Pilot and I met with Karen and Kenzie to train yesterday. We went to the Tridge which is the bridge that Pilot feared in the past. I could tell that he was a bit nervous, but he quickly recovered and we journeyed across with no problems. I had Karen swing a child's swing over his head and even though he jerked his head on the first pass, he held his sit next to me and again, quickly recovered. We walked the dogs past each other and Pilot was not reactive to Kenzie while under command. He still tries to lunge to play with her when he is not under command.
We let them play in the dog park which was empty. It was so funny. It's probably an acre in size and they never left us. They ran and played within 10 feet of us. So cute! When it came time to put their leashes back on, Kenzie did not respond to her recall command, but Pilot came flying to me:)
We took Kenzie for a ride in my car because she has been having some fear problems with vehicles other than her own. No problems there.
Pilot and I then went to Lowe's to pick up a few flats of flowers. He got a ton of compliments and was perfect except for the very end when out of the blue, he goosed the lady waiting ahead of us in line...oh my! Luckily, she was very nice about it.
At home, Pilot was getting close to the flags in the yard as he was looking for a place to "park". I said, "leave it" and he whipped his head around and came racing back toward me. I'm so glad I decided to train him to the fence:)
Last night Karen sent me an e-mail that said that if I turned Pilot in today, he would be better than 3/4 of the dogs going back to school. That made my day.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Alien Invasion
I'm beginning to wonder if aliens swooped in and took Pilot away leaving a well mannered Future Leader Dog in his place. Yesterday we went to church, a nursery, a small market, and a large grocery store. Pilot was unbelievably good at each stop. People were coming up to me and saying what a wonderful dog he is! That is just music to my ears. My baby is finally growing up. As much as I love him and would love to keep him, I know that truly I want him to meet his destiny to become a blind person's "Pilot".
We are meeting Karen and Kenzie and Ann and Summer to train today. It will be interesting to see if my new little man remains on track or reverts back to his old tricks.
We are meeting Karen and Kenzie and Ann and Summer to train today. It will be interesting to see if my new little man remains on track or reverts back to his old tricks.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Gettin' Down without Karen
The last time I blogged, Dreamer and I were down with Karen.
A week later, we are down without Karen. Her technique for the proper folding down worked like a charm in person, but I've had great difficulty replicating that technique at home...so I've stopped. I'm working on other exercises with Dreamer that involve the down, so I'm hoping that something clicks over the next few weeks when we mix and match the down with other things. Here are the things we are working on:
- From the sit position: Stand to down
- From the down position: Sit (or really, a slight stand to a sit)
I'm sure these are basic baby steps leading into the utility exercises, but they don't seem very challenging. So my focus is on the hope that Dreamer finally understands the perfect way to fold by the time we're done with all of these pieces. Otherwise, I'm going to be down, period.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Fence Freedom
Pilot and I are enjoying his new off lead freedom due to the electronic fence. He is such a magnet dog that I will be shocked if the fence doesn't work for him.
During our training session today, I started with the collar off. I put a towel down on the driveway and told Pilot that he was "safe" as we stepped on the towel together to exit the driveway. The driveway is always the hardest part to teach the dog. Our Invisible Fence guy told me to put the dog in the car and drive out of the driveway to go for a walk. I think this is a stupid method. My sister-in-law uses an electronic fence and her guy told her to use a towel in the above manner. It makes way more sense to me. The dog learns that he can only cross the driveway if the towel is there. Easily accomplished.
We took a long walk/run in a new neighborhood and I was so proud of Pilot! He walks so well in perfect lead-out heel position with no pulling. I just love it. When we run, he runs on the gravel shoulder and doesn't pull. It's so very pleasant. Today on our walk, a stray dog wanted to come up to us. I instructed Pilot to "leave it" and I yelled at the other dog to stay away. Worked like a charm.
When we got home, I gave Pilot a drink and put on his electronic fence collar. We walked the perimeter of the yard as I touched flags and told him to "leave it". I then started playing with him. We did some fun retrieves and then his favorite game of all "chase me". I purposely got him all riled up and then ran past the fence line. He came flying and I said, "leave it" but he just kept coming and broke through the fence. The correction startled him and I told him to sit which he did. What a good boy! I then took off the collar and held on to his buckle collar as we quietly walked back into the yard. Here again, I disagree with the fence guy. His method is to let the dog get another correction coming back into the yard. I think not! The dog is doing the right thing by being with you under control.
We played some more in the yard and this time he was much more cautious about going near the flags.
This afternoon, we had another session and it went great. He loves being able to run and retrieve without having a flexi on or a long line dragging. So do I.
Again, the plan is to never let him in the yard without us being right there with him. I'm not that much of a rebel:)
During our training session today, I started with the collar off. I put a towel down on the driveway and told Pilot that he was "safe" as we stepped on the towel together to exit the driveway. The driveway is always the hardest part to teach the dog. Our Invisible Fence guy told me to put the dog in the car and drive out of the driveway to go for a walk. I think this is a stupid method. My sister-in-law uses an electronic fence and her guy told her to use a towel in the above manner. It makes way more sense to me. The dog learns that he can only cross the driveway if the towel is there. Easily accomplished.
We took a long walk/run in a new neighborhood and I was so proud of Pilot! He walks so well in perfect lead-out heel position with no pulling. I just love it. When we run, he runs on the gravel shoulder and doesn't pull. It's so very pleasant. Today on our walk, a stray dog wanted to come up to us. I instructed Pilot to "leave it" and I yelled at the other dog to stay away. Worked like a charm.
When we got home, I gave Pilot a drink and put on his electronic fence collar. We walked the perimeter of the yard as I touched flags and told him to "leave it". I then started playing with him. We did some fun retrieves and then his favorite game of all "chase me". I purposely got him all riled up and then ran past the fence line. He came flying and I said, "leave it" but he just kept coming and broke through the fence. The correction startled him and I told him to sit which he did. What a good boy! I then took off the collar and held on to his buckle collar as we quietly walked back into the yard. Here again, I disagree with the fence guy. His method is to let the dog get another correction coming back into the yard. I think not! The dog is doing the right thing by being with you under control.
We played some more in the yard and this time he was much more cautious about going near the flags.
This afternoon, we had another session and it went great. He loves being able to run and retrieve without having a flexi on or a long line dragging. So do I.
Again, the plan is to never let him in the yard without us being right there with him. I'm not that much of a rebel:)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Night and Day
Pilot made a huge turn-around today in his behavior. Last night at the Loons game, Karen had a squirt gun that she used to control her FLD. She also shot Pilot in the face with it when he tried to approach her dog, Kenzie. It hit me that I could use my small spray bottle to solve his exuberant rushes toward people or other dogs. I planned to take it to my classes tonight.
In the meantime, I decided to break another Leader Dog rule and began training Pilot to our invisible fence. I put him on a long line, and set up all the white flags around the yard. I put the collar on him and proceeded to walk him around the yard pointing out all the flags and using the "leave it" command. He learned fast!
I'm not sure if he now associates the words, "leave it" with the electronic collar, but he was way more responsive at class tonight. I was able to walk him by other dogs and he behaved so well! My students couldn't believe the change in him and neither could I. It was the difference between night and day! When he started to clown around by trying to jump on me for attention or bite his bridle snap, I just used the spray bottle. Unbelievable success. Night and day from Mr. Loony.
This boy is going to be a Leader Dog! And if not, at least he'll be trained to our fence and be well on his way to his OTCH:)
In the meantime, I decided to break another Leader Dog rule and began training Pilot to our invisible fence. I put him on a long line, and set up all the white flags around the yard. I put the collar on him and proceeded to walk him around the yard pointing out all the flags and using the "leave it" command. He learned fast!
I'm not sure if he now associates the words, "leave it" with the electronic collar, but he was way more responsive at class tonight. I was able to walk him by other dogs and he behaved so well! My students couldn't believe the change in him and neither could I. It was the difference between night and day! When he started to clown around by trying to jump on me for attention or bite his bridle snap, I just used the spray bottle. Unbelievable success. Night and day from Mr. Loony.
This boy is going to be a Leader Dog! And if not, at least he'll be trained to our fence and be well on his way to his OTCH:)
Loony at the Loons Game
Pilot started my day at 5 a.m. with gagging sounds that soon produced bile and a stick about 3 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. He is such an intelligent boy but he sure has no street smarts!
After my tennis match, I had no energy to take him for a walk. I opted for a nap instead followed by some play in the yard. I hoped that retrieving the tennis ball would take the edge off, but apparently not...
We met the other Future Leader Dog puppy raisers at the local minor league baseball game. The "Loons" won big: 9-1. That was about the same score I would give Pilot for his behavior. Except he gets the loser's score! While all the other dogs lay quietly on their blankets (we were on the grassy knoll), Pilot was on the move 90% of the time; always stalking his next big move to get to another dog. On the other hand, he never chased after children running by. That was huge!
As I analyzed the night, I realized that he has gone from constantly lunging at other dogs to rarely doing so while heeling or on a sit in heel position. His next big hurdle is to stay under control while he is "settling" on a down. All the other puppy raisers say it will happen. I look forward to the day when my goony loony becomes a content young adult with enough self control to watch the world go by....
After my tennis match, I had no energy to take him for a walk. I opted for a nap instead followed by some play in the yard. I hoped that retrieving the tennis ball would take the edge off, but apparently not...
We met the other Future Leader Dog puppy raisers at the local minor league baseball game. The "Loons" won big: 9-1. That was about the same score I would give Pilot for his behavior. Except he gets the loser's score! While all the other dogs lay quietly on their blankets (we were on the grassy knoll), Pilot was on the move 90% of the time; always stalking his next big move to get to another dog. On the other hand, he never chased after children running by. That was huge!
As I analyzed the night, I realized that he has gone from constantly lunging at other dogs to rarely doing so while heeling or on a sit in heel position. His next big hurdle is to stay under control while he is "settling" on a down. All the other puppy raisers say it will happen. I look forward to the day when my goony loony becomes a content young adult with enough self control to watch the world go by....
Monday, May 17, 2010
Gettin' Down with Karen
OMG. Seriously. When will Dreamer learn how to Down in the perfect way that Karen expects? Dreamer folds beautifully but tends to inch a step forward or two right before folding. If she doesn't inch, she'll miss the fold all together and get in a really low Sit...as if she thinks I might not notice that she's not all the way down! Stinker.
But maybe Dreamer just isn't getting it. We've been practicing a lot, and I'm sick of practicing without results. I told Karen that too. I told her we cannot continue practicing like this without getting results. It is driving me insane. You don't have to tell Karen anything twice. She gets the hint immediately.
Karen watched us do a few Downs in various circumstances and said that she doesn't think it's anything I'm doing. She thinks Dreamer isn't quite getting it, for some reason. So we found a chain-link fence and threaded a long line through it. Dreamer was standing with her rear facing the fence, and I was facing her. The long line threaded from her right side through the fence and back around to my left hand. As I told Dreamer, "Down," I pulled on the long line, and Dreamer instantly folded into the correct position. How does Karen think of these things? She didn't think of it immediately. She had to try a few things, and this one worked. She's such a good problem solver. Now we'll see if Dreamer can understand how to fold. I really do think that this technique might do the trick.
We are down with Karen. She knows her shit!
Working Weekend
Pilot had a true working weekend. On Friday, we spent 2 hours outside of Kroger to help raise money for the Midland Lion's Club. The first Lion we worked with was Andy. Andy worked hard to get people to donate. Pilot worked even harder giving the public his goofy grin and famous tail wag. The second shift Lion was a pain in the a@@! He spent more time talking with me than soliciting funds. He was one of those people who thinks he knows everything about dogs. He was quite unimpressed with Pilot's progress since the meeting I attended at the Country Club. He kept saying that Pilot would probably fail because he is "too friendly". I defended Pilot and kept pointing out how how much progress he had made (he wasn't barking, he wasn't resisting me, he was holding his down settle, etc.) By the end, the guy was a bit more positive and said that I should give an update to the club about how Pilot does when he is returned to LD. I will if it's a positive one!!!
Here is my synopsis on the 2 hours: Pilot was quite good for a 7 month old puppy. We were standing right outside the automatic doors on a very windy day with trash blowing around. Most of the time, Pilot either sat by my side or was on a down "settle". He did get up to greet children but held his sit for most adults unless they were very high energy. He didn't bark, he didn't strain on his leash. He was good! He did try to go after some trash, but I worked on the "leave it" command while I stood there. No, Pilot is not like some Future Leader Dog puppies that you see who are all laid back and lazy; asleep on the ground. He is definitely alert and aware of his surroundings and wishing he could do more than be on a "settle". But for 7 months, I was very proud of him. I gave him a walk break every half hour. I feel sorry for him. Two hours is too much for me....I can't even imagine what it felt like for him! After our Kroger tour of duty, we headed over to the Midland Fairgrounds: the site of the AKC show. I set up his crate, put him in, and helped unload pop and other items for the food table.
Midland Fairgrounds: Saturday. I got to the show site, put Pilot in his crate, watched Debbie show her dogs, watched Tervs, and then spent the rest of the day working Pilot around the grounds. I was not needed to work the show at all on Saturday so I really used the time to work Pilot while I watched. Saturday was a huge turning point for Pilot. I worked him around all dogs: calm, excitable, puppy, etc. He got a lot of "leave it" commands, many corrections, and many treats. By the end of the day, he and I were both exhausted. We took a nap after dinner!
Sunday: more of the same for about an hour before I worked. I had placed his crate near the viewing area for agility scores. This turned out to be a great experience for Pilot as many dogs and owners were passing near his crate to check the board. He did great! I could view him from afar and see that he completely relaxes and either watches the world go by or sleeps. This is great training for when he goes back to LD school.
Overall, Pilot made a huge leap forward this weekend. He can now pass by or stop as we are heeling when approaching other dogs. He was able to walk on a loose leash most of the time around the fairgrounds. I spent very little time backing up. He continues to get very excited when he sees people he knows, but I figure that's fine. He also still gets bored when I am talking with friends and tries several options to get my attention including jumping up on me or biting his bridle snap if he is on a down settle. I am starting to correct now for the jumping up. Ignoring and turning my back is not working. I am giving him a downward pop with the command "off" and then I have him do a down settle. If he holds that for a few seconds without being an idiot, I reward him by moving around and giving him a treat. In typical Golden style, Pilot is very forgiving with corrections. He learns and moves on.
I ran into one of the local LD trainers while I was at the show. She was super impressed with how Pilot is doing and said he is one of the best dogs in our class. She doesn't have a puppy right now, but just came to the class to watch. I was blown away by her comments because I thought Pilot was horrible at class on Tuesday night. She said she was very impressed by my training and loved watching me work. I need to surround myself with more people like her and you while I work Pilot through these tough times.
The LD book says: Hormone changes may affect concentration and obedience training may seem to regress. Your pup may try to test you or push his boundaries.
A maturing male dog may test your authority as pack leader.
For the first time this weekend, I could see that Pilot wass beginning to work past his hormones. I could see him smelling the bitches in heat and getting distracted, but then I was able to get him back to work. He is definitely a work in progress, but a labor of love. As exhausting as he can be, I continue to see snippets of progress and I am enjoying watching him gain control of himself. I feel sorry for him because I think it's sad that he has to learn so much control so fast, but he just loves life and I think he will be happy in his future job. And if he fails, I will be happy taking this high drive puppy and turning him into a potential OTCH and/or MACH dog!!!
Here is my synopsis on the 2 hours: Pilot was quite good for a 7 month old puppy. We were standing right outside the automatic doors on a very windy day with trash blowing around. Most of the time, Pilot either sat by my side or was on a down "settle". He did get up to greet children but held his sit for most adults unless they were very high energy. He didn't bark, he didn't strain on his leash. He was good! He did try to go after some trash, but I worked on the "leave it" command while I stood there. No, Pilot is not like some Future Leader Dog puppies that you see who are all laid back and lazy; asleep on the ground. He is definitely alert and aware of his surroundings and wishing he could do more than be on a "settle". But for 7 months, I was very proud of him. I gave him a walk break every half hour. I feel sorry for him. Two hours is too much for me....I can't even imagine what it felt like for him! After our Kroger tour of duty, we headed over to the Midland Fairgrounds: the site of the AKC show. I set up his crate, put him in, and helped unload pop and other items for the food table.
Midland Fairgrounds: Saturday. I got to the show site, put Pilot in his crate, watched Debbie show her dogs, watched Tervs, and then spent the rest of the day working Pilot around the grounds. I was not needed to work the show at all on Saturday so I really used the time to work Pilot while I watched. Saturday was a huge turning point for Pilot. I worked him around all dogs: calm, excitable, puppy, etc. He got a lot of "leave it" commands, many corrections, and many treats. By the end of the day, he and I were both exhausted. We took a nap after dinner!
Sunday: more of the same for about an hour before I worked. I had placed his crate near the viewing area for agility scores. This turned out to be a great experience for Pilot as many dogs and owners were passing near his crate to check the board. He did great! I could view him from afar and see that he completely relaxes and either watches the world go by or sleeps. This is great training for when he goes back to LD school.
Overall, Pilot made a huge leap forward this weekend. He can now pass by or stop as we are heeling when approaching other dogs. He was able to walk on a loose leash most of the time around the fairgrounds. I spent very little time backing up. He continues to get very excited when he sees people he knows, but I figure that's fine. He also still gets bored when I am talking with friends and tries several options to get my attention including jumping up on me or biting his bridle snap if he is on a down settle. I am starting to correct now for the jumping up. Ignoring and turning my back is not working. I am giving him a downward pop with the command "off" and then I have him do a down settle. If he holds that for a few seconds without being an idiot, I reward him by moving around and giving him a treat. In typical Golden style, Pilot is very forgiving with corrections. He learns and moves on.
I ran into one of the local LD trainers while I was at the show. She was super impressed with how Pilot is doing and said he is one of the best dogs in our class. She doesn't have a puppy right now, but just came to the class to watch. I was blown away by her comments because I thought Pilot was horrible at class on Tuesday night. She said she was very impressed by my training and loved watching me work. I need to surround myself with more people like her and you while I work Pilot through these tough times.
The LD book says: Hormone changes may affect concentration and obedience training may seem to regress. Your pup may try to test you or push his boundaries.
A maturing male dog may test your authority as pack leader.
For the first time this weekend, I could see that Pilot wass beginning to work past his hormones. I could see him smelling the bitches in heat and getting distracted, but then I was able to get him back to work. He is definitely a work in progress, but a labor of love. As exhausting as he can be, I continue to see snippets of progress and I am enjoying watching him gain control of himself. I feel sorry for him because I think it's sad that he has to learn so much control so fast, but he just loves life and I think he will be happy in his future job. And if he fails, I will be happy taking this high drive puppy and turning him into a potential OTCH and/or MACH dog!!!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Lessons Learned Fron the National
1. It is always better to face your challenges head on when you need to heal an open wound.
2. It is very interesting how some Terv people are very encouraging and supportive of the Leader Dog puppy raisers and some are disdainful as if they are above being able to give a dog up.
3. Even the most seasoned competitors such as Linda Newsome get nervous and fear the judge's
opinions.
4. Tacara people are the best! Linda knows how to find the best homes for her puppies.
5. It amazes me that Linda can be so focused on watching each dog's movement and type one
moment, chat easily with a fellow competitor the next, and then refocus intently on the next dog.
6. It is so amazing to watch all the seasoned competitors in order to gain tips on how to control a Terv in the ring. When handling a young puppy, it appears best just to let that puppy turn to look around at their surroundings and let them stack naturally. The judge will understand and move with the dog. Very few competitors stacked their dogs by hand. Instead they used foot or hand movements to get the dogs to move their feet. I know this takes a lot of time to teach. Obviously most of the dogs in the specials ring were well seasoned.
When gaiting, I was able to watch subtle hand movements that people used to adjust their dog's speed or head without throwing them off balance. With a slight twist of the hand, they were able to slow a dog down or pick a dog's head up.
7. Judges are usually consistent in what they like. It may not be the type of dog you have. It doesn't mean that your dog isn't better than what they like.
8. The Terv 2 Miler is the most fun event at the National.
9. The friendliest, happiest atmosphere can be seen outside the agility rings.
10. The most unfriendly, serious atmosphere can be seen outside the obedience rings.
2. It is very interesting how some Terv people are very encouraging and supportive of the Leader Dog puppy raisers and some are disdainful as if they are above being able to give a dog up.
3. Even the most seasoned competitors such as Linda Newsome get nervous and fear the judge's
opinions.
4. Tacara people are the best! Linda knows how to find the best homes for her puppies.
5. It amazes me that Linda can be so focused on watching each dog's movement and type one
moment, chat easily with a fellow competitor the next, and then refocus intently on the next dog.
6. It is so amazing to watch all the seasoned competitors in order to gain tips on how to control a Terv in the ring. When handling a young puppy, it appears best just to let that puppy turn to look around at their surroundings and let them stack naturally. The judge will understand and move with the dog. Very few competitors stacked their dogs by hand. Instead they used foot or hand movements to get the dogs to move their feet. I know this takes a lot of time to teach. Obviously most of the dogs in the specials ring were well seasoned.
When gaiting, I was able to watch subtle hand movements that people used to adjust their dog's speed or head without throwing them off balance. With a slight twist of the hand, they were able to slow a dog down or pick a dog's head up.
7. Judges are usually consistent in what they like. It may not be the type of dog you have. It doesn't mean that your dog isn't better than what they like.
8. The Terv 2 Miler is the most fun event at the National.
9. The friendliest, happiest atmosphere can be seen outside the agility rings.
10. The most unfriendly, serious atmosphere can be seen outside the obedience rings.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Future Career Change
Yesterday was the day from hell. It poured all day and was extremely windy. Pilot and I were able to get in a mile walk before the rain came, but that didn't seem to touch on his energy level. He was fantastic around the house as usual, but when it came time to do errands, he became devil dog/angel. At the eye doctor's where I picked up my contacts, he walked in like a gentleman, rode the elevator down with no problem, and walked in quietly. But then he proceeded to jump on people and bite on his bridle snap while on a down stay. My best friend was there and I got a chance to chat with her while her eyes dilated. Pilot once again was good and settled down.
I took him to a pet store to buy treats and I couldn't keep his nose out of the bins with the goodies. I took him to the mall for more walking, but he was quite distracted and I had to back up a lot.
At our Leader Dog meeting, he was Jekyll and Hyde. He was either lying quietly at my feet or lunging for dogs that went past. We switched dogs and I watched him with another handler. He acted the same for her: one minute: perfect, the next: brat.
I finally took him to Mark's concert. I arrived just after the 2nd half began. He was ok, although hyper. John was sitting 2 rows in front of us and when he turned around to pet Pilot, that was it! Pilot went crazy and John had to take him down the stairs to get him away. I got him back and settled, but he never really settled down. On the way out, he was absolutely wild. He had had enough and I had had MORE than enough. I wanted to take a sticky note and put it over his bandanna to read: FUTURE CAREER CHANGED DOG. That is the term they kindly use for the rejects.
Seriously, even though we love Pilot, if he fails, I will feel that I failed.......
I took him to a pet store to buy treats and I couldn't keep his nose out of the bins with the goodies. I took him to the mall for more walking, but he was quite distracted and I had to back up a lot.
At our Leader Dog meeting, he was Jekyll and Hyde. He was either lying quietly at my feet or lunging for dogs that went past. We switched dogs and I watched him with another handler. He acted the same for her: one minute: perfect, the next: brat.
I finally took him to Mark's concert. I arrived just after the 2nd half began. He was ok, although hyper. John was sitting 2 rows in front of us and when he turned around to pet Pilot, that was it! Pilot went crazy and John had to take him down the stairs to get him away. I got him back and settled, but he never really settled down. On the way out, he was absolutely wild. He had had enough and I had had MORE than enough. I wanted to take a sticky note and put it over his bandanna to read: FUTURE CAREER CHANGED DOG. That is the term they kindly use for the rejects.
Seriously, even though we love Pilot, if he fails, I will feel that I failed.......
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Reflections on the National
Dreamer and I finally met Nancy and Pilot, the Pseudo-Terv, at the National. We had a good time, but I hate dog shows and am glad we are done with our first National.
Dreamer gave Nancy a black eye. It's still unclear, to this day, what happened when I stepped out of the room for a few minutes, but now I know not to leave those two wild girls alone, unsupervised!
Anyway, Dreamer was a really good girl all week. My goal was to wear her butt out by keeping her awake all day, for several days, at various events. It worked. I think she behaved on show day because she was tired.
I wasn't able to desensitize her from all the ringside clapping, but I think she's just very reactive to crowds and excitement. I haven't worked too hard on desensitization because I don't want to take her down a notch. I don't want to break her spirit. I'm not sure that I could, but it's a worry I have. Am I in denial? Am I enabling her? I don't know.
Overall, I was very happy with how she showed. Showing on grass probably had something to do with it. As we know, she is confident on surfaces with sure footing, and she has shown well on grass and also on dirt. You never know what's lurking under a rubber mat indoors. One step over a hidden loud metal grate can spook the Tervs. I've seen it. There's just way too much that can go wrong indoors. I wish we had more opportunities to show outside.
Next stop is most likely the Oklahoma City shows in June. Four days. Until then, we will be thankful that we have no dog shows...because we hate them...
Friday, May 7, 2010
The National
Pilot, the pseudo-Terv got to meet many Tervs at the National including Dreamer and Tower. What a week! Pilot aced the vacation test. He easily coped with long car rides, eating in a cramped crate, pottying in strange places, hotel rooms including maids vacuuming around his crate, up and down 5 flights of stairs to potty, elevator rides, flapping tents, trash on the ground, Uie humping him and stealing his toys in the room, bitches in heat, and plenty of reactive Tervs.
Although he continued to be reactive to other dogs, by the end of the trip, he showed tremendous progress in self control.
At my training club last night, Pilot was actually able to walk past other dogs without dragging me over to them.
He cruised right up and down the set of fire escape stairs in downtown Bay City that used to be a challenge to him. He was in total control: no pulling or lagging and absolutely no fear.
The boy is becoming a man:)
Of course it helped that I bought him a new fine linked chain collar to replace his nylon martingale. I call the new collar his "brains".
Although he continued to be reactive to other dogs, by the end of the trip, he showed tremendous progress in self control.
At my training club last night, Pilot was actually able to walk past other dogs without dragging me over to them.
He cruised right up and down the set of fire escape stairs in downtown Bay City that used to be a challenge to him. He was in total control: no pulling or lagging and absolutely no fear.
The boy is becoming a man:)
Of course it helped that I bought him a new fine linked chain collar to replace his nylon martingale. I call the new collar his "brains".
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