We split into teams again last night. Cash's first obstacle was the A frame where he was so wound up he only did a passable 2o2o with a half assed nose touch. I know the reason for the nose touch is to make sure the dog keeps their spine straight and for them to keep their weight back on the rear end and not jam their shoulders into the floor, but I am having a tough time getting him to do it with any consistency without using a target. I just have to keep trying the fade the target.
Our next area was a jump to a chute to a table. Jumping has NEVER been a problem but he hasn't seen too many full chutes and kind of got a little tangled up in it and then didn't want to enter it at all. It took all of our 2.5 minutes allocated to get him through it once.
The next area was four jumps in a square. SLS was still iffy at best and unfortunately he still has an idiot for a handler with two left feet. Fortunately Cash has a forgiving soul and managed to not only hold his SLS a couple of times but to recover from where I sent him to actually take the right jumps in order.
Our last area was also his best. Two sets of weave poles about 15 feet apart were set up to see if he could find the entrance. He loves weave poles and was consistent and fast at finding the entrance and driving through them to a thrown toy. I'm so fortunate to have such an enthusiastic partner in this endeavor. We'll keep working on consistency.
Based on last night, I'm thinking we won't be entering the agility trial on June 2/3 at NHS. But a good night at class with focus could change that thinking too.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
It's called flyBALL for a reason....
Cash and I attended flyball class this afternoon. There are only 3 (sometimes 4) dog/handler teams in our beginner class. Cash's appearance in this class came at the second lesson after our other toy poodle, Keegan, (that's him over there on the right) was rediagnosed with collapsing trachea and a heart murmur on the left side. Keegan had been to one class and showed promise as a flyball dog (he LOVES tennis balls) but after getting his latest health report I decided to retire him to the position of couch potato. He will be 9 years old on April 29th. He still beats the crap out of Cash in play whenever he feels like it (generally at least once a day) but I didn't want to stress him with the high intensity of flyball and send him to an early grave. Enter Cash who couldn't care less about tennis balls but has a ton of intensity, speed and focus. His flipturns on the box are to die for, but what good is a flyball dog if he won't grab the ball?? However he did a perfect 2o2o on the box this afternoon which got a laugh from Lyndsy, one of the instuctors who had been in a previous agility class with us. I don't know how long this flyball foray will continue, but we'll see if he gets the hang of it and enjoys it, we may take another class.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
A rescue tale
Last December our neighbor across the street, Billie, had to have her old Westie put to sleep. It was seldom I didn't see Billie walking Mitzi at least once a day through the neighborhood, and sometimes 3 and 4 times. Billie would sit out in a lawn chair in the shade next to her driveway with Mitzi at her side on most nice summer afternoons. Billie is in her mid 60's, retired and widowed and a nicer person you couldn't find. She has a beautiful covered deck on the back of her home with steps that lead down to a fenced yard.
A few weeks ago we got to talking and she said how she missed Mitzi and the companionship she gave Billie. I suggested a poodle. "Oh no," she said, "poodles are SO expensive, I couldn't afford one, although I love your guys." Truth be told, Billie would have sacrificed anything for Mitzi and I KNEW there was a poodle out there somewhere waiting for Billie.
I contacted Nebraska Poodle Rescue and spoke with Debbie. I had seen a page on their petfinders site with a 5 year old black toy spayed female, but they wanted her to go to a home with her 5 year old cream toy neutered male companion, and I didn't think Billie was up for getting two dogs at once. Debbie asked me if I had seen Mr. Teddy on their site. I had and wanted to hear his story. Apparently Teddy came to his present owner, Irene, from a Texas rescue about a year ago. Teddy is now approximately two years old. Irene was looking to place Teddy because of health issues she came down with recently. After showing Billie Teddy's picture and telling her his story, we called Irene and asked to come meet him last Friday (March 16th). When Irene brought Teddy out he was shaking like a leaf as he sat next to her on the couch. He is a pale cream, roughly 16" or 17" at the withers and about 20 lbs. After about 10 minutes Irene asked Billie to switch places with her. Within a few minutes Teddy had snuggled up to Billie with his head on her knee. Irene told us a couple of other people had visited to look at Teddy. One was a young woman who went to school full time and worked full time. Irene said no. Another couple with three young children came to see Teddy and again, based on his reaction to them, Irene said no. Irene told us she was looking for someone like her, who was home during the day and could give Teddy the love and attention he deserved. Another couple of hours and Teddy was in his crate in the back of my van and Billie and Irene were exchanging hugs and tears on Irene's driveway. When she offered Irene payment for Teddy, Irene told Billie, "No, you are the perfect forever home for him."
It's a week later now and Billie is head over heels in love with a poodle she never thought she could afford. There have been no accidents in the house and when Billie sits down to watch TV or read, Teddy is snuggled next to her leg. Teddy spent the first night quietly in his crate, but on Saturday night as Billie was getting ready to go to bed, he leaped on her bed with a look only a poodle can give, as if to say, "You know I think you made a wee mistake last night, putting me in that box. You didn't REALLY mean to do that, did you? I'm sure you meant for me to sleep right next to you, right?" And that's where he's slept since then. My small part in this whole scenario has given me such a great feeling and I feel it was fate that led Billie to Teddy.
A few weeks ago we got to talking and she said how she missed Mitzi and the companionship she gave Billie. I suggested a poodle. "Oh no," she said, "poodles are SO expensive, I couldn't afford one, although I love your guys." Truth be told, Billie would have sacrificed anything for Mitzi and I KNEW there was a poodle out there somewhere waiting for Billie.
I contacted Nebraska Poodle Rescue and spoke with Debbie. I had seen a page on their petfinders site with a 5 year old black toy spayed female, but they wanted her to go to a home with her 5 year old cream toy neutered male companion, and I didn't think Billie was up for getting two dogs at once. Debbie asked me if I had seen Mr. Teddy on their site. I had and wanted to hear his story. Apparently Teddy came to his present owner, Irene, from a Texas rescue about a year ago. Teddy is now approximately two years old. Irene was looking to place Teddy because of health issues she came down with recently. After showing Billie Teddy's picture and telling her his story, we called Irene and asked to come meet him last Friday (March 16th). When Irene brought Teddy out he was shaking like a leaf as he sat next to her on the couch. He is a pale cream, roughly 16" or 17" at the withers and about 20 lbs. After about 10 minutes Irene asked Billie to switch places with her. Within a few minutes Teddy had snuggled up to Billie with his head on her knee. Irene told us a couple of other people had visited to look at Teddy. One was a young woman who went to school full time and worked full time. Irene said no. Another couple with three young children came to see Teddy and again, based on his reaction to them, Irene said no. Irene told us she was looking for someone like her, who was home during the day and could give Teddy the love and attention he deserved. Another couple of hours and Teddy was in his crate in the back of my van and Billie and Irene were exchanging hugs and tears on Irene's driveway. When she offered Irene payment for Teddy, Irene told Billie, "No, you are the perfect forever home for him."
It's a week later now and Billie is head over heels in love with a poodle she never thought she could afford. There have been no accidents in the house and when Billie sits down to watch TV or read, Teddy is snuggled next to her leg. Teddy spent the first night quietly in his crate, but on Saturday night as Billie was getting ready to go to bed, he leaped on her bed with a look only a poodle can give, as if to say, "You know I think you made a wee mistake last night, putting me in that box. You didn't REALLY mean to do that, did you? I'm sure you meant for me to sleep right next to you, right?" And that's where he's slept since then. My small part in this whole scenario has given me such a great feeling and I feel it was fate that led Billie to Teddy.
I love you to death but you're making me crazy!
Last Wednesday (March 21) was the second class in this session of agility. We are working on contacts. Cash is pretty solid on 2on/2off on the stairs but seems to have a problem touching without using a target or my hand. He did well enough for my team instructor (Patty) to move him to the A frame. He held a solid 2o2o at the bottom only working 4 feet or so up onto the frame and then back to the bottom on one side. Christy had him try the dogwalk. He got across it nervously by being treated every second step but held 2o2o once he got to the other end and was much better coming back. Teeter was better than last week although he is suddenly uncomfortable with the motion. This was the nutcase that loved the buja board.... Sigh....
Start line stay is once again a problem. He just seems to become unfocused as the time at class lengthens. I have to keep reminding myself he's young, but feel we need to take a step back and work more on attention and focus on me at home. I was about ready to strangle him. I put him in a sit in front of a line of jumps and he's looking everywhere but at me and then decides to stand up. Put him back in a sit, wait for attention and focus on the first jump. Finally get it and we're off. Jumping has never been a problem, but this start line stay issue is starting to annoy me. Instructors are trying to be diplomatic (most of the time) about making sure I understand he has to hold a sit/stay at the line. I GET IT!!! Would you like me to velcro his ass to the floor??? Hmmmmm????
I have to admit there was ONE shining moment. Toward the end of the sequence there was a square of jumps set up and a tunnel at one end. I was to place him to start at the tunnel and then jump, front cross to another jump, jump, jump, with some complicated handling between jumps. The little shit held the SLS like I had had him cast in bronze! I mean HELD it for like, A MINUTE! Of course once I released him and he came flying through the tunnel to the jumps, I completely got confused with the jump pattern and became a total bumbling idiot. I think I was SO impressed with the SLS that I had a complete brain fart with the rest of the course. He so deserves a better handler.
Start line stay is once again a problem. He just seems to become unfocused as the time at class lengthens. I have to keep reminding myself he's young, but feel we need to take a step back and work more on attention and focus on me at home. I was about ready to strangle him. I put him in a sit in front of a line of jumps and he's looking everywhere but at me and then decides to stand up. Put him back in a sit, wait for attention and focus on the first jump. Finally get it and we're off. Jumping has never been a problem, but this start line stay issue is starting to annoy me. Instructors are trying to be diplomatic (most of the time) about making sure I understand he has to hold a sit/stay at the line. I GET IT!!! Would you like me to velcro his ass to the floor??? Hmmmmm????
I have to admit there was ONE shining moment. Toward the end of the sequence there was a square of jumps set up and a tunnel at one end. I was to place him to start at the tunnel and then jump, front cross to another jump, jump, jump, with some complicated handling between jumps. The little shit held the SLS like I had had him cast in bronze! I mean HELD it for like, A MINUTE! Of course once I released him and he came flying through the tunnel to the jumps, I completely got confused with the jump pattern and became a total bumbling idiot. I think I was SO impressed with the SLS that I had a complete brain fart with the rest of the course. He so deserves a better handler.
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