dog whispering and taco bell

My friend who is in organizational development and always has a keen eye on the bigger picture often says "the world doesn't need another Taco Bell". Who wants that anyway? Or for that matter another Cheesecake Factory or another Bed Bath and Beyond. Does the world need more dog trainers? Well, surely the demand may be at an all time high, but how do you know if your "professional" trainer is of the Taco Bell or the Morton's variety? In this New York Times article, they explore the trend of dog trainers popping up like fast food restaurants. Some trainers with years of experience and apprenticing, and others pay 30K, have three weeks of training and are in business. Interesting stuff...

NY Times article by Anna Jane Grossman:

A Chorus of Dog Whisperers

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/fashion/27DOGS.html

touched moved inspired

Tater has been busy trimming the house plants, keeping Molly the Plot Hound busy, while Sweets has been perfecting her winter napping under the covers. The dogs keep a smile on my face- inevitably squeaking a toy while I'm on the phone, snoring on the couch or racing in circles with sticks as long as pole vaults in their mouths. They are prana, energy and are full of life on every level. I was catching up with a friend this past week, in the time that had passed, her grandmother had died. The funny thing was, she was hardly sad, but beamed about it.
"It was unexpected"
"I'm so sorry to hear that, " (the usual, same stuff that we all say), "was it a relief?"
"Well, she wasn't eating...the MRI showed a large mass...and she said, 'I want to go home'" 

So they took her home.

Then she said, "I want you to throw a party"

They did.

That Saturday relatives and friends came to toast and celebrate. She told what family member to bake or make. She instructed who she wanted to speak (well, she wasn't that uptight, but she made a few requests). It was a late night, laughter and tears and lots of conversation

 

"After the funeral, have people back to the house for sandwiches, that way they'll get a bite to eat, but won't stay late," she told them.

Three days later she died. No pain, no suffering, utterly peaceful. And, they did make sandwiches, and they did stay late. Toasting and still celebrating the grandma, mother, sister and friend that they loved.  

 

i'm back!

Ov vey, I've been out of touch with my imaginary blog readin' community, well, hey, who knows who's reading this.
Life is interesting, perhaps what I've been reading about the Tao is starting to seem more real then ever before.
In a nutshell, when your heart is aligned with your actions, things just happen. My evidence? My colleague, Liz and I submitted a proposal to speak at the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) Expo last fall....and our proposal was accepted!!!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWW! It's a total and complete honor, and in the wake of that news my creative juices have a' started flowing. It's what the say "being called into action", it's just amazing and we're so excited. Whoo! And the dogs are great!
I've started doing training sessions with them mid-day. We run across the tundra to the barn and have fun- jumps, tunnel, beginning weave poles, and they love it. I never thought of dog training as a stress reliever, because I suppose I always think it's stressful for people on the other end, but even 3 minutes messing around has been a lot of fun. I remember when Debbie Winkler suggested that I train my ferret to do something. Once I started working with her, something shifted, so I do think that working WITH your animal really does strengthen the bond. All is well, the dogs are wearing their fleeces, running among the snow flakes and cuddling under the blankies (with mom of course).
Be well!

the sun spot

Those clean white sheets, the soft cotton comforter warm from the dryer. Add one Tater post pup class, and you have freshly peed on bedding...and so it goes. Life is funny like that. I was just reminded by one of those cliche sayings, "sometimes when you don't get what you want, it's a blessing." With Thanksgiving around the corner, I'm eager to head home, fall alseep on the floor with my feet pressed up agains the blower from the wood burning fireplace (did I mention I'm always cold?), hike in the woods with the pups and be with family, maybe hit a winery with my best friend, get out the t-ball set with her kids and pitch like I'm a pro.

So the pups are mischevious today. Tater has been pruning my house plants and tearing up the backing paper where the wood flooring ends. When they ran upstairs, I spied (to make sure they weren't dining on dry wall). They found the money spot, and were laying in the sun. So, I brought in the dog bed to make the nap more comfey. And away they snore.

crisp morning air

This morning I slipped on my sneakers and took the dogs out at 7:30 am. Tater quickly did his business and ran back into the house while Sweets and Dante the Corgi ran for the pasture. I watched them sniff and do their thing. My hair was wet and warm from the shower and I stood there in my oversized barn jacket just taking it all in. Most of the leaves have fallen, thanks to a heavy frost last week and a morning where the only thing you could hear were leaves sailing thorugh the air like confetti. Lately I've been wondering what course to take. And this morning, as I sat on the big rock, sharing my coat with Sweets as she sat sniffing in the sun, looking regal as always, it seemed to be the right one.

cousin brucie

This morning we had a nice romp in the pasture with Bruce the Dane, the last few days the neighboring horses have been very curious, thinking that a pony has moved next door. I took the pups for an off leash run at the Lake and we stayed on the paved path, hoping to attact less ticks. Well, that's not exactly true, we did run on the horse trails in the woods. Tater is keeping time with Sweets and has these unbelievable ear flapping, full out gallop recalls that I think are adorable and impressive. Sweets and Bruce have been keeping their distance (as our boy Bruce seems to completely disregard when a dog is not interested in having a 100 lb dog charge them.) They just had a session in the pasture, and what I'm seeing is Bruce sees a dog and his conditioned response regardless of what the dog is doing is to charge and start to play bow. That can be dangerous considering most dogs don't greet that way or would want to engage in play with a pony. We're working :)
Tater on the other hand is confident, keeps his distance in open field, but will snuggle with the big guy when given the chance. Three tuckered dogs napping in the sun, life is good!

guinea pigs, horses and danes

It started last Sunday at a Halloween Pet Parade, there were the usual dogs, a few cats, even a bunny. But what took the cake were two little girls that hand made costumes for their guinea pigs. We chatted a bit, while Sweets layed on a dog bed (not noticing the pigs just yet).
"Is this their first public appearance?"
"Yep!"
Meanwhile, there are pit bulls and golden retrievers walking all around, while these two little critters get a "grass" break (thank you, thank you, thank you, the pigs left the event in one piece). I watched as their parents hung out with them. And I really got that must be what parenting is all about, it's going to the halloween pet parade with your daughters who dressed up their guinea pigs. It's just that simple, it's what you do when your a parent. They were such sweet kids too.

Bruce the 100 lb dane is with the family for a few weeks, we'll be working on his manners and seeing if the horses next door figure out that is isn't a pony. With the business, and the house and the million other things that I could boringly account for, I got a great reminder, again, of those important things....

A client's dog was diagnosed with stomach cancer, last week it was kidney failure with another...it's a new cycle for me, actually a first. To know these dogs, in some cases for years and hear such devestating news. I suppose it happens everywhere all the time, and when it shows up in your world, it gets our attention for a few minutes at least. It's been a year of a lot of firsts- first friends heading toward divorce, first friend who's parent died suddenly, first old friend that died before her time. With all the firsts, there have been lots of hurried moments, wasted time and worries.

So as I sit here with a puppy chewing a rawhide in my lap, a pointer girl sniffing my nose and a dane named Bruce napping on the couch, it's quite the scene. And it's what I do, type and check my email while the dogs nap peacefully. And I'm constantly reminded of the gift they are now and how again, a face lick, a cold nose, a napping buddy. It's what's important to me.

wild goose chases, gut checks and tick season

This was probably ranks up there as one of the "best days ever" for Sweets and Tater. Start with the 9 am fun run in the woods, nothing unusual until...I saw turkeys/buzzards/geese in the distance and reminded myself for the upteenth time that I must microchip my dog (as I'm watching her bound into the woods, out of sight and earshot). Thankfully, Tater will happily hang near me wherever Sweets takes us. After 20 minutes of intense, eyes glazed over, tongue hanging out running, Sweets "waited" for me, lapped up a cold drink from the stream and then was escorted back to the house with my makeshift leash (my long sleeve shirt).

I was reminded today (gut check) that I will start writing something soon. As a kid I was published and wrote for our local paper (real important stuff like "should Michael Jordan be paid more than the President?") So, this is for Mike Smith my Creative Writing teacher and mentor, wherever he is.

Then back to the house to gather the pups for a run at the lake. We said hi to the Great Blue Heron we disturbed, ate some mudd, took a a dip in the water while mom checked the dogs for their first ticks of the season. Back to the house for dinner- raw chicken & turkey medallions (obligatory nail trim here) and then a raw hambone.

Life is good, all is well. Hug your dogs,
Luv,
Sweets & Tater

floors get four paws up

I couldn't resist posting this picture of Vanna showing off the Rubber Roofing that I purchased online. I hoped that my 400 lb prackage would arrive via freight as proimsed (the salesman was way too quick to get off the phone). It did indeed arrive and last night Scott and I wrestled with 200 lbs of rubber roofing/flooring. Imagine trying to glue and smooth a bed sheet to your floor, and the sheet is 200 lbs. Oh yeah. So after being a little light headed and crazed, the floor was officially tested this morning by yours truly...Sweets and Tater. They played like the nuts they are and gave it four paws up. I also think that I should be recognized for "most creative use of a paper cutter" for 2007. Box cutters? exacto knife? too time intensive...bring on the paper cutter. So life is good, the floor is down, the dogs were playing. What else? Well, we also want to plug some pretty cool products by a fellow dog lover and business woman. First aid kits for dogs and more. We always think it's good to be prepared, especially if you're away from home. Check out http://www.wagn4u.com! And get Waggin!

st. francis badge

A few years back I had a good run with turtles. I'd be cruising around Virginia and see one slowwwly crawling across the road, be it Walter Reed or a winding county road. I'd always stop, pick them up and move them across the road way and hopefully out of harm's way.

Tonight Sweets was on point. She ran to the bottom corner of the pasture, then back to a large rock and stood there. She looked at me, she looked at the corner, back and forth a few times like a tennis match. It wasn't noticeable enough to me at the moment. "I really should move that stump," I thought. So, I picked it up and headed for the corner.

No sooner then I got to the corner did I see a small yellow bellied bird that had one wing tangled in a few "burr" weeds that I had haphazardly tossed in the briars a few days earlier.

'You've got to be kidding me", I think.

Don't get me wrong, I love this stuff. Talk about the trickle down effect- my weeding=injured wildlfe.
So I step up on the stump (perfect step stool don't cha know) and pull the bird out.

Injured bird and two bird dogs...great.

I pull out a few of the long burr branches and he falls...

Noses come over to investigate...

"Off"

I pick him up and can feel his heart pounding. I'm working on picking our the small burrs, ack! there go a few feathers, c'mon let me try to smooth out those feathers and just like that...he chirped and flew off. Meanwhile, Sweets was waiting a the gate, mesmerized, hyptonized by a real, live bird one moment and poof- gone the next.

It's those intense, suprising moments in life that I love. We earned our St. Francis "Yellow Bellied Fly Catcher" Girl Scout Badge at 5:35pm this evening.

fall fun with the dogs

It's beautiful out there, get out and smell the crisp air, the smell of freshly fallen leaves and everything so undeniably "fall".
Here are our recommendations for things to do this fall.
1. visit a winery, chill in the sun, while fido lies in the grass and chews on your cork or the brie!
2. corn mazes! bring your pal (on leash) and sniff your way to the end
3. pumpkin patches! let your bud sniff our the best and biggest pumpkin
4. leaf piles! drive your inner ocd crazy by jumping in leaf piles!

Enjoy this beautimus time of year and Sweets urges all the humans to play more!
Luv, Sweets

recalls that work

Tired of chasing Fido down the street or begging for him to come home? Sounds like management is missing. Management is setting your dog up to succeed by not allowing them to scew up (run away or be off leash if they are not reliable to come to you).

So does that mean your dog is on a leash always and forever?
No.
So where do you start?
1. start with rewarding your dog for looking at you when you say their name
2. when outside, have your dog drag a leash or line that you can step on if need be. If the go to the end of the line, and then look back at you or come back to you- reward them
3. if your dog is frequently looking at you- begin to reward this as well

That's it for starters...more to come on how to take the next step.
Happy Calling!
Sweets

good people

Though Sweets hasn't met them, I'm grateful to be networking with some awesome positive trainers and dog folks in the Philly area. And on the same note, Tater and Sweets are getting along swimmingly, mouth wrestling, squeaking and romping like the nuts that they are. Tater may have a new nickname- occassionally he will pee in his sleep. He doesn't wake from sleep squat and pee a river, but will go while he is sleeping and wake up wet...after snoozing in his own little lake. Today there was a little leakage that he had slept on, and that wet spot on the side of his face and on his ears...well, it wasn't drool. So, Pee-ear or Pierre may be his name sake for a few days, but is much to stuffy to stick as a nick name for my little Tater Lou.

critters return

Well, if it wasn't in the pasture, then it's got to be the woods. Sweets has begun obcessing at a new spot, and today indeed, as she was leashed up and shamefully (I imagine it's like being caught sneaking out), walked back up to the house, we heard some' "thing" making noise in that hole. So, once again, the live trap is set- for what we don't know.

Again, it's a perfect example of single event learning. Ever since one scuffle with a ground hog, she is 99% of the time will run directly into the pasture. Now, that she has discovered a new critter, about 50% of the time, she runs to the pasture and 50% of the time, breezes by the barn and heads for the woods. Which made me think- if I planted something that she is motivated by- turkey feathers, etc. in the pasture, would she be more likely to continue to run there...

We'll see. There is nothing that competes with whatever is under that rock. How do I know? Physically she is panting, eyes bulging, nose trailing on the ground and will consistently try to circle back, break loose and go to that spot. No meatball will fit the bill, so, in the meantime, the trap is set, the leash is on and romping in the pasture will be handsomely reawarded.

people for inspiration

We can't deny that along the way we have met some extraordinary people in our lives. Though this was well before Sweets was my live in, full time mutt companion, in a fomer life I had some awesome times, swimming competitively though my middle and high school years. What really shaped my drive as an athlete and competitor was swimming on the Washington YMCA team with Coach Steve and Cathy. I literally went from swimming in lane 1 to being picked out of the pack and put with the "big boys" (and girls) which upped my game considerably, had me anchoring the relay events and time trialing for Nationals. During those years I was surrounded by some of the best athletes and people that I've come to know, among them Marissa Boyan. In the off season, we'd see each other at track meets, as she truly was just as amazing in the pool as she was as a distance runner. A humble soul that was encouraging, goofy and always at the top of her game. After 7 years of battling recurring brain tumors, and one old swim buddy swimming the English Channel to raise money a scholarship fund in her name, she has died at 26. So, it's not always about the rainbows and unicorns, or even the puppies right? Marissa was just as inspiring when I knew her at a teenager, as she was at 26. So, it's here that we recognize an old friend and forever an inspiration, and we're grateful to have known her.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07258/817793-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml

making a difference

It's been a while since Sweets has gone to work with me at the shelter, about 7 months now. She didn't mind much, would just sleep most of the day. The job was rewarding and heartbreaking. I saw the "worst of it" when we would take trips to the rural south or to other open admission shelters in our back yard or a few hundred miles away. I really got the scope of the problem when on one visit to a shelter in rural Ga, the shelter manager was showing me around. When I asked her what the stats were for the year, she said, "8000 in, 100 out".

I got it. I really got it.

It's called the animal overpopulation crisis, because that's what it is...a crisis.

I'm moved my people that are out there making a difference on this front, as volunteers and as change agents. Locally, Lori Bentz of Last Chance Rescue has plans to expand her exisitng facility for more dogs, cats, lizards, what have you that she rescues from Philadephia Animal Control.

And Denise Bash, founder of Animal Lifelife raises funds so that the people working tirelessly in rescue and sheltering, have financial support. Not to mention her work in Appalacia- trucking in supplies, dog houses, creating shelter for stray animals, with a goal of 50 animals placed this year. Blown away. Keep it up ladies.

Check them out at www.lastchanceranch.org and www.animallifelineonline.org

client compassion

For as many times as I've heard this "he's just not like my last dog" and for as many times as I've thought "well, he's not your other dog". Holy Moley, let me just tell ya folks, my new pup is NOTHING like my 3 year old gal. And I've found myself going there, thinking, "he's so needy" or "I wish he'd just learn to chill out like Sweets". Oy! I can totally get how disempowering it is to have an experience of your first dog or your last dog and simply expect the next pup to be the same. It really does not make sense, but when you get used to that relationship, you can find yourself frustrated, up the river and the puppy ate your paddle.
Sweets, in essence was "easy", she peed in the house once, munched merrily in her crate after a whine or two, rarely picked things up with her mouth (well, there was that dead mouse, but she did "off". And there was that poo eating phase that threw me for a loop), okay, okay. She was easy to crate, oh yeah, and was a fear barker for a while (we worked through that). She is sensitive, owner focused and is a great girl.
On the other hand- Tater is confident, climbs flights of stairs at 10 weeks, slams the teeter, tap dances on the wobble board while Sweets watches, eats dirt and twig appetizers on a daily basis and is having some trouble "chilling out" when crated or left alone. He is a total sweetie, social with people and IS a different dog.
My friend, Dacia (mom of 3 God love her) and I were talking about it. She found the same thing with her kids. Auggie, the first boy was responsive, just "gets it" and was a sensitive guy that would take direction and cause little trouble. Lucie, her second girl is a firey girl after my own heart, eats bowls of "no" for breakfast and guess what? Didn't respond as well or respond at all to Dacia's training. Go figure.
Don't get me and Sweets wrong folks, we love the little guy for sure. And Sweets wouldn't be caught dead tap dancing on a wobble board EVER, so it's give and take. One thing is for sure, Sweets was awful happy that we snuck out the last two days for a run and Mom was hardly upset when she swam into the lake today and relocated about 40 geese, she came back to shore, waited when I said "Wait" and I leashed her back up. Of course I was a little embarrased, but hey, not too bad for the "perfect girl".

land shark

Sienna Point's Red Bliss "Tater" is official. He arrived on Saturday and is a total nut! Sweets is digging him, but really prefers that he grow quick, so he can chase her. So far, we've been peeing and pooping outside (well, the dogs have) no problem and he's just confident and curious. This little man has no fear! Yesterday we stopped by Woofs! to visit with Auntie Ariana and Laura, who confirmed his coolness and his vigor! At 10 weeks he retrieves, follows, sits, and wants to eat and pick up and chew everything! Whew, he's been keeping us busy. We need to work on crating by himself, my man has some pipes!

Yesterday we also knocked a few things off our socialization roster- construction, noise, friendly dogs, goofy kid toys (thanks Newphew Nick) and car rides. I'll post pictures on the wiggle worm soon. Until now, here's one of his mom, big brothers and sisters. Check out http://www.siennapointevizslas.com/current_litter.html for more great pictures and info on this fabulous breeder and Vizsla lover!
More later,
Luv,
Sweets

free willy

Our little ground hog was safely caught (being a ground hog) in a live trap yesterday. He did enjoy appetizers before his release in the Sate Game Lands a few miles away- carrots, peaches and apples were his first, and last course. Sweets ran down to the pasture and I saw a brown tail flick in the trap, so I quickly escorted her back to the house while I tended to the Hog. I assured him I wasn't the kind of gal that would leave him entrapped in the rain, so we quickly loaded him up in the back of the car and we were off. The little guy seemed pretty calm during his short ride in the cage, no complaints and just a little teeth chattering. I pulled up and put the cage on the ground at the entrance to a path, fiddled with how to get it open and viola- I waited. He hung out in the back of the cage...
"turn around bud"....
more waiting....
my arm is getting tired....
"turn around bright eyes", I jokingly sang.
He poked his head out, looked back at me and I thought "oh please don't now decided to go for my ankles"
And he made a break for it.
We free'd Willy. Sweets is still in denial and has increased her ground hog security rounds in the pasture. Even after many sniffs of an empty cage, she's still like to believe that there is a Hog in the Pasture, like ole' Nessie in Loch Ness.

puppy social parties

Come one, come all. Sweets is eager to meet pups under 5 months, considering she will be having a full time baby brother (of the furry sort) moving in soon. Puppy Social Parties are a free community program for dogs under 5 months to socialize with other pups their age and meet new people. Dog owners often make the mistake of creating "bubble dogs" that later in adolescence or adulthood have fear based behavior or aggression issues as a result. We want to avoid that by taking early preventative measures. Check opbarks.com or email us at info@opbarks.com of more info. We have parties starting Saturday mornings Herndon, VA and Philly, PA as well as weekday evening parties at our Bucks County PA Location.

green boy

Yesterday Sweets jumped out of bed at 3:30 am and was a little confused as to why she was woken up. No midnight pee breaks, but in a few weeks, that will change! I flew to Chicago yesterday to watch temperament testing of the Jolie/Chase litter, born in early June. Cathy and Larry (Vizsla breeders) gladly put me up for the night and were gracious hosts.

I finally got to meet the crew! All were very different pups and sweet peas at that. They all evaluated well with handling- not one stress yawn or "I got cooties" shake off when restrained. Yellow girl is the spunky monkey and of the three males, the winner is...Green Boy! He's the smallest tater of the three males, is inquisitive and curious like his spunky sis, Yellow Girl and seems like he'll be a great match for us and for Sweets. He's an appropriate little man that we're looking forward to welcoming him to the casa. Cheers to the little guy and looking forward to agility and flushing those birds!
Luv,
Sweets

ups and downs

The Ups: this weekend Sweets hung out with her new Cattle Dog friends, Lilly and Forrest (Forey for short). Besides the excitement of just having new fur in the house, Sweets embarked on probably her most adventurous trip to date- chasing (and nearly killing) a chicken that happened to live near a public hiking trail (a trauma her mom will never forget). The Downs: Hannah (ferret), Sweet's older sister was buried today. Though their relationship as mostly of the "can I steal your kibble" nature, Hannah was quick to correct her new house mate, nearly 2900% bigger. She was a spunky, joyful girl, michevious, and really seemed that every nook and cranny was a newly discovered day in and day out. She gave us all an appreciation for really "livin" and she will be missed. She was suffering greatly and no doubt lived a long life. We will forever miss her goofiness. Love, Sweets

Jack: part deux

Yesterday, Sweets surely earned her kibble! What a long day it was. Playing with Lib and Stelley in the morning, meeting Miss Boo through a fence to practice her self control around dogs...(especially dogs behind fences). Ok, she did have a nice long afternoon nap in the a/c. Then off to work with Jack and Maria in Old Town.

Jack is a dog that will bark and lunge at other dogs and Maria has been doing great work with him, seeing a reduction in the frequency of his behavior. So, Sweets is there at session three to practice walk bys. We're working on practicing with a 'live target' which isn't hard to come by in Alexandria. However, Jack is keeping it together, as we walk in and out of view. Then we go for it with a nose to nose greeting...drum roll...

And Jack does awesome, no aggression. All that barking and lunging appears to have started with wanting to say hi, not having access to other dogs, and heck, he doesn't look friendly when he's barking. These two walked together, sniffed, rolled in the grass together, went to the dog park to sniff and play a bit. Jack even invited Sweets up for a drink after their date. She gladly drank her water on the rocks and took full advantage of the cool kitchen tile.

So, kudos to Maria and Jack and we're hoping that this positive interaction will carry over and mean more social interaction and doggie friends for Jack. Look for Jack and Maria soon on ABC News Channel 7!

ground hog fight

Yes, it has been quite the dramatic turn of events. Yesterday Sweets (as per usual) was sniffing like a mad woman near the bushes in the back. I saw her point, saw those eyes get big and thought I heard some chirping. Then game on- the groundhog dashed from the den and all I could see were rustling bushes. She chased him into the pasture, then muzzle punched him up against the fence. "OFFFFFFFFFFF!" "NOOOOO!" "OFFFFFFFFFF!" I'm screaming. I jumped over the fence, the gound hog dashed away "WAITTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed. She stopped.

"Wait, wait, wait..." I grabbed her collar and we walked out of the pasture. No harm done to dog or hog, thank goodness. Today we purchased pepper oil deterrent, sonic gopher be-gone stakes and a live trap, if need be. Power to the Porker. Yikes...

little brotha'

Piglets or puppies? What's cuter than that? Soon Sweets will be a Big Sis to a Lil' Tater Boy. I did assure her that she will never lose her Queendom.

diva dog genius!

Sweets had her big on set debut for the Dog Genuis taping for National Geographic. She made me proud. We arrived at 10 am for an 11 am shoot, and actually started taping at around 2 pm (lots of time to kill). Long story short, she filmed three scenes- 1. sniffing around a bunch of blocks 2. pushing the letter "S" to spell the word "Genius" and sitting 3. laying down near the blocks and doing her infamous "Diva" dramatic head cock.

At first I was very green on the set, nervous maneuvering behind cameras and concerned that she would flap. Then, I settled in, we worked nicely as a team and she acclimated to the swinging overhead camera that spooked her a few times. Diva did me proud (and now she has a resume). Move over Diana Ross...

pva-a-palooza '07

10 jumps, 2 tires, 2 pause tables and 2 sets of weaves later...whew it was a long, working weekend. My dad and I made wobble tables and boards for classes and fun, fun, fun with the dogs and it was all good. Our first few hours working together were disjointed, a yell here and there, but by the Saturday afternoon, we were like clockwork. After a few trips to Home Depot, (where apparently my father is like a local celebrity), he ran into at least 5 other people he knew, swapped fishing stories with an old high school buddy, and then we filled the back of the Ford with...you guessed it...more PVC.

Sweets on the other hand napped, ran, barked and practiced a for our bit on Nat. Geo. This morning I took her into the neighbor's woods where she flushed a deer, that just looked at us for a few minutes. I held onto Sweets and we let the deer do her thing, then returned to the trail. Much to her delight, we found a genuine turkey feather to shred back at the homestead. Life is good!

gorillas in the mist

It's pouring rain and Sweets is looking out the back door intently. I say, "I know you don't wanna go out there, it's pouring. Here..." The second I open the door, it dawns on me how arrogant I am! :) She bolts down the back steps to chase a rabbit, that she'd been eyeing up (and I stupidly missed). Gone, outta sight into the woods. I'm feeling like Diane Fossey in Gorillas in The Mist, getting poured on, flip flopping around with my "great recall" not at all working. Dogs keep ya humble, and about that "great recall" a few posts back, it's time to go back to work. There is a happy ending, she did come back in a few minutes and ran right to the door (so that work has paid off!)

road trip

Sweets and I will be heading west to my hometown, Washington, PA to make agility equipment with Pappa Morgan, (my dad). We'll get in out sniffs on local trails while where there, and perhaps even chase a duck or two at the local dam. Who am I kidding? She'll redecorate the clean sheets with dog fur and get fed pepperoni on the sly from Grandma and Grandpa (after her trail runs, of course).

Making anything with my dad is always fun...and abusive. My dad is a master carpenter that does not use positive, reward based training when working with his daughter. We've collaborated on two house rennovations, but never agility equipment. This is usually how it goes...

Dad, "You cut it"
Leigh, "Okay"
Dad, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG. You've GOT to do it like this, here gimme that..."

We yell, we laugh, we make stuff. That's always how it's been. He asks me to do something, I start doing it my way and get corrected. Not the most effective training technique, (just ask my 2 year old nephew). But it really is in good fun.

Tuesday we're off to National Geographic to have Sweets perform for the cameras for the first time. Wish us luck and let's hope that lamb lung treats do the trick on set.

op barks on the news!

Yesterday, I shot a piece for DC, ABC Local Channel 7. Maria Campiglia and her little man, Jack did awesome. The story was on reactive dogs, positive training/clicker trianing (I hope!), that was my agenda anyway. Here's the scoop on Jack- will bark and lunge at dogs when being walked and let's just say Man is not his best friend. Ahem, so of course, Jack has a cameraMAN with a large camera, and he was certainly showing stress signals- head lowering, tongue flicking and not eating. He bounced back and really did well tolerating a camera follow trailing his every move. I was kicking myeslf for not bringing something better than hotdogs (which he wouldn't eat).

The goal when working with a reactive dog is to not put them in situations where they rehearse their behavior and get that adrenaline junkie rush. And...life happens...we're all talking, civilian dog is walking by that we don't see, Jack starts to bark and lunge! And...it's the "money shot" (I'm thinking, "my career is over"). Not really, but a perfect example ofwhy management is so critical.

Lesson learned: only use the best food, be more vigilant even with cameras around AND the moral of the story is: behavior modification takes time, there is no magic wand effect. So, kudos to Maria and Jack for putting themselves out there! And we'll all keep working to raise the bar.

The good news: Maria is now able to better read Jack before he reacts (she can predict and interevene) and she's been able to significantly decrease the number of times he is reacting.

Next steps: Increasing the value of our reinforcement, decreasing arousal, and desensitization with a calm dog (Sweets).
We'll be going to work! Stay tuned...

a hard day's nap

Sweets is already chilling in her dog bed, she's no snorer, but I can hear her breathing (to me that's like the sound of the sea), it just reminds me of what's really imporant in life.

I assume her early morning nap is a result of last night's Father's Day Festivities, where she gladly layed down by the kitchen table for bbq chicken. Good girl. Love my Diva!

And...there may be an addition to the family, a baby boy Vizsla, to chase and run wild in the fields and on the beach.
Stay tuned.

ground hog day

I wondered why Sweets was glued to the fence around the horse pen. Seems that a fat ground hog has moved into the vacant stables. So we'll need to patrol the pasture and play fetch closer to the barn (though I don't think a 35lb Diva pointer is any match for a chunky ground hog). At any rate, we said hi to the horses grazing next door and she sniffed her way to bliss!

We're not entirely fenced in, but her recalls have been great (I've become a left-overs dispenser when she comes in the back door), and seems like I found a new dog treat- left over french fries! Although, I swear I won't ruin her girlish figure.