This blog was a labour of love. Please visit the new blog http://blackthornworkingdogs.blogspot.com

My name is Donna Brinkworth. Four years ago I moved to Alberta from Northwestern Ontario. I recently completed the requirements to be a CKC tracking judge for TD and TDX and will now work on becoming an urban tracking judge, as it is one of my passions. I've also become involved in the sport of Schutzhund as a member of the Calgary Schutzhund Club, and my boy Caden is showing a lot of promise in this exciting sport. All I need is some land and sheep for the Border Collies to be completely happy in Alberta, and we are working on that! This blog honours tracking, herding and life with the dogs who are my teachers and who bring so much joy into my life. It started out as a training blog for my tracking students. You can check those archives, back in 2005. Over time I have used this blog to journal my own training, share information, and most recently discuss my personal journey since moving here.

All content and photos are copyright Donna Brinkworth (Smith), 2005 - 2012 unless otherwise noted. Please use the private comment function after each post to contact me with questions or comments.

To find the Spiritdance Tracking - Your Tracking Coach, my other blog, click the photo in the left menu bar.

This blog may have come to an end, but I hope you will still find good information in the posts from over many years. Thank you for visiting, and enjoy your journey!

22 August, 2009

Portraits of the Spiritdance Gang

After tracking today, I got some individual and group shots. I am so pleased with these pictures that before I try to talk about tracking, I thought I would share them!Left to Right - Caden, River, Ted and Jet. Ted looks a bit worried and Jet has moved over, because this was what kept happening until I got this good shot...somebody likes to choose his own pose! Actually, every time the focus beeped he thought he was good to go, and would leap up, stupid camera noise!Below: River - she is 9.5 years old and really looking beautiful. I brushed and trimmed her today (she was 'furminated') so she feels pretty. River is really more like my friend than a dog. We are both Pisces, which means we are sensitive dreamers, a bit out of touch with reality, but loving, perceptive, loyal and very creative. Yup, that describes River, who is a little quirky. Me, quirky? Maybe...And here is Caden. He just turned 18 months. He went through that light phase some sables go through, a few months ago, but how he is beer-bottle red like his grandfather Siggo von Haus Antwerpa. Caden is full of confidence and joy, and really growing up into a nice dog. As an Aquarius, Caden is independent, assertive, opinionated, friendly and original: And here are Jet and Ted. These two are such a wonderful pair. I can't say enough about how much I admire them and enjoy having them around. I feel guilty that I no longer have my own sheep, so I work doubly hard at making their life fulfilling because it is true - Border Collies need a job and love to work. No matter what we do, these two throw their hearts into it. It is a matter of time until we have sheep and in the meantime we enjoy working at friend's places, and they love herding most of all, of course!Jet is a Scorpio - passionate, perceptive, resourceful, possessive, psychological, prowling, determined, probing, fixed, focused. OK, this started out in fun, but I can't believe how much this describes her! Ted is a Gemini - talkative, mental, adaptable, flexible, changeable, responsive, sociable. Well, if you met Ted, you would find him very sociable. And he is very responsive and eager to please.

That's the gang!

One more outtake - check out Ted...he is so funny with his chin down, sigh...


Jet looks away, thinking about how she is surrounded by idiots...while River just keeps looking regal and pretty...

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