Brae's Album - Page 4
Brae is growing up! His behavior has matured in both the show ring and with his relationship
with us. As a typical puppy Brae had acted as if the world revolved around him. His puppy mind
had been consumed with doing fun stuff on his schedule. He had acted as if food appearing in his
bowl and outside walks occurred magically. However, at about nine months of age he started to
show an awareness of the importance that we have to his life and an appreciation of it. Now, he
contently lies at our feet until we finish what we're doing. When Jerry puts the newspaper down
or leaves his chair, Brae will look intently into his eyes to determine if this is the time for having
fun. When Lu prepares his meal his ears will suddenly lift with the sound of food being prepared
in his bowl, but he'll wait patiently until she calls his name. Also, Brae has become sensitive to
our moods and to our feelings. A raised voice or a scowl brings a concerned look to his face with
a sense of sadness that we're not sharing his joy of life. A reminder to us of what is important in
life. Brae has become our true friend and companion as Muffin, Daisy and Breezy had been.
Waiting to have fun.
December 2010
Is it time for fun?
December 2010
Much of Brae's maturing can be credited to his having been
involved in a training class or a match or show practically
every week since he was 4 months old. Puppy kindergarten,
basic obedience to rally obedience, conformation handling
and agility classes gave Brae the experience to interact with
many people and dogs under various conditions. The earlier
experiences enabled Brae to earn his Canine Good Citizen
certificate at the remarkable young age of 7 months. The
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) tests a dog's social behavior.
But, not all is perfect with Brae! The one behavior that we
are attempting to modify is Brae's exuberance when meeting
anyone who glances in his direction and gives him a smile.
Brae then displays a need to reply with a face-to-face
greeting. 'Greeting a friendly stranger' was the part of the
CGC test that Brae barely passed. Being overly friendly to
people is a much more preferable problem than the
alternative. Also, we are grateful that Brae is not a counter
surfer or an escape artist - traits that some beardies are
known to have, and we are grateful that he does not get
stressed during thunder storms.
Brae coming and going
in agility.
September 2011
Brae's maturing also has resulted in his having a daily routine which
has impacted our routine. Brae's day starts at around 6 AM when he
places his nose within inches of Jerry's nose while he's still asleep.
No woof, no nudge, just a stare intense enough to wake anyone from a
deep sleep. After breakfast Jerry and Brae walk to get the morning
paper taking a long route - weather permitting - along the stone walls
that border our meadow. This walk is about 1/4 mile one way, and the
walk is repeated 3 to 4 and sometimes 5 times per day. Jerry enjoys
the walk because it's peaceful and relaxing, and Brae enjoys it
because of the many intriguing scents, the sight of chipmunks playing
hide and seek in the stone wall and the possibility of seeing people
walking or jogging on the road. When not on a walk, Brae busies
himself in his fenced yard chasing his basketball while clutching in his
mouth his old chewed-up, deflated red ball. When he tires, he'll nap in
his hole. During the winter or rainy days Brae will lie in his chair
gazing out the window at the meadow. After dinner Brae lies beside
Lu's or Jerry's chair until bedtime when he sometimes seeks a cool
surface to sleep - usually the kitchen or bathroom tile floor.
July 2011
June 2011
October 2011
July 2011