I went to my first dog training session last Saturday for my really cool dog, Daisy. This was just for the owners, next week is when we bring our dogs. I was paying too much attention to the presentation content to do one of my evaluations of the dog-trainer/presenter. When there are 10 un-trained dogs there in the coming weeks it’ll be bedlam so the dog-trainer escapes my nitpicking. Short evaluation: she was a good speaker and fun.

The lady next to me owns a border collie mix, adopted from Yakima, WA for Christmas last year, and had given birth to puppies before being spayed. Daisy is a border collie mix, adopted from Yakima around Christmas last year, and the people at the shelter said she lived on a farm with her sister who had given birth to puppies.

I think they had different fathers since Daisy we believe is 3 and the assumed sister is 2 and their coats & colors are different. Like many human sisters their personalities are different, too. Daisy is food motivated, super friendly to strangers, and not at all skittish but her sister is the opposite on all counts. I have this uneasy feeling that their dog is skittish because my dog picked on her - if so I’ll have to issue an apology I guess. It’s possible they’re not related of course, but if they’re not it means that there were two recently pregnant border collie mixes that came from Yakima, which seems less likely than a family reunion.

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While I’m on the subject of dogs - AKC lists the most popular dog breeds here. More interesting I think is the top dogs by city, which is listed here. I’ve wasted a lot of time here.

My hometown for instance:

COLUMBUS’ TOP DOGS

** Tied with # 7

Local Statistical Snapshot

• In 2007, the Bulldog jumped 5 spots in Columbus to land in 9th place, just ahead of its national ranking in the 10th slot. The Bulldog was joined by the Doberman Pinscher as the two new breeds in Columbus’ 2007 Top 10. 
  
• While the German Shepherd and Miniature Schnauzer moved up the ranks to 3rd and 5th, the Pomeranian and Beagle slipped off the city’s Top 10 list to 13th and 14th respectively. 
  
• Some of the rarest breeds within the city limits include the Norwegian Elkhound, Schipperke and one of the AKC’s newly recognized breeds, the Beauceron.
  
• Columbus residents can see and learn more about their favorite breeds on Saturday, February 2 when the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship — where country’s top dogs compete for $225,000 in prize money and the title of “National Champion” — airs on Animal Planet from 8-11pm.
  

“With Columbus’ historic influx of German settlers, its no wonder the Doberman Pinscher and Miniature Schnauzer, both of German origin, found their way into the Top 10 list,” says AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “The Miniature Schnauzer fell off the AKC’s top ten this year but it’s been a constant favorite in Columbus.”