Frisbee Champion in the Making

Echo's got it - the speed, the intensity, the obsession and the drive. She has now found her purpose to put all those things together (and she's only 16 weeks old!!): a floppy, pink and green frisbee. Of course, I am beyond thrilled.

I took Piper and Echo to Marymoor Off-Leash Dog Park today for Echo's first time. I had bought her a cute little mini frisbee but over the past week she has not wanted any part of it. I thought to my self, "Oh well, she won't be a frisbee dog. Just a ball obsessed maniac." Boy was I wrong! What Echo neglected to tell me was she likes the big-dog, full-size frisbee because she's no whimp. It took her all of 2 minutes to watch Piper chase it, catch it and bring it back before she figured out this fun game....

As I grabbed the frisbee from Piper, Echo took off like a shot running full speed in the direction I had been throwing the frisbee for Piper. I told Piper to stay, as I was in shock, and hucked the flying disc toward Echo. It flew up over her and amazingly she heard the sound, looked up and proceeded to track it's arc as it flew over her....and this was all at a dead sprint. She didn't catch it (come on, that would have been *too* perfect) but she pounced on it as it landed, flipped over it while clutching it in her jaws (never seen a dog do a cartwheel before) and proudly brought it straight back to my feet and dropped it. She then looked up at me and was shaking in anticipation for the next throw. I am one proud mama!!

Echo only caught in the air once today when I threw it too her from a few feet away. It's a start and to see such a young puppy with so much work ethic and so many smarts, I am beyond thrilled that she is part of our life and fits into our family so well. Now if I can just harness those spazastic jumps off all 4 feet she does for the ball and transfer it to frisbee catching...she may just end up a champion frisbee dog! Go Echo!! (pics to come - a bit hard to throw the frisbee, grab the camera and shoot good pics all by yourself)

Soccer Balls and Big Ears - A Great Combo

Echo is officially obsessed. As her ears are showing some major signs of wanting to stand completely up (right now they have that cute upright look with a little still flopped over at the top), Echo has discovered she is in love with soccer. As a soccer-fanatic family, we couldn't be more proud! Thanks to Chris and Bob watching the dogs over this past weekend, Echo was introduced to the soccer ball. She can't get enough. She thinks the soccer ball is the perfect "mini sheep" and takes her job of herding it very, very seriously! We now have to keep all soccer balls out of sight, in the garage and up high, when we don't want her to play with them. She just doesn't know how to quit.

Oh, and maybe Nick was right after all -he wanted to name her "Sounder" and I said that was silly :)