A Doggy Christmas

The dogs were very well behaved this weekend. They didn't beg too much when people were eating. In fact, Sadie tended to spend meals curled up under the table, and Maxwell found a nearby chair or couch to doze on. My various family members were quite impressed. They were also both suitably enamored of the various presents they received. Sadie spent quite a bit of time chewing the feet off her rubber chicken, and Maxwell wouldn't let us stop throwing his squeaky toy.

It was also nice talking to my aunt about her dog. She (and her family) has an elderly golden named Max. I last saw him about three years ago, when he and Sadie exhausted each other playing in a lake in Maine. Now he's 11, and starting to show it. Poor guy's rear end isn't keeping up with the rest of him. We gave my aunt and uncle some home-made dog cookies for Christmas. Hopefully he'll like them!

We stopped at my dad's cousin's house for brunch today before heading home. They have two dogs as well, so our guys were invited. They keep their dogs in a small portion of the house, with a doggie door to their fenced back yard. Our guys couldn't figure out the doggie door at first, and definitely didn't like being separated from us. In fact, they managed to squeeze through the cat door in the baby gate to come find us! I wouldn't have thought Sadie could get her head through, let alone her whole body... In any case, Maxwell found the family cat first, and rushed in to investigate. Though Maxwell wasn't aggressive, kitty didn't like it and gave him three good swats to the nose. Well deserved, but it got him growling, which clued Sadie in, and they both had to be bodily carried back to the dog-friendly area.

After finally relaxing enough to play with their new friends a bit, we left for home. Maxwell slept or watched the road calmly from the back seat, while Sadie alternated between sleeping in the back footwell and crying in our ears. They both seem to be glad to be home.

 Did somebody say 'home'?

Merry Christmas!

Because even dogs want to open presents early...

Especially when you didn't know the package contained food, so you left it in the box with all the others. At least Sadie was fairly surgical in her removal of the gift from the pile: there was no collateral damage.

Even better, the food tin escaped under my dresser, so it survived to be handed out on Christmas day... with new wrapping paper!

The Pics Post

Just because I realized that I haven't posted many pictures lately:

How stupid can I make my dog look? VERY.

Mmmm... enormous bully stick...

Comfort is all a matter of perspective. And flexibility.

They wanted to help!

Last but not least, Sadie is admired by my boyfriend's baby niece at Thanksgiving

Three Awesome Runs, One Q: The Holy S#!t Run

Lots of thanks to my friend for filming this run! Thanks to the 'wonders' of modern technology it took a while to get the link, but here it is at last: Sadie's best run ever.

No, this wasn't a Q. She ran 2 seconds over time due to the weaves. But it was an absolutely fabulous run. You have to see it to believe it!

Teaser 7

You just adopted a new dog. She’s housebroken, loves your other, older dog, and is fine with cat. She’s everything you could have hoped for… until you leave the house! Suddenly she turns into a whirling dervish, spinning at the end of the leash, barely pausing long enough to do her business. It’s driving you and your older dog crazy.

You’ve tried reinforcing the few times she stops to sniff or stare down a squirrel, you’ve tried different halters and harnesses, and you’ve tried physically blocking her movement, all to no avail. Short of voodoo, you’re completely out of ideas! To top it all off, your trainer is on vacation for two weeks. Where can you go for advice?

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The Plot Twist

Both dogs are back from their respective vets, and it's all good news!

Sadie's break didn't go deep enough to show any nerve or pulp after all. They were able to seal the tooth without any complications. Though she can't have super hard things to chew, she can otherwise return to normal activity. Even tugging is fine... if I can get to do it! And the tooth looks great. All the sharp edges have been smoothed over, and the sealant seems thick. The vet even showed my boyfriend pictures of what he'd done. I'm hoping he'll send them to us, so I can show you guys. (Nothing gross, I promise)

Maxwell now has super clean teeth... and no fracture! Apparently it's actually two teeth that grew together and share a root system. Weird, right? The vet is going to show the X-rays to a colleague for a second opinion and get back to us on Friday, but thinks that it's fine.

As usual, everyone at the vet's office went nuts over Maxwell. He's such a ham! I'm told that he was wiggly and happy, greeting everyone (two- and four-legged) with enthusiasm. Also, the vet said he was up very quickly after the anesthesia and excited to see everyone.

Now both pups are happy to be home, though still feeling the drugs. They are currently curled up, sleeping on the couch with us. It's a loveseat, which means we're really squished. Sadie is on the end, with her head and front paw in my boyfriend's lap. Maxwell is being used as an armrest, and has his head and all four paws on my leg. It's warm and comfy.

Thank goodness for healthy dogs!

Options

The dental specialist looked at Sadie today and gave us three options:

1. Remove the tooth - Once the area heals, there’s practically no chance of further issues. This is the least expensive option.
2. Seal the tooth - They can remove the splinter, clean the area, and use a dental sealant to cover the break. We’d have to brush her teeth daily to keep the area clean. Since there is a little bit of nerve exposed, but no tooth pulp, there’s a chance of infection under the sealant in a year or two. In that case we’d have to remove the tooth anyway, or go with option 3. This is slightly more expensive than removal.
3. Root canal and crown the tooth - They do a complete root canal to clean out the tooth, remove the splinter, and give her a titanium crown. She’d be back to normal use of the tooth, with practically no chance of infection. This is by far the most expensive option, at more than twice the cost of sealing.

I’m completely in favor of saving the tooth, since it is one of the most important ones in
a dog’s mouth. That rules out immediate removal. And my emotional side says Well of
course you get it crowned. No question, give her the best chances possible for normal
dentition. Then the logical side of me (the one that pays the bills) says How can you even
be considering spending $X on a DOG?? Are you nuts?

The vet is going to do X-rays before they proceed, to make sure they know exactly what
they are dealing with. If it ends up being a lot worse than expected, and sealing becomes
a less viable option, Sadie will come home with one less tooth tonight. If it looks okay,
though, we’re getting it sealed.

*****

In the meantime, Maxwell is getting cleaned and X-rayed as well. If the X-rays show
extensive damage, he’ll be minus a tooth tonight also. I’m slightly less concerned about
removal for him, since it’s a less important tooth (3rd premolar), but it’ll stink, since he’s
not even 2 years old yet! Here’s hoping for only a minor fracture, and we just keep an eye
on it.

*****

No matter what, the dogs won’t get their tough chew toys any more. No antlers, no bones,
no hard Nylabones. We will still be able to give them the softer Nylabones, which means
Sadie gets to leave bits and pieces all over the floor. She loves to rip chunks off and
scatter them. Maxwell never really chewed the softer ones, which we had actually gotten
specifically for him! I guess he’ll have to learn… Or start eating the furniture.

Nana The Border Collie

All I can say is WOW. I now have a huge list of new tricks to work on, thanks to this amazing video of Nana the Border Collie!

Plus, what better proof the positive reinforcement is the best way to train?

Dentist Day

Both pups have dental appointments tomorrow.

Maxwell is having his teeth cleaned and x-rayed at our regular vet. Hopefully the fracture is shallow, and they don't need to do anything further.

Sadie is going to a dental specialist, to see if her tooth can be saved. My research tells me that she has a slab fracture, which can be crowned if there isn't any (much?) exposed nerve. I can't see any nerve, but I also can't see inside the cracked portion. If they can save it, and the cost is reasonable, she'll be worked on tomorrow as well.

So we potentially have both dogs undergoing anesthesia and varying degrees of work. I'm unable to attend the vet appointments due to work commitments, so my boyfriend is taking them. He's under instructions to call me if he has ANY questions. Plus, it'll make me feel better to be involved at least a little bit.

I'm also worried about the pups. I know anesthesia is done all the time, but I also know there are risks any time you put a dog under. So cross your fingers for good diagnoses and successful procedures!

Video Day!

I came across this fabulous herding video, from the American Border Collie Association. It makes me really want to find a good instructor to work Maxwell with.

Who knew? Paragility! It's wonderful for the poor pup to be able to continue competing, despite her accident.

And finally, a nice demo on how to assess your dog's weight.

Three Awesome Runs, One Q

Sadie had a trial in CT today. The just missed Q'ing in T2B (2 seconds over time) and Standard (missed dogwalk contact), but got a beautiful Q in Jumpers.

Sorry for the dark video on Standard. Not sure what the video camera was doing....

T2B was a Holy S#!t run. I left to get Sadie just after the 20" dogs started. By the time she had peed, 24" was already done and we were marked absent! Luckily they hadn't moved anything out yet, and the judge was kind enough to let us run. Between the rush into the ring and the massive adrenaline high from thinking I'd missed the run, I was afraid it would be dicey.

A group of women were laughing about it a bit, and offered to cheer for us. I figure why not! So we set off like our asses were on fire, and they were clapping and cheering. Sadie has never, NEVER run so fast or so focused in her life. We flew through that course, hugging turns and neatly avoiding a 'trap' jump. Our downfall was the weaves... 12 of them. She's so used to 6 poles in class and trials that she decided she must be done at 10. Having to use up all three attempts put us 2 seconds over maximum time.

We got lots of compliments on that run. One person said they thought we might have won, if not for the weave issue. All I can say is, it was a heck of a ride.

A friend got video on her camera, so hopefully I can post it later!

On The Road Again: Part 2

Apologies for the (very) late conclusion to our trip, but it’s been a busy few weeks around here!

Friday was nice and quiet for pups. People went golfing and shopping, and some fabulous naps were had. I even took the pups to a nearby park, where Sadie could wander off-leash, and Maxwell played fetch on his long-line. Even in the light drizzling rain, we had a great time. Sadie sniffed around, got treats for recalls, and beat on her brother. Maxwell got to burn some of his crazy energy, relax away from the crowd, and got lots of treats for getting called off another dog walking past.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, a bunch of us were going to take the train into Chicago to hang out and have dinner. My boyfriend’s parents would watch the dogs for us, though no real walks or anything would be needed.

We had a late lunch of take-out Chinese, which meant both our pups were under the table, praying for someone to drop food. Towards the end of the meal, my boyfriend rubbed Sadie with his foot for being a good dog. She was wet.

We got her up on her feet, and found that she had been lying in a puddle for some time. It wasn’t there when we sat down to eat, so clearly she peed herself and either a) didn’t notice, or b) didn’t care. Sadie hates being wet (unless swimming is involved) so I’m going with option a.

She also walked really funny, and kept trying to just lie down wherever she was. Poor thing looked miserable. Which of course means we made her even happier by getting her into a bathtub to wash off the urine. She had already stopped moving strangely by the time we finished cleaning her up, and she shook off like a normal dog. Someone suggested that she knew she had been bad by peeing in the house. I reminded them that she was probably scared and confused, since suddenly there were six humans fussing over her and acting strangely.

Our trip into the city was cancelled, and we stayed in to watch the dog. She drank a fair amount, and peed even more, but didn’t make another mess in the house. I made sure. I took her outside at least every hour until we went to bed.

Both dogs were ready to head home the next morning. They were totally worn out from all the people and lack of dog-naps, and probably missing their routines. Sadie even slept for a while on the road home.

It’s amazing how dogs seem to know when they are close to home. By the time we got to our exit, both animals were staring hard out the windows and panting. Sadie ran back and forth, driver-side to passenger-side and back again, whining. Maxwell sat on the center armrest and looked over his shoulder at the road ahead.

As we came in the door, we just dropped stuff on the floor until the car was unloaded. Maxwell’s bed ended up in the middle of the entryway, with Sadie happily ensconced. Maxwell patrolled the apartment, eventually settling on the human bed.

And all was right in the canine world again.

WARNING: Do Not Give Your Dogs Antler Chews!

I found a funny-looking tooth when I brushed Maxwell's teeth on Sunday. It has this grey area with plaque around it. I'm thinking oh no, major cavity. Here comes the tooth extraction! I got a better look at it last night at the club, and showed a friend. We agreed it actually looked cracked. So he went to the vet today.

Sure enough, his tooth is fractured. They put him on antibiotics, and he'll get a cleaning and X-rays next week, but the vet was fairly confident he'll get to keep the tooth. She thinks that the antler chews I gave the dogs are to blame, as they are so hard.

On a whim, she decided to give Sadie a quick look as well. I bring both dogs to all appointments, so that the non-exam dog gets to have a positive vet visit. In fact, Sadie had her annual physical last Friday, and came home with a clean bill of health.

A close inspection of her teeth, however, found an issue: a broken tooth. Not just fractured, but missing a chunk, and with another section attached only below the gumline. That sucker has to come out. Bonus, since it's a premolar, it has to be done by an oral surgeon.

Two antler chews: $16

One tooth cleaning, X-rays, antibiotics, and one tooth extraction: Wait, how much...?

The joy of watching my dogs enjoy chewing their antlers: Totally not worth it

DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOGS ANTLER CHEWS!

Teaser 6

Your older dog is doing great; she’s got obedience, agility, and disc dog titles, and you just started herding. (For fun!) Your new pup just started competing and squeaked in his first title in under a month. You couldn’t be prouder, and want to showcase your dogs’ successes. You don’t want to just start emailing everyone you know, but want your training friends to be able to see your dogs’ titles and recent results. If only there were a place you could post bios of your dogs and highlight your proudest moments…

DogTrials.net

On The Road Again

Thanksgiving was at my boyfriend's parents' house this year, so the four of us packed into the car and headed west.

Sadie still whines and whines and whines in the car. We left Tuesday night after work, fighting the traffic going across the Tap. She alternated jamming her head between the passenger door and my head, and trying to slither into the front over the center console. The noise, wiggling, and doggie-breath were not appreciated. It took a few hours for her to give up and lie down in the back seat. Even when I flattened my seat to nap, letting her snuggle up with me over the headrest, she would only settle for a few minutes as a time.

Maxwell is a fantastic car dog. He doesn't cry at all, and spends most of the trip stretched out in the back. Every once in a while he sits on the console and grins over his shoulder when one of us rubs his behind. As a bonus, him sitting there prevents Sadie from being there.

We stopped in State College, PA, for the night. The Holiday Inn there is dog-friendly and has decent rooms. We got in shortly after 1am, fed and 'emptied' the pups, and crashed in bed by 2. Sadie took her usual place between our feet, and Maxwell crammed himself in the tiny gap between the bed and the wall. We all slept soundly until just after sunrise. Other guests started walking around, which was not okay with Sadie. She would leap of the bed with a solid WOOF, stand stock still at the door for a few seconds, then WOOF again before being cajoled back to bed. Snooze 15 minutes and repeat. Maxwell, on the other hand, was the perfect travel dog. Not one bark, no whining, and he even joined us on the bed for the last few hours of the early morning (unheard of at home).

At checkout, the desk attendant gave my boyfriend biscuits for the pups, and on our walk around town the mailman gave them each several treats. Not a bad morning to be a dog! They even made a new friend, a 10-month-old Lab puppy who wanted so badly to play with Maxwell. He, in turn, was enamored of her... though possibly because she was just coming out of heat.

Sadie was much better in the car for the longer day on Wednesday, though both dogs were overjoyed to get out and see their grandparents. They said hello to their mini-Doxie cousin, Omar, and later that night met their human cousins, my boyfriend's niece and nephew.

The kids seem to like the pups. Nephew calls Sadie 'Big Doggie' and likes to grab her tail. For her part, she tolerates lots of physical roughness and waits for him to drop food. So far he has spilled milk on the floor twice and dropped a few crumbs. She also waited patiently for him to drop his guard, and took a good drink from his cup of milk, straight out of his hands! Maxwell has mixed feelings about him; on the one hand, he makes the tennis ball move, but on the other he waves around a scary plastic golf club. For my little guy, the baby niece is more interesting. He loves the way she squirms and makes noises, and nibbles at her socks.

Both dogs were fabulous at the family party. Though they were put in a bedroom during the meals, they got to schmooze a fair bit and show off some of their tricks. Maxwell amazed me by being fine with all the noise and hubbub, visiting people for rubs and to throw the tennis ball. When he felt overwhelmed, he'd find a quiet spot to curl up for a bit. Only at the very end of the night did he start to show real stress, following me around but just out of reach.

Poor Sadie couldn't find anyone who knew her signals, and ended up having an accident in the basement. It only ever happens in a Sadie-emergency, so I can't blame her. I just feel bad that it came to that! (All the kids thought it was so gross!)

The rest of the trip should be much quieter for the pups. They'll still have their human and canine cousins to play with, but not the myriad people that were here yesterday. Nephew runs around and gets them riled up. He loves to watch them play-fight, but has already gotten knocked over once. Lots of tears, but no real harm.

Then they can 'enjoy' the 14.5 hour trip home in Sunday. Can't wait...

Teaser 5

You just got hired into your dream job! Unfortunately, it’s four states away from the training club you’ve grown to love, and you don’t know any dog people there. You’ve searched the internet a bit, but aren’t sure which facility is really the best fit for you and your dog. One of them doesn’t seem to have updated anything except its class schedule in months! Though you plan to visit them after you get settled in, the clubs seem to be on opposite sides of the city. If you had a good idea about them, it might affect where you look for an apartment. After all, who wants to drive an hour to class, if you could have been 10 minutes away? You wish there were an easy way to talk to people who already train at these places.

DogTrials.net

Dog vs. Kid

Is your dog smarter than a 2-year-old?

Agility, Plus Random Clicker Training

Friday night was yet another fantastic class. Sadie and Maxwell both ran well, though they are obviously at different levels.

Sadie breezed through the course. Mr. Trainer actually commented that it was too easy for her, though I think there were a few good spots for both of us. On her part, I asked for more distance and solid running contacts. She gave me excellent lead-outs with a fairly good slice across the first jump. She also sends to the weaves pretty nicely these days.

On my part, I'm learning to read the best path for her, rather than what the course initially looks like it calls for. There was a moderately tight curve of 3 jumps ending in a hard left over the double. The first time we ran it, I felt that a front cross between 2 and 3 seemed appropriate, giving her a right lead over the double. I instead ended up in her way and she took the double at a wide turn. Mr. Trainer suggested I try keeping her on my left for the curve, the rear crossing the double. It worked beautifully, and she tightened up the turn.

Maxwell can still be a little nutcase, but he is improving in leaps and bounds. He loves the weaves, which makes it tough to call him into a turn when they are on his line. He also has very wide turns, which we will need to reign in. On the (very big) upside, he charges his dogwalk, allows me lots of space, and can be left in the weaves to give me a head start.

He is also incredibly cute. He has a new trick on the table, where he has a nearly instant auto-down. As soon as he lays down, he puts his head down between his front paws. It give him a resigned, pleading look, like Gee, can't we just keep going? Mr. Trainer loved it.

I also discussed with him what height to enter Maxwell at for the New Year's trial. He jumps 20" completely clean, and accidentally (on our part) took a 24" without a blink in class. So, 22" it is! The performance height would be 16", which he would consider a joke. And it's hard to believe he'll measure into the 26" category. Sadie and Maxwell will be in the same height class!

 *  *  *  *  *

I had some fun clicker training tonight.

With Maxwell, I teaching a new way to retrieve. He has this super-sized tennis ball that he can only just pick up. We were playing with it last night, and he happened to nose it. That gave me the idea to teach him to push it back to me! It's very cute, and he's already getting good at it. I can ask him to back up, put the ball in front of him, and then ask him to PUSH. He love backing up because it means a game is coming, and he'll wait for my PUSH cue because sometimes I feed just for waiting. And of course he loves the new game, because he's insane for anything ball-like. Win all around!

I've modified the same idea for Sadie. Since she is a non-retrieving Retriever, I want her to learn to carry a tennis ball. I'm using a standard sized one, to make it easier, and started clicking just for her nosing it. That quickly progressed to open-mouthed touches, then light nips. Before I knew it, she was lifting it off my open palm! I know that's not a retrieve, but it's a darned good start.

So, anyone have other cute tricks I should teach the pups?

And So It Begins

There is a USDAA trial being held over New Year's weekend up in CT. I've been debating entering Sadie. On the one hand 4 runs in one day (5 if I find a pairs partner) is mighty attractive. On the other hand, it'll be New Year's Day!

A conversation with my trainer tonight decided it, though. Over dinner, he asked if I was going. When I said I wasn't sure, he hemmed and hawed a bit, then said that if I was going it might be a good place to try Maxwell. That's right! He suggested entering Maxwell in one or two runs! I would treat it like a match. If we get a few obstacles and run out, that's just fine.

Now, does anyone sell gift certificates for entry fees? At $15/run, potentially 7 runs for the day, I see a serious market for this. What better holiday gift for that hard-to-shop-for agility nut in the family? Am I right?

 *  *  *  *  *

 

Here's another great training video, this time about working on leash reactivity. It's a bit long at 20 minutes, but definitely worth the time.

 

I need to get this disciplined about Maxwell around large vehicles. I know I mentioned it a while back, but his truck-chasing is getting worse. Though I try to feed whenever he notices them, it's tough when walking two dogs. Especially when one of them is a bottomless pit... er, Lab. Today he even tried to go after a parked, but idling, moving van. Eek! Sometimes he seems to do this out of fear, with his ears pinned and body swung away. But sometimes he perks up and just lunges, like tonight.

Scary.

Changing My Tune

As I was heading to class last night, Maxwell managed to charge out the door ahead of me. Since I don't take him to Sadie's novice classes, he was naked; no collar, no harness, no nothing. He paused on the walkway briefly, a puppy grin beaming at the world. Then he bolted.

I called his name while holding back a struggling Sadie. Getting no response, I shoved her back inside (much to her chagrin) and ran after him. Luckily he ran down the steps to the parking lot, rather than up to the street. By the time I got down there he was two buildings away. I called him again. He just looked over his shoulder at me and tensed to spring away.

Then I realized what I sounded like. Here I was, yelling his name in a panic. I must have sounded pissed! So I changed the tone of my voice, and called his name again in the sing-song, high pitched voice I use when we play inside. He came at a dead run! Better yet, the puppy grin was still intact.

I couldn't risk his taking off again if I played with him as a reward. Instead, I picked him up, scratching him in his favorite spots, and carried him inside. As soon as we got past the near-panicked Sadie (OMGwe'regonnamissclasswehavetoleaveNOW!) I ran and gave him a huge treat.

This was something I've been taught, that I've told other people, and that I'd always believed. But I'd never had to put it into practice like this. Here I was with a hyper black puppy outside in the dark, with no physical means of control, and a fairly unreliable recall. The difference simply changing my voice made was enormously positive. And boy, am I glad!

For The Love Of The Game

Maxwell joined the Intermediate Agility class two weeks ago. We switched to Friday nights for a variety of reasons, the best of which is the small class size. Including Sadie and Maxwell, there are four dogs. They each get lots of course time, and I can really work each one to their full potential.

Sadie is, as usual, running beautifully. She follows my cues, has great self-control, yet shows drive, and smiles her way around the room. She is oblivious to the change of time/day/classmates. Though she still occasionally drops bars, it is no longer because she drops her hind feet or mis-judges her distances. Instead, she has begun to hug her turns, sometimes so closely that her body pushes the standards out of the way. I believe it is a good problem to face. Her increased confidence is letting her push herself, and she has swung to the opposite extreme. Now I think she will learn how much she can drive and cut, and ease off again until she is running in balance.

Maxwell was a nutcase the first class of the session. He is soooo obstacle-focused that he pretty much ignored me. He was fast, smooth, and clean, but would not follow my lead if it wasn't the obvious line. The most drastic example was actually pretty funny. There was a curve of A-frame, broad jump, bar jump on the left lead, with a sharp rear cross at the bar to take a tunnel to the dog's left. However, a set of weaves followed the tunnel, and happened to sit across the visual path of the rear cross. Maxwell repeatedly charged the jump and threw himself into the weaves. I had to step back and click/treat just for a head turn at the cross.

Happily, he is an extremely fast learner. He ran much more attentively last week, taking full courses with hardly a blip. I still need to regulate my handling (I'm so used to Sadie) and slow him down, but he understands his 'job' very well. He loves agility, and it shows. We had a make-up lesson on Sunday, and he improved even more! He followed my cues, stopped 99% of his contacts, and ran with joy. I actually found myself rewarding him less and less as the class went on, because it seemed like that extra pause in the course was more of an annoyance than anything else.

Sadie was bouncy and happy as well. In the warm-up jump grids, I was able to send her to the target from the second jump (of four), from 5+ feet laterally, and other challenging positions. She may have stepped on a facilitator jump or two, but she drove forwards hard and straight. Distance work is probably our biggest challenge at the moment, so this was a definite win.

Mr. Trainer's comments for the day:

• On Maxwell - Watch out for Mad Max! (noting his eagerness and drive)
• On Sadie - She has really learned to love this. (given her history, a huge compliment)

I'm already looking forward to this week's classes!

Whistle Recalls Video

The link to this fantastic whistle recalls video was sent out by one of my club's instructors. I imagine this would work just as well for a verbal cue, too. I think I'll start doing this with Maxwell. He needs lots of recall work!

ClickClickClickClick

One of the first things I learned when I started classes was one click, one treat. Every time you click, or otherwise mark a desired behavior, your dogs gets a treat. Every. Time. There are some people who click any desired behavior, even if it's not their end-goal, and don't reward the dog each time.

Not rewarding the dog when you click means that you dilute the power of the marker. After all, why should Fluffy get all happy and excited if he probably won't get anything?

It's unfortunate to see a friend fall into the habit of clicking good things, but not rewarding them. And the dog works so hard, and is so forgiving. They are a good team, and have improved so much since I met them.

At least they still have the love of the sport. His dog is truly happy to be working for him, and that counts for a lot.

A Borrowed Dog

A friend from the club is out of town this week, leaving her pup (let's call him Fake Mudi) and her foster to stay with our instructor. She was kind enough to bring them to classes yesterday, so I could work Fake Mudi during his regular class before Sadie's.

It's really interesting working a dog that isn't my own. I've certainly interacted with him a lot before, if mostly to offer free treats, but this is totally different. The poor guy is living in a new house, with a zillion strange dogs, and now he has to work for someone who isn't his mommy!

My friend has done a fantastic job with him. I quickly gave up on the leash. It just got in the way, and FM would turn on a dime to come when called. When I needed to, I could just hold on to his harness. He was more than willing to do anything I asked, and never seemed to get stressed.

His strengths:

• He has fabulous weave poles. I could send him from nearly any angle, and from quite a good distance, and he would find his entrance. He was not fast, but he was accurate. I definitely pushed him, giving him sharp angles. He made it nearly every time.
• Tolerance for frustration - Even when he got something wrong a few times in a row, the 'worst' behavior I got was him offering a wrap around an object. Usually it was when he was bored. He'd trot off, loop around a random jump standard, and come hopefully back.
• Attention - This is a double-edged sword. He has fantastic focus, but to the point that it gets in the way sometimes. He checks in constantly. This made him easy to sequence, though. (unlike my scatterbrained Aussie...)
• Contact behavior - My friend has him running all his contacts, and he seems to be very accurate. He keeps his head up, so I tossed food ahead on the ground, but he only missed his contacts a few time. And that was when we were practicing calls and sends on the teeter (tough new skills), so I'm not sure that should count.

His development points:

• Drive - I know my friend is working on this one. He's a great worker, but he doesn't always offer the speed or zest that one ideally wants in an agility dog. Happy to play the game, but that is usually enough for him.
• Attention - As noted above, her gets in his own way a bit. I specifically worked on this, with the instructor's recommendation, by sending him over jumps to a baited target. I'd hold his harness until he pulled towards the food, then release him.
• Self-control - This one sounds like the opposite of drive, right? But he so badly wants to please his handler that he has trouble sitting and waiting to be released. I worked on this with him at the teeter, only letting him walk it if he waited a second or two first. I think my friend can get nice stays with him, so this was probably 99% due to me not being his mommy. In any case, I'd say this is a good problem to have!

My friend has every right to be very proud of her little Fake Mudi. They are a great team, and he was completely willing to work with me also. He's a fun dog to work with!

Teaser 4

Your dog is doing great! In fact, she’s racking up agility Q’s like there’s no tomorrow. She flew through Novice, Open, and Excellent A. Now she’s tearing through Excellent B, rapidly approaching her MACH. But wait, was that 8 double-Q’s she’s already earned, or 9? And how many points are you waiting for? You know you wrote most of it down on the handy title tracker you printed out, but darned if you can ever find it. Isn’t there a better way to track this stuff?

DogTrials.net

Mine!

Sometime a rousing tug-and-chase session is just what you need. Especially if you have two dogs careening around the apartment, sometimes both attached to the toy at the same time!

Reality Check... 1... 2... 3...

We had a gorgeous, sunny day for the trial today in Staten Island. Brisk, but nice. There was white frost still covering the grounds as we arrived around 7:30, and I walked my FAST course in several layers. By noon I was happy in a fleece pullover and sunglasses.

Sadie did her typical first run, pretending she had no idea what all this stuff was for. Well, not really that bad. Just after we got to the start line, there was some kind of problem. We couldn't run, and I couldn't leave to ring with Sadie to get her more treats. I tried to play with her, but her attention just drifted off... I ran as soon as we got the "go," not trying for a real start-line stay. She blew me off for about half the course, but I was able to recapture her attention and finish with dignity. It meant some on-the-fly course planning. Novice FAST should have been a simple, flowing course. In fact, you could have run it for 52+ points without a single lead change. Since Sadie went a bit nuts, however, I wanted to end together. She knocked some bars as she careened through the end, but it was better than ignoring me!

Jumpers was immediately after FAST, and I had high hopes. The course flowed nicely, and I didn't feel there was anything that Sadie would have trouble with. I forgot to take into account the sun. The starting sequence faced directly into the early-morning sun, which was fiercely bright. Sadie took the very first bar down, along with one or two thereafter... all facing into the sun. She also decided to skip the weaves and go straight to the tunnel. Sigh. I could tell she was still (mostly) mentally with me, though, so I called her back and re-tried the weaves. Success! The trial photographer even got a really nice shot of it. And you know what the best thing about that photo is? Here's a hit. Think about what's NOT in the shot. Me! I knew we had already NQ'ed, so I decided to challenge her and go ahead while she was in the poles. So we got distance on an outdoors course, which is huge.

There was a super long break before our last run. Mrs. Trainer took out her elderly golden retriever, and I got both my pups, and we walked along the neighboring beach. Maxwell was fixated on the sea-birds the entire time. It was really nice, though. We humans chatted about non-dog stuff, the pups got to sniff, and we all got to relax. Maxwell was offered one of Mrs. Trainer's toys to play with, and he was in love. He'd catch it, writhe on the ground with it, and chase it all over.

I also volunteered as the gate person for half the excellent standard course. It was a mess, as people moved, re-moved, and un-moved their dogs around. Some people had already written stuff before I took over, much of which was difficult to read. One person got a bit nasty with me when I hadn't written a move in correctly, and another complained about how hard it was to read the run order. People, gimme a break! It's my first time as gate, and half that stuff wasn't me! I hate to say it, but maybe that's why you had such a hard time finding volunteers... (And oddly enough, this happened after Mrs. Trainer and I had a conversation about how people at AKC trials generally were pretty nice.)

Standard was last, hours after jumpers. Poor Sadie had definitely been cooped up too long, and showed it. She started off okay, but got refusals on the table, the first tunnel, and the A-frame. Consecutively. It wasn't her usual zoomies or distracted sniffing, either. Her head was down, but I got the sense that she was simply stressed. The second half of the course was much more difficult, with a hard turn from the chute to the broad jump (nearly a U-turn), another sharp turn to the dog-walk, and an about-face from the weaves to the finish tunnel. She did all of that just fine!

Not a bad trial, but I have to say that I'm disappointed. She has been so reliable lately, picking up at least one Q each trial. I guess today was her reminding me that she still has a lot to learn. We'll have to wait until the trial in December to finish her Novice Standard title.

Good dog.

Shaping Fun

Having spent much less time than usual working with the dogs at home, I'm back to business.

Both dogs had already started to offer backing up, but I'm trying to do it over again the right way. I get a dog standing in front of me, then click any backwards motion. I'll accept any paw, and even a strong shift of their body weight. Sadie started by just lying down and looking pathetic, so I had to get her back on her feet by stepping back myself. She quickly began offering backwards motion, starting with her just adjusting her stance, but moving a paw backwards.

Maxwell gave me his best, most intense JustTellMeWhatToDoAndI'llDoItC'MonTellMe! He gets so serious when he's "working" that he doesn't offer behaviors. For this, I moved myself into his space, eventually causing him to yield and move back. It's funny how I've spent tons of time acclimating him to me being in his personal space, so now I have to be practically on top of him before he moves.

I'm also shaping Maxwell to lie down across my lap when I sit on the floor. He tries to cheat by just plastering his face to my leg, but remaining standing. It doesn't look comfortable! I just sit quietly until he plops down, then give him lots of kibble. Between reps, I toss a few bits down the hall and ask him to FIND IT. It's great because he races out for the food, but also races back to me for the next try.

Sadie's other new trick is built on her EARTHQUAKE move.Once she's sitting between my feet, I walk forward or backwards a bit bowlegged. Sadie maintains her positing relative to me, matching my movement forward and backwards. If her head gets too far back or too far ahead, the kibble stops magically finding her mouth. She's getting quite good at this one.

Not shaping, but I'm working with Maxwell to learn disc-play. I bought him a small, soft throwing disc that is also appropriate for tugging. He seems to be nearly as keen for it as for a tennis ball... though not quite! I give him easy tosses. He gets clicks only for catching it in the air, and earns treats and/or tugging. A good tug session earns treats and the next toss. If he misses the catch I won't tug, and ask for something easy (SIT, DOWN, or TOUCH) to earn a toss and another chance at a click.

I'm also excited for the new class session at PCOTC. Sadie's Novice Competition class started last night, and this time there are only 5 dogs. (And one wasn't there anyway) She's doing really well, and the instructor noticed improvements in her jumping and weaves. This Friday both dogs have Intermediate Agility. My little boy is in the same class as his sister! There are four dogs, which means lots more running time compared to Saturdays (when there were eight dogs). I'll be run a bit ragged I expect, since my dogs are half the class! I'm very interested to see how Maxwell does with a wide-open floor and a longer sequence.

And tomorrow, shelter doggies!

Ice, Snow, and Dogs

The dogs loved the freak snowstorm we had this weekend. Maxwell quickly took to eating snow, and both dogs had fun rooting through the drifts for scents. I love how Maxwell's back becomes speckled with big flakes.

We were lucky: we lost internet Saturday night, but never lost power. My trainers were a bit less lucky, as they were at a trial an hour + away on Saturday. With all the trees down, plus the roads icing over rapidly, it took them over 3 hours to get home. I'm just glad they made it back safely.

They were also kind enough to call me the next morning with road updates. All the excellent dogs ran first, so they hit the road early. I had time to sleep in (8:45 on a trial day!), so the worst of the ice had melted by the time the dogs and I headed out. We made it to the trial site without a problem, and still too early!

T2B was first, dividing the trial into excellent and open/novice halves. My brain died about 1/4 through the course, and I actually ended up trying to call Sadie off the right obstacle! We recovered the course, if not my dignity, and had a super strong finish. Nailing the two serpentines almost makes up for the idiot handler. Check it out here. (Thanks to Mr. Trainer for filming)

Standard was fine, but not great. It took two tries to get through the weaves, with Sadie trying to jam her way into the equipment storage area (barricaded off from the ring by plastic gates). Then she did a fly-off instead of stopping on the table. We Q'ed with the fastest time by 8 seconds, but her two faults bumped her back to third place. Bummer.

Jumpers was a nice, flowing course. Sadie killed it, running 105 yards in 24.4 seconds. Not bad for a goofy Lab. She ran like a maniac, but in control at the same time. I barely felt like I had to guide her. The bad news? She must have nicked a bar with a hind toe. I heard it hit the floor, but didn't see her take it down. Eliminated, but faster than the other 24" dog by about 20 seconds. Ahem...

Sorry, no video of the last two runs.

*  *  *  *  *

 

 Now, this person really knows how to train animals. I don't think my dogs are this good... And please, watch it all the way through. Definitely worth the time.

Lastly, a happy picture to end this Monday.

Teaser 3

You love to compete with your friends from class, but there are often multiple trials being held under different sanctioning bodies on the same day. It’s a pain to have to coordinate via email, but you’ll never remember to bring your calendar and stack of premiums to class. How can you easily organize trial schedules with your friends?

DogTrials.net

A Quick Update On Yesterday's Trial

We have video!

My camera was acting funny, so the T2B run is toast. Not that the run itself was much better!

Thanks to Mr. Trainer for capturing the Standard run for us.

Thanks to my NRHS friend for capturing the Jumpers run for us on her own camera. (Please ignore the incorrect dog name in the title)

Connection Made: Darby

Of all the random things, Sadie found Maxwell's sibling at the trial yesterday.

Ok, so she body-slammed someone in excitement while I tried to check her in for a run and hang on to two leashes. That person commented on Maxwell, and it came up that he's an ARPH dog. Once I mentioned his rescue name (Stitch), they mentioned Darby! And now I'm in contact with her owner! (Sorry for the wrong pronoun before...)

We're trying to set up a time to meet, and let the siblings say hello. Apparently she's already bigger than Maxwell, and only 7 months old! I can't wait to get a picture of them together.

I can see the family resemblance, too. They both have the lean bodies and long legs of a working line, and the same markings on their legs.

I can't wait!

Darby: Used with her owner's permission

Maxwell, of course

Trials, Ribbons, And Other Successes

I know that I'm really late on my update for last week's trial, and now I've gone and had another already! So without further ado, here's a very quick recap.

Sadie ran wonderfully last weekend. She got her first Novice B 24" Q in standard. Her JWW run was awesome, but she took down a bar or two. T2B was incredibly difficult, with a threadle, so she didn't Q but did me proud! We took home a 1st place ribbon for STD, and a very happy human: Sadie didn't react poorly to anyone, and even ignore a GSD that looked like he wanted to take a piece out of her! Maxwell allowed me to mess with the height wicket, which he is nervous about, and took treats with his head ducked under it.

Jumpers is here. Happy dog with a lead-out!

Standard is here. Nice weaves, not so nice A-frame...

T2B is here. More awesome weaves, and a threadle!


Today was an outdoors trial. It was a bit too much for Sadie at first, and she went completely bonkers during FAST. As in, we finished with all of 4 points, and went over time, so our score came down to -10. Standard ran very nicely, but she missed her dogwalk contact (and I think knocked a bar). But she ran with me, and I was very happy with it. Jumpers she was awesome: driving, focused, and reading the line. She said hello to the judge instead of weaving at first, but we ended clean and under time. Ego boost: three different people complimented by crosses in that run! I may have video to post, but my camera was acting up... I'll see what I can get.

Maxwell got to help a very shy Aussie socialize. She was in love with him by the time we parted ways, and he wanted to play with her so badly! It was nice to help a fellow dog-lover. Even better? The shy dog warmed up to me gradually, and deigned to allow chin and chest rubs. Yay!

Several agility friends from the club ran today as well. There were lots of beautiful runs, though not all were the Q's people hoped for. It's so much fun to watch Shelties, Italian greyhounds, Aussies, pitti-hounds, and all other manner of dogs running so happily with my friends. Truly a good day.

If You Don't Like This Video, You Have No Soul...

...And I don't know you.

Splash's Revenge

(I could totally teach my dogs to do all that. I just don't feel like it...)

Success

An agility friend and I were chatting the other day about training as we watched our classmates run. I mentioned how using this blog as a training journal has helped me focus on my real issues (and strengths), and how writing about things helps me think them through more thoroughly. She responded that reading my blog had made her think about some aspects of training differently than before.

And you know what? I'd say that makes my blog a success.

I know I don't have a huge following (yet!) and that the people who do read me regularly also see me every week. So to have someone tell me that I changed the way they think, even once, is incredibly reinforcing.

So to my friend: Thanks for the click/treat!

What's In A Name?

When I started this blog, Sadie and I had just started trialing. I had never competed with a dog before, and of course she had never titled. Thus the name 'Novice A' seemed rather appropriate.

I started Sadie in the preferred class, both because she was only jumping 20" at the time, and because neither of us was particularly confident yet. In the past few weeks she earned her NJP and then her NAP, with two legs towards her NFP. Today she ran her first trial at 24". That means starting over, but in Novice B.

It turns out that I will never, in fact, run a dog in Novice A. Since I've titled Sadie, even Maxwell will run in either preferred or B. Still, I feel that the name of this blog was (is) appropriate. New handler, new dog, new sport, new discoveries. Sadie and I have come a long, looong way as a team. From hyper-vigilant and reactive, to enthusiastic and focused, Sadie has become a different dog.

As they say, life is about the journey, and we're having quite a trip.

Missed Connection: Darby

A few days ago I received a comment from someone in CT who has a younger brother of Maxwell. Although she did leave her name, the comment was posted anonymously. That means I have no way of contacting her outside of this blog.

If you are Darby's owner, or know her, please email me at NoviceABlog@gmail.com. I'd love to swap Aussie tales!

Into The Wild

We spent Columbus Day weekend in the Adirondacks, enjoying perfect weather and beautiful foliage. The dogs were enthralled with myriad scents and were overjoyed to have room to run. It's bow-hunting season, so the pups had to wear reflective gear while loose. Sadie has a neon orange skid plate, which she wears on her back. (I couldn't find an actual vest) Maxwell borrowed an orange harness from an agility friend. That actually turned out to be perfect, as I much preferred him to wear his drag-line on the harness than on his collar.

Sadie has been good off-leash, even in the woods, for years. She had her zoomies, and definitely ran many times farther than we walked on each hike, but always checked in. Maxwell improves with every walk, but still takes off. It worries me when he gets beyond even hearing distance (of his tags jangling), but he always finds us again eventually. His energy levels are off the charts, and he must have gone several times the distance even Sadie ran.

Despite the cold lake, the pups went swimming to cool off each day. Even little Maxwell, who had to get a life jacket to learn, went far off shore after a toy. Without his life jacket. We humans were chicken, and just dipped our fingers in the water.

I had a great time playing with my camera. The dogs are my favorite subject, and they were happy to oblige. Here are some of my favorite shots!

That's one happy grin!

Standing tall on the dock

No dogs were harmed in the making of this photo

Too much vacation...?

Perfection

Note To Self: Rear Crosses Through Tire

Had a good class with Sadie tonight, but she clearly needs work on rear crosses through the tire jump. She did 360 spins on the landing side each time, rather than the smooth arc away from me I get over bar jumps. Good information for training sessions.

Drive | Control

Since there were no Saturday classes on the first, I rented the room for a couple of hours. The first hour and a half we had the place to ourselves, and a friend came with her two dogs for the final half hour.

I started with a simple jump grid. Maxwell has recently shown some reluctance to take spread jumps in a grid, running around just that last obstacle, so I included a double as the final jump. We practiced call-throughs, sends, and lateral sends. Sadie won’t allow as much distance on the lateral work, but was okay with sends to the Ready Treat (and food!). Maxwell patterned very quickly, and would let me send or call from nearly anywhere, even 10+ feet away laterally.

To increase the challenge, I introduced a turn between two of the jumps. I had set the line up with a 1 – 2 – 1 stride pattern, so the larger gap was a perfect place to pull the dog out of the sequence. Sadie quickly got the picture. So well, in fact, that I could wrap her around the second standard and back over the first jump from the other direction! Maxwell, on the other hand, charged right on through the line. Over. And Over. And Over. I learned to stop my forward motion next to the first jump and exaggerate the turn, clicking the instant he moved away from the line.

The other big skill we practiced was A-frame contacts. I got all high-tech, and even brought my video camera and tripod, so I could capture the contacts up close to re-watch. I find timing to be extremely difficult with Sadie's new running contacts, since I have to watch where she steps, click at the right time for the right contact point, and release the Ready Treat all in the space of about 0.01 seconds. Lots of late / bad clicks from me, I'm afraid. We're both learning! I do think she's getting more reliable, though. My goal is at least three feet landing in the bottom two thirds of the contact. I'd ask for all four, but she isn't great with understanding such discriminating criteria. Besides, I think we'll pass the test of "Don't make the judge think."

Maxwell will keep his stopping contacts for the foreseeable future. He's just too darned fast, and needs a checkpoint to keep him from picking his own course. With just the equipment he probably has a 95% reliable 2-on-2-off. To really proof it, I put the Ready Treat out maybe 15 feet from the landing side. My criteria was for him to stop and then either get a treat from my hand or be released to the machine. What actually happened was that he'd run right off the contact, paw at the treat box in frustration, and then allow himself to be called back onto his contact. He improved quickly, running half way before realizing I hadn't released the treats, then running just a few steps off and putting himself back on with no cue from me. I didn't want to fry (or hurt) him with too many repetitions, so I called it a success when he went mere inches past the contact, then felt blindly behind himself for the contact one rear foot at a time, stretching into the 2-on-2-off. One of the coolest things I've ever seen a dog do...

Lots of good work that day, but it definitely highlighted some major differences between the two dogs. Sadie has learned a fair amount of finesse and control. I can put her into tight places and call her right back out with barely an ear flick. Maxwell barrels on through regardless of my cues, but he does it with energy and joy. Maxwell needs to temper his drive. Sadie needs to relax her control.

Somewhere between them is the perfect agility dog.

Thank You!

I found this on my car today after volunteering, and did a double take. I love it! Thank you! You know who you are...

Real Life Applications

Please bear in mind that I wrote this offline nearly a week ago, but kept forgetting to send it to a blog-friendly computer to post.

Having done so much work with my dogs, especially in agility, I can certainly see where sports training and ‘real life’ intersect. We all want our dogs to pay attention to us. We want them to come when called, to be able to work near threshold arousal, and to stay with us on the move. But what about the other stuff?
It’s easy to think of the vast majority of agility training as exactly that: agility training. After all, how often do you need to have your dog walk across a 12-inch-wide surface safely and at speed? Or how about jumping through a hoop? Or wrapping around an object? Never? Thought so.

On our last trip to the Adirondacks, I had the thrill of seeing what happens when normal life and agility coincide. We were taking a hike in the woods, following an old logging road, and Sadie was off-leash. As usual, she was running ahead, then doubling back to make sure we were keeping up.

This road crosses a handful of small streams. The first crossing is an old wooden bridge, well worn but still sturdy. The second has been reduced to a trio of widely spaced rotting logs, the actual surface of the bridge being long-gone. To gain the far bank, Sadie had happily splashed through the creek, taking the opportunity to have a quick drink. She raced ahead, then dashed back to the far side of the crossing perhaps 8 feet away.

The humans in the group felt rain, and decided it was time to turn for home. Sadie started to follow, this time putting a paw on one of the logs. It moved. That log was rotted through, and probably wouldn’t hold her weight. Sadie froze when I made an alarmed noise, staring intently at us. I pushed my hand hard in her direction, palm out, and said “Git!” Then I swept my arm around to one side, indicating a path across the creek. Sadie obediently moved away from me, then charged across the creek to the safety of our bank.

I didn’t realize what I’d done until she had taken off down the path towards home: I had used her agility training to move her away from me and along an indirect path. It was the same cues I would give on course to indicate a push to a jump followed by a gentle curve around the handler.

While I wouldn’t be so melodramatic as to say that agility training saved her life, it certainly made the crossing much safer. So remember, agility training is not done in a vacuum!

Canine Structure

Last week my Tuesday instructor suggested that I get Sadie evaluated. While I haven't yet set up an appointment with anyone, I have done a tiny bit of internet research on books, videos, and general information. What I've found is generally aimed at a specific breed or geared towards conformation people ("show dogs"), I did come across some anatomy and structure book suggestions.

I ordered Structure in Action: Tha Makings of a Durable Dog. It should be here before the weekend, and I look forward to giving it some real attention. Hopefully it won't tell me my dogs are terrible...!

Sadie NAP NJP CGC

Third standard leg yesterday!

More details later.  :)

This Is What I Do In My Spare Time

Guess who?!?!

It's computer-game Maxwell!

The demo for the pets expansion of The Sims is out, and I have already spent far too much time playing with it.

The pre-made Aussie looked terrible. It had a tiny head, rough collie-like mane, and too much tail (or not nearly enough, for the tailed dogs). So, I made my own from scratch! Each individual patch and color is a separate layer. I also customized every feature, such as muzzle shape, ear angle, and waist tuck. The avatar still isn't a perfect representation of him, but it's darned close.

Now I have to wait for the full game to be released, so my sims can play with Maxwell!

Teaser 2

You’re planning a long road trip with your dog, going halfway across the country to visit some friends. You decide that you’d like to find a local trial to run in while you’re there, and will plan your travel dates accordingly. Your dog is very noise sensitive, but does well in small indoor venues.

You’ve never tried to compete outside your home region before, and your trainers and friends have never been to your destination city. After some searches on the websites of the various sanctioning bodies, you find three promising trials, all indoors. How do you know which one to enter? What if one of them is right next to train tracks? What if one of them echoes a lot, or is in a huge sports complex? How do you decide which one is right for your dog?

DogTrials.net

Different Is Good

Sadie had a really good class tonight. She hit all her contacts and stayed (mostly) focused. There were a few bars down, but not too many. One was apparently a bit of an oh crap, dogwalk moment and she adjusted in-flight for her dogwalk approach. Another was a handler check-in on the end sequence of jumps. I thought she was out of that habit, but oh well.

I am finding that the new instructor very nicely compliments Mr. Trainer. I get very different advice from them, but on completely different aspects of the sport. For example, Mr. Trainer has me thinking about optimizing her path through a course to get faster times. My Tuesday instructor talked to me at length tonight about her physical capabilities. In particular, her lack of core strength. She offered a few suggestions to help with it, and encouraged me to have Sadie evaluated by a specialist that visits the club regularly.

Of the suggestions, one was to get balance dome for her to stand on. It forces the dog to use their core muscles to balance on the tippy surface.

The other one I loved... You get a boogie board, put it in the bathtub with a few inches of water, and get the dog to balance on it. That's right, hang 20, doggy!

 *  *  *  *  *

There has been some interest after that teaser post. Never fear, more teasers are coming! I'll probably post them once a week for the next two months or so. Guesses and thoughts are welcome in the comments!

Neglected, But Not Forgotten

I realize that it's been nearly a week since my last post... Oops! I'll just give you a few doggy highlights:

Sadie's new Tuesday night class is going well. We had a substitute instructor last week, who I had actually had once before with less than stellar results. However, I think that the combination of Sadie being much more skilled and less reactive, plus my greatly increased dog training confidence, lead to a good class. The instructor gave me a lot of good handling / course-planning information to absorb, though I think some of it is still too advanced for Sadie.

Thursday night at the shelter was a teaching night. I had about 6 new volunteers, all of whom were very interested in the dogs. One guy annoyed me greatly by texting during the class (even the lecture portion), but ended up being the best of the group when out with a dog. We even got to practice problem-solving! Our chosen dog managed to squeeze past one of the trainees, but just wriggled in a happy flurry of joy right back to me. Then he escaped again, this time by slipping his collar! I found him a better-fitting collar before we went outside.

We went to the Adirondacks for the weekend. It was nice and cool, though a bit rainy on Saturday. Maxwell practiced off-leash recalls. Boy, baby food is a great reinforcer when outdoors! Both dogs did a fair bit of running and romping through puddles. And when they got hot, both dogs ended up swimming! That's right, Maxwell went in the lake, beyond where he could stand, all on his own. No life jacket!

Sadie has a bunch more trials coming up. I also need to find some matches and/or run-throughs for Maxwell. A friend just had an extremely successful first trial with her young dog, and I have to admit to a little jealousy. I am very happy for her, but wish that I thought Maxwell was ready. I've considered it, but he's just too drivey and distracible: a bad combination for a loose dog in a new place! I just keep reminding myself that the things that make him such a challenge NOW are the same things that will make him an incredible agility dog LATER.

Lastly, I know I left a cryptic post and a rather info-less link a little while ago. Rest assured, more teasers to come!

Training Tidbits

Maxwell is getting the hang of the chair exercise. After about three clicks for ducking his head under the dining chair, he scooted himself under for a jackpot. I toss treats away from the chair to reset him, and he just dives right back under. Tonight we even worked up to me sitting in the chair! I gave treats intermittently while he relaxed, trying to keep the pauses random. He settled nicely, eventually flopping on his side with his head down. I still feel bad that he doesn't have much space, due to the cross-bar, so I won't ask him to put his whole body under our chairs. Head and shoulders is enough for now.

He is also getting very good at CHIN. With me in the chair, he will stand with his chin plastered to my thigh while I rub and pat him all over. I try to pet him differently than normal, like a child or nervous adult might do under stress. If he lifts his chin or shifts his head, I immediately end physical contact and freeze. Once he places his head down again I resume handling, then treat. Tonight I sat cross-legged on the floor for the first time with this behavior. He lay down facing me, put his front paws across my ankles, and planted his chin either on his paws or my lower leg. I was able to rub, pat, and poke him all over, look in both ears, handle his paws, and even briefly look at his teeth! Obviously I didn't ask him to accept all of these for one reward, but it was still pretty amazing. He only broke CHIN for the mouth handling, and even then he settled back down quickly.

Sadie is learning the wave. Yes, like people do at sporting events. I throw my arms up, and she stretches herself up. It's funny to see, because she very quickly gained enthusiasm for this behavior. She stretches to full length, front paws high in the air, and jumps up. Her front paws end up over my head! If I give the body cue less strongly, she responds in kind; no jump, less stretch. Next step is to teach her not to leap at me.

She is also giving very nice bows now. She stretched before we started training (like a play-bow), so I clicked. She immediately began offering shallow bows. I clicked stronger and stronger ones, until she had her front end flat on he ground and her butt in the air. So cute with such a big goofy dog! I had noticed in a previous session that she nearly always ended up stepping on my toes. I assumed it was because she kind of 'walks' into the bow, stepping her front feet out. However, I had an odd thought tonight, which I tested. I kneeled on a chair, so that I was roughly normal height but effectively had no feet. She couldn't bow! Somehow I had accidentally shaped/captured her bow as a targeting behavior on my feet. She pawed the chair, then stood up on the chair with her front feet... After some confusion on her part, and going back to clicking approximations, she did give a few decent bows with me on the chair. Something to think about, for sure!