or want to mark a very tiny behavior such as a flick o the ear or wagging her tail. The clicker allows me to be precise in telling her what exactly I liked in whatever she just did.
What's rally obedience?
Check out our rally page for more information, but basically, it's following numbered signs with obedience exercises on them through a course.