A little bit of magic...

Three of the five runs we Q'd in.  Started out I was thinking Fin didn't feel well.  She showed me.

Steeplechase


Grand Prix (the comentary in the background is fab...the scream at the end...well prepare yourself)


Standard

A short Road Trip

On the road again!  Headed to Camarillo.  Trial site sounds really nice and weather should be around 70 degrees both days.

Little "O" has invited her friend Piggie Smalls for the weekend and this is their first time in a hotel at night.  I imagine that there will be a lot of wrestling in their future. 

Work this morning and then we are off!

Searching for Answers

Whenever I come upon a training dilemma, I go searching for answers.  I review notes of seminars I've been to, read Clean Run Magazine for topics related to my problem, see what videos I might borrow from my local agility organizations, and ask friends who I believe know more than I do.

I often spend money on my problem.  Just recently I purchased a video to see "is there anything new" on this topic.  Yes he had a different take, but really it was the same information presented in a slightly different way. There was some very good information in this video.  I took notes and will actually watch it again.  I'm not disappointed in the video, I am sad that it didn't give me something new for my problem, but happy that I learned a few new things to try.  I was very disappointed that the "expert" did not use a young dog with problems, just showed the "final result."  I want to take my dog there and have him try his techniques...not sure that would make the final cut in the video.  

Searching for answers often leads me back home.  I actually sometimes know the answer and my search was for an easy fix rather than the logical answer of "it takes time and energy".  I need to ask myself before I go on these searches, "what advice would I give to someone with this problem."  Often I will find the answer right there.

There are tons of people that will give me advice.  Advice that has worked for them.  Just go to any agility trial and ask a question.  Advice will fall from the sky.

It is up to me to decide, "Is this advice right for me and my dog."

In the end, I'm not going to find a simple solution to, "How in the heck do I get my dog to tug when I want her to tug."  The solution is everyday work on it.  Everyday make tugging with me the most amazing thing evah!  Make tug the thing she wants to do more than tennis balls?  Why yes Vici...go do that.



Wed Night Practice

Had some fun last night.  These exercises are set up for novice handlers learning to use their body to cue direction.

Key is where the handler places the reward.  Even these smaller drills require the handler to break it up and reward.

Fun and laughter had by all.

Rolling along...and oh, wild Turkey's

Off for a late walk last night with Fin and Olive.  Tried a trail that had been closed for a while and it showed.  Less trail like then I prefer, but we were blazing so no matter.  Got to the creek and both dogs got a little wet and then up a steep bank to the wider trail.

At the top we sorta startled a bunch of turkeys.  Mostly babies but a few hens.  With all the racket I make hiking I have no idea how I could startle anything, but there you are.  Olive decided she was a Turkey hunter extraordinaire.  Fin decided she didn't want anything to do with no freak'n turkeys and could we just go now.  I was with Fin.

The next 5 minutes was Fin and I walking at a good clip and dragging an 11 pound pulling jerking machine.  Finally after the bridge she calmed down and was a good hiker.  About 45 minutes later we passed back by where the Turkeys were and a repeat of the same behavior.  Time for a head halter I think.

In other news, I am headed to a trial this weekend. Not entered in a ton of classes because Little "O" and Piggy Smalls will be together and I want plenty of time to spend tiring them out. Should be a fun weekend. Got a good friend with me and she has plenty of energy. I see a ton of restrained recalls in our future.

Puppy Raising - Just Plain Hard Work

Tired.  It is a word that describes so much.  Olive, Little "O", the RoRo.  Adorable. Loving. Quick. Smart. Capable. Naughty. Busy. Extraordinary. Independent. Dependent. Easy. Hard. Cuddly. Wiggly. Frustrating. Joyful. She is one little firecracker that sometimes does what you want and surprises you, and then doesn't do what you expect when you expect it.

Take for example the simple behavior of a recall.  Olives recall is "Ro, touch".  This generally brings her running whether she has a toy or not.  Runs to my hand and touches it.  More often then not leaving the toy in my hand (Yeah!).  Yes, I often feel like a pitching machine, but wow, such a cool feeling...sorta like I have some control (or maybe not).

Just before this photo was taken, I had called.  She just looked at me, bit her toy, looked at me again, and lay there.  The ignoring behavior resulted in me catching her and putting her in her crate.  Hopefully she'll figure out that when she doesn't come "she goes in the crate" rather than, if she doesn't come, "run for the hills cause food mama is coming for ya!"

A good recall about 20 minutes later. 

Hmm.  We are back in the same position.  She must like this spot.  The sun is warm.  I'm not going to recall now, didn't work last time.  Instead I decide to get the toy to interact with her.

I did get some tugging with the toy.  Always a winner for me.

She will also recall without a toy.  Except of course if you really need her to recall, or a butterfly flies across her path, or the growing grass distracts her, or .....  But often she does come back.

But ALWAYS, she is most happy.  Happy to do anything with ya.  Happy Happy Happy. 

Yesterday she received a package in the mail.  Her own purple hiking harness.  Well of course we had to try it out.  Off to coyote creek trail with Fin and Olive.  She was a good girl.  I wouldn't say that she listened to me, more likely just walked nicely on the leash in a non reactive way.  Fin was on a head halter for the parts where we see people (so she was good) and both just walked in front of me for the 2.5 mile loop.  Totally a fun walk and a tired puppy was the result.

We do have to work on her drinking water while hiking behavior.  She tried to swim in the water bowl.  Poor Fin.  Muddy water was the result.

Typical Mornings are eventful

5:30:  Up to potty all the dogs - Olive, of course, is on leash.
5:40: Everyone inside, Olive goes in her crate
5:42:  All shelties line up and in crates for breakfast
5:45: Make Olive breakfast, release from crate, work on: touch, sit, backup, sit stay, crate games, go to pillow, leave it, tug with me
6:00: Go outside, play ball, work on recall to hand.
6:10: Shelties come out I begin poop pick up
6:11: JRT over the fence into the back part of the property running around like a lunatic with a ball in her mouth
6:12: Maddie sees a squirrel and starts barking, I'm out in the back trying to catch a JRT.
6:12.5:  Fin and Tazz are barking at me trying to get the JRT to come (Rocky is my only good dog!)
6:15: Kel bursts out the back door not pleased with all the barking (imagine man in pagama pants waving arms and whispering loud demanding all the barking stop)
6:20:  Everyone is back in the house, I have muddy paw prints all over my pajamas...AGAIN!

At this point if ANYONE asks why Olive is not on a leash when I do poop pickup I might cry. 
I think I'll try this again later.  Maybe with a little less chaos and a leash.

PS:  The good news:  Kel didn't step in any poo as he was running around waving his ams and clapping trying to get Maddies attention.  She might be deaf, gets lost in closets, but when she sees a squirrel, she is 3 again.