Here's To Us!

Remy and I had a great training session today. I made him heel before I took him off lead to go down to the water. This is always a great test to see if he can control himself before a huge reward. He did great! Then I practiced our "heres" while he raced toward the water. I was amazed! The second I gave the command, his head whipped around and he was racing toward me as fast as he had been going away seconds before! He really seems to thrive on praise alone now. Or I should say, praise with play following. I am so proud of him. Of course, I should add that I am an enthusiastic praiser. Anyone watching me would say that I am crazed. But that's ok because I love it and Remy thrives on it.

On the way home down our quiet street, I took him off lead knowing that no cars were coming. He stayed right by me until he heard geese honking and then he started moving away. This time he didn't come as quickly, but he came! (Had he not come, I would have run to a safe place to get him back to me by chasing me).

In our yard, I used his ring tug to get him to heel off lead with enthusiasm. Toys are now working without causing craziness. In the past, we couldn't use toys because he would get too excited. The rings also worked for the recalls although he did grumble about having to sit straight. I did 2 more short, crooked recalls with the rings held high and once he sat straight, we played tug until he was tired. I love working obedience like this...so much more fun than the old way!

Light at the End of the Tunnel

This Tacara Terv Trainer has been relatively consistent at training the Dreamer, even when she'd rather burn her hands on the stove. It really is fun once we get out there and get started. Dreamer is excelling at her advanced obedience tricks but is still slow to master the basics -- the tucked sits, mostly -- of course! Since Dreamer is a late bloomer in so many ways, I trust that she'll eventually get it.

Meanwhile, we're ready for Utility but would flunk out in Novice. (Okay, not really, but it feels that way at times!) We were having a few problems with folding into the Down, as Dreamer inched a bit forward before folding instead of just folding nicely backward...so I made corrections in my handling of that exercise, and I think Dreamer at least is showing improvement on her Downs.

Once we get there, I think Dreamer is going to be a spectacular obedience dog. It's just hard to stay motivated when you know you won't be showing for a couple of years. I hope the light at the end of the tunnel brings blue skies and blue ribbons to match!

Dog Park Again

After our match tonight (we pulled out a 5-3 win even with 3 guys missing at vocal music camp), Remy and I hit the dog park again. He is getting so good at playing with other dogs! I worked him on the teeter and a-frame and let him play as a reward. It's so cute how he concentrates on the task at hand even with the other dogs chasing him! We also worked outside the fence on obedience and he is really starting to concentrate on me even with the distractions. I think the goal of showing next spring is really going to work out.
One guy at the park asked, "What kind of dog do you think he is?" Grrr.... As politely as I could, I said, "He's a purebred dog called a Belgian Tervuren". I gotta love these people - they all have rescues. I just couldn't do it myself....

Here and There

On our run today, I decided to test Remy with his "here's" after we came out of the woods. He did quite well. I am thrilled that we are gaining off lead control. I tested him on a quiet street without any traffic.
The practice helped at agility class. I can now handle him in the "ring" off lead even with all the other dogs and people around. He has taken a huge leap forward. He will work for praise, toys, or food.
Tonight we did a simple agility course. First we walked the course and discussed the 12 obstacles and what would be best for each size dog. Then we went through one at a time. I was so glad I had practiced the teeter last night! I was absolutely blown away when Remy completed the course without error! He was fast but controlled. I was thrilled. The only thing he still has trouble with are weave poles, but we haven't worked on them for 2 weeks so I didn't try them in the course. I wanted a successful run since we have never tried to run more than 3 obstacles in a row.
You have got to try agility! It's a blast!

Dog Park

We had our first boys' dual match of the season tonight and I planned to take Remy to conformation class at Gail's. But we finished so early that I decided to take Remy to the dog park in town. Upon arrival, I saw that they had a lot of agility equipment set up. I decided I would train a bit in agility and then let Remy play. He was excited when he saw the tunnel and I directed him through. I have been wanting to try something new on the teeter and saw my opportunity. I wanted to see if I could wait to reward Remy after he tipped it to get him past the waiting game he has been playing at the fulcrum. Sure enough, it worked. After each successful teeter, I let him play with the other dogs in the park. By the end of the session, he was taking the teeter as easily as he takes all the other equipment.
As he played with other dogs, I worked on his informal recalls. He did great! I think the weekend at Lynn's showed him that playing with other dogs is great, but is not as great as receiving praise and treats from me. Either that, or he is just growing up. Whichever it is, I'm loving the new Remy.
I took him outside the park, but within sight of the other dogs. We worked on obedience. I was thrilled with his concentration! He did so well, we went back in the park to play more as a reward. What a great day of training! We skipped Gail's, came home and played more in the yard. I saved $10 and accomplished a ton. Oh, if all training days could be this rewarding!

My LIttle Statue

I just have to post this one because I'm so proud of Remy. At the show on Saturday, Remy was stacking so well that the judge called him "a little statue". I have been working very hard at getting him to stand with a beautiful neck arch, with a look that he is ready to spring forward to catch the bait. On Saturday, he didn't move a muscle when the judge came near. He just kept staring at the bait like we have been working on. What worked is that he thinks it's a big game and that any moment I might throw the bait to him. Hooray for catching games! After we gaited, the judge came over and the tail started wagging in greeting. The judge loved that as well. She said, "Oh, he's such a teenager". (I knew then that he wasn't going to be mature enough to win the major, but this is a judge who might put him up when he's more mature).
Lynn lent me a bunch of magazines. In one AKC magazine, they highlighted the Terv. It turns out that Nesh's grandfather, Artful Dodger of Anuin was a famous tale wagger!

Smart Dog = Procrastination

I feel sorry for Dreamer. Her Tacara Terv Trainer is so lazy and has been looking for excuses to avoid training lately. Last night, I did train Dreamer in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt so that I would not get eaten alive again. We had a really good training sesssion, once I made myself get out there and work with my baby girl. I didn't think it was going to happen. I just kept lounging around like a lazy loser, hoping darkness would fall and make it impossible to squeeze the training session in. Luckily, Dreamer is so adorable and persistent in the evenings that I feel guilted into working with her. I never regret it. I find it easy to avoid training sometimes because she's so smart and quick to learn. I feel like I'm training the A student who never does homework! Now if only we could master those tucked sits...

Eaten Alive!

Dreamer and I had a two-minute training session tonight, as the mosquitoes were swarming. We did a few sits, downs, and a little heeling before I couldn't take it anymore. My legs were stinging and burning. I was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes! I hated to disappoint Dreamer, but I'll be better equipped for our next session.

Team in Training Week 2

Barb and I met and I asked her to run our session since I am still reeling from the wedding weekend. We started with heeling past each other and Remy made progress. We worked on the figure 8 and Barb gave me some handling tips as to what judges are looking at right now. Things have changed a bit since I last showed. We used food as distraction work for each other. When I worked with her and Jesse, Remy was quiet in the crate. They had taken the crate I usually put him in to the fair this week, so I put him in this giant crate - it's the biggest crate I have ever seen. He looked so small I had to laugh!
We set up the Open high jump and taught them over and back using food. It was a piece of cake for Remy who likes the jumping part of agility the best and has never dodged a jump.
Finally we let them play together. What fun! That had to be the best reward of all for a great session.

The Lights Are On...

...but nobody's home. That is the story of Dreamer at the end of our lesson with Karen today. I don't think Karen has ever seen Dreamer after a weekend of hardcore playing with Panda. You really do have to see it to believe it! Dreamer was pretty good during her lesson today, and we spent an hour reviewing old things and learning new ones. Toward the end, it was hard to keep Dreamer's eyes open! She's been in a play coma since I brought her home last night. She played so hard with Panda. Right now, she is nodding off at my feet. 

Today, Karen told me that I'm doing really well as someone who's never used her training method before. That made me feel good. She's a really good cheerleader and keeps you motivated. We fixed some of my handler errors on a few exercises and have found something that might work to finally get Dreamer to think about tucked sits. More on that as we work this week and try the new trick, but the goal is to stop doing the tucking and make Dreamer think about it. I hope the lights turn on soon with the tucked sit. Karen thinks we are almost there.

T-Time

Dreamer and I had a great training session tonight. We covered just about everything she's learned to date and had a lot of fun. We had been training with a mixture of praise, food, and toys, but she's so ridiculous about toys that she cannot think. I had this problem with my last Terv, so I decided to take the toys away until the end of our session. She's remarkably more attentive and patient without the hope and distraction of a toy break, and I make sure she gets lots of toy time after we work. She seems to look forward equally to both her training time and toy time.

Dreamer will spend the weekend with her best friend Panda while I escape to Austin for some relaxation and time away from work. I'd take Dreamer if the accommodations accepted pets, and I have to say that I miss her already. :( I'll be back to take her to our next obedience lesson on Monday. Until then, congrats to Nancy on her son's wedding from Dreamer and me!

Team in Training

Barb and I are now a team in training. We found out that we have the same goal: to show in Novice next spring. We met at the kennel club and had FUN working her GSD Jessie and Remy. Jessie is 19 months old and still acts puppy. Not as puppy as Remy, but puppy.
She has a problem with sit stays so I was able to help her with that. Remy, of course, has a problem with the zoomies when he is off lead, so she helped me with that and we both saw progress:)
She gave me a wonderful tip to help with straight fronts. She has attended several workshops (and teaches Open and Utility at the club) and says she uses an eclectic approach. I'm all for that. We both agreed that Remy does better on the figure 8 when I start to the left. (Gail thought I should start to the right, but what does Gail know?) Remy's long distance recall was wonderful today! He is coming in much straighter and not even thinking about zooming off to play with Jessie even when we put her on the side to distract him (she was practicing a sit stay). I just love training with friends!
We plan to ask a few other people to join us (Debbie) so that we have different dogs and more distractions. At one point, I put Remy in a crate so I could help her and Jesse with my undivided attention. HE DIDN'T WHINE! Sorry, I get excited about the little things.
We didn't use a lot of distractions today, but plan to add more as we go.
The best part was training in air conditioned comfort:)

Mad Women

I've had a hardcore Mad Men marathon lately, as I have to catch up on the first two seasons of this TV show before the new season starts on Sunday. Last night, I watched 5 (yes, 5) episodes of Mad Men. When I needed a break, I took Dreamer (who was attacking my leg with a toy in an act of total desperation) outside for a 10-minute lesson. She was charged up and ready to work. Karen constantly reminds me to talk to her, especially in a whisper. Dreamer LOVES to be whispered to! I try to mimic Karen's enthusiasm, which is tough in the heat and humidity, but I think it helps both Dreamer and me stay motivated. We'll do something fun that involves movement, like the Utility box, and then we'll do something static, like sits, downs, waits, etc. It seems to work. We've been good about training this week, and I think work will allow me to have normal evenings to spend with my mad Terv and Mad Men.

Agility and Humidity

Went to Debbie's to work on agility tonight in the humidity. It was miserable with the sweat streaming down my face and the gnats biting. But Remy made HUGE progress tonight. He is no longer afraid of the teeter; however he is being stubborn as hell on it! He just waits for the treats and if they aren't good enough, he waits longer! But at least we are past the fear. And the other problem area: the weave poles is coming along nicely. He did all 12 several times and only bailed just shy of the last two twice. The other times he pushed through hard and his footwork is coming. This is amazing progress that I didn't think would come this quickly. I am relieved. He did great on the jumps. He loves to jump! We didn't work much on obedience today - just a bit of heeling and a few short recalls to work on the fronts and finishes.

I'm Melting!

Armed with the trusty Frisbee as a toy reward and duck and potato treats, Remy and I took to the road in front of our house. We worked on heeling on and off lead and did a few recalls. After about 10 minutes, I noticed that my dog was melting...his head was hanging and his eyes were glazed. Whoops. We are not used to the heat! I happily ended the session and brought Mr. Remster in to cool down. Today is the first day I've used the air conditioner since June - can you believe that?
Looking ahead, I e-mailed the club member who teaches Open and asked if she would be teaching a class this winter. She said no because she doesn't like to drive the country roads in winter at night. She did suggest that we get together to train...hooray! So now I have a new training buddy for obedience like I do for agility! I'm a happy trainer:) We are going to polish in Novice and do some fun open work together. This is just like old times when I had friends to train with.

A Successful Weekend

This Tacara Terv Trainer has accomplished very little all weekend but has managed to train the Dreamer. We worked on Friday and Saturday and will also work today. No big breakthroughs to report except that Utility is a breeze and Novice sucks. Well, okay, that's not really a big breakthrough. Sigh. Right now, I'm settling for being happy about training at all. I felt bad missing a few days. Dreamer just loves to work, which is exciting and makes the boring parts of our training seem tolerable. I hope she continues to love working. I guess that will depend on how successful I am in making the time to work with her. I'll work on that.

Two More Years?

Dreamer and I finally trained again last night, after skipping two nights. She had so much fun and is so smart! I had my doubts about her brain power when she was younger, but she really is a smarty! I love how she catches on so quickly. She's a thinker, which makes my job both easy and hard. The hard part is her anticipating my next move, especially on those blasted tucked sits. We worked only a few minutes with her box last night because she's already getting the concept of staying in it, and she LOVES it. I'm amazed at how slow she can be to catch on to sits and downs but so fast to learn these Utility tricks. I don't blame her, though. Advanced tricks are always more fun than the basics. We'll keep plugging away at what's easy and hard, though. I cannot fathom waiting another two years to show her in obedience, but supposedly this method will have us ready for all three classes by then. That's even harder to fathom! I think the smarty is up for the challenge, don't you? We'll see if we can say the same about her handler...

Taking a Step Backward

Last night I took Remy to the dog club where I was subbing as assistant trainer. After being so great at the dog shows, he definitely took a step backward! He whined in his crate while we had puppy class (jealous I am sure). The cool thing is that no matter how far across the room I was, I could give him the down signal and he would down! I'm thinking about training in an open class this fall just to give him some new things to learn while we freshen up our heeling and recalls for novice.
I digress: after the puppy class was over, I took him out and baited him in front of the mirrors. It was just ok. I gaited him and it was terrific - no pacing.
Back into the crate he went during novice class. More whining. More wonderful signal downs. Out on the mats during breaktime, he heeled well and did a wonderful recall with an almost perfect sit. Then I had him on a sit stay and was working on his attention while I moved around, when out of the blue, Debbie shows up and gets him all riled up. I let the leash go because he was going in and out of her legs, jumping up and giving her kisses, etc. The next thing we knew, he had a case of the zoomies. Luckily, he didn't leave the ring (where the Novice dogs were seated with their owners), but raced around until we could finally step on his leash. Bad boy! One step forward, three steps backward....

Stacking Tip

I remembered you asking how to fix the "GSD" look. I think I know now! When Debbie was working with Remy to get him to stack better, she would say, "Fix it" and very gently touch or guide his errant paw with her toe to get him to move it into position. This is making a ton of sense to Remy and me. Now whenever a toe is out of place (front or back), I don't need to bend over at all. I just say, "Fix it" and give him a guided touch or push with my foot and he gets it! It's not going to come overnight, but we're getting there. I also think this will work so much better in the ring because it isn't as obvious as reaching down. I am using a tennis ball to get Remy to watch my hand as I lift his head and then drop it low to get him to arch his neck and hold it while I wait until I can praise for the perfect hold and then I flip the ball forward for him to catch. I alternate that with bait as I'm sure the judge will not think it is cool for me to have a tennis ball in the ring! I also toss the bait from my hand as a reward for the hold. It really keeps his attention since he never knows when I might toss. He's an expert catcher so this works with Remy; I'm not sure if Dreamer catches?
On our run today, I was able to catch Remy instantly when he paced and get him back to a trot. He is pacing less and less, so I am sure that Lynn's friend Robin was correct about training for muscle memory. (She gave me that tip when I went to Illinois and almost beat her dog out for winners).
Remy and I are headed back to Illinois for shows on Aug. 22 and 23. Those will probably be the last shows until November. I think we will have a better chance for more dogs/more points in Illinois than in Michigan. Eileen is showing Tower on the 23rd but we figured it's a win/win situation for both of us (unless of course we both get beat!). I don't think that will happen unless the judge hates our line.
I'll work with Remy on the mats at our club tonight when I go assist puppy and novice obedience. Progress report tomorrow.

Self Pity Party

This Tacara Terv Trainer is a little down today. Exhausted from life's many challenges:

• Too much work to do, too little people to help
• In need of a vacation with no scheduled time off in sight
• A Terv that won't eat much
• Tucked-sit problems from hell

Waaah! This morning, as I watched Dreamer losing interest a day after she got a new food, I thought, "Who cares? I am not going to fight this. If she won't eat and I cannot finish her because she cannot put enough weight on, then so be it." (I used a few more profanities than that, but I'll spare you.)

I talked to my obedience teacher about it on Sunday, and she said she's with me -- she wouldn't fight it. Don't doctor the food. The dog won't starve herself. Stop breeding pickiness. Dreamer will keep the weight on more easily when she gets older...and if Linda is right, Dreamer will just start magically eating someday.

So we're not going to fight this anymore. Or at least that's what I am saying today. Perhaps I'll feel differently whenever I have a chance to recharge my batteries. Until then, I shall whine louder than Dreamer does when left alone in the yard (which is really loud -- trust me on this).

Fried From Four Days of Showing

Remy and I are both pooped from 4 days of showing. We have been utterly lazy all day except for our usual grooming session (very relaxing for both of us) and 2 quick sessions of arching the neck while baiting. Debbie really worked with me this weekend on this and even though she was quite exasperated that we were slow to learn, she would be impressed with her pupils now. We practiced in front of a mirror and I definitely see what she is talking about. He looks drop dead gorgeous when I can get him to arch his neck!
I owe it to her that Remy is now 99% dependable about not pacing in the ring. She showed me how to "jump start" him into a trot. If I start out with my right leg, he trots. If I start out with my left leg, he paces. Interesting, isn't it?
I worked with Remy on the showgrounds a little each day in obedience - sometimes in the building where they had the obedience ring and sometimes outside of the conformation rings. He did well! I still want to hear about the popped sits from Tacara Terv Trainer.

Thinking Inside the Box

Dreamer and I had our first obedience lesson today since before the Oklahoma City shows. We had a 75-minute lesson, which is incredibly long for us, but we had some new ground to cover as well as some handler training errors to fix! I was very pleased with Dreamer's ability to pay attention for that long, though she was definitely fading in the end (as was her Tacara Terv Trainer!).

Today, we added the about turn as well as a few more steps to the Utility send away. I have to say that the footwork required for the turns (about and right are the only two we've learned so far) really trips up my mind! Karen had a good laugh as I struggled to get my footwork right on the about turn, which wasn't nearly as complicated as the right turn but certainly seemed harder for my brain to grasp.

On the send away, we started with a box made of PVC materials. We got Dreamer used to being in the box, and she wasn't scared of it at all -- probably because it was flush to the ground. The box helps Dreamer understand where she needs to be and how tight her turn-arounds need to be. She LOVES the box! We taught her how to get in and out of the box. Then we took one end off to use as an entrance and did the "To" that we love, using the box instead of the Frisbee as the target. Dreamer picked up on it immediately and had so much fun. She just loves her "To!" The box will be important for later steps, when we start doing hand signals from far away and Dreamer needs to stay in one confined place. 

The tucked sits are coming along, but I think we still have a bit of work to do. Dreamer anticipates the tuck and starts to sit (not in a tuck) before I can do anything. Smarty! Karen even had some challenges with her, and we troubleshooted. Lord. I am so sick of these tucked sits. But at least we are making progress, right?

It's good to be back in class. We'll have a mixture of old and new things to work on until our next lesson in two weeks. Time to think inside the box!

The Grooming Party

Important Safety Information About Grooming Parties: 

Enjoying margaritas before grooming dogs is not for everyone. Ask your breeder if drinking before grooming is right for you.

Dreamer and I had a great time at our Grooming 101 party. Our friend Cynthia, who used to be our local Terv club president, is very into grooming and seems very knowledgeable about how to make your Terv look better than a rag.

Cynthia gave me a copy of the breed profile for Tervs -- a quick reference guide that the AKC gives to judges. I didn't realize such a thing exists. The guide includes a good illustration of the Terv and what it's supposed to look like. Cynthia simply studies the illustration and tries to make her dog look like it. The only thing she suggested from the Sheltie book for Dreamer was a little stripping by the cheeks to remove the "chipmunk cheek" look. I didn't think Dreamer had chipmunk cheeks BEFORE, but I could tell a difference AFTER. Cynthia said this tiny detail would give Dreamer a narrower face, which supposedly is what the judges are looking for. Did I mention that Cynthia is really into the details?!

Cynthia stripped some rump hair out of Dreamer to improve what she thinks is already a great topline. She also stripped a little bit of hair under Dreamer's neck to make the curve more prominent and really show off the mane. My friend Pat was there too and couldn't wait to get her thinning shears on Dreamer's belly hair. I have to say that the angle at which Pat trimmed Dreamer's belly hair made Dreamer look taller afterwards.

Cynthia showed me all the basics I don't know anything about, like trimming the tops of the feet and grooming the hocks in a "V" shape since Dreamer seems to move a little straight. She also showed me the best directions to blow different parts of Dreamer dry and why. She was a wonderful and patient teacher...and an excellent bartender!

I hope that we will have another grooming party closer to our next show in October, when Dreamer will hopefully have some coat. Unfortunately, Dreamer had an accident at Cynthia's house right before we left. She was chasing Jeff's (Cynthia's husband) Duck Toler and forgot that the swimming pool was in her path. The pool has an extremely shallow beach entry, and Dreamer ran right through it, slipped and splashed, and wiped out on the pool deck after tripping over the beach entry ledge. She cried and limped a bit at first, which scared all of us, but Jeff was right there to help her up and get her to shake it all off. Dreamer has a pretty bad-looking strawberry on her right front leg, but she is just fine, and it doesn't seem to bother her a bit. Poor baby!

My friend Tammy was there and said, as we were walking to our cars to head home, "Dreamer is my soul mate. She gets all prettied up and then does something klutzy to ruin it all." Yep, that's my Dreamer.