Boy has it been a long time since our last post!

Not that Robin has not tried to keep us on track but there never seems to be sufficient time. Since I wrote last all the puppies went to new homes except for 2, Aiden (the first born) and Cayla (the third born). Brynn (#2, female) now lives in Memphis, Dara (#4, female) lives in Texas and Flic (#5, female) is in Mississippi. The two puppies known as Elva (#6, female) and Gavin (#7, male) are now known as "Julia" and "Bentley" and having originally moved out to L.A. are both in Washington State being a "terrible twosome" like my Aiden & Cayla (in the picture Aiden is on the far left, Cayla is on the far right; the parents, Jura and Ailsa are curled in the middle).

I always tell students that you-should-never-have-two-puppies-from-the-same-litter as one is always told they will become more focussed on each other and not on the humans. Likely this is true BUT I must admit that Miss C & Master A can be quite happily focussed on humans - especially if they have something they deem worthwhile. In the case of Master Aiden, it is FOOD that is valuable; in the case of Miss Cayla, it is a good word & kind touch that she covets.

I was about to bemoan the lack of time to train and have to take back the thought. Yes, it is true that with 4 dogs one does not accomplish as many things as one would with one dog. Further, letting Ailsa have her litter and having them stay at home until they were 12 weeks old, meant that she missed out on a load of training and performance time but I have to realize that we did make headway this year.

Jura: the is going to be 8 in February and we completed his "companion dog" (CD) titles in both AKC and UKC in addition to his Rally Advanced (RA) and Excellent (RE) in AKC and his Rally level 2 in APDT (RL2). He started working Nosework and began dock diving so there are new activities in his life and we are working on his tracking, CDX and field activities.

Ailsa: is conquering her distrust of jumps (knocking bars can be uncomfortable) and is figuring out her style for weaving (2x2). She completed her UKC AG1 and got her first AKC novice legs. She too like throwing herself into the water and strutted her stuff in conformation to earn her UKC CH in 2 sets of shows. She also passed her CGC and we intend to see if she is ready for her therapy dog certification in January.

Aiden: Is SOOOO the adolescent male - gets himself into trouble with his pater, his mater and his sister on a regular basis but is such a boy. Raised his leg to pee for the first time on Christmas! Nonetheless, he has been training with Josh Freeman - together they took best of breed at the UKC Purina show resulting in a tie for 7th place ESS for 2010 (as of 12/28)! He passed his AKC S.T.A.R. puppy last spring and earned his APDT puppy rally title in November and his first leg towards his AKC RN so I can not complain.

Cayla: The sleeper :) She too was not to be outdone by Brynn or Aiden and passed her S.T.A.R. puppy. Where she excelled was in Dock diving - earned first place and her novice dock diving title at the UKC Gateway show when the others freaked out having a pool to jump in rather than a lake or pond. That same weekend she earned her UKC CH and her first Grand Champion leg so again, I can not complain.

I do try to bring the dogs up to the building and give each one session of undivided attention. Now I need to add in time with each for a walk in the neighborhood - all that we do requires teamwork and I need to focus on my team members rather than the "clutch". If I do that we might not be surprised by what the new year brings :)

Puppies?

It is official. Miss Ailsa is pregnant and I am nervous. She is pleased as "magic" happened last week - on confirming that she had puppies, her food amount went up from 2/3 c twice daily to 3/4 c.

That is one interesting lesson from the dogs: live in the present. They appear to have memory of good and bad - of actions that bring rewards and people who they do not like but they do not dwell in the past with gripes that they carry around with them and keep them up at night. Nor do they appear to worry about what will happen later today, tomorrow or next week. How delightful to take each moment in the moment. Every smell is new (not always ones I would like!) as is every action.

Right now Colin is visiting with his Mom, Kelcie, and he is parading through the living room with a toy he found in the dog room. To his delight, it has a hole in it already so he is festooning the living room with Kaypok. There is another toy (that I have not seen in months) that has been eviscerated and I see a minimum of seven (!) dead bones that have been carefully retrieved from the basket and brought out to the the living room.

His greatest desire is for his Mom, Kelcie & Ailsa to play but they are being contented snoozers on the sofa digesting breakfast (and cooking babies!). Now I need to bring out the MONSTER machine and clean up the decorations - much to his chagrin (the entertainment, though, is that everybody will be up and moving and he can BARK).

Ginger

What Rally can learn from Agility

[repost from The Pink Pin]

Rally was originally proposed as a mix between Obedience and Agility. But, most people will say, it really has almost nothing to do with agility. The only agility-like aspects of Rally are the numbered course and the fact that it's timed. Other than that, Rally is very firmly rooted in Obedience. The signs and their performance are all Obedience tasks.

Further, many Rally people have never done agility. They may be new to dog sport, or they may have done obedience or be taking obedience classes. But there is one fundamental way that Rally does relate to agility that many people simply don't think about.

In Obedience, a dog progresses from task to task, with a break in between. Heel on leash. Break. Figure 8. Break. Stand for exam. Break. Heel off leash. Break. Recall. In Obedience, the "between exercises" break time is when the handler can praise the dog, and the dog gets mental and physical time off, even if just for a few seconds. It can be a way to keep the dog relaxed. But it can also signal a mental disconnect, then the need to reconnect as the team moves on to the next segment.

In agility, there are no breaks. You start at the first jump and end at the last, and the rest of the course is a constant flow of multiple tasks. Even on the table, the dog is expected to hold attention and position. In agility, good handlers know to treat the course as a single piece. While novice agility handlers will occasionally handle each jump and obstacle separately, not thinking about the next thing down the line till they get there, that doesn't last long. You quickly learn in agility that if you are not planning two to three obstacles ahead you are not going to be setting an efficient line. And in agility there is certainly no time to stop and see what number you're on, figure out what you're supposed to do there, then do it. In agility, all of the obstacles are well known and trained ahead of time and the handler walks the course until he or she feels confident of what needs to happen to create an overall fluent, fast, efficient, smooth line.

The problem is, too many people treat Rally courses like Obedience with breaks. They heel to a sign, peer at it to make sure they know what it is, sort out the details in their head (reminding themselves that this is the call front with/without a halt, or the spiral with the dog INside), complete the sign, then heel to the next sign and do it all over again. They do not think ahead from one sign to the next, much less about how their speed and line exiting one sign may affect approach and performance of the next. They certainly don't think of the Rally course as a single unit, to be accomplished as one piece. As a result, we see a lot of slow, jerky, and/or hesitant performances. Doing Rally this way is handling piecemeal, and the score and time will reflect it.

In Rally, there are no breaks for praise. The team is supposed to start at the Start sign and keep going until the Finish sign. When you think of it that way, it becomes clear that Rally competitors need to walk and plan their Rally course as they would an agility course. Handling as a single line will produce a much smoother, faster run that is a lot more fun to do and to watch.

The first and perhaps most important thing is to know the Rally rules and signs before entering. Handlers should understand each sign at a glance and have the performance of each sign ingrained so they don't have to actually think about it, and can let their subconscious take over the task. This also means that the dog knows its job. Dog and handler confidence begets smoothness.

If you really know and understand the signs, then your walk through can be focused on pace and smoothness. Walk the course once to make sure you know where everything is and what follows what. Then walk the course with an eye to how the *next* sign affects your line on the sign you are currently performing. How will your exit from the call-front-finish-right carry you to the offset figure 8? How should you pace and angle your jump in order to have a smooth transition to that 270 right? Think ahead. What we learn in agility is that often, a mistake at a jump actually started three jumps prior with a poor cue or a bad line.

Finally, walk the course as many times you can as a complete flowing line. Concentrate on keeping your shoulders back and head up and striding out in a brisk, smooth pace. You have a destination. That destination is not the next sign, it's the finish line.

Like agility, Rally should be a dance between dog and handler moving as a cohesive whole throught the course. Walk and think of your Rally course as you would an agility course, and see how your performance improves.

Long time no speak

It is interesting how one can become silent when a goal is in sight. For me the goal has been to finish Jura's AKC championship. Some call the "CH" a beauty title, some call it certification to breed (as the dogs are supposed to be judged against their breed standards with the ultimate goal of judging fitness to breed - which is why the dogs must be reproductively intact) - in my case, more than anything else it was fulfillment of a promise.

First of all, Jura finished his CH in Santa Rosa California with me showing him to a British judge on August 20th. At a later date I will write about that experience (but I had to share the photo from the experience - that is GRASS that we are on - no wonder California can experience such nasty fires! It looks like a berber rug.)

Second let me go back to the promise.

Back in April of 2003 I travelled to Scotland to fetch a springer puppy from a breeder I had met some two years earlier.

Sometimes we have to wait for the things we want - Jura was worth waiting for!

At 10 weeks he was a ball of skin with huge paws, a beguiling face and loads of spots (ticking). And he looked REALLY different from the show springers in the US. Before I drove away with this "wee pup", the first of my breeders dogs to leave the country she asked me whether I was planning to show him in conformation. To be honest, the whole conformation world bothers me. The whys and wherefores can wait for a later time. I took one look at her face and I heard the tone in her voice and asked if it was something she wanted me to do (with a sinking feeling inside). She said, yes, that it would mean the world to her if the dog she was sharing with me and allowing to be taken so far from home were to be shown in the US and if he were to get his American Championship. I suspect I sighed audibly and I told her that she was giving me a tall order as the British bred Springers look very different from the Show Springers in the US and differences are not features that are favored in the dog world - that it would take finding judges who would judge the dog relative to the standard rather than relative to what they saw most often in the ring. I knew that my statements were not penetrating when I looked at her face. So I made the promise that I would show him and that I would try to finish his American CH.

Well his first show was as a puppy right before the English Springer Spaniel Specialty at Purina in September of 2003 and we were told that he looked like "an Import" (duh) and that I would never finish him. Uh Oh. Fighting words. His first point towards his CH did not come until December of 2005 when taken into the ring by a professional handler, Santiago Pinto. After periodically going on the road with Santiago, Jura "pointed out" by the end of 2007 (a dog must earn 15 points; of those wins at least 2 must be 3, 4, or 5 point "majors"; the number of dogs to be beaten to win 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 points is a function of the region in which the dog is shown and the history of breed entries in the past year). Santiago thought that Jura needed a better known handler to obtain his "majors" so Jura went on the road for 4 months with a well known Springer handler. The stay was short because it did not work out - they put weight on Jura trying to fill out that skin and all that happened was that he looked fat and different. I took him home, helped to get the weight off, recondition him and he forgave me for sending him away (thank goodness). We showed periodically but had trouble finding shows with sufficient entries to have a "major". Our first break came a year ago at the Kansas City Royal when Gloria Geringer gave us our first major (yea). You'd never know from the show photo that I was elated because I have a great frown on my face (concentration). Over the time hunting for those majors I had put the full 15 points on Jura without earning the CH. I saw that there was a set of shows in August in California that was slated to have 2 British, 1 Finnish, and 1 Australian judge. I thought OK, I will travel to CA and give it one last chance - he has his 15 points and I have given it my best, but it is time that Jura gets on with the rest of his life and performance career.

So August came, and my friend Patti, a repro vet from the Chicago area and co-owner of Jura's love child, Colin, and I loaded up 5 springers and drove to CA. It took 3 days on the way out - day 1 took us through KS and CO to Denver; Day 2 we went north to WY and crossed the salt flats of UT; Day 3 was NV down to CA. Colin showed first on the Thursday with Patti and he was the puppy through & through having a blast in the ring - maybe 3 steps with 4 paws on the ground but who cares! He got a blue ribbon :) Patti's tri-color Springer and Jura were in the open class and when we took first I found myself holding my breath. We stayed in the ring for winner's dog and I really only remember the judge pointing to us and while I knew it was that we had won, I dared not think positively! Even taking the picture did not make it sink in; nor did the next 3 days of shows.

Only when I was entering Jura in agility at the ESS National and going to the AKC website to get his registration number did I get the thing that made me smile: on his data page it said CH Berkenbar Bysanze RN NA NAJ. It was official. The results had been tallied and the second major was acknowledged. We had done it with a win under a British judge, Mr. Robert Jackson. I fulfilled my promise.

My breeder was indeed over the moon, she now has a dog of her breeding that has finished in the US. In fact, the unofficial count is that Jura is the 7th full import dog to finish his CH in the US - and more amazingly, I, a novice conformation person, was there at the end of the leash when he won his majors. When the show photo comes, I'll share (see above- kept another promise :) ).

In the meantime, Jura seems to know that his show career has wound down. We will show at the Springer Spaniel Specialty again at Purina on Saturday in the Best of Winners Class as a finished champion. We won't win, we will still look very different from the other show dogs, but he is still an English Springer Spaniel and a finished dog even though he "looks like an import" (duh).

Mandatory Spay Neuter. Is it a good idea?

A mandatory spay/neuter could force sterilization of dogs like my Zipper, Ch Regatta It's About Time, OA, AXJ, RS-O, JS-O, UAg1. Zipper is the #5 agility Min Pin in the country.

Columbia's Board of Health, along with the Central Missouri Humane Society, are contemplating passing an ordinance which would require all pets in Columbia to be spayed or neutered.

It sounds good on the surface. We have, according to CMHS and the , a pet overpopulation problem. We need to take care of that problem. If everyone would just spay/neuter, the problem would go away, right? No new dogs and cats being born would mean much less burden on Animal Control and CMHS. The sun would shine, and the birds would sing. All would be right in Columbia.

Or would it?

The first and most important question to ask when contemplating a new law is, will it work? Addendums to that question include, how would it be paid for, who, if anyone, would be harmed, who would benefit, and how would it affect the local economy?

Unfortunately, a mandatory spay/neuter law would not work, which is why similar moves by other municipalities all over the U.S. have failed. Why wouldn't it work? Oh let us count the ways.

First, its totally unenforceable. There is no way to ensure that every pet in Columbia is altered. Inspectors would have to go from house to house on a search. And if it's tied into licensing, that won't work either. People simply will not license their dogs. If people who don't want to spay/neuter know that if they go to the vet they'll be required to do so, they will not go to the vet. Thus more animals will become sick and not get treatment and even more will remain unaltered.

There's no way to pay for it. The costs for such a program would far outstrip any license fees gained, because, see above, compliance with licensing would falter. Of course draconian fees could be instituted for those who wish their animals to remain intact, but that too discourages participation. Even worse, it punishes responsible breeders and forces those of us who DO take care of our dogs to pay for the idiots who don't.

A moment to discuss responsible breeders. Responsible breeders are dog lovers who have a hobby, usually showing dogs and also occasionally breeding. Most breed very few litters (I've bred a whopping two litters since I got my first Doberman in 1981). No responsible breeder ever breeds for money. Responsible breeders have a deep passionate admiration for their breed or breeds, and when they do decide to whelp a litter it's always with the mandate of improving the gene pool of the breed as a whole. It's never, ever for money. Responsible breeders have long waiting lists for puppies. Responsible breeders do not have dogs that end up in shelters, because responsible breeders are willing to take back any dog they have produced, at any time, for any reason, no question asked. We want to know *exactly* what happens to each and every life we produce and we are dead serious about it.

Responsible breeders do genetic health tests on their dogs prior to breeding. They show their dogs to ensure they have correct temperament and structure. It's a hobby. And just like Golf or Fishing, you throw money at it. You rarely if ever get money back. Most responsible breeders are far from wealthy. Finally and perhaps most importantly, responsible breeders are just as concerned as anyone else about the problem of unwanted dogs, and a huge majority of them are involved in rescue in some way or another.

Okay, back to why this won't work. On top of not being enforceable and being very expensive you just can't legislate morality. The idiots down the road from me breeding their pit bulls every six months are not going to obey some law. They're going to keep breeding.

And let's talk economic impact. Columbia holds a large conformation dog show as well as several agility trials each year. Mandatory Spay/Neuter could force relocation of those events, which have a multi-million dollar impact on the Columbia economy. It would also hurt dog training businesses such as CCSC who train dogs for show as well as pet companions.

And the question is, what is the problem in Columbia? Is it truly that there are too many pets and too few homes? Or is it that irresponsible owners are not properly taking care of and training their pets? Is it that too many owners think of their pets as disposable commodities, to be discarded at the first hint of inconvenience? I don't have any numbers (and would be glad to see any) but I bet that the number of actual puppy litters turned in to CMHS is fairly small. I bet most dogs turned into CMHS are adolescents to old age. Which means they HAD A HOME. But that home dumped them. If that's true, then it's not that there are too few homes. It's that there are too few responsible homes. And mandatory spay/neuter, even if it worked, would not even begin to address that issue.

So what is the solution? I think it's three-fold.

First, the city should work together with the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital to offer free spay/neuter clinics. Not low-cost, free. No questions asked. To pay for it, grants could be applied for and licensing fees could go up a moderate amount (perhaps $2 or $3).

Second, the city should use the internet and other dissemination that's free or very low cost to launch a publicity campaign to help inform the community and encourage participation.

Third, the city and CMHS should work proactively with training centers like CCSC to offer discounted training opportunities for people with pets. A dog that is trained is far less likely to be given up than a dog who is untrained. Many owners give up their dogs because they simply do not have the tools they need to deal with behaviors they don't want.

Positive proactive action will get results. Punitive laws with no teeth and no chance of effectiveness will not.

AKC to accept Mixed Breeds in 2010

The great news of the week is that starting in April 2010, the AKC will allow mixed breeds to participate in Agility, Obedience, and Rally. This is a tremendous opportunity for Mixed Breed owners and their dogs.

While there are a number of other organizations that allow mixes in agility, including UKC, USDAA, ASCA, NADAC, CPE, and DOCNA, not all of them are available locally. And even the ones who are seen locally are not numerous. In Columbia, each year we have one UKC trial, two ASCA trials and (starting this June) USDAA. You can find more opportunities in Kansas City and St. Louis, but still not that many per year, maybe a total of 10-15 trials for all those venues combined. In contrast, There are many AKC trials available. Not just the two in Columbia, but many in Kansas City, Lawrence Kansas, St. Louis, etc.

For owners of mixed breeds wishing to do Obedience or Rally, the change is even more striking. They will go from having perhaps one or two opportunities per year in a 100 miles radius to many.

AKC's new program will be a particular boon to our local 4H kids, many of whom have mixes. I'm super-excited about the new program and can't wait for it to start!

Do a demo for us!

My van, fully loaded. There are two Dobermans and a Min Pin under there, and you can't even see the other tunnel...

Now that it's out of the van, it looks a bit more organized.

Ginger takes a break in a lull between crowds.

Jura goes after a thrown toy as a reward.

Vegas, Mr. Suave and Persuasive. Do you have a treat for me? I am starving you know.

"Come do a demo for us" they say. "It's for a great cause, and you'll get a lot of exposure."

And they're right of course. It is always for a great cause, and it is super exposure for our training center. And we enjoy doing them. So we usually do at least two or three a year, and yet we also turn down several others each year. Why?

Because holy beejeebus, it's a crapload of work.

Today, we had a demo at the MU Veterinary Teaching Hospital Open House. We were set for three performances of 10-15 minutes each at 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30. For this Open House, we spent several hours copying brochures and locating our other paperwork (enrollment forms, business cards, the form for our new summer camp for kids, etc). Then we went to the training center last night and pulled two sets of 6 weave poles, 8 metal 4' solid-base jumps, two 15' tunnels, 8 tunnel weights, poles and bars, 20 sets of ring gates, feet to go on the ring gates so they'd stand up, the CCSC sign (digging frantically in the closet to find the darn thing), one of our exercise balls, rally signs and stands, cones, and chairs. I also made sure we had sun screen, paperclips and clipboards. For the dogs I had treats and their training bags, but that stays pretty prepped.

Then this morning we had to load it all. Two other people had already loaded the gates, rally stuff, and paperwork. I arrived at our building before 8:00 a.m. and loaded the two tunnels, weights, four of the metal jumps, all of the jump bars and both sets of weave poles. All on top of three dogs. I found I couldn't fit the rest of the metal jumps in, so instead went and pulled four more jumps, our freestanding wing jumps.

Off to breakfast, then we arrived at the site at 9:30. After some confusion about where we actually were supposed to be, we now had to unload everything and set up our rings. We started setting ring gates only to find that one Bachelor's Degree (me) and one PhD (Ginger) can't count for snot. We needed 26 sets of ring gates for the size rings we wanted, not 20. But having learned the hard way that at demos you always gate everything, we made our rings smaller instead of leaving gates out. If you don't gate everything, people try to drag their dogs through tunnels and over jumps willy-nilly, willing or not. Since we don't like to see dogs traumatized for life by well-meaning but naive owners, we gate. Today we also had to deal with high winds, so we ended up using tracking stakes from Steve and Jamie's van to help hold things down.

So after almost another hour of setup, we were finally ready for our first demo. And that's always the fun part. Talking to people, especially kids, about a sport I love to do, one that is accessible to all dogs of all sizes, shapes, and types, is great. The crowds were wonderful, the kids asked funny and perceptive questions. We were a bit shorthanded this demo, with Andrea in Omaha and Kathy in Wichita. Steve and Jamie had a dog, and I worked all three of mine, even 11 1/2 year old Viva. Ginger worked both her adult Springers and the 3 month old puppy had a great time with the crowd. Liz showed up with Standard Schnauzer Vegas and he demonstrated the exercise ball. We talked and explained until my voice was pretty much gone.

Our dogs were, I have to say, amazing. They worked the rings and the crowds, allowed innumerable hands to pet them and lots of chirping children's voices over their heads. Viva, the old Dobe, is a pro at this stuff, but Zipper the Min Pin is still young and I was just so thrilled with his attitude and patience. Ditto the Springers, the Weim Faith who was pretty much always mobbed, and Vegas too.

Finally we were finished with demos, but not at all finished with our day. We had vet student help to break things down, but we still had to repack the cars, then haul it all back to the building, take it all out and put it back. Even though our last show was at 12:30, it was almost 2:30 before I and the dogs finally arrived home. Where they promptly crashed into sound sleeps, exhausted by their day.

We do love to do demos, but now perhaps people may understand why we just don't do that many...

(originally posted at http://www.pinkpin.blogspot.com)

A New Venture at CCSC

Summer is coming (hard to believe on days like this!) and kids will be out of school and fancy free So, some of our instructors have agreed to organize a Kid's and K9s camp.

Your thoughts and suggestions would be welcome as we work out the details.  Here are the basics:

-1 week in length per session.

-Mornings (cooler temperature, more active dogs & kids)

-Several activities each day (craft/projects interspersed with basic training & play)

-Children entering 1st grade to 5th (?)

-Basically well behaved dogs (and kids!)

-Small groups of Children & dogs per instructor

Here are questions we are working on: what dates? Just before the summer session in the Columbia schools begins? Not in August?  Evening events geared toward kids, dogs & families?  Half day activities on weekends that are focussed on 1 or 2 things?

You may answer to this blog or to the CCSC website (www.columbiak9sportscenter.com )

Thanks,

Ginger

Oh Good grief, where does the time go?

You would think I would be incredibly rich if I had one penny for every good intention to get back to the CCSC blog - I won't add Kathy & Andrea's pennies!  WE could own the entire building by now.

Lets just say that like everyone else there has been too much going on with too little time.

What's new?  

Lots - lots of new classes and new activities over at the center and good people who have been writing stories about us in the local press - and some new ones to come - and

new dogs - --

Since I last got around to telling anybody anything, Jura became a Dad - he was a "back yard breeder" no less and sired a singleton B&W baby whom we have called "Colin".  Colin is now 12 weeks old and just passed the new AKC S.T.A.R. puppy class last week so like it or not, he is on his way.  His co-owner is a Veterinarian who also has springers (including Colin's Mum, Kelcie) who lives in the Chicago area and specializes in reproductive medicine - so bringing Colin into this world with Kelcie as a Mum was well within her area of expertise.

The picture you see of Colin is on the back of Jura - who has turned out to be a great Dad and Miss Ailsa has turned out to be a really good Auntie (and Governess - she lets no bad behaviors go by).

Orientation is on Wednesday evening at 6:30 and there are SATURDAY classes now!

More to come - I promise.

Ginger

Liz Hansen featured in Trib

It's Westminster weekend! That means dogs from all over the country head to Madison Square Garden, and I sit glued to the couch all night Monday and Tuesday night Feb 9 and 10.

Liz Hansen, a local who is attending, has been featured in the Columbia Tribune!

And don't forget the Show Me Canines UKC trial this weekend. Show Me will have obedience, rally, and agility. Come watch, or if you'd like to help contact Kathy.

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.