Pardon our tardiness!

Blogs can be a bit difficult to keep up with. As is apparent since it's been since October that we last wrote in this one. Fall is the show season and all of us have been hectically busy. It's very odd because I am currently working at home after being laid off yet I still seem to be frantically busy. Why is that? But I promise to do better and to poke the owners more often to get submissions.

As I said, fall is show season. I concentrated on agility this fall with Zipper. I'm starting to learn a bit more about what works and what doesn't. The arenas in Lawrence Kansas have livestock fence barriers that are see through (and runnable-through if you have a little dog). I've realized that right now that's not the best place for Zipper, it's just too visually distracting. At our facility, where he's comfortable and knows where everything is, he shines. He managed a 100% Q weekend at our trial, finishing his Open Jumpers title and getting two Open Standard legs. I moved him up to Excellent A Jumpers for the special show I got to go to in Springfield MA but he didn't do that well there, only to come back and finish his Open Standard title and get his first Excellent Jumpers leg in St. Louis the following weekend. The arena in Lake St Louis has white walls around 3 sides, and he tends to do very well there. So my plan is to keep him in those types of arenas until he's a bit less green.

Now a bit more on Springfield MA. What an experience. I was sent up there to man a booth for the OFA, as they work on trying to get more agility people to screen their dogs (and that's another blog at another time). Since I could fly Zipper under the seat, I decided to enter. This agility trial, done in conjunction with a set of all-breed shows and obedience/Rally, is the largest agility trial in the U.S. Entry limits per day were 2,000. As a comparison, the great majority of shows are either 330 or 660 entries. This is a big, big show. The only thing near it is the AKC Nationals. I was especially boggled to find that there were over 60 Excellent A 8" dogs (around here there are generally 2 or 3 A dogs). My Excellent A 12" class was about 130 dogs. They had to split us into two walkthroughs. The two clubs who put it on are phenomenol. It's amazingly well organized, and though I was definitely the small-town hick come to the big city, everyone was extremely friendly. And the vendors. Oh, the vendors. Clean Run was there in force, with a HUGE inventory. Max 200, other equipment makers, jewelers, it went on and on. The agility arena was definitely the vendor hall of fame and I spent far too much money.

As for Zipper's runs, only two were captured which is too bad, because his final Open Standard run on Sunday was pretty decent. I didn't get to run him in Excellent Sunday because even with running two different rings of Excellent jumpers simultaneously, we wouldn't have run till about 3:00 p.m. and my flight left at 3:30. But if you want to see Mr. Distraction at work, go here!

http://www.hycalibervideo.com/dog-agility-videos-08-10-18-19?filter0=Zipper

After doing agility all fall tracking was a change, and we had a fabulous tracking seminar with Linda Baschnagel this past weekend. Any of you who thought about it and decided not to attend really missed out. Tremendous information in a fun format. I hear she's coming back to do a VST seminar and I can't wait.

Handling two dogs on the same course

Rae Tanner's AKC Open Jumpers course

My path for Zipper (in pink)

My path for Cala (in red)

This past weekend we had a very complex Open Jumpers course from Rae Tanner in Lawrence, KS. Not only was the course tricky (and you should have seen the Excellent Jumpers course!) but I had entered both Cala and Zipper. So I was running a 12" dog who is green and runs tight to the handler as well as a 24" dog who runs huge, has her own mind, and often goes off course.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the handling paths I took with each dog. I have a picture of the course alone, then with my handling path with Zipper, then with Cala. With Zipper, my handling path mirrored the dog's path fairly closely, with several rear crosses. With Cala, I stayed much farther away, layering jumps and pulling, doing crosses mostly in the middle.

Zipper Qd, after a single refusal on Jump 3. Cala didn't. I failed to call her verbally between 12 and 13, so she jumped the 2/15 jump instead. At the point when she took that jump, I was still between 11 and 12, that's how much space she uses. However, after I got her back we did finish well.

Every dog has a different comfort zone it works in. In most cases the differences between any two dogs you may run won't be this marked. But when they are, you must walk your course for each dog. In my case, I spent most of my time planning my path for Cala because for me that kind of huge space is challenging. But I still had to plan where I would put crosses for Zipper and how to shape his line for the weaves. I knew that if Cala saw the weaves she'd try to hit them, so worried more about trying to get her to collect a bit so she could hang on to them.

Walking the same course for two very different dogs is similar to having to learn two different courses at the same time. Both are challenging, but both can be done. One thing that panics Novice agility handlers is the very thought of having to memorize two courses. It's a learned skill, just like front crosses and rear crosses. If you are having difficulty learning courses, break them down into components. If competing in AKC, use your provided course map to memorize each course on paper before walking, then walk for shaping your line and handling. I never make handling decisions based on a piece of paper though. The actual course often has a very different feel than what you see on paper. A place that looks wide open on paper may be much tighter on the course, and a place that looked like a trap may be fine.

A course like our Jumpers course is especially challenging because it was all jumps, no tunnels. And lots of weaving back and forth (like I say, you should have seen the Excellent course!) All of us have gotten lost on courses. A good piece of advice once you're out there? Don't look up. Just keep going. If you look up and around, you'll lose concentration and be done for!

Whiskers and Wags

A dog tries the baby tire. At first he wasn't sure, but then walked through with confidence.

Kathy talks about dog training and how to shape behaviors.

Zipper, aka Mr. Boing-Boing, was still boinging at the end of the day.

This past Saturday Kathy, Ginger and I loaded up a trailer with equipment and a van with dogs and hauled down to Jefferson City for the Whiskers and Wags shelter benefit at Memorial Park. There we were joined by Taryn Hodge and Beth Huhs, both of whom showed up and helped us most of the day.

We spent the day talking to people and letting dogs try some baby agility equipment. Kathy also got to give a talk on training, she talked about shaping and clicker methods with Briar as her demo dog. All of our dogs got a lot of socialization.

These events are exhausting for both dog and human but also very rewarding. Some dogs coming through the mini-course did brilliantly, and some were just completely overwhelmed by the whole thing, which gave us a chance to talk about how agility can really help increase a dog's confidence.

I've attached a few pictures courtesy of Lucy Banyan, the capable organizer.

Tracking Update

Brief tracking update.

I've added corners to Zipper's tracking. First one, then two. Tracks are still pretty short, 100 to 200 steps (normal human steps). I'm beginning to fade food, and I'm starting to teach an article indication.

How do I teach article indication? I click it. In my first session I simply got out the clicker, treats, and a glove. He will see a glove and/or a sock on his real track. Any time I get out treats and a clicker I get Mr. Boing-Boing, but that's a good thing! I simply put the glove on the floor. He ran over to it. Click. (boing, boing, boing). He ran back to the glove, no click. Pawed it, click. (boing-boing-boing-boing). Next, pawing doesn't work. So he laid down on it, click. That's the behavior I want, so I clicked that several times (note, I'd already previously taught him to lie down on a target, so this went quickly, your mileage may vary and you may need to shape smaller increments). I then picked both him and the glove up, and moved the glove to the entryway. I carried him back to the kitchen and told him to go find the glove. Since he knew where the glove was, he ran to it. I waited until he downed on it, clicked, and we were done.

My plan is to do this with a variety of different objects. I will then take several objects out and put them on the track, and each time he gets to one and downs he'll get a click and a treat.

Tracking tonight barring pouring rain!

Tracking update

A few months ago I posted that I was starting Zipper in tracking. And I did. Only to let it lapse, again.

See, I still have this whole love/hate thing with tracking. My dogs love it. I hate it.

Okay, I don't hate all of it. Actually running the track is fun. But the whole business of plotting a track, laying a track, and aging a track...well that's just boring as snot.

Well Vicki Miller promised to help me if I'd be dedicated. And I made a goal. I want to be able to Certify Zipper at the Show Me Canines certification the first weekend in December. So beginning last month, I started tracking Zipper again. And I'm sticking to a 2-3 times a week schedule.

I'm starting Zipper in very short grass that sometimes goes to bare ground (soccer grounds at Cosmo park). Tracking is harder in short grass and on bare ground than it is in deeper grass, because there's not as much cover to hold the scent; it spreads. But I'd rather start harder and go easier. Right now I'm only doing straight, short tracks. Vicki's philosophy is to only do one thing at a time. So we're on flat ground and working only on learning to scent. The track length is 80-100 steps, always aged 15 minutes. We started with food every step and I am stretching length between treats. Right now I'm starting with the first treat at 3 steps, then 4 steps, then 5, 6, and up to 10.

Another important thing to do at this early stage is for me to learn what Zipper looks like when he's tracking. When he's really into the scent he hunkers down a bit, his tail wags very slowly from side to side and his nose is deep. He does tend to cast back and forth some, but becomes more "serious" the longer the track.

I have a lot to add. I need to start teaching article indication (which I'll do here at home). He needs to do corners and of course much more length as well as taking treats off the track except (eventually) at the last article.

But we're on our way!

Paws in the Park

This past weekend was Paws in the Park, a race and fun day to benefit Columbia Second Chance. I don't know that every pet owner in Columbia was there, but a lot were.

CCSC was a co-sponsor of the event along with Rock Bridge Animal Hospital. It was a great day, thanks to all of you who visited and talked to us! Cala and Zipper got to run some demos (with limited success, Cala was over the top and Zipper suddenly decided to pretend he'd never seen weaves in his life). We also had TK, owned by Patti Mierzwa, Charlie owned by Sarah Carlisle, and Dusty and Star owned by Barb Petty. And thank goodness for Barb, it was nice to have dogs there that actually knew what they were doing! I even let Viva run a course and she had a ball.

We already have some good ideas for next year. See you there!

Donna Rock, ACE Award Winner

It was with great excitement that I learned yesterday that my friend Donna Rock and her Doberman Annie have won the AKC's prestigious ACE award for Canine Excellence in the Exemplary Companion dog.

A few of you have met Donna, most don't know her. She's not from here, she's from Louisiana. But her story is astounding and Annie is an incredible dog. Here is what the AKC says about Donna:

Exemplary Companion Dog: “Annie” owned by Donna Rock of Lacombe, LA

Annie is an 8-year-old Doberman Pinscher, who has comforted her owner Donna Rock through loss, given her hope, and provides the assistance necessary to help her achieve her goals. Born without arms, Donna originally purchased Annie to be her companion and to train for obedience competition. The two developed such an exceptional bond that Annie became Donna’s service dog, assisting her with everyday activities. Together, they have excelled at the higher levels of obedience competition, where verbal commands are not allowed and the dog must respond to signals. Donna and Annie have earned numerous Obedience and Agility titles, including the prestigious Obedience Trial Championship (OTCH) and the crown jewel in Agility, the Master Agility Championship (MACH). Their teamwork, skill and performance inspire those at ringside to understand the true purpose of the competition.

In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit, Donna lost her home, belongings, and even her place of work. Donna, who is employed by the USDA, was temporarily reassigned to work in Washington, DC. Through it all, Annie was there for her owner, helping her in the subways, on escalators and navigating through large crowds of people. Annie has loyally remained at Donna’s side, giving not just physical, but emotional support as well. Their amazing bond is the key to their success, not just in Obedience and Agility competition, but also in their day-to-day challenges.

We all sometimes struggle with training and get frustrated when things don't go our way. I'm including two videos below which are incredible and inspirational. The first is Donna working with her new BC Roller and also some with Annie in a training session. The second is Donna's OTCH run from earlier this year.





No one deserves this award more than Donna and Annie. Congratulations.

9/11. Bitter and sweet.

I think all of us spend some time on 9/11 of each year remembering when it happened. Where we were, what we were doing. And today is traditionally a sad and somber day.

Of course I remember. I was working freelance at home at the time, so I was by myself, in my house. I could barely comprehend what I was seeing on TV. I called my Mother. We worried about my cousin who worked in in the WTC complex (though not in the towers). Turns out he was the last to leave his office but he made it out.

In those days we trained at Jennifer Riess' house and that night was a class night. We showed up. It was sort of, like, what else do you do? We mostly wandered in a daze. We didn't say much. This event was beyond rehashings. It was dazing. Scary. The skies were so oddly empty.

My next big memory of that time was of the weekend after. There was a show in Sullivan, MO. Outdoors on grass, which we pretty much never get to see now, but it was common then. And we all showed up. There were very few absences. Because of the grounding of all flights our judge could not fly in, so a substitute from St. Louis came and joined us. It was a brilliant, crispy sunny day. That weekend the tragedy multiplied because it was the day Ginger's Lily slipped from her crate and wandered into the nearby park road. I'll never forget her scream. She lived and even ran agility again but it was an awful thing to have happen. From then on, that show site always caused me an initial shudder. Now it's gone, they don't have shows there any more. I miss outdoor shows but I'm not sure I miss the Sullivan site, just because of the pervading cloud left from that weekend after 9/11.

Yet this date has one great connotation for me. See, it's Zipper's birthday. Yep, he was born on 9/11/2005. He's three today. And I'm so glad he's entered into my life. I feel somber today yet I could also laugh at the Min Pin bouncing off the head of the dobe in excitement for his breakfast.

I'm sure we all have unique memories from that horrible day back in 2001. Mine are inextricably tied to dogs. And I can't help but think that's not such a horrible thing.

Why we compete

I came across this video by Susan Garrett a few days ago. While it talks specifically about agility, it exemplifies the journey we all take with our dogs when we choose to share and listen.

Troubles at CMHS

Molly, a pointer for adoption through CMHS

This past week, the Central Missouri Humane Society announced that they are in dire financial shape and may have to close their doors. CMHS gets about $110,000 from the city and county, but takes in over 9,000 dogs per year, each of which costs at least $100 to house. So they are operating on an almost $1 million deficit.

A good discussion of the issues can be found on the Trib board, and related articles can be found here and here. And what I write here will be a partial repeat of a post I wrote on the Trib board, so forgive the repetition for any readers who may have already picked up the discussion there.

This is mostly a training blog, and I'm not going to get into any discussion here of what I think CMHS can do, or any possible problems with CMHS or their board or way of doing business. I will say that they work very hard for the animals. They have a great foster program, they work with breed rescues, they use PetFinder and are staffed with extremely hardworking, caring people.

In many parts of the country euthanasia rates are way down. In some parts of the country, believe it or not shelters are actually importing puppies for placement because they don't have enough. Why is Missouri and Columbia such an exception? Why does the CMHS have to deal with so many intakes?

It's easy to point fingers and say it's because Missouri is a puppy mill state and too many people are breeding dogs. But that's too simplistic. The truth of the matter is that nationwide we have less of a surplus dog problem than we have a careless, irresponsible owner problem. Most dogs coming into the shelter had homes. So homes are out there. But they're being dumped because owners treat dogs and puppies like a toaster or a stuffed toy, something to get on impulse, use for awhile, then discard.

The truth is, in almost all cases the excuses people make for dumping their pets are just that. Lame justifications for shucking a responsibility they took on when they got an animal. No, dogs are not children. But they are intelligent, living critters who demand very little for what they return. A bit of training, some willingness to invest in vet care, a brushing, and most importantly, affection. That's what dogs need. If we here in Central Missouuri are not willing to give those basic things, then we, as a group, need to not own dogs.

So part of what I see as a general failing in this area is working more on helping owners keep the dogs they get. But it seems like many/most simply don't want to bother with fencing, leashes, spay/neuter, training, or shots. I admit to being boggled by that and at a loss myself on how to influence people to think beyond "oooh, that's a cute puppy let's take it home." CCSC works hard to try to help people in this area, but they do need to come to us before we can help.

As a city, the dog problems do affect us all, even those who do not have or wish to have a dog. Careless dog people let their dogs roam, terrorizing children and other dogs, leaving poop everywhere. They don't give their dogs shots or worm them, so when they're roaming they're spreading disease. They don't spay/neuter or control access to their unaltered pets, so the market is flooded with puppies who are carelessly placed with those people who get a puppy on impulse. Then the cycle continues again.

Rocky, a MinPin mix up for adoption at CMHS

CMHS has some problems I'm sure. But we, as a community, need to point our fingers at ourselves. Nine thousand dogs a year?! That's ludicrous! That is OUR collective faults. So how should we combat it? Here's how you can help stem the supply.

1. Don't get pets on impulse. Realize that when you get a pet you're taking on an expensive, time-consuming 10-15 year project. Yes, it will puke on your favorite chair. Yes, it will shed on your business suit. Don't want that? Don't get a pet.
2. Get regular veterinary care for your pet. Shots, worming, exams. Heartworm, flea prevention.
3. Spay/neuter your pet. Even if your pet is purebred, it should not be bred unless you have a championship, multiple genetic health tests, and working titles (and maybe not even then). Being a lovely pet with a sweet personality is not justification to breed. Ever.
   
4. Groom your pet. Keep your pet clean and brushed. He'll be far happier
5. Confine your pet. Columbia has a leash law. It's pretty specific. On leash at ALL times unless in designated off leash area or in specific training situations. Specific training does not include letting your dog out the door to wander the neighborhood while you watch TV. A fenced yard or a leash. Those are your two choices.
   
6. Pick up after your pet. Yes, that's the law too. It may seem silly, but think about it from another perspective. Do you want your kid stepping in dog poop riddled with salmonella and e. coli? I bet not. There are baggies available at most parks, or use a plastic grocery bag. If you feed a quality food, it shouldn't be that big a deal.
   
7. Exercise your pet. Dogs are athletic critters. Keep them fit with exercise and they will be healthier, happier, and less likely to indulge in destructive behaviors. A tired dog is a good canine citizen.
   
8. Train your pet. Dogs need mental as well as physical exercise. They're incredibly smart. Give their brains something to do. A trained dog is a well-behaved companion. An investment in classes and your training time yields lifetime rewards.
9. Keep your pet. You chose to get an animal. Even when circumstances change, there's almost always a way to keep your pets. Don't take the easy way out and dump your animal. They ask for so little and give so much. Keep them. Don't dump them.
   

Brisk. What is it and why should you care?

brisk

adj. brisk·er, brisk·est

1. Marked by speed, liveliness, and vigor; energetic: had a brisk walk in the park.

I've been going to obedience (and now Obedience/Rally) trials for many years. One of the most common mistakes I see in Rally and the lower levels of Obedience is a lack of briskness on the part of the handler. In straight English, I see a lot of handlers walking at a snail slow pace around the ring, looking at their feet, taking tiny steps. It's usually because of apprehension/nerves.

In Rally, lack of briskness (LOB) is a specific deduction. Enough hits for lack of briskness and a team may NQ (not qualify) on points even if they do all of the stations correctly. In Obedience judges don't have a specific LOB deduction but can and will deduct for a very slow team. Obedience heeling routines have a "Slow", and the handler must slow down perceptibly during this portion of the heel. If the handler is already walking slowly, it's much more difficult to have a perceptible "Slow".

In high levels of competition obedience, handlers learn exact footwork and pacing, often using a metronome. I'm not going into that in this post. For one it would take too long, for another I'm not the person to discuss that, Andrea or Paula are the ones to go to for that. Briskness applies to all footwork at all levels in all situations (except for the Slow), so I'll discuss briskness.

Though the above definition says "speed," briskness in Rally and Obedience should not be a race walk. You should not look like a five year old desperately trying to make it to the bathroom. Lively, energetic, vigorous; those are the important components of briskness as it applies to pace in the Obedience and Rally rings. You should move through the ring as if you have a destination in mind. A place to be. Not as if you're wandering aimlessly through a garden. You should stride out confidently, shoulders back, with long energetic strides. If you have a toy dog don't worry. In almost all cases the dog can keep up quite well unless he's very tiny and you have very very long legs. Even then, you can slightly shorten your stride yet still be brisk. Briskness is an attitude as well as a physical pace.

One thing that helps is to look forward, not down. If you're looking down at your toes you are less likely to be brisk. If you are looking forward toward the next Rally sign (or ring gate) you are more likely to be pulled to it and be more brisk.

One last huge benefit to briskness. If you are brisk, your dog is far more likely to stay engaged and involved. Moving briskly keeps the dog's attention focused and helps them be more up in attitude.

So get out there and be brisk! Practice it with and without the dog, and carry it with you to your next show.

Mr. Boing-Boing and the clicker

Training the heel.

Get out clicker. Get slab of carver's treats. Get mobbed by Two dobes and a Pinhead, all doing the dog equivalent of, "it's the CLICKER!! THE CLICKER!! My turn first. No, I want to be closer to her, back off! Look! I'm prettiest. Well I sat first. Ooooh, lifting paw here, admire me. I need food because I'm oldest.!"

Shoo two big black dogs into office with some difficulty, finally resorting to pitching a couple of pea-sized pieces of Carver's in then slamming the door to howls of protest.

Am left with Mr. Boing-Boing. "Oooo! It's me! Me, me, me!" (boing-boing-boing-boing-boing). Take tiny treat in my left palm, fold thumb over, hold hand down, two fingers extended downward, and start walking. Boing-whap, boing-whap, boing-whap as Mr. Boing-Boing smacks his head repeatedly against my fingers trying to get the treat. Finally, a momentary boing-trot. Click, treat in position. "ooo! Food!" Boing-whap, boing-whap, boing-whap, "hey, what's that on the floor?" looks down and floor and, amazingly, has all four feet on floor at the same time. Click.

"I get it! I get it! Look at floor, get a click!" Mr. Boing-Boing trots along, staring fixedly at floor, waiting for click. "What's wrong with you! I'm looking at the floor just like you wanted." Stares harder. Glances up at his stupid human to make sure she's watching how good he's looking at the floor. Click. "Okay, this must be it then," look at floor, look up. Look at floor, look up. Down, up. Down-up. Downup-downup-down-up. UP. I wait for two strides of looking up, click. Five more strides, looking up, perfect heel...CLICK!

"Good boy! We're done." "What do you mean we're done. I'm not ready to be done yet. I want more!" Boing-boing-boing-boing-boing! Pick up mid-boing and deposit into office, bringing out Cala for her session clicking for straight backups 90-lefts and come-fores from a stationary sit.

Clicker training makes me laugh.

Joie de Vivre

From Wikipedia:

Joie de vivre (from the French joie, "joy"; de, "of"; vivre, "to live, living"; "the joy of living") is a term sometimes imported into English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit. Joie de vivre, as one scholar has written, can be a joy of conversation, joy of eating, joy of anything one might do… And joie de vivre may be seen as a joy of everything, a comprehensive joy, a philosophy of life, a Weltanschauung. Robert's Dictionnaire says joie is sentiment exaltant ressenti par toute la conscience, that is, involves one's whole being."

See also: Happiness, Carpe diem

All puppies have joie de vivre. They express such joy to be alive. Adult dogs tend to become more responsible as it were. They are still happy, but not with that bubbly effervescence that says "I'm so glad just to be here and be alive!" Or they have joie de vivre in some situations, like running in the park, but not all.

Some few lucky dogs retain that inexpressible lightness of spirit through their lives and pass it along to their owners. Zipper is one of those dogs, a dog whose tail is always vibrating, who is always happy, and who makes me laugh every day.

Does your dog have it?

Christmas in July

Last weekend was the Missouri Rhineland Club's agility show in Pacific, MO, and I entered Zipper in Novice. Zipper has his Novice titles, but he needs experience and seasoning. This was a brand new location for him and I wanted to see how he did.

The location, an indoor soccer arena, was, well, interesting. Two-thirds of the arena was taken up with a single ring. The back third was crating for us, and there was a bit of crating around the outside. Truly a tiny facility, much smaller than CCSC. The weird thing was, they only had lights on over the ring itself. The crating area was dark. As in, we all wished we'd brought flashlights dark. Apparently that was to help keep the arena cool, but along with the halogen vapor lights that left triple-shadows in the ring, the entire effect was that you just couldn't see worth a darn. I figured if Zipper did well here, we were in pretty good shape.

Being a single-ring trial, all of Jumpers was run first, from Excellent to Novice. They then brought in the contact equipment and switched the ring to Standard, and ran that Ex to Novice. Which meant a very long day.

In Jumpers, there was a C shaped tunnel to a black tire, and many dogs missed the tire, including Zipper. In the odd light it was just hard to see. Zipper also ducked a couple of other jumps but otherwise had a good run and a very nice last line. No Q of course, but he didn't seem fazed by the arena. In Standard, Zipper ran to the broad jump then screeched to a halt, leaned forward, sniffed it, and jumped back like it had a bag of snakes under it. I circled him and tried again. This time he came up to it, then dodged to the right and gave a little kicking jump as he went by. I thought, "forget it," and went on. The rest of the run was lovely. No Q, but that wasn't why I was there anyway.

I decided not to go back Sunday. I'd learned what I needed to on Saturday, and it had been after 5:30 before they were done with my ring. So I stayed home and was lazy Sunday. At about 7:30 Sunday night, I got a call from Patti. They hadn't left until after 5:30. So I was glad I hadn't come back. Then she said, "and we picked up your ribbon for you."

"What ribbon?"

"Your ribbon. From yesterday."

"Um, Patti, I didn't Q yesterday."

"Yes you did, you got first place!"

"No, I didn't."

"Well wait a minute, it's in the car, I'll go tell you what you won."

Turns out that I got a Q in Standard, even though Zipper never did the broad jump. Oops. The thing is, by this time it was too late to change it. What's even more weird is that I got the Q, but with 90 points, which means I was assessed two mistakes. The only thing he messed up was the broad jump. I mean, if I'm going to get a fake Q, it should be an accurate fake Q yes?

Oh well. Christmas in July. I'm sure at some point in the near future I'll be NQd on a run when I should have qualified. Such is the way of agility.

Sahara: Her Trainer's Tribute

I've been teaching people to train their dogs since 1985. During that time, hundreds of people and their dogs have touched my life. Some have gone on to become dear friends...others have had a more temporary presence, but a permanent affect.

At a recent orientation for new students, one new student asked a question about her dog. Frankly, I don't remember the question but I do remember the look on her face. Fear. I began to answer her question and then stopped. "Are you crying?", I asked her. "Not yet, but I'm getting ready to." I replied, "Oh, please don't cry! There isn't anything that you and I can't work on with your dog."

Vanette (yes, that's her real name), was enrolled in a class taught by someone else. I asked her if she would switch days in order to attend my class. She did. I gave her my cell and told her to call me when she reached the parking lot. I would come out to her car and help her in with her dog. I promised to take good care of her. All of this...and I didn't think to look at her enrollment form. I had no idea if this was a puppy, older dog or what primary breed of dog this was. I just knew that if things were to the point that a woman would cry in front of 50+ complete strangers...this nice lady needed help. That much, I did know.

At this point, I have no idea what to expect. I mean...no one has ever cried during orientation (that I've seen anyway)! What kind of horrible dog must this be? And, just as importantly, what have I done to myself?

The next week, Vanette phones me as promised and I walk to the parking lot to meet here. There, standing before me is this lovely, year-old female Anatolian Shepherd. A big breed, the Anatolian originates in Turkey and Asia Minor. They live with the shepherds and protect the flocks. The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a fiercely loyal dog that demonstrates a possessive attitude towards family, property and livestock all the while being suspicious of strangers, reserved when in public. The Anatolian requires an owner who can be a strong, positive leader who consistently requires civilized socially-appropriate behavior.

This is not a pet. This is a true working dog. I was thrilled!! Vanette, the poor dear, was still a bit pale. I met Sahara, spoke to her for a few minutes, and then took her leash. We three, two women and a striking Anatolian, strode into the training arena.

The next 4 weeks witnessed an incredible transformation. Sahara and I trained Vanette. We taught her that Sahara wasn't scary. We taught Vanette about hard-wired breed characteristics of the Anatolian and how to respond. Sahara acknowledges me with a gentle, continuous wag of her tail. Sahara looks at me when I'm teaching her. And, the highest compliment bestowed by an Anatolian Shepherd: Sahara lets me give her hugs. Not just the casual "aw, you're a good dog" hug. I'm talking about the soulful connection that the few lucky trainers like me have with remarkable doggy students. I love that she stands oh-so-still with my arms wrapped around her enormously strong neck while I bury my face in her soft white fur. Then, I kiss her head where the little black patch of fur is on the top of her skull....sort of like an "until I see you again, be a good girl" kiss. You can tell...Sahara and Vanette quickly become not just my project...but a team that I look forward to seeing every Thursday.

The June 26 class was a really fun, unique class. I was ten minutes late and caught Vanette trying to cut out. "Aha!" I called out to her. "Where are you going?" Vanette, smiling, turned back. Sahara had already seen me, and likely noted that I'm carrying the training treats I always supply. All of the rings were occupied, so an impromptu agility lesson was held. Vanette and I taught Sahara the dog walk, the A-frame, teeter-totter, the tunnel, the ladder, buja board and to sit and perch on the table. She did it all! I stood back and watched Vanette and Sahara play on the agility equipment, carefully executing the obstacles. Vanette was cheering. Students were standing ringside to cheer. Sahara was smiling. I swear. That dog was smiling.

July 2, I arrive at dog school to train my dogs. One of our instructors stops me to say that Sahara died. It was if someone punched me in the stomach. I stood there stunned, crying, as Jenn delivered the news. "Vanette says that she'll still come to class this Thursday" Jenn informs me. "She'll still be here, but she wanted you to know."

Vanette has learned, as we all have, that this is the cycle of life. I am reminded of Irving Townsend, who so aptly penned:

"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way.We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan."

Sahara was not my dog. Sahara loved her family, but I was not family. I was a trusted friend, allowed into her circle of trusted humans. My friend, Sahara the Anatolian Shepherd, is gone. Vanette remains. My job, my role as trainer-turned-friend is to support Vanette, to understand her loss, to listen. To let her cry. To cry with her.

Tonight, I'll meet Vanette at her vehicle, just as I have every other time. Probably, we'll stay out there for a while and soothe our souls, as we remember the dog who was responsible for our friendship.

I will miss Sahara.
My first Anatolian Shepherd.
What a thrill.
What an honor.
Thanks, Vanette, for sharing her with me.

~ Andrea

The Care and Feeding of an Agility Trial

Last weekend the Show Me Agility Club of Central MO had our AKC agility trial at CCSC. This was the fourth AKC agility trial that I've served as Trial Chair, which is another way to say "chief finger-pointer, worrier, obsessor, and over-organizer." But an AKC agility trial is a huge club-wide effort and I thought I'd give some insight on how much work goes into the final product of two (hopefully flawlessly run) days of agility.

Agility trials are often planned well over a year in advance. I line up a judge and secure the venue. This was our first time at CCSC. Previously we'd been at the Boone County Fairgrounds. There were a number of differences between the sites we needed to deal with. The Fairgrounds is on a dirt arena, where we can hammer down the obstacles that move easily like tunnels and weaves. Can't hammer into the rubber flooring at CCSC, so we needed to adapt. In this case, that meant that the equipment chair (Kathy) and I collaborated on ordering new sets of weave poles that would work better on the rubber surface. We also had a club work day and made sure all of our tunnel weights (sandbags) were nice and heavy. CCSC would also mean a different ring layout and different duties. We had to establish a grounds chairman (Gary R) to do things like monitor trash and help people park efficiently. As part of our contract, we had to clean the arena before and after the show, which meant a massive vacuuming effort. We vacuumed the entire building on Friday. That's 28,800 square feet of vacuuming. Some of our competitors, coming in early from all over the midwest, actually helped us. Agility people are great. We also needed to get a food vendor in (Jamaican Jerk Hut) as well as snacks for our large corps of volunteers who work the show in exchange for being fed. Patti organized that.

Our club hires a trial secretary because we don't have time to do that ourselves. She gets the Premium (the info people use to enter) done and also actually accepts and processes all the entries people send. She prints up armband numbers and running orders, sends out notices to people that they've been entered, and deals with early withdrawals. She prints up a sheet for each dog to be used on each day of the show so their score and time can be individually recorded. On the day of the trial she processes all of the results, entering the information from each dog's run (time and faults) into her computer. She generates a result sheet and labels which our awards person (Linda in this case) takes and puts on the ribbons for placements of first through fourth and also people who qualified but didn't place in the top four.

Our judge (Bonnie D from the Chicago area) stands in the arena all day both days and makes calls. She's designed the courses for each level (Novice, Open, Excellent) and each type of run (Standard, Jumpers with Weaves). She is the ultimate authority on the show site on things that go on inside the ring. I am the authority over all things that go on outside the ring.

When the trial rings are actually running it's a symphony of motion. Each dog and handler team comes out into the ring and to the start line just as the previous team is finishing. The timer, who runs our electronic-eye system, presses the "Go" button and the team starts. The judge watches the dog and handler and has a series of hand signals to indicate any faults she sees such as refusing an obstacle or jump, going over the wrong jump/obstacle, not putting a paw in the safety zone at the bottom of each obstacle, and/or dropping a bar. The scribe at the side of the ring is intently watching the judge for those hand signals and writes each error down (if any) on the scribe sheet for that dog. When the dog crosses the finish line the scribe flips her sheet over to the assistant, who writes down the time it took the dog to run and then hands it to a runner. Meanwhile the scribe is already doing the next dog, and the runner takes the sheet to the secretary to enter into the computer.

The organization of getting that ring running smoothly belongs to the ever important gate steward. The Gate has a listing of who is supposed to be running when, and exhibitors make sure they're in line so they're ready to step forward to the start. A good Gate steward can make a trial, a bad one can break it. Oh, and I can't forget the bar setters. Each ring has at least 3 people sitting inside the ring to put bars back on jumps in case a dog takes one down. So just for the ring, you have a gate steward, 3 ring crew, scribe, assistant scribe, timer, sheet runner and a leash runner to take each dog's leash from the startline to the finish (dogs must enter and exit the ring on leash).

But that's not all. After a class is finished, Kathy, our extremely capable chief course builder, steps into the ring to build the course for the next class. She also has a crew of people who help her. Kathy's job is to make sure each class is built to the judge's specifications, and those measurements are given to her on a map that tells her exactly where each jump or obstacle goes literally to the inch. So you see her in the ring with a measuring wheel and a 100' tape.

This year we had a few hiccups that were things out of our control, so it was even more nerve wracking than usual. However, on the weekend itself, everything went perfectly. The exhibitors were thrilled with the new location, not upset by having a delay in getting their ribbons and placements on Saturday, and very complimentary. In fact I think it's our first show where no one complained about a single thing all weekend. And agility people are really the best. We had a lot of volunteers who were non-club members. Best of all, we had fun. It was a weekend of teasing and laughter, of great runs and not-so-great ones and some that were a comedy of errors. But that's what agility is all about.

For our November trial, I'll turn the Trial Chair responsibilities over to Deb H. But I'll be back next April or May for our next spring trial. It's a huge amount of work for the whole club but somehow still fun.

Best In Show Liver Cookies

BIS/BOSS Ch. Jamaica Paint Me Conspicuous TD CGC TDI

My friend Teresa Nash shared this recipe with me. Based upon the number of Best In Shows she has piloted dogs to and that Trip & I were using this EXACT recipe to earn his Best in Show and multiple group placements, the name has been modified to represent its real power!! ;-)

1 lb beef liver
1 lb bacon (cut into smaller pieces and microwave to speed up the cooking time. Drain on paper towels).
1/2 lb shredded cheddar cheese (I usually add more on top before baking)
1 C cornmeal
1 C flour
1 T garlic powder (you can use more/less as you want)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F and spray sheet pan with cooking spray. Puree liver in food processor or blender, add 2 eggs and 1 lb COOKED bacon, garlic and continue to puree. Pour into bowl, mixing in dry ingredients until you have a stiff mixture. Add some water to thin so it's easier to spread into the pan (I probably add about a 1/4 C). Should be consistency of drop cookies. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet for brownies. Bake 20 minutes or until dry looking on top. Pat with paper towels to remove grease that may have come to the top from the bacon and cheeses. Cut into pieces and refrigerate or freeze.

Enjoy!!

Andrea & Trip

Tique's Obedience High In Trial Liver Brownies

There are many variations on this recipe and, while the others may be good, this one is really the absolute best! I think it is because of the texture...it's a great training treat and was one of Tique's absolute favorites. I have to give credit to my trainer AnneMarie Silverton for this one.

2 lbs beef liver
3 C flour
1 C wheat germ
1 t garlic power
2/3 C dark molassas

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Puree liver, mix the reaming ingredients. Pour and spread in greased 8 1/2 x 13 pan. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes. It's done when edges are pulling away from the side of the pan. Cool, cut and freeze in smaller portions.

Frosty Paws

In keeping with my promise to my students to share Tique-tested and Trip-approved recipes, here is a summer favorite!!

Frosty Paws

32 oz vanilla yogurt
1 mashed banana or one large jar of baby fruit
2 T peanut butter
2 T honey
Blend together and freeze in either 3 oz paper cups or ice cube trays. Serve ala carte!!


Andrea Meinhart

You wanna mess with me?

I've often said that Viva is the top dog in my house but to look at them day to day, you'd never know it. Last night she proved it once again.

My neighbors have a rather elderly bulldog mix. Generally she's okay, but she has a very bad habit of doing a roaring bum's rush on me when I try to get to my car. Yesterday morning she scared the bejeezus out of me when I was getting ready to go to work and almost got to my feet before she backed off.

Last night I took Viva and Cala with me to pick Zipper up from his Min Pin Play Date. When I load the dogs in the car, Viva goes out off leash and Cala on leash. Viva is 100% reliable. Cala, not so much. I wasn't paying that much attention and I rounded the back of the van to pop the latch when here came Pippi, charging and roaring. Cala of course immediately fired off a series of barks, which Pippi summarily ignored.

Viva hackled up and took two steps forward, positioning herself a bit forward of Cala, with herself between Pippi and me.

Pippi stopped dead.

Viva lowered her head.

Pippi fell suddenly silent, turned around, and walked back onto her property.

Viva huffed a "well that's done" and waited for me to finish opening the hatch. She then hopped in and settled down. Job done. Just another day at the office.

Yep, she's boss bitch. And every dog she encounters knows it.

The new weaves have arrived.

Viva weaving in her younger days.

Our new weaves finally came in yesterday. It's been a bit of a crazy time trying to get them. Show Me ordered a set and CCSC ordered a set, and they should have been here 2 or 3 weeks ago, giving us plenty of time to practice on them before the trial. Instead they arrived yesterday. So now we have two days to practice on them instead of two weeks.

Why do we need to practice on these weaves, you ask? Because the spacing on these weaves is quite a bit wider than it is on the other sets we own. See, here's the story (and you know I always have a story!) When agility started, people really just sort of threw things together as obstacles. Weave poles were replicating pole bending in horse sports and the originators thought, "well, they need to be spaced tight enough that dogs have to work a bit to get through them." Weave pole spacing (the area between each pole) is now pretty widely variable, anywhere from 18" to 24". Our previous poles were 21".

But the agility world also started noticing something. We had a huge increase in shoulder tendon and ligament injuries in larger dogs. Bicepital tendonitis is almost an epidemic in bigger dogs who have been competing for any length of time. We're also seeing a fair amount of spinal spondylosis. And some of us think these long-term chronic injuries are happening when bigger dogs weave. Especially fast bigger dogs.

When a fast big dog weaves, he single-steps. What that means is, he places one single foot out to the side and shoves against that foot to push through one weave pole. He then does the same thing with the other foot to do the next weave. It's sort of a swimming motion. And it forces the dog's front to do something it's not supposed to do--push the foreleg straight out horizontally from the body. Big dogs also have to really torque their spines going through weaves.

So when we knew we had to have new weaves for this trial, I consulted with several agility lists and an AKC rep, and we decided to go for 24" spacing, in part because it looks like AKC may mandate that spacing in their next set of rule changes (it's been a rule in Europe for years), and in part because I think it's the right thing to do. Short term, we may have a few dogs this weekend who have to adapt their rhythm. Long term, it's better and safer for all the dogs. And when it comes down to it, dogs who know how to weave are going to weave, regardless of spacing.

So a-weaving we will go!

Jump Class update

If you read my last blog, you'll know that Zipper had decided that jump class was quite boring, thank-you-very-much. And he'd rather be doing something else.

This week I decided to be prepared. I knew that I might need to do some extra lead-in jumps to each problem if he was being draggy, and I brought very yummy treats too.

Well for whatever reason, Zip decided that he liked the class this week. Which is a good thing because his handler had to keep trying one of the sequences because she couldn't get it right, which meant that he repeated just that one sequence four or five times. But he was cheerful about it, which is good.

I've probably written this before, but in agility, the skills the dog learns to physically negotiate the obstacles are important. I've put in the basics on Zipper and he's confident on all the obstacles. He has lovely jumping form and is rapidly conquering the intricacies of weaves. Most importantly, he thinks agility is fun and it has become self-rewarding for him.

Though it's the foundation of what comes later, the dog skill part of the agility equation is just a tiny drop in the bucket of what we will need to learn to become a team. Zipper still needs to learn to read my hand and shoulder cues. I need to learn which cues work best for him and when to use them. Coming from handling a big dog, I've got to totally reset how I think about which crosses to put in where, what his line will be and how to shape it. Where do I need to be on the course in relation to Zipper's position in order to help him figure out what I want? Which hand should I use when? I must guard against stooping and bending over, a very bad habit that's easy to fall into when you have a little dog. Do I need a verbal directional? Or not? I've been training one but haven't yet tied it to jumps, only spins.

I'm learning that Zipper is right footed. That means he prefers to turn right rather than left and that I need to help him be more flexible on his left. Knowing that will also help me know how to run him; he'll probably turn tighter to the right than to the left, so I'll need extra turn space when I need him to go left than when the next obstacle is to the right.

And that's just the start. I usually estimate that it takes two years of actually trialling with a dog before you really start to become a team. Before you're a team, you can have a lot of success but it sometimes feels crunchy or awkward. After you become a team, for the most part you and the dog just KNOW what you're going to do, what works and what doesn't, and when you run, you are extensions of each other, thinking and moving as one.

It's no wonder that newbies to agility have a very tough time with their first dog. This sport is incredibly fun and rewarding, but easy it is not! It looks easy and effortless, especially when done right. But there's an awful lot of training that goes into that looking easy part. New handlers are having to both learn how to train their dog for the skills the dog needs *and* how to learn the separate skills they need. Here I am, on my third agility dog, and I've got to work through all these things too. I have a bit more on the ball than the true newbies on how to train those basic skills, but this biggest part of the puzzle, the handling game, is something I have to struggle with along with everybody else. Because each dog is different and there's always something that may work better with this dog too.

So I'm grateful to my little 10# dog for putting up with me stumbling around last night trying one cross, then another, then yet another. Each time he showed me what worked for him and what did not. Because at the same time I'm training him, he's training me.

He doesn't like it! Now what?

This class session, I started a new class with Zipper. It's the Jump 3 class. Taught by the eminently capable Deb Heifner, this class is for dogs who basically know how to jump but need to learn some of the more common patterns seen in the agility ring like serpentines, pinwheels, 270s, 180s, etc.

In Jump 3, dogs are starting to cue in on handler motion and how to use that motion to know where to go and which way to turn. It's actually a very cool class and I'm having a blast.

Zipper, however, is not.

The first week, Zipper was very blah at first. He acted hot. And tired. And I could not get him going. Finally he decided to attack a huge toy, and I was able to use that to get him excited and going. He completed the class with verve and style.

But again last week, Zipper was flat. He was distracted, slow, and sniffy. At best he cantered. This time a toy didn't really do that much for him. He got through the class but was clearly demotivated. Once again I wondered if it was conditions. It was warm and he was panting rather heavily. However, when I took him over to the big ring, he suddenly came alive. He flew over contacts and jumps, running flat out, and giving the huffy little steam-engine pants he does when he's happy and having fun.

Hmmmm. So it's not the conditions. It's the class.

What to do...what to do. I love the class. Further, this is stuff Zipper needs to learn and it will benefit us in the long run. On the other hand, he's a young green dog and if he's demotivated too often it may carry over. Zipper has "happy drive," which means he appears to have lots of drive, and he does, when he's happy. But he's soft. He doesn't have the "do it or die" work ethic of my dobes. He does this for fun and because I like it. He likes it too, but not so much that he couldn't turn off to it if he felt too challenged. That's why I've treated him with kid gloves all the way along.

So now I have a decision. Keep going with the class and try to motivate him? Quit the class and just work in the big ring? Quit the class and come back to it later?

For this week, the answer will be to come to class and work with Deb to see if we can light him up. This class IS hard for green dogs. The jumps are tight and they have to repeat things sometimes. He doesn't like repeating. So maybe we don't repeat. And maybe we do a few extra jumps on our way to the problem. I'm sure Deb and I will come up with something, and I'll keep you guys posted.

Comrades in a Storm

Somehow playing agility on a Friday afternoon is supposed to be relaxing & fun - time away from work, taking a 3-day weekend with the dog - something that makes them "smile" and time with friends rehashing the last run, a run last week, or "Remember when we were at that trial in ..."

Well, this week it was the start of a 3-day trial in Glen Carbon, IL, at "The Game". Perfect conditions - relatively small trial, air-conditioned, on soccer turf. The part that is not mentioned in the premium for the trial is the weather. As all of us know, this spring/summer has been an active weather season. I left Columbia in the morning in a deluge - and I was a bit tired from waking and then staying awake with the line of storms that went through circa 3 a.m. Arriving in Glen Carbon and unloading the 3 crates for others arriving later, the sheets, the water containers, the chairs, the training bag, the leads, setting up and letting Baker have his beloved crate, it started to rain. No big deal, we were inside and the trial had started.

The afternoon was peppered with periodic rain and it got warmer & more humid. Baker had a nice Jumpers run - until he met his nemesis, the weaves. It was an off-side entrance (his preferred) and he went along nicely for 5 of the 12 poles and then decided to skip one, make 2, skip another and ended up in the wrong place as he finished. The consequence (apart from seeing the judges hands go up for a Wrong course and then a Failure to complete an obstacle) was that he was in the wrong place for the next jump - which he missed. Oh, well.

The focus for us shifted to the Standard ring (the course with the A-frame, dog-walk, teeter, etc.). This time instead of being entertained by the dogs competing at the other jump heights, "stuff" began to happen. The lights went out, the thunder rumbled and clapped overhead. some dogs began to yodel and some to whine and some to howl, some dogs were nervy with the storming when it began to hail (on a metal roof, it was loud) and then the sirens sounded.

The Game is your basic open structure so the big question was Where to go? The building sits on the edge of a flat set of filed (now with corn only 2-3" high and standing pools of water). You can see all the way to downtown St. Louis and the Arch. The consensus was to move the "interior": a set of men's and a women's locker rooms.

I chose the Women's as the door was directly behind my crating area. Apparently the Men's locker room became co-ed. Baker & I picked a corner on the floor with a bench to our left. The room rapidly filled up - in an orderly fashion.

By the time all was said and done, our area held 25 women and 35 dogs. From what I recall among the breeds packed into this space were Golden Retriever (Golden), Bearded Collie (Beardie), Brittany, Shetland Sheep dog (Sheltie), Border Collie (BC), Beagle, Labrador Retriever (Lab), Australian Shepherd (Aussie), French Bull Dog (Frenchie), Belgian Malinois (Mal), soft-coated Wheaon Terrier (Wheatie), Boxer, Papillon (Pap), Cocker Spaniel (Cocker), Beagle, and my English Springer Spaniel. Large and small, male and female, intact and neutered, all quiet and contained. Waiting and wondering (all of a sudden the great big building didn't feel particular substantial.

I have no idea how long we were there - at least 3 but less than 15 minutes. The air-conditioning was off and it was hot and stuffy, but the dogs and their owners were remarkable for their ability to share a limited space. It reminded me, among other things, that we can expect more from ourselves and our dogs than we presently do. The dogs are not "born bad" and they can,even in trying times, coexist with each other If the expectation is that they WILL be civilized and they WILL behave.

After the line of storms passed the competition resumed. Mr. B was still of a mind to enter the weaves and then slip one. Oh Well! Tomorrow is a clean slate (and hopefully without a weather feature).

Ginger

Of intelligence and memory

Viva, UAG2 BJF Renejade Debt of Honor, CD, RA, MX, MXJ, EAC, O-EJC, TNN, WAC, TT, ATT, FFB, CGC

Dogs are not very smart. Scientists and researchers assure us of this. They are not anywhere near the intelligence of the greater apes, they say. When confronted with a sleeping dog who has REM and is giving off soft yelps while his feet twitch, scientists will say that absolutely is NOT dreaming because dogs aren't smart enough to dream. Dogs are so stupid, researchers and some trainers will tell us, that they can't remember why you're mad at them if they peed in the corner 2 hours ago. If you don't catch them in the act, they won't remember what they've done.

The great apes use tools, scientists will say, and tool use is the hallmark of upper level brain function. The great apes can even, with years of work, be taught sign language, so they may tell us what they want and need.

I think those scientists and researchers have never lived with dogs or if they do own dogs, have never bothered to open their eyes and actually pay attention. Do dogs use tools? Well no, they don't pick up sticks to dig for ants like the famous chimps that Jane Goodall observed years ago. Instead, when she's hungry, Cala will go get her metal food bowl, bring it to the living room, pick a spot on the hardwood, and drop said bowl. Loudly. Then she'll flip it upside down, put her front feet on it and scoot it around the room, all the while giving me pointed looks. "Hey. Lady. I'm hungry. Yo. Are you stupid? How much more obvious can I be?"

See, dogs, they don't need a stick. They have the bestest tool ever. Dogs learn that if they go to a door and sit and scratch or bark, their special handy-dandy tool will haul itself off the couch and come turn the knob. If that tool is a bit sluggish, a dance and a yip will hurry it up nicely.

Dogs don't need sign language. Why the heck try to speak or get your paws to work? Just sidle up to the human and put an appropriate look on your face and presto, that special itchy spot gets scratched just to your liking. The human stops too soon? Head butt them and they'll start again.

Dogs can plot and plan too. I once watched a fascinating interchange between Cala and Zipper. Zipper stole one of Cala's toys and took it to his crate. She instantly wanted that toy more than anything in the world, and he was not having any. He had the advantage, being on home ground where she couldn't circle around. So after several unsuccessful tries at outright taking it back, Cala stepped back and stood there a minute. Then she left the room. When she returned, she was carrying a different toy. She set that toy on a chair in full view of the crate and left the room again. Nothing stirred for five minutes. But sure enough, a Min Pin nose poked out of the crate. He looked around. No Cala. Out he came, and hopped up on the chair to steal the other toy. And the moment he cleared the crate, there was a big black blur. Cala was in the room, into his crate, snatched her toy, and back out of the room before he could do more than turn around and watch.

I spent yesterday in Warrensburg, at the United Doberman Club National. It's actually going on all week, but I only had the one day to go down and visit old friends and watch breed and obedience. The breed judge was May Jacobson. May bred Viva's sire, and for the first 18 months of Viva's life, May saw her often though Viva never lived with May. Then Viva came to live with me. For the next three years, I'd take Viva to a National and she would, astonishingly, recognize May. Even though they never lived together. Even though she would only see her once a year, for about 15 minutes. The last time May saw Viva was about 5 or 6 years ago.

One of my reasons for going down yesterday was to take the now 10 1/2 year old Viva down so May could see her, a living tie to Bro, her sire, that May loved so much who is now gone. I admit I was curious. Would Viva remember? That would be quite a feat after all these years. And the answer is, yes, she absolutely did. Viva is cordial but reserved with people she doesn't know, or, if they have treats, she backs up and strikes a "please feed me now" pose. But after a few seconds of sniffing May, Viva suddenly reared up and gave her a great kiss, squeaking in pleasure, then proceeded to do very un-Vivalike puppy wiggles, tail stub vibrating madly.

Call dogs stupid. Go ahead. I dare you.

Today, I am sad

Lis' and Diva

The agility world is large, yet small. The sport has always been especially supportive of people. There are surprisingly few egos involved. And thanks to the internet, a lot of us "know" each other, even when we've never met.

Over the years I've had some great conversations with a lady from Texas who runs Chinese Cresteds (yes, Chinese Crested dogs, the little bald dogs, do quite well in agility). Lis' and I have not always agreed, in fact sometimes we've clashed. But I've always respected her opinion. And I was shocked, along with the rest of the agility world, to get the following message on April 14.

"To all of my fellow agility competitors and friends, Last Tuesday I was admitted to hospital, for eight years I have fought breast cancer. I have been diagnosed now with AML Leukemia and have been given approximately three weeks to spend on this wonderful earth.

I have chosen not to do any more chemo as I believe I have received and given all this life has to give and take. With the help of my dear friends in Dallas we were able to talk the Dr's into spring me out of hospital today. Tomorrow at the Dallas Agility Working Group's trial I will run my darling Chinese Crested Diva for the last time - it wont be pretty, no one will be able to guess who's handling style I will use and I don't even know myself - just staying on my feet will be an achievement and to run with my very best friend and to be among friends will be enough to give me the energy I need to get through the day. ...

If you want to do anything for me pray that Diva and I can achieve a super Q, it is all we need to become ADCH together, but even if we don't get it - I know I am blessed to share what time I have with my dogs and my friends. Please wish Angela Lancaster all the very best with my dogs in the future, she is going from the cheesiest Yorkies to a couple of naked Cresteds and I know my dogs will continue to be well loved and respected and they will be in the agility ring again at some time to play. Many thanks for all your love and support over the years, I am indeed one of the lucky ones that get to say thanks in 'person' before my time.

Remember this weekend to enjoy your friends, dogs and should success come, enjoy and embrace it, if it doesn't never forgot the love of this game and the friendships we have forged. Thanks to everyone who helped me with my journey I sure do appreciate you all. Run Fast, Run Happy--Lis' Kristoff"

Lis did indeed run Diva that very weekend for her ADCH. That run can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zlhkMwppKw

Just yesterday, we got a message from one of Lis's friends. Diva was only leaving Lis's side for food and to go outside. And today, Lis' is gone. She passed away at 9:00 p.m. last night. Her positive voice will be missed.

When dogs get older

Viva is 10 1/2 now. She has arthritis in her feet. She has spondylosis (arthritis in her spine) which she's had for several years now. Some days she's a bit lame, even with glucosamine.

But she's also a tough old bird. She still chases Cala and plays growly-games with Zipper. She still gets steaming mad at me if I bring her to the training building then don't actually work her, because she thinks she should work. Most people who meet her have no idea she's over 10, though just this year she's starting to get a very few flecks of grey in her muzzle.

It's a sad fact that dogs age far more quickly than we do, and larger breed dogs faster still. Any Doberman who lives over 10 is considered to be older than the norm, and I do have a lot of hope that Viva will live several more years yet. But I'm also seeing some other old-age changes. One of them is that she doesn't always make it all night any more. No, she doesn't go in the house. Instead, she goes to the kitchen door and barks. Until I wake up. Now mind you, there's a dog door in the basement she could use. But she also now refuses to go down the basement stairs at night. She'll go during the day. She'll come back in the basement door and up the stairs when I let her out the kitchen door. But she's decided she's not going down those steps at night, I need to let her out. Her eyes are fine, she just doesn't want to do it.

And I've noticed something else this spring. She's starting to be more reactive to storms. It's an odd thing I've heard happening in older dogs, especially older Dobermans. Throughout her life Viva has always been bomb proof about storms. Doesn't even notice them. Sleeps through them. The only time she ever reacted was when we were about to get an extremely severe or tornadic storm. She'd be a bit restless until the wall cloud passed and the pressure dropped, then she'd be fine. I can't tell you how many times it's been hailing with 50+ mph winds and both of my dogs have been sacked out, dead to the world. But now Viva seems to be getting more sensitive to the storm's approach. This morning she was anxious and panting. I do think it's tied to pressure, and perhaps to the beginning of diminshed hearing.

You know what? I'm just thrilled that I have an older dog who is doing those old-dog things. My most long-lived Doberman prior to Viva died just a couple of months past his 10th birthday, and I've had Dobermans since 1982. I've owned, loved, and buried seven others during that time. None of them made it to 10. It's a fabulous breed that's unfortunately riddled with health issues.

I bless each and every day I have with my old dog. I'm sure that in coming days I'll have to make more adjustments for her. She'll become less flexible, both mentally and physically. It's a small price to pay for the things she has given me since she entered my life those years ago.

A sad, cautionary tale

Viva popped open the chute end by rearing up, which sometimes meant tangles. When possible, dogs should be trained to run low and straight through the chute fabric. Unfortunately Viva never learned that method, but she was never seriously tangled.

This morning I heard a very sad story on one of my agility lists about a young up and coming agility dog in the Dallas, TX area. It seems that these folks have agility equipment in their backyard, and let their two dogs out in the morning while they got ready for work. The following is reprinted with permission from the post.

"After some time, Sue went to bring the dogs in the house, but Mattie was gone. With help from neighbors, they scoured the area but couldn't find her. When they got back to the house, they noticed that the agility chute in the backyard looked funny. The fabric had been bunched up in the barrel. It was typical chute fabric, not a tarp. Sue found Mattie's body tangled up in the chute. She had gotten twisted tightly in the fabric and suffocated. They tried to do CPR, but it was too late."

What a terrible tragedy for all. And it reinforces my opinion that dogs should never, ever be allowed around or on agility equipment unsupervised. The potential for injury is very high. Not just from getting tangled in a chute, but dogs could get legs caught on teeters, have bad dogwalk falls, have a tire or fall on them. If you let two dogs out to play, what happens if one flies up the teeter to slam it down and the other one is standing underneath it? I used to be so afraid of that happening with my little dog that even when we let dogs play supervised in Kathy's agility field, I'd go tip the teeter over on its side.

In addition to accident and injury, allowing dogs to run around unsupervised doing equipment can end up really sabotaging your training. If your dog learns that running down the dogwalk and leaping to the ground from four feet up is fun, and he does it repeatedly when he's out playing, how successful are you going to be at teaching a stopped contact? If your dog's favorite place to view the world is standing dead still on the top of the aframe, how fast will his aframe be? Besides. Having unlimited access to equipment diminishes its value. Having unlimited access to equipment without the owner nearby fosters lack of respect for teamwork.

So please, please do not allow your dogs unfettered access to agility equipment. It's not a play gym. It's a game for our dogs to play with us, using teamwork and rules. Not something they should be doing by themselves. It's one of the several solid reasons we at CCSC do not allow non-agility students on agility equipment.

Fruit & Nuts: a new game from Jura & Ailsa

Those who know Jura know that his most favorite game is to drop an object (ball, soft toy, yogurt container, stick, what-ever-comes-to-mouth-if-none-of-the-above-are-available ) on the ground and to stand over it and stare at it until some obliging mammal with a hand picks it up and tosses it in any direction so that he can retrieve it and begin the cycle all over again.  Some of us are particularly obliging and indulge his silly habit indoors (particularly dangerous depending on object dimensions & direction of toss), outdoors in any weather.  With his propensity to re-injure his lower back this game was banned for the last 8-9 months.  

His journey to VetHab to remove his excess poundage and re-condition his body, though, has had an bonus benefit - he can play his game again (albeit the biped who feeds, trains & plays with him a) has to be more sensible about the limits on the game & b) he is to be warmed up BEFORE playing the game).  

I usually shower as one of the last of my morning activities which means the dogs are exercised, fed and have usually performed whatever morning training will occur on that day prior to my being able to attend to my needs.  They hang out in the vicinity of the bathroom and one is usually on guard lest I happen to go down the drain during this dangerous activity (Not bloody likely - but they have to check behind the curtain just to be sure). Sometimes one of them (Jura) gets bored and has taken to dropping a object into the tub.  I pick it up and toss it out, he catches it (more points for leaping up and snagging it before it hits the floor), and he repeats the cycle.

This morning the object was an artichoke from Planet dog - it is chewy, fits a springer mouth and has a very eccentric bounce.  Ailsa wanted in on this game but was summarily excluded.  So she went off and returned with the eggplant which is even more unusual in its ability to bounce.  Luckily, Jura was not interested in swapping objects as that can be very boring.  By the time she was playing the game, I had removed myself from the shower, was dressed and completing the teeth cleaning routine, but my job as tosser is usually not complete and it ended up that the eggplant was deposited in the now empty tub - great distress for Ailsa as she did not know how to get it.  At this point I was interested because she can jump objects higher than the rim of the tub (agility table, for example and even up on to the bed) but she had not generalized about the tub rim.  Jura had the artichoke in his mouth and dropped it and I tossed it into the tub (well on our way to making ratatouille).   He popped in, rejected the eggplant and fetched his artichoke and popped out.  She - being smart at watching the older guys - did the "Ah ha!" and popped into the tub and picked up her eggplant.  Interestingly, she could not easily jump out with the eggplant in her mouth so she dropped it out of the tub over the rim and then jumped out of the tub.  

While I completed the morning ritual she made a new game for herself - pick up eggplant, drop into tub, watch it roll around, when it stops, jump into batch tub, pick up eggplant, drop over rim, watch it roll around the floor, jump out of tub, repeat until Mother leaves the bathroom.  Baker, who usually presides over bathroom duty from the threshold, was sufficiently intrigued to sit up and watch from just inside the door (his job appears to monitor who is in and who is out of the bathroom).

We will see if the game exists beyond today - I will add pictures but we are off to CCSC for fun & games.

Ginger

Reciprocal Actions

Way back in January I told the story of how Ailsa (at just over 6 mo) had taught Baker (just shy of 7 years) how to use the new dog doors and how she had been imparting the wisdom she had learned from her Scottish Mum in helping Baker to "get a dog life".  Well there was an interesting interaction last week when the tables turned.

We (Ailsa, Baker, Jura - he's home!, and I) and Robin's crew (Cala, Viva, and Zipper) decided to let the dogs get their "yayas" out at Bradford on Wednesday after work before the weather changed back to that dismal rain and cold.  The 6 dogs had a super time running free, hunting up voles, eating corn cobs, and sitting in muddy puddles.  We started out down the lane, then cross country until we were south of the big lake.  Baker and Jura both raised their heads, smelling the water and took off like a shot - Robin and I laughed that it was the first certain sign of spring that the dogs knew they could go swimming.  

Indeed, as the rest of us came to the top of the rise we could see the two springer boys swimming in the lake.  Ailsa on seeing her house brothers ran down to the water and allowed herself to go in roughly to the point where she could float but also touch down her paws - about 3 feet off the edge and she was content.  The three emerged from the water, shook wildly and then trotted further along the edge past a dock that was added last summer.  Not thinking, I tossed a frisbee into the water causing not just Baker and Jura to leap in, but also Ailsa.  They moved rapidly out to the floating object without trouble, Jura got there first and the three turned back toward the shore.  Oddly enough it was at that point that it dawned on Ailsa that she was a good deal further than 3 feet from dry land and she began to flail.

When a dog panics in the water they start to do what is described as a "doggy paddle" and it is not fun to watch - the head and torso rise out of the water and their front paws slap at the water quite ineffectively.  Worse, they become like sticks with a minimal volume with which to float - usually the next thing that happens in that they tire and go straight down.  

Given that the worldly wise Ailsa is but a puppy and not practiced in the water and given that I do not want her worrying about water and swimming, I began to strategize about how I was going to get her out of the water, how cold it was, what clothing would need removing, how many towels were in the van, etc. etc.  My rapid planning was interrupted when I saw Baker. 

He had been just ahead and to her left when she panicked.  When she started to flail he looked back and then slowly turned in the water toward her.  When Baker swims it is with incredible ease - he always carries his back level and his head barely out of the water - looks more like a partially submerged submarine with a nice clean wake.  He drew along side her and slowed until his head was near hers, the picture of calm and confidence. When she caught sight of him it was amazing as she almost instantly quieted and sank back into the same position that he illustrated thereby making herself an excellent floating object.  

I swear that he was smiling as he escorted her ashore, quietly, efficiently, and, best of all, with huge confidence.  Once back, she rapidly removed herself and had a great big, terribly wet shake.  I thought that she would stay away from swimming again that trip, but no, a few 100 yards further along she was back in the water (YEA!) albeit very close to shore.  When we go out again today, I will be interested to see how they both approach the water.

I can not tell you how proud I was of Uncle Baker for sharing one of his strongest talents with Miss Ailsa.

Ginger

Dogs being dogs

Those of us who train and do dog sports with our dogs expect a lot of them. Our dogs are pets and beloved companions first and foremost. But they go far beyond that. Our dogs are athletes. We demand a tremendous amount from them both physically and mentally. Agility in particular requires both peak athletic effort and the ability to think and react very quickly to a huge number of human body and voice cues. Many agility dogs will turn left or right on a verbal alone, know to come tight to the handler when their hand drops to their side, know each obstacle by name and have the ability to pick which obstacle to take based purely on that. And these dogs are letting all that information click through their heads while running 30+ miles per hour around a tight little course.

Of course getting that end result means a lot of training beforehand. It usually takes performance dogs in any sport 1-2 years to get ready to show. There are hundreds and hundreds of training hours in every dog you see in the obedience ring or agility field. Most of us train several times a day in tiny spurts (heeling while the coffee brews, hand targeting while the bread's in the oven, finishes when the commercial is on), with more intensive training 3-4 times a week. Then, of course, we're also doing physical conditioning. Some people use the treadmill at the building. Others of us go on long hikes, or have the dogs carry a backpack or pull a cart.

On top of that, our working dogs are in the public a lot. We demand that they be good canine citizens in all they do. We give a lot of demos and of course show on public property. We can't have a dog that goes all wingnut if somebody wants to touch them or a dog gets too close.

If all this sounds like a lot for the dog, it is. However, our dogs love to work. Very few breeds of dogs actually do not like to get out there and exercise their brains and bodies. Just like people our dogs love having something to do. I'd venture to say that our working dogs are probably far happier and well adjusted than many dogs. I promise they're way better off than that poor dog hanging out on a chain or in a run in somebody's back yard, more lawn ornament than functioning, thinking canine.

But sometimes we dog trainers start feeling like over-ambitious soccer-mom types. Every waking moment of the dog's life to be managed, directed, groomed. And you know what? Sometimes dogs just need to be dogs.

Part of how we let our dogs be dogs is to take them to a safe area and let them run off leash. They hunt, they get muddy, they run. And run, and run, and run (hey, added bonus, physical conditioning!). But Zipper, who has been perforce raised in a big-dog world, also gets an occasional added bonus. Yesterday afternoon was such a day. It was warm enough that he could go back to his breeder's house where he was born, and be part of a Min Pin pack. He and his dam stayed all afternoon in a big fenced paddock, with his brother and various other relatives in the next paddock over. They ran around and sniffed and barked at each other and did Min Pin things.

Last night I took home a happy, tired, and self-satisfied little dog who got to spend time just being a little dog in a little dog world.