Storms, Projects And Other News

Hurricane Irene didn't hit us nearly as hard as expected. I stayed up quite late last night, listening to the wind and rain. The dogs were unfazed, save for the bothersome business of having to get wet when they went outside. This morning brought a few downed branches, but nothing serious. We kept power, and even internet, all night.

 Boooooooooooriiiiiiiiiiing...

Sadly, I just heard that PCOTC's lower training level was not so fortunate. The room was flooded, and needs an emergency cleaning to prevent mold and other such unsavory business. I've asked my boss for the morning off tomorrow to help with the cleanup... hopefully I'll hear back in the affirmative.

Of less immediate import, we finally fixed the screen door to our deck. It took us over two years to do it, procrastinators that we are, but the new screen looks so much nicer. Why did it need replacing, you ask? Because the day we moved in, a certain large yellow dog simply walked right through it. The metal screen must have been ancient, since it offered her almost no resistance. For her part, she was suitably surprised and hasn't gone through since. Maxwell, on the other hand, found the tear to be just the right size to be an Aussie-door. No more!

Now that Sadie is amassing a nice collection of rosettes and ribbons, it seemed only natural to find a nice way to display them. Her first few were hung from the bottom edge of a picture frame (with her picture in it). That became impossible with the most recent batch, though. Not only do the hooks on the new ones not fit in the crevasse, but there are too many to fit anyway! And so, I built a nice little display for the living room.

Sadie is doing so well! I already can't wait for the next trial...

I even made her name the same color as her collar

The materials cost me less than $35, and that includes enough to build one for the little guy, once he starts competing! I may have to buy some thin wood strips to solidify the edges, as the cork bends quite easily, but overall I think it's a hell of a job for someone so un-crafty as myself.

And now for your regularly scheduled training update:

I'm teaching Maxwell the CHIN cue, which I first saw performed by a fellow New Rochelle Humane Society volunteer's dog. On cue, Maxwell plops his face into the palm of my hand and waits for the click. The end behavior will be a bit more flexible. I plan to have CHIN work for any surface I request, with emphasis on a person's legs (when seated) and the edges of chairs and beds. He should hold still for several minutes at a time, even if petted and fussed over. Obviously we're a long way from that, but he's making good headway. (Haha! Get it? Headway? *ahem*)

I've started teaching Sadie the same trick, with much different results. She has finally learned to offer behaviors besides SIT and DOWN when she doesn't immediately get a click. When trying to get the CHIN behavior, I held out my hand and looked at it. She nosed it a bit, offered a paw, and licked my hand... and then bit it. Not hard. No, not at all! It was more like she gently took my hand in her mouth, as a hunting dog might gingerly hold game. Her expression was priceless. It was as if she didn't really think that was right, because she knows not to bite, but what on earth else could I be asking for??? She did eventually offer the correct behavior, and earned many handfuls of kibble.