I know I haven't posted much recently, and I'm sorry. I have lots to say, but haven't had much time to write! Mostly this post comes from the trial Sadie ran this past weekend, but not entirely.
The Good
Sadie, Maxwell, and I went to a trial in Sewaren, NJ on Sunday. The location was a very nice park, where there were three rings. The dogs had a great time sniffing about and rough-housing in an adjacent section of field.
Since she earned her NJP title, I had moved Sadie's Jumpers run up to Open Preferred. This was the first time Sadie had ever run an Open level course, and I think she ran wonderfully. She followed my cues, including several tight rear crosses, and (mostly) stayed with me. She didn't Q because she missed the weaves entirely. Can you say distracted? I'm pleased with the run anyway.
Maxwell did very nicely when I walked him around, giving attention when asked and generally not rushing other dogs. He wanted very badly to play with some of them, but wasn't obnoxious about it. He really seems to have calmed down in trial environments, at least as an observer.
The Bad
Maxwell has become a terrible crate-guarder. A friend said she walked by my setup with one of her dogs, and Maxwell went berserk. Not just barking, mind you, but snarling and lunging through the crate door. Poor Sadie apparently flattened herself into the farthest corner to get some distance.
This is something I've been seeing escalate, and been thinking about how best to address the issue. Now, though, it has become a serious problem. I want to be able to leave my dogs for short periods without worrying that he'll claw through the soft crate, or even just frighten another dog.
Mrs. Trainer mentioned calming caps. I'm going to discuss it with Mr. Trainer, then perhaps buy one to try. I'd like to avoid buying Maxwell his own crate to leave covered, but will do so if I must!
A brand new behavior problem has cropped up as well: vehicle chasing. Just in the past week or so I've noticed Maxwell lunge at large vans (like a florist or plumber might use) and buses. The first time or two were so isolated, and so unusual, that I assumed he had seen a squirrel that I missed. Walking the dogs tonight, though, he very clearly went after a moving van. Then another. Then a bus. Then a van.... NOT GOOD. I have no idea where this came from, but it must be stopped now. I'll probably turn large vehicles into a cue to look at me for treats, like I did with dogs to address Sadie's dog-reactivity.
What The Hell Is My Dog Doing?
Sadie had a lot of fun at the trial on Sunday, but wasn't in top form. In fact, her runs in Standard and Time 2 Beat made her look like a green dog that shouldn't be trialing yet! She visited the ring crew, sniffed grass, and ran large circles. In Standard, she took several of the (on-course) obstacles completely by accident. They just happened to be in the way of her sniff-and-run!
I actually think these two runs were worse than her very first trial. However, there was a huge difference between the two trials. In her first, Sadie was distracted, stressed, and unsure. In this trial, she was distracted, happy, and full of goofiness. Totally different mindsets that just happen to look much alike.
Had the trial been indoors, I am positive she would have nailed all three courses. As it was, I'm just happy that she stayed happy.
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