STAND BY

This blog is about to undergo a change of direction.

On Wednesday evening, June 27, I will fly into Phoenix from Chicago where I will have done a one-day turnaround.  In a Sherpa bag at my feet (or on my lap, depending upon the mood of the flight attendants that evening) will be eight-week-old Wildfire Black Magic.  "Presto!" to you.  Yes, with the exclamation point.

Through the good graces and clout of student and friend Lynn Glickauf  -- a Chicago summer resident and Scottsdale snowbird -- I have been awarded pick of the litter from an extraordinary litter of Wildfire border collies.

Presto! will begin competition obedience training the next morning at eight weeks and one day. 

Anyone who has had any success in any endeavor can point to one or two people who have had a significant positive impact on their development.  In my case those people are Debby Boehm and Louise Meredith.  The "syllabus" for Presto!'s training, from day one, will be a melding of what I have learned from those two friends across more than two decades in the sport.  From Louise: the nuts and bolts of perfect execution of the exercises.  From Debby: how to instill in the dog the all-important want-to and pure joy as he trains and trials.

So sometime near the end of this month look for the beginning of "Bringing Up Presto!" embedded in this blog.

I'll reveal all -- our successes as well as when we have egg all over our faces -- and undoubtedly some outrageous stuff you'd never expect to read anywhere else.

Willard