3 years old!
Miss Khy is officially 3 years old today! I almost forgot and feel really bad for that. Beef heart for dinner and I'll let her take Gam's spot in agility class tonight :-) Maybe that'll be enough to make it up?
It's amazing how much things change in just a couple months. I'm so glad I wrote this when it hit me, because I'm not sure I could write it right now.
Pretty much, she's amazing and I love this girl. She was born on Friday the 13th and has been anything but unlucky. She's been with me for a little under 2 years and woah, what a 2 years it's been. Some notable things that come to mind:
I can trust her around stock and she shows me what's in there.. now if I can figure out what I'm doing, there might be hope one day. :-)
I love that Wayne kept trying to buy/trade/steal her from me.. even randomly taking her out of the yard to just hang out with him in the driveway. Good memories <3 She's his kind of dog, and to me- that's a pretty damn good compliment. He said she was just like his Hawk in temperament and style. Hawk hung the moon for him. Find the Youtube video with the 198something ASCA parade of champions and you can hear what Wayne wrote about Hawk.. I believe the first sentence is "Hawk is the best dog in the world."
(Obviously it's really hard for me to only focus on Khy right now, I apologize, hence why I'm extra glad I wrote that entry about her in February.)
She is perfect around other dogs- plays with their play style or if she's not in the mood- doesn't play at all and they just *get* it. The closest to a fight she's ever been in was when a resource guarding dog thought that the treats *I* had were theirs. She turned on Khy- snapping/snarling and grabbed her. Khy was not freaked out and just waited it out until the other dog figured out she was no threat. Then gently shook off, and calmed the other dog down. So cool to watch. -fwiw, they're fine together and Khy is now one of that dog's very select group of dog friends-
She seems to just know when it's time to meet people or when it's not. Her reserve is to die for and I believe it's what was intended with the breed. She also has shown she understands danger and is very appropriate in those situations. Barking and charging if needed or barking and staying back - depending on the situation (creepy stranger at night vs snake).
She's a gentle soul. But still goofy, young and playful. She snorts when she's happy, and when she's in the mood to play- there's no stopping her :-) Holy cow can she be pushy in the sweetest possible way so you can't help but to play with her.
She's worked wonders for Gam, she's like the resident therapist for all of us. And he's shown her some awesome things that only a goofy big brother could have.
I'm always amazed at her learning capacity and her eagerness to train. Addict really is the appropriate word. I think she'd be the bookworm kind of person in school that enjoyed track & field, but her heart is in learning.
I keep forgetting that I've only really had her with me for barely under 2 years. In that time, I've gone to the opposite end of the spectrum with training methods, she took me through KPA, led me to some really amazing new friends and she's gone from not knowing sit or come (at 13 months old) to being completely safe and trustworthy off leash hiking, a master at shaping anything and in excellent level in agility with fairly limited trialing. She had no interest in toys and now has a couple prized favorites.
So when I start freaking out that we're having *issues*, I need to remember, she's still a baby and we've had a whooooole lot happen in the time we've been together. And our issues always begin and end with me/my emotions not being in check and her, as always, appropriately responding to them.
Pretty much-- she's Ah-Maz-ing. She's everything an aussie should be and everything I need.
Happy 3rd birthday, Beastie/Snort/Goofball/Khykhy/Sweetie. Here's to many, many, many more.
How can you not love that face?