June 16, 2011

Denise Fenzi and trip to KY

Last weekend Dazzle and I were joined by Candy and Ted for a trip to Chicago to see Denise Fenzi.  Denise is a brilliant and creative trainer that used only positive reward to get the highest obedience title on her dog.  I have been to a LOT of seminars, but I have never ended up with 10 pages of notes (after typing them out)! TONS of helpful hints, tips and "secrets" I can use with Dazzle.

I didn't take many photos, so the facility photos and dinner group photo will have to do.

K-9 Play Place in Mundelein IL where the seminar took place:


Dinner with some of the attendees and Denise:

I do have to say I was highly impressed by the La Quinta we stayed at in Banockburn.  HUGE room for a very reasonable price:


Even had a fridge and microwave!

On Tuesday I was playing around, trying to get the "evil face" Dazzle makes to the hose just before he gets squirted, but it ended up looking like a smile :-)  I think it's the big tongue.

Yesterday I spent the day at the KY horse park with a friend I grew up with and haven't seen for 3 years. I love the way things pick up as though we haven't been separated by half of the U.S..  We had loads of laughs (often at the things her child said) and I didn't want to leave.  We kept finding things to do so my departure could be delayed :-) 

I had the chance to see her and her husband work their horses, then we wandered around the horse park, doing more walking than I should have (but then I've never been good at self-moderation when it comes to things I want to do) :-) 

After that we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant.  We ate at at table right next to the pond on their outside deck. The ducks right below us were driving Dazzle crazy!  He REALLY wanted to go swimming but he was good.

Then we wandered around the book store we had to go through to get to the restaurant.  Not wanting the fun to end, we went to Olive Garden for dessert and I think Ryan has a new favorite dessert :-)  Hopefully he was able to sleep after all the Black Tie Mousse cake he ate!  We finished up back at the barn, after dark, where I finally remembered to get my camera out and get a few photos.

Gayle and her beautiful horse Dubi

Joshua, John, Ryan and their new best friend

Ryan and his new friend. I think Dazzle has a new fan that will be reading his blog :-)
Hopefully it won't be another 3 years before we get to see each other again!