Running With Dogs

Abby, Abby, Abby. . . Why? Why? Why?

2011-11-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think back to the day I brought Abby home and wonder what my life would've been like if I made a different decision. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about that because I have so much else to worry about with Abby actually being here. Now that Abby is finally past the majority of the behavioral issues, she has decided to start experimenting with medical issues. For a recap of some of Abby's medical issues, you can read here, or here, or here, or here, or here, or here. And while looking for those I realized that there have been a few other things that haven't been blogged about - probably because they stress me out too much to think about.

This latest medical adventure is a do-over of sorts. Abby didn't give me enough stress with the first tumor we found in her mouth, so she decided to grow a second one. I was less than thrilled. This one was at least a bit easier to remove as it was in the front of her mouth where she no longer has any teeth. A few minutes with a laser and she looks as good as new.

Or at least as good as any 7 year old over-bred dog can look. Poor Abby looks so silly as she recovers! In general she seems to be doing much better this time after surgery. Her personality seems to be intact, although she is a bit more whinny and demanding. She doesn't seem to be having the same side effects from the drugs that she had last time either. Abby is still eating this time too - a great sign considering how long she was on her hunger strike the last time. She doesn't seem to be in much pain and I think that in another few days we can stop the pain meds all together.

Thinking about all the medical issues that Abby has faced, and will continue to face as she gets older, makes me even more thankful for the fun times that we share. Two days before her surgery, Abby was in another agility fun match. She can't do as much because her back and elbows bother her, but she still looks like she is enjoying herself. And at the end of the video, when she is looking up at me with that tail wag, I think back to the day I brought her home and know I am so lucky that I am allowed to share my life with such a wonderful dog.

Almost Like Having No Dogs At All

2011-10-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

Going from four dogs back down to three makes it seem like I don't have any dogs at all. I've had four dogs on and off for the past three years and sniper was by far the most challenging one. Not that he was a difficult dog, but he was 80 pounds and young and energetic. He is the antithesis to my other ones. Even though he got along great with the kids, I still had to keep an eye on them for safety reasons. And he needed different amounts of exercise and training. For the past 6 months my life revolved entirely around him and the kids. And with him gone and I only have the three old, sluggish, grumps I suddenly have a ton of free time to do some of the things that I've wanted to do for a while. I'm getting out for dinner with friends and I'm able to go to the movies mid-day. I've recently re-learned how to ride a bike. I can make plans without worrying how me being away will affect the group. Don't get me wrong, my kids are still pretty demanding. They need walks and lots of potty breaks. They need individual lap time and they can only handle being alone for 4 hours at most. But those four hours are worry-free and relaxing. I really miss sniper and have been seeing him every chance I get, but it's nice having a calm and quiet household again. The dogs seem to like it too.

What I did on my summer vacation

2011-10-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that the summer is over . . . and even harder to think about what that means for me and my little family. With the return of the cold nights comes the return of a very good friend - Sniper's dad. Pretty soon my boy is going to leave me.

These past few months have been filled with classes and hikes and training opportunities and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I've especially enjoyed the companionship that comes from having a dog that can actually do what I want to do. Not that I love him more than my own kids, but it's different. He has given me the freedom to pursue some of my passions in a way that I haven't been able to do before. He is always a willing participant in anything that I've want to do and has opened my eyes to some things that I didn't even know about it before this. He has expanded my training skills and has taught me a lot about relationships and what it means to be in a one with a stable working companion. I have learned more in these past few months living with him that I have in the years that I've been training.

Here are some of the highlights:

You can have fun while you work, and you can work while you have fun.

Relationships are 100/100 and if I slack off, so will my dog

You don't have to yell at your dog to get your point across, sometimes a quiet voice is all that it takes.

Teaching your dog what you want him to do is far easier than teaching him not to do everything else.

Manners are important, but not everyone is worth a fight. Sometimes it's best to let certain things go.

It's ok to correct your dog as long as it doesn't affect your relationship

Positive based training doesn't mean cookies and toys - it's about the positive attitude that you and your dog have while doing the training.

A tired dog is much easier to live with

Even crazy, working-bred teenage boy Mals still need a cuddle from mom

Dogs need time off to let loose and blow off steam.

Dogs really do have a sense of humor.

Officially Diagnosed!

2011-09-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

I picked sniper up Sunday afternoon from the kennel and he immediately hopped into the car through the open window. At first I thought it was cute and that he really wanted to go home but once we got home it was obvious that something was wrong with him. The right side of his face looked "lopsided". I emailed the kennel thinking that maybe he got stung by a bee, and they confirmed that there were wasps near by. I gave him a benadryl and hoped that he would sleep it off.

This morning, it was obvious that something more was wrong. The entire right side of his face looks like it "fell off". He seriously looks like he has Bells Palsy. I took him into the vet and he immediately said "your dog has neurological issues" I wanted to say "Duh! he is a Malinois!" but I knew what he meant and was slightly glad to hear it wasn't just me imagining things. We checked everything over carefully just to make sure that it wasn't an inner ear problem or something else. We found nothing other than the obvious. The vet thinks that he probably ran his face into the kennel door or something. He said that it should take about a week or so to heal.

His ear is the only really obvious thing in this photo, but if you look closely, you can see his eye too. The drooping continues down his face and affects his lips too. He is acting completely normal other than the excessive drooling. He is having a hard time catching a ball and biting down for a game of tug, but he doesn't really seem bothered by any of it.

I hate to say this, but he looks absolutely adorable all droopy! It's hard to imagine that this makes him even more lovable than he already is! Finally his outside appearance matches his goofy personality!

Dogs, Shmogs. . . I Have A NEW Best Friend

2011-09-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

I am currently living with FOUR dogs. And between the muddy paws, the vomiting (always, and only, in the middle of the night) the long-term housebreaking issues, and the never ending supply of hair, things can get pretty gross around here. I try very hard to sweep and vacuum and do laundry as much as possible, but sometimes it's still not enough. I've had the carpets professionally cleaned a few times, but it's really expensive and, honestly, I need to do it more than I actually have it done. For awhile I've been wanting my own deep cleaning upright, but they are also a bit expensive. Luckily, it's my birthday, and I used all that birthday dough for a Bissell!!!!

It's one of those "steam cleaning" machines - easy to assemble and easy to use. It's a total pain to clean it when you're done, but still completely worth it! You can move as much furniture out as you want, but you don't have to feel guilty if you don't move all of it out because you aren't paying for someone's time and labor. Also, you don't have some creepy guy coming into your house, scaring your dogs, and giving you dirty looks for all the hair you didn't vacuum up before he got there.

The cleaning itself took about 30 minutes and the carpet looks great. I think it smells better in here too, but my allergies are terrible with 4 dogs, so I can't smell much. The carpet is still a bit damp, so I have towels all over the floor to absorb the excess water. I am super happy that I finally took the plunge and got one of these things!

What Wouldn't You Do For A Dog With A Face Like This?

2011-09-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of sniper hanging in the new office. He loves the new office configuration because he can lay at my feet without getting yelled out for pulling out the computer wires. Poor boy just wants to be close to me. . .

I did something today for this dog that I thought I would never do. I grabbed a wasp with my bare fingers. It was 6:30 in the morning, and I hadn't had any coffee yet, so that might've had something to do with my poor judgement. . .but when your dog is jumping around frantically trying to bite himself, you do everything you can to make it better. And in this case, he was being stung repeatedly by a wasp - probably trying to protect it's hive from his giant nose!

Our normal hiking trail is undergoing Trail Restoration; which means that many of the trees are getting cut back and the trail itself is being widened and the damage from the mountain bikes is getting fixed. Up till today, it seemed like a great idea. We've had more room to play on the trails because I can see farther ahead and the ground is flat, so there is no worry about sprained ankles. Sniper's favorite thing about all this work is the tractors at that trail head that he gets to pee on! But all this work has also damaged some of the homes of the creatures that live there. We haven't seen a squirrel, a rabbit, or a deer since it started. I'm sure they'll come back once it quiets down, but for now, they are no where to be seen. I can also assume that when they cut back the trees that some of the insects also had their homes destroyed. In this case, there was a wasps' nest broken on the side (didn't see it until after he was stung). I'm sure sniper just wanted to check it out, but that was a bad decision on his part. And wasps are the worst of the stinging creatures because they can sting repeatedly without loosing their stingers. I really had no choice but to grab it and squish it. . .luckily my brain is a bit foggy in the mornings otherwise I might've thought twice about grabbing it.

Because I'm such a weirdo about my dogs, I always have a pet first aid kit handy and I had plenty of benadryl on hand to give him. He seems to be going fine, and is resting comfortably. He has a few small lumps on his side and his leg, but they aren't getting any bigger and his face isn't swelling and his breathing is good. I'll keep an eye on him for awhile and might give him more benadryl later - if only to keep him calm so I can finally relax!

Photos In Response to Forum

2011-08-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

My anger has subsided some from this morning's posts, so in all fun, here is photographic proof that Malinois are difficult to live with.

First, here is what a "normal" dog does on a day off:

And this is what a crazy mal with a screw loose does on his day off:

While one dog is happy to sleep away the day, the other is just waiting for his command to attack a man.

As far as those pit bulls go, here is one after he has eaten his owner and taken over her bed.

Why I Stay Away From Dog Forums

2011-08-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my life when I trolled dog forums. As someone who loves dog, who works with dogs, and who really, really wanted a working dog I wanted to get connected to the community. But when it became evident that it would be years before I could have my working dog, I started trolling dog forums of the breeds I did have. One thing I learned from all that trolling is that dog people are always right - even if they disagree with each other, they are both right. There is an old saying in the dog community that the only thing two dog trainers can agree on is that the third one is doing it wrong. That has been a motto of mine for years as I've slipped in and out of various dog communities and have heard many different opinions about dogs and dog training.

Recently on a breed specific forum there was a some talk about Malinois and how they are "special" dogs and how they are impossible to live with. Once some Mal owners posted proof that you can live with these dogs, people then started saying that the Mal owners who responded were "good owners" and they "got lucky" with a good dog - but that MOST Mals were crazy and reactive and "has a screw loose". The really sad thing is that what they are saying about Mals is exactly what most people are saying about the breed that they choose to live with - the Pill Bull.

In some cities pit bulls are euthanized simply because of the breed. I work in rescue and more often than not, I hear stories about pit bulls "going crazy" and "killing their owners". I hear people say "you just can't trust them" and "those dogs will turn on you". Is any of that true? Sure, some times it is true. But sometimes it is media hype and lack of education. It really frustrates me when people who live with those kinds of reactions can propagate them with another breed.

I've lived with a Mal for 4 months. Sure, he is a well trained dog, but he is also a recently neutered male and just over 2 years old. There are plenty of times when I have to correct him for naughty behavior. There are times when he gets frustrated and makes bad decisions. I've had to correct him for growling at a dog, for barking at strangers and for chasing cats. Does this make him a bad dog? No. I live with 2 chihuahuas that I have had to correct for the exact same behavior. Malinois are dogs - they make the same decisions that all dogs make - both good and bad. The one thing about Mals that I think makes them better than many breeds is their respect for their owners. They have an overwhelming desire to please and will do whatever you ask simply because you ask. This is why they are used as police/military dogs. They will run at a perpetrator that is actively shooting at them and will bite and hold until the owner releases them. You won't catch many other breeds doing that.

Sure there are bad Mals. Sure that are some good Mals that live with bad owners. Sure there are bad mals that live with great owners. But I don't think that there is an overwhelming number of any of those situations. Mals are dogs - they are high energy, drivey, dogs that need a lot of exercise, a lot of training, and a lot of structure. They are not dogs that the general public should own - but I think that is true of most breeds (including pit bulls and chihuahuas). Dogs have been bred for thousands of years to do very specific jobs. But it has only been more recently that we have asked these dogs to do something other than what they have been bred to do - and it has only been more recently that we have gotten into such trouble and have needed to re-home our dogs because that border collie pup just won't stop herding the children. Grow up people!

Computers are Taking Over the World

2011-08-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful blog post planned after I spent a week with the kids at grandma's house while she was away. During our stay, the kids had run of the house and the yard and thoroughly enjoyed their time having so much more freedom. I took this opportunity to take some really great photos of my kids doing what they love most - hanging out all together in the sun and rolling around on the grass. Everyone was so happy with all the space - I even caught mole playing with sniper once! He will never admit it, but I saw it!

I had a great time relaxing, playing ball, training in a yard, and snapping photos of my kid's happy smiling faces. I took THE MOST AMAZING PHOTO EVER of mole laying next to sniper in the grass -both with their tongues out and eyes half closed from exhaustion. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime photos that everyone dreams about. I kept looking at it in the view finder trying to be patient so I could get home and upload it onto the computer. I took some beautiful photos of Abby standing still - she has such pretty lines when she stands still and I have very few photos of her doing so. Pocket was being a diva most of the week and never came out to pose for the camera.

I got home not too long ago and the first thing I did was grab the card from the camera and put it into the reader in my computer. What is the first thing my computer did? It deleted ALL the photos I took over the week. It said the drive wasn't formatted properly and then deleted everything so it could fix it! It didn't ask me if I wanted it fixed! It just took it upon itself and "fixed" it for me! I pulled the card out and put it back into the camera to see if everything was really gone. . . and sure enough. . . it's all gone. All those wonderful, once in a lifetime photos are gone. I'm so frustrated and annoyed.

I never believed it before, but I truly believe that computers are going to take over the world now. They are going to start making decisions without asking us and we are going to be completely helpless because we use them for everything now.

I'm so sad!

Laughable

2011-07-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

I totally love this dog, but I can't help but laugh when I see this

Dave Mills did a wonderful job shooting him last weekend, but Sniper just isn't as graceful as Abby is when she jumps. He tries so hard to be a good dog, and he is, but he is still a big galoof most of the time. Here are some other photos from Dave last weekend

You can tell he really wants to go, go go!

He takes off running much like a swimmer - one giant leap and he is off!

I really should stop making this dog do agility. You can see how miserable he is

Abby Update

2011-07-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

It's been crazy over here with FOUR dogs and work, and it's been quite awhile since I've given an Abby update:

Abby seems to be slowing down a bit and hasn't seemed to really enjoy classes or run thrus or trials as much as she once did. She isn't demanding that I train her or walk her or give her food right this second. I think that some of this can be attributed to age and the general slowing of her body, but some of it has to do with what we are learning and how we are training

Abby is only 7 years old, but she is an old seven. She has arthritis in her elbows and hips, and she has degeneration in her spine. I see her having a harder time sitting or getting up after a nap. She naps more and more. Abby is still trying to recover after her surgery over two weeks ago. She led a hard life before she came to me and I know that our time together is going to be shorter than I will like because her body isn't going to last as long I hope.

Abby doesn't seem to enjoy training as much because what we are learning is SO BORING! Actually, it's not boring to me, but it is boring to Abby because she already knows it. Abby already knows sit and down and stay and come and get in. What we spend most of our time learning is doing it better and faster and with more precision. Abby doesn't do well with drilling and she really doesn't do well with being *wrong*, so this type of training isn't only stressful, but is also not FUN for her. Also, some of what we are working on is down right uncomfortable for her as a huge part of our training involves distance work and stays - AND putting something in her mouth!

I've been contemplating taking Abby out of classes for awhile, but then Sniper came into our lives and since he needs to work, it made sense to keep Abby in classes awhile longer. She seems to enjoy our one-on-one time and she LOVES the cookies, so why not keep at it for a bit and see if things turn around with some more time and more cookies.

In the mean time, Abby attended an agility fun match and did a jumpers run! Abby loves to jump and had a blast when she was out there. She did longer sequences than I planned because she was having such a great time and was actually DRIVING to the jumps! After about 15 or so jumps, Abby decided that she was done, and that was ok with me. I was so happy to see that after over a year and a half of not training in agility, she took to it like she had never had the time off. I can't help but think that if I had only gotten her a few years earlier, she would have done really well in this sport - or at least would've had a ton of fun! Unfortunately I did not get any videos of her as all my friends were running their large dogs on a different course; but Dave Mills got some amazing photos of her!

Fun Match with Giant Brownish-Red Dog

2011-07-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

If the title doesn't make sense to you, it's because you've never lived with a red-headed dog. And if you, like me, have said you will NEVER own a red-head but end up living with one anyway, you will understand the title completely! For the rest of you out there. . . I hope you never have the "joy" of living with a red-head!

Sniper had his first fun match today and he was A-mazing! Not only was this a new environment with new people and new dogs, but this is also a very new sport to him. He has only been doing this for about two months! I entered him in two jumpers runs because his contacts aren't solid enough for a standard run and his teeter is practically non-existent at this point. He is weaving, but we are still training and I don't want to push him on 12 poles. My main goal for today was to have fun and to tire him out! I think that we succeeded on both accounts.

Here are two videos of sniper's jumper's runs. I only worked a few jumps in sequence choosing to reward frequently. Looking back, I probably could have pushed him a bit more, but I'd rather over reward and have fun then under reward and get mistakes later on. He knocked a few bars and it's pretty clear that most of those are my fault as I stopped short or called him mid-jump. There was one jump that he didn't end up taking that I didn't notice until I actually saw the video and while I think I set him up properly for it, I think that we don't have enough lateral distance for him to have taken the jump. This dog watches my body movements like a hawk and I'm still learning to adjust for that.

Abby ran in a jumper's run too, but unfortunately it want's caught on video. I'm hoping that we got some photos; but I'll blog about that soon enough.

He Weaves!

2011-07-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Agility with a giant dog is very different than agility a small dog. Besides the size difference, training sniper in agility is very different than training Abby. Sniper is bouncy and energetic and always ready to play and is not afraid of anything. Training Abby was very slow going and we took everything piece by piece. It took me forever to teach Abby to go through a tunnel and she had to learn that she was supposed to jump over every jump she saw. But she picked up on weaving pretty quickly. I think that part of it was that it was the way Abby (probably) viewed the obstacle/poles - she (probably) saw each pole individually and figured out the rhythm and her body easily followed. Sniper on the other hand wants to blow past (or through) all of them and get his reward. He is also much bigger than Abby and his body has to bend in ways that Abby's didn't which also makes poles more challenging.

I tried teaching him a few different ways to weave, but our instructor recently recommended teaching him "backwards" - or teaching him to drive out from the last pole, then slowly adding more poles to the front. This way seems to be the magic tool for him and I think that it has to do with his drive. Sniper REALLY, REALLY wants his toy, and when he drives out from the last pole, he GETS his toy and gets to tug. By slowly adding poles to the front, he has to learn to weave through them in order to get to the last pole so that he can finally have his toy.

We are up to six poles now. And while we still have six more poles to add; AND a completely different side to teach him on, I think that we can easily do both with this way. I've also learned a valuable tool in training him and any future dog I train in agility. Not that this way will work for every dog with high drive, but it is another tool to use/try when training.

(Sorry for the sideways video, but blogger won't support the editing video I use that can fix it)

Almost Lost One

2011-07-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

Alternate Title: Pocket Would've Been So Happy

This is a picture of Sniper - exhausted- after I almost lost him today. Actually, I think that he would tell you he lost me instead.

On our regular morning hike sniper went up the hill chasing something - like he usually does, but this time he must've come down a different way then he went up because he couldn't seem to find me. I stood in the place where he left me and kept talking to him - I could hear him running around, but I couldn't see him to give him any directionally cues. This went on for what seemed like forever but was probably only a full minute or two. When I couldn't hear him anymore I figured that he was back on the path and headed the wrong way. I told him that I was "up here" and started clapping my hands and a few seconds later he practically jumped into my arms panting wildly. He sat down and put his head in my lap and had a look of completely relief on his face.

It is always scary "loosing" a dog. My mind immediately went back to when Abby was lost in the woods for 6 weeks. But this time, I knew that sniper wasn't actually running away - he just couldn't find his way back. I figured that if I stood where he last saw me that he would eventually come back, but this extremely smart dog is still a teenage boy which means that, at times, the elevator doesn't always go all the way up.

It's Always Something Over Here

2011-07-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

After my last post we had a full day of Abby refusing to eat.

Yep, you read that right, Abby refused to eat. She wouldn't eat her breakfast, and she didn't even try to steal pocket's. I tried every treat imaginable including hot dogs and cheese. She turned her nose up at all of it. I finally went to the store and bought some chicken and ground beef and made her favorite snacks. She ate that no problem. I fed that to her exclusively for three meals just to get her back on track and now her appetite is back to normal.

We were supposed to have class today, but I took sniper and left her home. She may have her appetite back, but her energy is still pretty low. After a solid two minutes of barking for dinner, she has completely conked back out. She isn't ready for a one hour class yet. I'm not complaining because I'm just glad that she made it through surgery safely, but I'll be much happier when i have my girl back with her funny personality quirks.

Doin' Alright

2011-07-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a bit stressful as both Abby and Mole went under anesthesia for different procedures. Mole needed a dental with a few extractions and Abby needed that tumor out of her mouth. I was a nervous wreck all day and I think that my soft side was showing because the girls at the shelter I normally visit were laughing at me because every dog I met was "so adorable". When I explained what was going on with my dogs they understood but still laughed!

Everyone seems to be doing ok today. Abby is getting a small sore on her lip from where, I assume, the sutures are rubbing- although I can't see any sutures anywhere. There is a big chunk of gum missing and I'm hoping that we don't loose that tooth after all is said and done. She only has a few left at this point and I'm trying to take care of the ones she has as best as I can.

Mole is a bit fussy today now that all the drugs have worn off. He is still on pain meds but his mouth seems to be irritating him a bit so I gave him some of his muscle relaxants that he uses for his back pain to help settle him some. He is coughing a bit but that is probably from the irritation caused by the endotracheal tube. He isn't in so much discomfort that he has stopped eating, so I'm sure he will be fine in a bit.

I'm glad that everything is done and that both kids are settled at home and are doing well. I, however, wasn't glad to see the bill. The receptionist handed me the bill, I took one look at it, and handed it back saying " I want a discount". After all, I brought the business of 3 rescues into the office AND I am a former employee who still sometimes works there when they need more help!

The Abby Drama Continues

2011-07-03T08:49:00.001-07:00

The other day I was cuddling with Abby and I noticed that her breath smelled "different". Yeah, it's a little weird to notice that, but breath can you a lot about what is going on with your pet's health. And while I don't regularly stick my nose in my kid's mouths, do spend plenty of time getting kisses and cuddles to notice a change.

The first thing I did was look for more rotting teeth. Abby only has about 8 total teeth, and I figure that by the time she is 10, we will probably be down to 4; rotting teeth is a very common problem with this breed. But to my shock and horror, it wasn't her teeth - it was a tumor on her gums. Yep, this little dog has another growth; and unlike the rest, this one isn't going to be easy to remove.

I seriously thought about leaving it in for a while. I hate sedating her because of her seizures and her kidneys. But after thinking it over for a few days, I knew that I would have to remove it eventually - and it's going to be just as risky in 6 months as it is tomorrow. The only problem with waiting is that it might get bigger and eventually abscess. Not so fun.

We have an appointment with the vet on Wednesday to have it removed, so keep your paws crossed that she makes it through surgery and that the tumor can be removed with out much trauma to her gums.

M.I.A.

2011-06-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Another title for this post was going to be MAL. . . as in Malinois. The reason I haven't been posting much. But the truth is, it not all his fault. I mean, how can you blame him when he looks this cute:

Yes, he fell asleep with a toy in his mouth. More importantly, he fell asleep. These dogs are non-stop. I've heard that before, but this was the first time I've ever lived with one. For those dog people out there - think of a border collie on red-line energy drink. For those kid people - think of a two year old on the same. Constant go - go - go and if you don't give him something to do, he will find something. To prevent me from ripping my hair out (or his) we have been doing-doing-doing. One of the things we have been doing is agility. I'm back to being the "soccer-mom" driving my kids all over the world to different types of lessons. I'm having a great time with it though and so is he. A girl in our agility class takes photos of the dogs in the class and posts them on her web site. The pictures from his first class are here and from his most recent class here. He looks super happy and is doing a great job so far. I'm learning tons as working with him is very different from working with Abby. But it is a great learning experience for me.

Abby is such a weird dog

2011-05-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

A while ago I wrote a post about how proud I was that Abby has become a dog. But the truth is that Abby has become a weird dog. It's true that she has many great dog-like qualities like sitting in my lap, giving kisses, doing the happy dance when I get home. But she also has some very strange qualities that I can't quite seem to figure out. A big one is her fascination with apples. This dog will dig through bags or my purse or anything that has an apple in it. And she will proceed to eat the entire un-cut apple. This dog only has a few teeth! It's absolutely bizarre that she can even eat the apple, but it's even weirder what she will do to get the apple. And I've honestly never seen a dog eat an apple the way people do. The other very odd thing that she does is going to sit in snipers crate! This is the dog that I can't crate because she screams and throws fits! But she has decided that she wants to sleep in snipers crate! Luckily he has decided that he wants to sleep on the chair, so I guess there is still plenty of room for everyone. . .

Abby is so weird and the longer I have her, the weirder she gets!

I Need A Beer!

2011-05-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

These dogs are a lot of work!

I thought that training Abby was exhausting because I had to maintain a very high level of energy to keep her wanting to work. I had to give 150% in order to keep her attention and focus. I had to stay on top of our surroundings to keep a look out for anything that might cause Abby to stress out or anything that might cause her to want to bolt. I had to stay happy and squeaky and had to "be the cookie". No matter what, I couldn't let her know that I was stress out or nervous or frustrated, because all that travels down the leash and Abby senses it immediately and shuts down.

Training sniper is equally exhausting, but in a totally different way. I have to maintain a calm energy so that he doesn't get overly excited. But at the same time, I have to be exciting enough to keep his focus on me and not on everything else around. I have to know when to treat with cookies and when to rile him up and let him tug. But while tugging, I still have to maintain control and make sure he doesn't go over the top. He knows how to work, and he knows how to have fun while working, but my job/goal is to make sure that he works with some self-control - a job in and of itself.

Training both kids back to back is enough to drive any trainer crazy. Both have been known to test my patience but training both back to back, I'm bound to loose it eventually! Don't get me wrong, I love training both Abby and Sniper. And I love learning and growing as a trainer. Both are teaching me things that I would never have learned otherwise. Abby has opened so many doors for me in the training world, and Sniper is helping me refine my techniques and is allowing me to have a bit more fun too. But after training both back to back, I just want to have a beer and go to bed!

Abby RL1

2011-05-10T20:04:00.001-07:00

Abby has a title. And by the look on my face you can see that I couldn't be happier. Who would've thought 3 years ago that this little feral dog would have a title?

While a part of me could care less if Abby ever got a title or not, another part of me wanted her to get one, just to prove that she was a "real" dog and could do anything that all those other dogs could do. I'm sure I'll have many more dogs in the future that will get many more and more extraordinary titles, but this one is extra special. This is not only the first title I have ever gotten on a dog, this is probably the most worked for title that I will ever have. I'm proud of Abby, but I'm also proud of myself for sticking with this crazy little dog and working through all the joys and all the set backs that come with training a special needs dogs.

Way to go Abby!

working vs WORKING

2011-04-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

vs

I've never owned/lived with/worked with a true working dog. I've asked both mole and Abby to work for/with me, but they have only done so because they love me (ie: I have super awesome food!) And while both of them have truly enjoyed working with me, they really only do it because I have asked them to and because they like to make me happy.

Abby has really benefited from working with me. She excelled at agility (well, excelled for a puppy mill Iggy) and she still does great at our Rally classes - and not just for a rescue but for any dog! Abby has come a long way from that shivering mess that she was almost 3 years ago, and I truly believe that she wouldn't be as well adjusted as she is if it weren't for the confidence that she learned from working.

After living with a true working dog for almost two weeks, I am starting to see the difference between a dog working because they love me and working because they have to. Sniper is extremely well trained, but he needs constant reinforcement from me. If I am not reinforcing his good behavior, he will find something that is rewarding to him - and that can be something as benign as finding toys and entertaining himself, or something worse, like trying to play with the cats. If I am giving him negative reinforcement for something he is doing that I don't like, it doesn't mean he will stop doing it - it just means that he will try again later when I'm not looking. And while I can tell my kids to "go lay down" and they will understand that as "go away and settle by yourself"; if I tell that to sniper, he reads that as an actual command and he will down in an alert position waiting for my next command.

Its an interesting experience living with a dog that needs so much. And while living with Abby has been a ton of work in the past, she has been relatively easy to live with for quite awhile now. Sniper is generally easy to live with, but he still needs a lot of work, and he needs it in a very different way. Where Abby needs calm, stability, Sniper needs active, entertaining, go-go-go. In my years of training dogs of all shapes and sizes, I've never had to train a dog to settle. And while I am training sniper in agility and rally, I'm also working on the seemingly basic "settle". It is also a challenge to me to work with him in a more positive fashion. Working small, easy dogs using strictly positive methods is easy. But working both a physically and mentally strong and large dog using positive methods is harder. It's much easier to put a pinch collar on him and make him behave. And while I have used more corrective methods with him, I am also working on adjusting what I can and am moving towards a more reward based system.

This experience is a huge eye opening one for me. I'm truly enjoying the learning experience as well as sniper himself. He is easy to love, fun to train, and as sweet as can be. But I have a new respect for the breed and for people who work with and live with working dogs all the time.

I Have A New Hiking Buddy

2011-04-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

A very good friend of mine is mining for gold up in Alaska and has asked me to take his dog for a bit. As much as I love my friend, and as much as I love his dog, I knew that this would be a big adventure for me and my crew. Sniper is a 2 year old, male Belgian Malinois. He is a very sweet and very well trained dog, but he is 86 lbs and full of energy. On top of the 5 mile hike we've been doing in the morning, and the 2 mile walk we do in the afternoons, there are many play sessions, many training sessions, and lots of pacing. This dog is non-stop.

Well, that is not entirely true. . . After 3 days of this, I finally caught him napping! It is such a rare occurrence, that I had to take a picture:

But very shortly after this picture was taken, we were back to killing stuffies

But despite the constant work, this dog is great for one thing. . . guarding my beer!

Come on now, would you try to take my beer if this thing was standing in front of it?

Staying Power

2011-04-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Abby's sit-stays are falling apart. She either pops up right away or goes directly into a down. . . I'm not entirely sure why this has happened in the past week, but I do have my suspicions.

The first thought is that we aren't training sit stays much.

The second thought is that Abby is uncomfortable doing sit-stays.

The third thought is that Abby is just being lazy.

Staying has always been difficult for Abby partly because of her phobias. She is either afraid of something that she hears or sees, or she is afraid I'm going too far away. Because of her natural issue with being away from me, I never really worked on having her stay too far or for too long. It seems to stress her out unnecessarily so I never really worked that hard on it. Plus, IGs, like many sight hounds, have funny sits and siting for long periods becomes uncomfortable. When we did actually work on stays, I would always put her into a down stay. Another problem is that our training areas are either concrete or are hard wood, so I trained Abby to stay on a mat. Now, whenever we work at home, she actually does stay on the mat. . . but that doesn't transfer to other places. . .

Class this past week was very frustrating because she simply wouldn't sit still. Most of the time she went into a down, and I'm wondering if it is her back and elbows that are bothering her. Once we get through the first half of the class, Abby's auto-sit also disappears too. . .But, I'm not an "enforcer" either when it comes to Abby and training so, when she doesn't do what I ask or when she does something else instead, I simply ask her again and wait until I get it. She doesn't have to do anything. She usually does what I ask because she wants my food. . . but being a little dog and filling up quickly, means that the food has less value the more we train. And while Abby does "work" Abby is anything but a working dog. Her drive isn't there so I have to keep working just as hard as she is in order to keep things moving.

So, for this week, we are going back to the basics. Duration, distance, distraction. We are going to work in that order too. If she can't even hold the sit with me sitting next to her, I'm going to put her on some NSAIDs for a few days and see if that helps. If she can do it, then I know that we just need to train it more.

Musical Beds

2011-04-02T17:04:00.001-07:00

Typical day at the office. If only that worked for people too. . .

Best Disneyland Trip Ever!!!!!

2011-03-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the best Disneyland trip ever!!!!

Luckily for me, I have dog kids, and not people kids, so when I leave, guess where the dog kids go:

Ok, they didn't stay in the crate the entire time I was gone. They are lucky enough to stay with grandma and grandma's house is nicer then ours, so when the house is empty, they stay in the crate. Not sure why they are so good for grandma, and not for me. . .must be the copious amounts of treats that they get while visiting!

After a quick, albeit delayed, flight, we were in DISNEYLAND!!!!!

We had a super awesome night hanging at House of Blues and singing karaoke

Disneyland itself was perfect! We rode 4 rides in under two hours!!!! Then we got stuck in line for an hour at the break-down king of Disney: Big Thunder Railroad. But the rest of the rides that day were fine and we were able to enjoy the park and the rides without getting bogged down in long lines. We even had plenty of time to do a little bit of shopping.

Yes, the sweatshirt is PINK! I tired my hardest to find a grey one. . . but there were no grey mickey sweatshirts. The flip-flops are a navy blue and are actually sturdy and comfy. I spent as much on these two items at Disneyland that I spend on an entire year of clothes! But a $40 sweatshirt and a $10 pair of flip-flops is actually quite reasonable for everyday life (for most people anyway!) so I figured it was ok for me to splurge!

This was, by far. the best Disneyland trip ever. But more than that, it was a nice break from normal life. It was nice to get away from work, and the kids, and just hangout with friends without having to worry about anything but having fun. I think that this needs to be an annual trip!

Poor Abby

2011-03-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

Something happened to Abby's ear. She came up to me at work today asking for some attention. I mindlessly petted her head and tugged on her ears. Her ears are a bit dry and scabby due to old/healed fly strikes, but today, I felt a giant scab. When I looked, I found this

I was horrified and appalled that something like this would be on my dog and I wouldn't notice it. I immediately started picking at the scab and trying to figure out what happened to her. After scrubbing and examining it I came to the conclusion that something (or some one) bit her. There is a very tiny hole on the underside of the ear that looks like it might be from a tooth. . .a TINY tooth. . . there is only one creature in the house that has teeth that tiny.

I'm lucky that Abby is so easy going and oblivious because if she wasn't I would have some major small dog fights on my hands. Pocket HATES Abby. Everything that Abby does annoys Pocket. And if I'm not watching, Pocket will growl, snarl, snap, and apparently bite Abby. In some ways I don't blame Pocket, Abby is almost 3 times her size, and Abby is goofy and bouncy and doesn't understand boundaries. It would be like us living in a house with a 15 foot tall toddler - not fun! But Pocket is still not allowed to behave like that! Biting your sister is just not allowed in this house! I guess I'm going to have to be more vigilant about watching their interactions. . .

Poor Abby. . .

Wordless Wednesday: It's started!!!!!

2011-03-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

Foto Friday: Abby Stole My Warmie!

2011-03-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Adopt the Internet

2011-03-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

More than 320,000 pets are waiting for homes on Petfinder.com. Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet today and find forever homes for as many as possible!

Here is one of our guys that has been around for way too long:

Name: Charlie

Mix/Breed: Domestic short hair, Tabby and White

Sex/Age: Male/neutered, 7 years

Personality: Charlie is a real love...a very affectionate 7 years old guy. He was surrendered to Hopalong because the child he grew up with started developing allergies to him. Charlie is easy going and calm. With slow and proper introductions, Charlie would be fine with other cats and gentle dogs but would now probably be best suited to a household with adults only.

Two Down. . . One To Go. . .

2011-03-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

Abby got her second leg today towards her RL1 with a score of 204 and 5th place! That is one point more than we got last time, with the same placement. We had to do another run off this time too! But this run-off was much better then her last one as she actually completed this one!

Abby was pretty stressed out again at this trial. Her tail was tucked and she wasn't her wiggly self like she normally is in class or in the Run-thrus. She was a bit wary when walking towards the crowd and flinched a bit when people laughed or cheered. But, un-like last time, I am not beating myself up over it. I realize that Abby is always going to have issues with certain things and we are just going to keep on going and hope that over time, things get better and less stressful. I've worked really hard with her, but I can't fix everything that was broken before I got her.

I was much more comfortable at this trial. I wasn't as stressed out, and I know that Abby sensed that, and I think that it helped some. For starters, Abby wasn't walking 10 feet away from me this time. My voice was in normal range instead of how it was at the last trial when it was so squeaky I'm sure I could only be understood by bats! I was calm enough to remember to treat my dog when appropriate. I was also able to remember the course which helped me stay more connected with Abby instead of trying to figure out where we were going next.

I think that this was a much better trial for us. I was much more comfortable and, while Abby was still stressed, she recovered really well. The people that were at the trial were great. Everyone is super supportive and encouraging. And I think that they are just as proud of Abby as I am!

Good job Abby! I'm super proud of you!!!!!

Running Again

2011-03-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

Many lifetimes ago, I used to run. And when I say run, I don't mean 2 or 3 miles one to two days a week. I mean 10-14 miles 4 day a week with an 18 miler tucked somewhere in there. I used to run a lot - mainly because I needed to. I had so many things going on in my mind that the only time I could think clearly was out on a run. I really wanted to run a marathon, but my body always seemed to break down past 18 miles. But I still kept running. Then I took a job working 6-7 days a week working 9-12 hour days and my running got put on hold. I missed it, but I was too tired to go back to it. Starting a running program all over takes more dedication then continuing the one you are already on.

Fast froward a few years to last year and Tough Mudder. A super awesome event with a measly 7 mile hike through the hills. Yeah, right! It wasn't as tough as they made it out to be, but I think too many people said that on their post race questionnaire, because this year looks much tougher. After seeing it, I figured that I had better start training for it. I don't want to fall apart before finishing. Training needs to be done in a few phases, but one important part of this event is running on trails. I probably won't end up running during the event itself, but I think that running our low hills will be great practice for my legs.

One of the best things about running as a sport is that there is no equiptment needed, and you don't need a certain number of people in order to do it. Some people say that the only thing you need for running is a good pair of shoes, but even that is debatable now. Last week I bought a pair of minimalist trail shoes, but couldn't seem to get used to their unique design. I returned them yesterday and was planning on buying the other pair that I liked, but they were out of those. I have some of them on order, but while I was waiting for them to do that, I fell in love with another pair of shoes.

They are lightweight and flexible, and they have a super awesome grip. When I first got them, I wasn't entirely sure that I was going to keep them, but after running a half-mile on pavement this morning, I think that I am going to keep them. I need to rip out the soles, add some arch supports, and re-do the laces, but I think that these bad boys are going to be hanging around for awhile. I'm looking forward to my first trail run in them. I'll let you know how it goes.

Abby is A Dog

2011-03-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

Abby has had so many amazing accomplishments since she has come to live with us; but I think that the one I'm most proud of is her becoming a dog. I know it sounds silly, but Abby has turned into a dog in the past two and a half years, granted she has turned into a very spoiled dog, but she is a dog none-the-less.

In the past few months Abby has had a few more dog-like qualities. She has started giving kisses and she also sits in my lap when I'm knitting or reading. Most people take these things for granted, and I admit that I do with my other kids, but when Abby started doing it, I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. These are things that real dogs do, and up until recently, Abby wasn't a real dog. Sure, she could do some super cool things, but the everyday-ness that makes a dog a dog wasn't there with her.

I think that all the extra work we've been doing with training has really paid off. Not only has she learned to work and to think, but she has also learned how to settle. She has learned to read my body language and has learned the more subtle commands of everyday life that we never actually teach our dogs, but we still expect them to obey anyway. She solicits attention without being overly frantic or needy about it. She can settle in a chair and sleep comfortably near me without always having to be on me. She started fussing back at me when I try brushing her or grooming her for too long. I think that she realizes that she is home and that she will always be loved and cared for here. At least, that is what I hope she feels.

In a world of throw-away pets, this one could have easily been discarded. When I got her, she wasn't social, she was terrified of everything, she was extremely destructive, she had no self-control; and if I had decided to give her away or have her euthanized, no one would have blamed me. But I didn't do that. Instead, I found a way to work with her and to manage as many problems as I could. And after all that work, two and a half years later, I finally have a dog.

Training Room

2011-02-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

We have a Rally trial coming up in 2 weeks and Abby and I need to polish up a few basic skills. We also need to seriously start training for some of our level 3 stuff. We really don't have a good place to train regularly. We have no yard, and out house is tiny and oddly shaped. I had to improvise, and I hope that LB doesn't mind too much.

New training space:

what used to live in that super awesome space:

Now that we have that super cool space, whose ready to work?

No surprise there. This guy will do anything for food!

great. . .we get to work with alien dog again. . .

The training space makes it so much easier to do distance work - a huge component of level 3. It also helps us work on stays - something that we haven't been working on very much lately. Abby does OK on down stays, but her sit stays S.U.C.K! She almost always goes into a down. I think part of it is structural (Never Say Never Greyhounds say that sit-stays are harder for these breeds) but I think that some of it is training. I allow her to go down because I know that it is easier/more comfortable for her and, honestly, I don't care what position she is in as long as she stays put. She still stays on her short sit stays for rally class, so I never really bothered to train a longer sit stay. . .but I guess it is something that we should work on. . .and it really isn't that hard. . .it's just so boring, and I feel like I'm nit-picking her. . .and neither of us like that. . .

Pressing Reset

2011-02-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

Ever feel like your life has taken some strange turn and you can't find your back back to the beginning? That's how I've felt lately. Last year was tough for so many reasons and I was really looking forward to starting a new year. But once that new year started, things got even worse for awhile. Things have finally settled down but I can't seem to get back to where I was before all the bad things started happening. I feel like I need to find the reset button and press it F.A.S.T.

LB and I talked extensively around the new year about how January 1st is really just an arbitrary date - it's doesn't actually reset anything. Things don't magically become better at the stroke of midnight. I completely agree with her, but that didn't stop me from wishing that things would turn around and that life would get easier . . .at least for a little while.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about my life. I have a great life - better than most. But at times I feel like I'm trying to play catch-up. Like I'm always one step behind of where I'm supposed to be. I spent so much of last year running around, and I felt like if I took a little break, that things would settle down, and that I would finally be able to be right where I was supposed to be when I was supposed to be there. But now, I feel like I've gotten even more far behind.

It's obvious that trying to do everything didn't work. But it also seems that trying to do nothing doesn't really work either? Where is the happy medium? Does it even exist? Well, I'm about to try and find it again. It may not be January 1st, but I'm going to start this year over again and watch it get better and better.

Run Thru

2011-02-26T17:19:00.001-08:00

Abby and I had a run thru this past Friday. We almost didn't go because the weather man was calling for S.N.O.W. Really? At sea level in CA?? Yep, they were calling for snow. That wasn't what almost kept us from going, it was the possibility of ice. This CA girl doesn't drive in ice. But the weather wasn't supposed to get bad until midnight and I was hoping to be back home and snug in my bed by then. I'm really glad we went because we had a great time and really learned a lot.

This run thru was run level 3, 2, 1. We ran level 2 and level 1. I was interested to see if she would do better in level two then she did in level 1 since the last time (which I didn't blog about, but was run Level 1,2,3), we did better in level 2. Here were the courses:

Level 2 map

Level 1 map

Both courses seemed surprisingly easy. And we did a pretty good job on both courses. However, Abby did NQ on the level 2 course. She broke a stay! I think that her broken stay was due to her excitement. She anticipated the recall on sign 5 and came running at me full speed and slid to a sitting halt. It was hysterical! Everyone in the place laughed and laughed! I laughed until the food bowl exercise where she got distracted and we had to take a moment and regroup. Other than that, she had a blast and we did pretty well.

Level 1 was amazing for us. This was the first time that she wasn't walking wide. And we only got 2 tight leashes!!!! I was SOOOO proud of us! We did get dinged because I had to give a double command on the first sit! It was crazy because I had spent the entire warm-up doing jack-pots for sits! (well, not a full jack-pot, but a super cool, Abby jack-pot!) We did super awesome on sign 8, and I was very happy as that is something we have been working on a LOT.

Even though we technically NQ'd on level 2, I think that this whole run thru was the best experience we've had so far. We were really working as a team. Plus, her energy put me in a great mood from the beginning and we were both able to have a great time. My nerves were non-existent and I think that she knew that.

I am learning a lot about my dog in these run thrus - and it's not just about competition. I'm learning a lot about team work and that is the kind of relationship that I want with my dog. I want to be part of a team. And after almost 3 years, I think that we are getting there!

Long Striped Hand Warmers

2011-02-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

I needed a new knitting project. I'm working on my friend's baby's blanket, but it is a bit tedious work as I have to count every stitch to make the pattern. I am working on it, and it is coming along, but sometimes I need mindless knitting. And for that, I decided to try Long Striped Hand Warmers. The pattern is super easy and this was the first time I knitted stripes in the round. It was also the first time I've knitted a finger! I'm actually kinda proud of myself! I've only knit one glove so far, but I'm already about 2 inches into the second one. I think that the second one is going to go faster than the first!

The master color is chocolate and the variegated color is a pink to burgundy. It is actually much prettier in person!

Family Photo - Lets Try This One More Time

2011-02-19T17:51:00.000-08:00

My photo goal this year was to get a family photo with all the kids behaving themselves and looking at the camera. . .but sometimes I feel like I'm playing referee trying to keep the peace between the girls.

Pocket! Keep your tongue in your mouth!

Abby! Don't instigate! You girls better behave or I am going to separate you!

ABBY!!!! Leave. Your. Sister. Alone!

Thank you!

And poor Mole, such a good boy, gets so frazzled between my yelling at the girls and so desperately wanting the treat in my hand.

Sometimes I wonder if we are ever going to get a good photo. . .

Well, at least everyone is looking. . . even if no one is smiling. . .

Wordless Wednesday: Jackson at Work

2011-02-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

Eight Years

2011-02-13T09:20:00.001-08:00

Best eight years of my life. . .

First Hike of the Year

2011-02-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

While much of the country is bogged down in snow, it's sun and blue skies here in CA. We've had unseasonably warm weather so far this year, and you won't hear me complaining one bit! Despite the fact that Abby is still wearing her coat, most of the days here are in the 60's. The wind picks up from time to time and Abby is a small, skinny, very short haired dog, so the coat is still a necessity. The days are getting just long enough that if I hurry home, and hurry up the hill, we can get a very quick walk/jog in. Abby prefers it if I jog, and gives me dirty looks -like the one pictured above - if I stop and try to walk. This was the first of many hikes this year. I'm thinking that I need to start bringing my camera with me so that I can get some decent photos of her this year.

Foto (My) Friday: A New Head

2011-01-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

I collect heads. . . This is the newest one I received for watching a super easy and old dog that lives in the bedroom right next to mine.

Real 2011 Training Goals

2011-01-27T19:51:00.001-08:00

After a unscheduled hiatus from training classes, we finally went back this past Sunday. The first thing we were required to do, write down our 2011 training goals. . .

SERIOUSLY?

The last thing I wanted to do was figure out our top 3 goals that we are going to be working on for the next 12 months! But I had to do it since it was "required". . . I wrote down
1) earn rally novice title
2) learn a retrieve
3) have fun at a trial

I think that those are good things to work on. I am a bit worried that our goal for earning a title will jinx us into not getting one. . . but that is just my pessimistic attitude. Abby does have a real chance of earning a title this year. We could probably earn a level 2 title but we won't be trialing that much as we are only able to do one trial during each 4 trial weekend. Technically, we could do two trials each trial weekend, but I don't want to push Abby. Two a day means a really long day for her and an exhausted and stressed out Abby isn't conducive to earning a title.

Learning to retrieve is a great goal for us to work on and something we should be able to manage. Having fun at a trial. . . who knows about that one. Having fun at an agility trial, sure, we will always have fun there because it isn't so serious and we really have no chance in hell of winning anything, so whats the point of doing it if you don't have fun. But Rally trials are a bit different as we are really only competing with ourselves. Sure we are competing with everyone else, but I don't actually care about placements, and even if we don't place, we still get to keep the points we earn. Since each trial really matters, they become less fun. But I am going to try not to worry so much and have more fun, so that Abby has more fun too. After all, Abby can't read, so she has no idea what letters are and what they mean.

I didn't really want to think about my training goals this year - i just wanted to have some fun with my dogs. . . but since I had to do it, I'm actually looking forward to seeing how far we progress this year and how close we come to achieving those goals.

Baby Socks

2011-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted about my knitting. I've made a few scarves and am currently working on another blanket. I'm not sure why I start blankets as they take me forever because I get bored easily.

My most recent projects have been a scarf for my godmother:

and baby socks for little miss violet:

I'm really excited about these socks because they are my first PAIR of socks! Sure, they are tiny, but they are for tiny feet! I had a lot of fun doing these because they were quick and relatively easy, and I got to use some yarn that I've had lying around for awhile.

I still don't know a whole lot about yarn or dye lots or weight, but I have learned that my favorite yarn to knit with is bamboo. I still find it strange that they make yarn out of a plant, but its fun to work with and is super soft and is a renewable resource. PLUS, it's a great conversation piece!

Retrieve Training 101

2011-01-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

There are many important parts to training a retrieve, the most important one is probably the dog picking up the item it is supposed to retrieve. This is a very basic behavior and one that most dogs do naturally. . . Abby is not most dogs. Despite everything that Abby has eaten, I have never seen her pick any thing up. I have seen her gnaw and gum things to death, but never pick anything up and carry it. I knew that this would be my biggest challenge in training the retrieve.

So far, Abby has done great with the training. I found the perfect object for her, and spent some time getting her touching the object. We spent so much time training it, that Abby will touch her "naughty bone" any where, any time. She LOVES it. This part of the training was very easy as she already has a basic "target", but it was still fun and easy to work on.

Teaching her to open her mouth and put it around the bone was going to be a very messy endeavor. I had a few ideas, but my instructor had the best one when she said to put peanut butter on the bone and "hand it" to her as if you would hand a cookie. When I heard that, I wanted to slap my head and say "doh!" Of course Abby opens her mouth for treats!

Today, we spent out time clicking and treating for any tooth on the bone itself. It took a few minutes to get her started as she tried to lick all the peanut butter off the bone, but once most of it was gone, she started to put her teeth on it. At first she seemed confused to be getting clicked and treated just for eating peanut butter, but I think that she was getting the idea towards the end of session. Well, at least, as soon as I offered the bone to her, she immediately put her teeth on it and let go the second I clicked knowing she was going to get a cookie. I think it is going to take a few more sessions of this before she is ready to have the bone on the ground. But Abby is smart and I think that she will eventually get it. But until she completely "gets it" and we can wash the bone, we are going to have to manage it like this:

And Here We Are Again

2010-12-31T19:49:00.000-08:00

It's the end of one year and the beginning of another. This time of year always brings a lot of hope and a little bit of sadness. I read a great quote about New Years by Bill Vaughan: An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. I feel like a little bit of both this year. 2010 was filled with a lot of downs, and only a few ups, but those ups were pretty amazing. I'm a little worried about what 2011 will bring, but I am still hopeful that it will be better than 2010.

People all over the place are writing down their new years resolutions. Some include exercise, eating better, spending less $$; but among my circle of friends the resolutions come more in the form of training goals. Goals that they will try and achieve with their dogs - these are also known as titles. Earlier in the year, I blogged about titles and that we (meaning Abby and I) don't need titles to show the depth of our training or our relationship, but this year might bring one. And I will be proud of the both of us if we get one.

But my actual goals for 2011 don't include titles. There is no training plan laid out. I'm not even sure what phase of training we are in on our old plan - phase 5 maybe??? My only real plan for 2011 is to hang out with my dogs more. I know that seems silly as all I seem to do is hang out with my dogs; but most of our time spent together in 2010 was spent driving to classes, or trials, or fun matches, or to hiking/training spots. I don't want to drive so much with my kids this year. I want to enjoy our time together doing the little things that they love to do - walk around the block, have breakfast at a cafe, go to the beach, sit in the reading chair, etc. As my kids continue to get older, I want to ensure that they are having the best time possible. And if that means fewer classes and more vacations, then so be it. Or maybe, more sick calls into work and more day trips! Regardless of how it eventually works out, I want us to be having a great time for as much as we can of 2011. And my goal for myself is to take as many photos as possible. Ideally, we would have one awesome family photo, but even if we only end up with a few out takes, that would be ok too.

For now, we say good bye to 2010 and all the tears (both of joy and sorrow) that it brought. But I think that Brooks Atkinson said it best, Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.

Ok, So I Lied. . .

2010-12-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

A few posts ago I said that I needed a break from dogs, and that we were going to take a break from training. I was hoping that the training break would last until January... I had a feeling that it wouldn't, but I was still hopeful. All sings were pointing to a nice long break until our rally instructor said that Abby would be ready to move up to level 3 for the next set of classes.

Normally, this would have made me very happy and proud. A few months ago, I fully believed that Abby would be in level 1 for the rest of her life. I truly thought that I would never be able to ask her to do all of these exercises and do them off leash. But, Abby proved me wrong, as she continues to excel at this odd little sport. I am very proud of her, but now I have to start training again!

Most of the level 3 exercises are built off level 2. Some are new to level 3, but not new to Abby - we just haven't practiced them in awhile. But there is one new exercise that I knew was coming, but I had since chosen to ignore: the retrieve. Ack! Abby can't retrieve! How in the world am I supposed to teach Abby to retrieve? Sure, there was a time when Abby couldn't do an A-frame, or a tunnel, but those were different! This is a retrieve!

So, now our *vacation* from training is now a super intensive retrieve training. Luckily for me, a wonderful trainer is teaching her dog to fetch (aka, retrieve), and she is posting videos on her blog. Her dog started out a lot farther along than Abby. Right now, we are just C&T for a touch on her absolutely awesome new retrieve toy:

I was trying to find something plushy and small enough for her to carry. I also wanted something that squeaked as she *sometimes* gets excited about squeaky noises. When I saw this, I knew it was made especially for us. I know it is technically a Christmas item, but Abby is naughty all year long, so I figured it was ok.

Hysterical Fun

2010-12-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas Present: Family Foto Outtakes

2010-12-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

ummm. . .this isn't going to be easy:

Well, at least we got everyone's head in:

Looks like Mole and Abby are trying to tell me something:

Let's try a different set up:

Pocket obviously hates this pose:

well, we still have a few weeks left before Christmas. We have plenty of time for more family photo fun.

Christmas Past

2010-12-11T08:08:00.001-08:00

Pocket decided to help light the tree up with her alien eyes.

Working with Sean Connery

2010-12-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

I have been working with Sean Connery for the past 10 weeks or so. Sometimes it's heaven, and sometimes he annoys the sh*t out of me. I can't help it, I love him, but sometimes he can be so demanding! I guess it's to be expected though. . .

If you know me at all, you can probably guess that Sean is an animal. A cat. A RAGDOLL cat. The most purrfect cat ever. He gets along great with my feral office cat and with my kids. In fact, I believe he thinks he is one of my kids. When pocket stays home, he takes her place in the dog bed line up.

I'm kinda in love with him.

What I am most Thankful for

2010-11-25T07:29:00.001-08:00

My Experiment

My snuggler

The love of my life

Each of my kids teaches me something new about life everyday. I couldn't imagine my life without any of them.

Wordless Wednesday: I love my mommy

2010-11-24T08:10:00.000-08:00

So Worried For Nothing

2010-11-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

There have been many times in my life when I was worried for something that, looking back seemed so trivial. I would would get anxious, nervous, feel like I can't move, then the queasiness begins. After the ordeal was over, I realized that I had nothing to be worried about and felt foolish for getting so worked up.

This past Sunday in class was one of those scenarios. Our instructor thought that it would be a great idea to do a distracted heeling exercise through a crowd of people and their dogs. When she first mentioned this exercise I thought for sure she would have us sit this one out. Imagine my horror when she said that we were going to be the first ones!

I managed to stand up, but couldn't get myself to move. I honestly couldn't figure out a way to make this a successful exercise for Abby. I must have looked sick because she asked me what was wrong. I told her I was feeling a lot of anxiety because heeling through people and dogs is almost impossible for Abby. She recommended that we heel along the outside of the group - we ran. That was the only thing I could think of that would keep Abby happy and not stress her out for the rest of the hour.

After the heeling exercise we took our turn in the group and people heeled around us. I knew that Abby could handle this as she has pretty good stays and has amazing focus when I ask her to. But I knew that our time was coming around again and the anxiety was sticking around. But having had a few minutes to see different scenarios, I was able to come up with a plan for Abby to actually go through the people. Given Abby's great focus on the stay part of the exercise, I figured that she might do ok - meaning, she might not panic - heeling through the same dogs that heeled through us. I figured that I would give it a try and if it failed miserably, at least I would know for the next time.

I got Abby amped up, I set us up, and asked her to heel. As we started getting closer to the group, I thought she might loose focus, but she didn't! She heeled right through those people and had a great time! I was so proud of her and she seemed to be quite happy with herself too. Everyone clapped and I think that everyone was just as happy to see her do that as I was. It was very rewarding to see her accomplish something that has been so difficult for us in the past. I felt silly for being so anxious over nothing!

If I Didn't Have A Dog

2010-11-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

A friend forwarded this to me via email, but I don't generally like to forward forwards as some people don't like it. But I found this too funny not to share:

IF I DIDN'T HAVE A DOG

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, with out taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money, and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand-kids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

I would not talk 'baby talk'. 'Eat your din'. 'Yummy yummy for the tummy'...

My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L,, W-A-L-K,, T-R-E-A-T,, O-U-T,, G-O,, R-I-D-E,, C-O-O-K-I-E

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.

I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an ANGEL as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!!!

We're SO Boring Now!

2010-11-18T18:38:00.000-08:00

I've almost completely stopped training Abby. I read this on another blogger's blog, and in some ways, it seems fitting:

EXCUSES
I cannot train my dog today,
the sky is overcast and gray,
the air's too damp, I've got a cramp,
and the dog's just eaten anyway.

Can't find the leash, got home too late,
I'm due somewhere tonight at eight.
I've got a rash, a gash and bumps,
Too tired now to get the jumps.

Traffic's made me tense and strained,
I have to lose this weight I've gained.
How can we work when it's just rained?

The dog's too hyper, my mood is blue,
I must be coming down with the flu,
I cough, I sneeze and wheeze and choke,
Darn! My only dumbbell broke!

Too cold outside - my feet are numb.
There's a sliver in my thumb.
The house needs cleaning, it's a sight.
I have to work overtime tonight.

I had a nap. Had company.
Lawrence Welk is on TV.
My toe is sore - it might be gout,
I think my hair is falling out.

I ate too much. My day's been rough.
I think my dog has had enough
Of this daily training grind,
we need some time off to unwind.

Author Unknown

It's been awhile since I've diligently trained Abby. I've come up with a hundred and one reasons not to: it's getting dark early, it's too cold, it rained again, it upsets the other dogs, I worked too late, etc. Reading that poem really cracked me up because I think that I have used every one of those recently. But the truth is that I just needed a break. Life has been crazy/hectic/stressful lately and something had to give. I figured that it was the kid's turn to take the back seat for awhile (both figuratively and literally)

For most of the year, my life revolves around dogs. If it's not my own, then it's a friend's or work's. I'm either driving to training classes, or watching a friend trial, or driving a dog to/from the shelter/vet hospital, etc. If I don't have one dog sitting on my lap, I have two. If I try to give them chewies to keep them calm for awhile, I end up playing playground police making sure that everyone stays happy with their own chewie. Everything, including my food, is covered in dog hair. My life doesn't feel like my own at times.

I need to feel like a person again. I need to pretend that my life revolves around me, and not the dogs. I need to find a hobby to keep my other hobby from taking over my life! I need a break from the constant go that is dogs. So, for a little while anyway, we are a "normal" dog family. The dogs are getting walks around the house instead of in the hills. They are getting cookies for "sitting" instead of "sit -down-stay-walk around". I'm trying to spend more time reading an actual book and less time reading dog blogs. It's tough, but I'm trying.

I know this won't last for long, as the dogs are already a bit antsy with this slower pace. And I'm sure I'll get bored quickly too. But we have no trials coming up any time soon, and if ever there was a good time to take a training break, now is the time. Since we aren't training as much, I'm blogging less and less. But hopefully I'll find more time to take pictures of the kids again and post those instead.

One Wild Ride

2010-10-31T18:35:00.001-07:00

My life has always seemed to be one wild ride after another, but this week takes the cake. From birth to death and from marriage to divorce I've seen it all these past 7 days. There were some moments when I didn't think life could get any better, then others when I thought life couldn't get any worse. On top of all the craziness, I got sick. And not just a little sick, but really sick. The kind where you have to talk yourself into getting out of bed, and then find any reason you can to lie back down again.

And the dogs. . . where to begin with those little buggers???

For most of the week, I thought that I had the worlds best dogs. They were forced to stay by themselves for a few days and, can you believe this, nothing was destroyed??? Nothing was eaten, nothing (inappropriate) was peed on. I received no barking complaints from the neighbors. All signs points to good dogs. Then we had to go back to work. Wouldn't you know, barking, chewing, whining, etc. Bad dogs. Then my car broke down. . . and my dogs were amazing through out it all. Quietly sitting in the car until the battery guy came. Then quietly sitting for longer until the tow truck guy came. Then not freaking out as the car was loaded onto the tow truck. Then, and this is the best part, they sat perfectly contentedly on my lap during that crazy, long, traffic-y, bumpy, ride home. They were not just good dogs, they were great dogs.

Then the rain started. . . and I got sick. . . Not only did the dogs refuse to go potty outside in the rain, they also took up the entire bed and left me no where to sleep. Don't believe that three little dogs weighing less than 30 pounds total can take up an entire bed?

Everyone seems to have a spot except me. And here we are. . . back to having bad dogs again. But as the sickness got worse and I was forced to self-medicate, the dogs were once again, good dogs. They let me sleep and didn't ask to go out too often (thank doG for the rain) and didn't ask to eat too early in the morning. But this morning, I woke up to this:

yeah. . .my dog licked a hole in his arm. This is the first time in 7 years that he has done this. Anxiety has been an on-going issue throughout our lives together, but it seems to be getting worse and worse. My initial reaction was to get frustrated and call him a bad dog, but he is my baby, and I know that the only thing he ever wants in this world is to make me happy; hell, they all do. . .even pocket. So, despite everything they did or didn't do this week, I know that I really do have some very good dogs.

Rally Trial: Score 203

2010-10-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Its taken me a long time to get to this; partly because things have been so hectic and partly because it took me a long time to process all of it.

On paper, things look great. Abby got a score of 203 out of a possible 200 w/ 10 pt bonus. That is pretty amazing. Abby also tied for 4th place!!! We had a run off because you can't actually tie, and Abby ended up with 5th place. Not too shabby for our first trial - and we really haven't been doing this for very long. Abby did better then some of the pure bred, perfectly bred, bought dogs!

Right after the event, I was feeling really bad about the trial. I was thrilled with our score, but I was really upset because Abby wasn't her self. She was stressed out for so many reasons and I was angry at myself for putting her through it. I tried to get there late so that she didn't have to be crated for very long, but that didn't work out. We still got there too early so I drove around and found a park and took her for a long walk. But she still ended up being crated for longer than either of us wanted. Then, we ended up with a different judge then I had planned. The judge was still very nice, but she was different and Abby doesn't really like different. THEN, as we were walking in, the judge kept going on and on about Abby being an Iggy and how much she wanted an Iggy. So not only was there a strange person in the ring, but that strange person was talking to us. The run off was the hardest because it was the very last thing that happened and everyone was in the room with their dogs, watching, and waiting for the ribbons. It was very loud and very stressful. I felt like a lousy owner asking Abby to work with me in a situation that was obviously very difficult for her.

I felt like a bad parent for almost an entire week. Everyone told me that Abby did great, but I could see the stress. I kept beating myself up about it. I always said that we weren't doing this for the ribbons or the titles, that we were doing it for fun and it didn't matter what our score was. But seeing Abby stressed made me feel like we were doing this for the wrong reasons. And hearing everyone cheer about Abby's score only made me feel worse.

But a week after the trial, we had regular class, and Abby did great. Most of the people in our class are new to level 2 - and that makes us the "experienced" pair! Who would have thought! Abby showed off and strutted around. She went back to her old self. I started to feel better about the last week because it was obvious that there were no lingering effects. But then I started thinking about it in a whole new way, I started looking back on everything that we had gone through to get to the trial, and how I routinely put her in stressful situations to get there. And how that putting her in low-level stressful situations over a period of time has actually been beneficial in the long run because it has opened up her world. I can't imagine where Abby would be if I only kept her confined to her safe space. Sure she wouldn't ever have stress, but she wouldn't ever really have fun either. And Abby has a TON of FUN doing rally.

After thinking through all this, I took another look back at the trial. I realized exactly how well Abby really did. Sure she was stressed, everyone is stressed at a trial, but Abby continued to work with me the entire time. She never shut down, and she did everything I asked of her. I remember a time when Abby would shut down completely when stressed, and we are so far past that now. I started feeling better about my role in this whole thing too. I did ask her to work through her stress and through the trial, but when it came time for the run off, I pulled her (well, sort of). I asked her to try, but when it was obvious that she really didn't want to do it, I asked her to sit, gave her a bunch of cookies, and walked off. When push came to shove, I did what was right for my dog, regardless of the ribbon.

Working my dogs is a whole new experience for me. For years, I have only had PET dogs, and I have always treated them as pets. But asking my dogs to do something only because I ask them to is still a strange concept. Sure they have a ton of fun, but it's still a bit strange. I mean, who really needs to walk a figure 8 around a bunch of cones? I've gone through a lot of emotions through out the various stages of training, and I've questioned the why a lot as well. I want to make sure that I am doing this for the right reason, and that reason is Abby's over all happiness. I think I get it wrong sometimes. Sometimes I make poor training decisions, and sometimes I get frustrated; but I think that more often than not, we get it right. And Abby has come so far from that feral dog I took in. She is able to work in a stressful situation with strange people, strange dogs, and loud noises. And now that all is said and done, I am finally proud of the score that we got. Because it really isn't about the number at all, it's about the work that we have put in since day one - for over two and half years. And it's about the relationship that has been built through out that time. It's about the love that I have for Abby and the trust that she has in me and that together we can accomplish incredible things.

Foto Friday: Way To Go Abby!!!!

2010-10-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

Are YOU Tough Enough?

2010-10-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

I know I am!

I am not sure where I get these crazy ideas to do things, but somehow they find their way into my head. . . and I usually rope a few good friends into doing the crazy things with me. Luckily my friends love me and forgive me.

I heard about this Tough Mudder Event through Facebook. They tout themselves as the toughest one day endurance event on the planet. I am not sure that I completely believe that, but it was the toughest thing that I have ever done in one day. It's a series of obstacles strategically placed over a 7 mile *hilly* course. The obstacles ranged from running through mud to climbing a wall. Nothing sounded too hard, it all seemed doable, so why no do it? Well, I talked 5 friends into doing it with me. . . and at different points throughout the event, I thought for sure I would have 5 less friends before the day was over.

We rented a cabin and spent the night up there the night before. We were all really glad that we did that because none of us wanted to get up at 4am, drive 3 hours, do an event like this, and drive another 3 hours home! The really nice thing about the cabin is that we rented it for the weekend - none of us were planning on staying all weekend, but it was nice that we were able to come back after the event, shower, change our clothes, have a sandwich and a beer.

The event itself was a ton of fun - even if we didn't always look like we were having fun! The course itself started at 6,600 ft and WE climbed up to 8,500 ft - THREE times! Who climbs a mountain three times in ONE day? We do. On top of the mountain climbing, there were 19 obstacles that we had to complete. You need to take a look at the course map to see exactly what we were up against. The course map isn't exact as some of the obstacles were in a different order, and the photos in the map are not our photos, but photos of previous event. But the TM facebook page is updating the photos from our actual event regularly. I haven't seen myself in any of the photos yet, but I did the mandatory forehead marking so hopefully I will find myself in one eventually.

The Tough Mudder event was a TON of fun, but it was also tough. The strange thing about this event was that the obstacles themselves weren't that hard at all - they were pretty easy, and anyone that is relatively fit could do them all without too much effort. What was the toughest was the mountain climbing in the altitude. I haven't been more than a few hundred feet above sea level in years. And I don't think that I have done anything in altitude in at least a decade. The mountain climbing was rough, but the altitude was though and made it that much more difficult. It was next to impossible for me to breathe at times, and to continue climbing while not being able to breathe took some will power. But there were never any points when I thought I just can't do this anymore. It never became a mind over matter thing, and for that I was grateful. My body was always willing and able to continue.

Besides the altitude and the mountain climbing, some of the obstacles were climbing a wall - SIXTEEN times; carrying a block of wood for 1/2 a mile - or, if you were like E, you carried an entire tree; climbing the "Berlin wall" (different from the other wall we climbed sixteen times); crawling under barbed wire; crawling through a pipe; etc. All of these were fun and easy. The hardest obstacle of all was the water one. The water obstacle was at the top of the mountain and was carried out in the pond that they use to make snow in. Seriously. The water was freezing, and we knew it, but we did it anyway . . . twice. The first time going into the water, you shocked your system and it became difficult to breathe, but you still had to swim in it. You were allowed to get out, but then you had to get right back in again. That was tough. Knowing exactly how cold it was and how freezing you were going to be, but still going in, took some will power. I remember standing at the top of the slide (yes, you had to slide down the second time) and debating whether or not I wanted to complete this obstacle. Because not only did you have to slide into the freezing cold water again, but you had to walk through it - chest deep - around the raft (the raft that is there to pull you out in case you die half-way through). Of course I did it, how could I not? But there was a moment after when I thought I would never be warm again. I think a lot of people felt that way because I heard a lot of the guys talking about their. . . er. . .um. . . balls. I heard the funniest thing on the wall climb after the wood carrying, after the water: One guy said to another while climbing the wall "dude, I can see your nuts" the second guy said "good, because I can't feel them anymore and I wasn't sure they were still there."

Now that the event is over, and I survived, and was still able to get out of bed the next day, I am really glad that we did this. This is something that you have to do with a group of friends. And they can't be just any friends, they have to be the right mix of people. The cool thing about our group was that not everyone was friends with everyone else before we started. I knew everyone, but they didn’t all know each other. Luckily, I have awesome friends, and everyone got along great, and everyone helped each other out, and looked out for each other. And everyone became friends through this event. And we are already talking about NEXT year. . .

New Training Project

2010-09-27T19:15:00.001-07:00

I have wanted a new portable dog water bottle for a long time. My old one is great, it's better than a lot of them on the market, but it's plastic and I don't trust plastic long term. I recently saw a super cool stainless steel water bottle for dogs. I loved the design and the durability of it, so I sent the info to a friend of mine who owns a holistic pet store to see what she thought. After a trip to a trade show, she brought this back:

It's not exactly the same thing, but it is pretty close - and I didn't have to pay shipping! The only draw back in this model is the licking-ball (I believe that's the technical term) that the dogs have to use to get the water out. For some, that wouldn't be a problem, but for my dogs, anything new has the potential to be a catastrophe. But because I already bought this, and because I love the idea so much, this wasn't allowed to become a catastrophe. I knew I had to come up with a creative way to get these kids to try this thing out. My great idea? PEANUT BUTTER!

Abby, being a little piggy, LOVED IT!

Mole liked the peanut butter, but wasn't too fond of the rolly-ball dishing out the peanut butter.

Pocket, hated it all. No surprise there.

This is going to be a bit of a project for awhile. I want to try the peanut butter for a few more days, then I will probably move to chicken stock, then eventually onto water. I want them to LOVE the thing before we try it on a walk. I don't want to risk my babies getting dehydrated because they are afraid of the ever-so-slight noise that the licky-ball makes when it is being turned over.

Wordlessly Wednesday : the rhemus monkey

2010-09-22T17:53:00.001-07:00

Bath Time

2010-09-20T15:01:00.001-07:00

I've been doing a lot of cleaning around here lately - even the dogs didn't escape!

Poor mole is such a great dog. He doesn't complain about the bath, but you can tell he hates it. Now that he is getting older - and brushing is becoming uncomfortable, we will probably rely more on baths to remove the hair.

Abby is very good about baths too. I think part of it is because she got them weekly when I first got her. She had this disgusting habit of licking herself all night - and she would need to be bathed to prevent bacterial infections. She doesn't do it so much anymore, so her baths are less frequent. The latelst bath news is that Abby has settled down enough to take baths by herself! She no longer needs to take showers with mommy!

One little lady escaped the whole bath scene. Can you guess who?

It's ok, though. For some reason, she doesn't get as stinky as the rest of the crew.

Good Trainer, Bad Trainer

2010-09-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Some days I feel like I am pretty good at training Abby, and some day I feel like I need need remedial lessons.

Lately, Abby has been doing awesome in class. She has a ton of energy and we both seem to be having a great time. This most recent class was one of the best we've had in a while. She was off leash almost the entire time (aside from the first exercise which was right next to the row of 11 seated students and dogs). Abby had an almost perfect rally run thru this past Friday too. She pranced and danced and was practically smiling through both runs. Her head was up, her tail was wagging, and she had a great heeling speed. She was flawless. It is at times like these that I feel like I have FINALLY figured out what Abby needs from me as her trainer. We have figured it out together and we are not only have a great time, but we are doing very well.

But then there are the other things. . . the things that make me feel like a bad trainer. I miss signs, I don't know my right from my left, I give Abby cues for other behaviors that she knows which goes completely against what I need her to do, I don't give her enough space when heeling through cones. There are just so many things I do wrong that I am amazed she is doing so well. To be fair to me, most of these mistakes aren't actually training mistakes - they are simple dumb human mistakes.

There are also other things, things I can't quite figure out what is going wrong. That not only makes me feel like a bad trainer, but it also makes me feel like a bad mom because I can't make everything simple and stress-free. The most recent training issue that we are facing is Abby's extreme distance in her heeling during run thrus. Abby stays as far to the side of me that she can possibly be without straining her leash. This is a behavior that we only see in run thrus. We just saw it on Friday, but there was no hint of it on Sunday - not even after I stepped on her toes! The first time I saw it, I attributed it to our higher stress level. But this most recent run thru was much more relaxed than our last one. I went into to not caring at all about our score - which is probably why I didn't pay any attention to the signs - or to my right and my left. I can't quite figure out why we have this very odd occurrence during run thrus; and if I don't know WHY it's happening, I can't fix it. And if I can't fix it, that makes me feel like a bad trainer/dog mom. I also talked to a friend, someone with years of experience on me, who had some interesting ideas about it. But even if she is right, there is still nothing that I can do about it.

I've been giving myself a hard time lately and have felt like I'm letting my team down. It's a far cry from last year when I had all these high hopes and a pretty good ability, but I didn't have a dog that could keep up. But rally is such a great, fun sport, and Abby really excels at it. She is now doing so well that my short comings are becoming more and more obvious. I try to tell myself that I am still pretty good a this - after all, I have been able to get Abby this far. And really, Abby doesn't care if I screw up - she doesn't know how many points we get at the end of the run - her cookie is just as big...

Family Photo

2010-09-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a great vacation. We slept and walked, and slept and walked. It was the perfect vacation for a bunch of old geezers like us. As the kids are getting older, I'm trying to get a good family photo. It's much more difficult that one would think, but when you add a bunch of half-trained, treat-crazed, little dogs, and a kinda crappy camera, you get some very interesting shots.

Here are some of the out-takes:

yummy dead things on beach

welcome to the twilight zone

seriously?

Since that wasn't working, I thought that I'd do individual shots instead:

I hate that flash!!!!

alien dog!!!!

wait, that's not mole. . .

Well, this is the best I was able to manage this weekend:

It's not a great photo, but they are all looking at me and, if you really knew these guys, you can see each of their personalities in this photo.

I Totally Understand How She Feels

2010-09-06T18:01:00.001-07:00

Run Thru Re-Do

2010-08-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Abby and I went to another Rally Run Thru this past Friday in preparation for our upcoming trial in October. We went to one last month too, and learned a lot, and it was important for me - training-wise to go to another one. Boy did I learn a TON!!!!

The run thru was set up a bit differently this time - level 1 ran first, and we were the first dog on the line. Abby spent a tiny bit of time in the crate while I helped set up, but there was a ton of commotion with everyone coming in and setting up. I was a bit worried about how she would handle all the craziness going on, but I think that she did ok considering that she was still willing to work with me after it all.

We didn't quite as well as last time. We NQ'd the first run - my fault completely, I skipped a sign.... Abby followed directions and we only got a 3 points off for tight leashes and we got a 6 out of 10 on the bonus. If I was a better handler and didn't miss the sign, we would have gotten a 203. Pretty good for us. But that run and that potential score didn't make me that happy because Abby looked miserable the entire time. I had to work really hard to keep her moving. I actually felt bad for her.

For the second run I decided that we were going to throw a party in the ring and the only sign I wanted to do right was the one I missed. It was an easy sign so I didn't have to put any pressure on either of us to actually do it right. Our score this time was a 195 and I was quite happy with it. Abby had a great time, her tail was wagging and we were having a ton of fun. I rewarded her by throwing the treats and that brought out her fun side and kept her wanting to work with me. It made me feel good that we could go out there, have fun, and still do well - even if we didn't get the best score. But a 195 is still quite good - even for us!

I learned a HUGE lesson this week, and it is one that I have always known, but one that was really obvious this time - Abby depends on my stability for her stability. I was really nervous on the first run and I know that it traveled down the leash because it showed in the way we worked together. Abby was at least arms distance from me the entire run. I'm sure she noticed my discomfort and wanted to give me plenty of space in case I had a break-down or something. The second run she was much closer to me, was having fun, but still kept some of her distance. At the time I thought that we just needed to work on tighter heeling . . . then we went to class on Sunday and we were back in perfect stride. We did some great on-leash and off-leash heeling AND we had a ton of fun. I have to find a way to keep my nerves in check so that it doesn't effect Abby's already fragile mind.

Back To Not Sleeping

2010-08-29T09:55:00.001-07:00

I sleep terribly most nights - even when I am not having a bout of insomnia. I always assumed that it was the dogs. Ok, it usually IS the dogs... more specifically, it's Abby. I slept with Pocket and Mole just fine for 5 years before Abby came along. Once Abby came into the picture, the sleep has been a bit restless.

Abby is a great cuddler. She curls up right next to you and sleeps in the spoon position with her head on the pillow. She looks so peaceful in this position. The problem is that this is the only position she wants to sleep in. Sure she will sleep for a little bit with her feet stretched out and her nails in my back. But once she realizes where she is, it's a paw to the face until I get her back in her comfy spot.

This has been going on for years. I put up with it because I don't have much of a choice - I can't crate her after all. I was hoping that her deep love of the reading chair would give me some space and a chance to sleep... but alas, sleep still evades me. Or it did until last week.

Last week I was house sitting for my mom while she was on vacation. I had the choice to sleep on the couch or an air mattress. Pick your poison, right? I chose the air mattress because it had more room for everyone to fit...even though we all know that regardless of the space, the dogs always sleep on top of you. The air mattress was semi-comfy, despite the fact that you had to blow it up rock hard before bed, knowing it would loose half the air in the middle of the night. But for some reason, I slept better. I think that the dogs slept better too. I didn't wake up four or five times in the middle of the night rearranging everyone so that Abby could get comfy. In fact, there were some times that I didn't sleep with Abby at all. Seriously! She chose to sleep on the couch. OK, she didn't sleep out there all night long, but she still slept away from me for a while. I was proud of her independence and I was happy with my full 8 hours of sleep. I didn't wake up exhausted with dark circles under my eyes. I was really hoping that these sleeping arrangements would carry back over to our bed at home.

Unfortunately I was wrong. Last night was the same as the past 2 years. Tossing and turning. Moving smaller sleeping bodies so I had at least a sliver of bed to sleep on. It's exhausting not sleeping. And I am not sure that I can do this for the next 7 years - the estimated lifespan of Abby. But I also don't see what choice I have.

Wordless Wednesday: Cemetery Walk

2010-08-18T20:17:00.001-07:00

Independant vs Bonded

2010-08-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

A while back I wrote a post about Abby's training plan. It was well thought out and included lots of hikes and basic training. Things were going well for awhile and I wrote an update and added more phases to the training plan. Things aren't going so well anymore. . . and we are having to make adjustments to our training plan.

In some ways, Abby is doing great. She is more comfortable on our hikes and is willing to do a lot of obedience with me. She is doing well in class and I think that she will be ready to trial in Rally in another month. However, Abby is going backward with her separation issues. She has tried to escape from my office and has started screaming again when I leave her for "extended" periods (read: more than 2 hours). This is not a road that I want to go down again.

A part of me worries that I contributed to this recent increase in anxiety behavior. I routinely put her in stressful situations and ask her to look to me for support and guidance. We do this kind of training for many reasons, but the main reason is to help Abby keep her panic under control. And, in this case, the training is working. We often come across strange things on our outings and Abby has learned to stay near me and not to panic or try to flee. Today, for example, we literally ran into a horse. Both Abby and I were startled, but Abby did not panic and we were able to continue on our hike with no worries. However, my worry with this training is that Abby cannot handle stress when I am not there. I have worked so extensively on our bond to be able to do the kinds of things that we are doing, that I think I have really set her back on the independence work we have done.

So now our training plan is changing again. We are still going on hikes, and I am still planning on doing training with her on them, but I am going to ask her to do more distance work - more specifically, I am going to ask her to do more stays and am hopefully going to be able to get some distance stays with distraction. We have altered the way we work in class too. Abby is no longer allowed to sit in my lap during class. She is also required to stay tethered to the wall when I walk the course. She really hates that part, but I'm trying to teach her in a way that eases her anxiety about it rather than increases her anxiety about being away from me. I'm hoping that this works and that I will have a good report the next time I update her training plan.

Here is a just because picture I took of Abby on our hike today. Her lines are a little off because her hind end is uphill from her front end, but I still think that she is one of the prettiest dogs I've ever seen.

Seizure Detector

2010-08-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

Sure, she looks all innocent and sweet, but this dog sure causes me a lot of trouble! One thing that we have to deal with is Abby's seizures. I noticed them around the time when she came back from her adventure; and although they can be frightening as a mom to watch, they don't generally bother Abby too much. Well, not until recently. . .

Abby's seizures are "under control" for the most part. I don't medicate her for them, but they are quite infrequent and only occur during really stressful periods. Because I put moderate levels of stress on Abby frequently, she seems to be able to tolerate more and more stress as time goes on. But I think that I pushed her past her breaking point this past weekend. Due to many events that I couldn't control and a few that I could, Abby was out and about for the entire day on Sunday. In the back of my mind I was thinking that she might have a seizure that night; but aside from the vomit that comes with it they aren't a problem for us, so I didn't really give it much thought.

Most of Sunday was spent driving around with few stops in between. Abby is an angel in the car - it's really the only place I don't have to worry about her. She lays down in the back and sleeps (proof in the above photo!) But this past Sunday, on the way to our last stop before going home, Abby tried desperately to get in the front seat with me. And, if you know Abby, you know how dangerous her paw can be, so rather than try to fight her off, I let her sit in my lap. Eventually I got to my last stop, moved Abby into the back seat, and got out. When I got back in the car two minutes later, Abby HAD to get back in my lap. Less than a minute after she was there, she started having a seizure.

Since Abby has never before - or since (yet...) - tried to crawl in my lap while driving it made me wonder if Abby knew that she was going to have a seizure and wanted to be comforted. There are some dogs that can detect human seizures, but I wonder if dogs can detect other dog's seizures???? And if they can detect dog seizures, what's not to say that they can detect their own???

Ok, I don't really think that Abby knew she was going to have a seizure, but she must have felt something strange otherwise she would have stayed sleeping in the back of the car like always. It's kind of weird to think about. . .

The Lone Wolf

2010-08-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that Abby would be a dog that could do things by herself. There was a time when I wasn't sure that I would ever be able to do something with Abby alone. When it became apparent that we could do things alone, I wondered if Abby would ever really enjoy doing things alone.

Abby and I do a lot of things alone now, and I think that we have a pretty good time together. But I always thought that she would rather have one - or both - of the other kids join us. Today I learned that isn't the case.

We went on another hike today with mole. I enjoy the hikes with mole - even if they are slow and we don't get any aerobic benefits from them. Mole sure has a great time. I thought that Abby would have fun sniffing and peeing alongside her brother. Abby had a miserable time the entire walk. Well, miserable is probably too strong a word, but terrible is probably accurate.

The whole walk, Abby spent at the end of her long line trying to pull me up the hill. When I didn't give in, she would run back to me, demand bark/whine and run up the hill again. It was obvious that she wanted to GO. She didn't want to sniff the flowers, she wanted to power up that hill the way we normally do. And she acted even stranger when I told her we had to turn around. She wasn't ready to quit!

I know that Abby doesn't understand that we can't do what we normally do when Mole is with us, but I thought that she would have so much fun playing alongside him that she wouldn't realize we weren't doing our normal thing. But I should have learned by now that Abby doesn't take change well; and it's easiest for her to stick to the normal routine. She has more fun doing what we normally do - regardless of what other fun things are present. Abby is actually ok doing things alone. . . well, alone as long as I'm there with her. . . we won't get into how she feels when she is really alone. . . that may never be ok. . .

Quality of Life

2010-07-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

I think it's funny how reoccurring themes come up in our lives. . . or they may not be reoccurring, but come up all at once to teach us a particular lesson. Something that has come up for me recently is quality of life. It's a strange lesson to learn, but I've been faced with that notion repeatedly in the past few months.

First, Mole's back went out and I had to determine what was an appropriate level of exercise/fun. Then we had some very sick puppies come through and we had to decide if long-term high quality was worth the short-term low quality. Then I had a foster dog with sever medical issues. . . it was a constant question about what qualifies as quality? Then Abby's body started shutting down and I had to figure out the exercise/fun quotient for her. Then we had another sick puppy scenario. . . It's been almost constant recently.

Awhile ago, when mole was first diagnosed, we slowed down a bit, but I decided that his quality of life was more important and that we need to continue our normal hiking/exercise routine. Time wears on and he gets worse. I decide that he is too important to me and that I need more time and he stops going on hikes. Fast forward to when Abby was diagnosed and I have a completely different opinion - Abby still goes on hikes despite her issues.

It's funny how we can come to completely different solutions to the exact same problem. And it's not that I love Abby any less than mole - or that I value my time with mole more than I value my time with Abby. For Abby, I decided that she needed to have a high quality of life despite the obstacles that come our way because she had such a poor quality for such a long time. If, in the long run, it means that I have less time with her, then so be it. But I could not make that same decision for mole. I felt that even a lower quality mole life is way higher than a lot of dog's highest hoped for quality.

Just this week I was faced with an interesting decision - where to place my special needs foster puppy. The decision was a tough one. One of the people would cuddle him continuously and treat him like a precious little baby, and the other would let him romp and play and be a dog. Both clearly loved him and would care for his special needs, but which would be the best life for him? Where would he have the highest quality of life?

It was in making that decision that made me rethink my decision about mole. He LOVES to hike and play and be a dog. My keeping him confined kept him comfortable, but he sure wasn't as happy as he used to be. It showed in small ways, but it became more and more apparent. But making the decision to allow him this was tough. He hurts more often then not now, but we are able to manage the pain. But the fact that he does hurt makes it all the more difficult to allow him to do something that might make him hurt worse.

But seeing him age quicker and quicker makes me want to make the time he does have here with me as special and as fun as possible. Because of that, I have decided to take him hiking again. We aren't going to go as far as Abby and I go, and we are going to go on flatter trails, and we are going to go at his pace. . . but we are still going to go - at least once a week. We have already gone once, and seeing how happy he was made my resolve to continue to do this stronger. And he really didn't need any more pain meds than usual - at least not this time. I understand that might not always be the case, but how can you say no to this face

Rally Run Thru

2010-07-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

Abby and I went to our first rally run thru last night. I was a bit nervous, but figured that it would be a really good learning experience for both of us.

The run thrus are set up like a rally trial, so I decided that we would pretend it was an actual trial. I got there early, set up her crate and left her in there for a bit. I checked in, walked the course (level 3 - not what we were actually running). I sat for a bit and watched some people. About 6 people in, I pulled Abby out, pottied her and did some warm up exercises. Abby knew that something was going on, but couldn't quite figure it out. We still had a ways to go before our turn, so I put her back in the crate and let her rest.

Before I knew it, it was time for me to walk our course. It was actually quite an easy course, and one that we would have done well off-leash on if we were in our level 2 class. We were the second ones up, so I only did one quick walk through and pulled Abby back out to potty and warm up. I was a bundle of nerves when it came time to actually do the course. Even though it didn't "count" for anything, this was our chance to see how we were doing, and what we needed to work on. It's one thing when you are in class, but this was almost like a graded exam!

Silly me, I had nothing to worry about. Abby has this shit down. We ran the course twice and got a 201 and a 196 (out of a possible 200 w/ a 10 pt bonus). We needed to work on tight leashes (my fault) and doing a sit from a down (I got dinged for having to give a second command). Abby did well and seemed quite happy the entire time. I am especially surprised that she did so well after having a long day at work - our first run wasn't until 8:40pm and our second was at 9pm. That is quite late for a doggie who has an early bed time.

Confession time: when I added up Abby's first score, I cried a little. I was so proud of her. I felt like we really accomplished something. We have worked so hard at so much and I think that this is something that we can actually excel in. My silly little iggy not only likes this stuff, but is actually getting good at it.

Training Update

2010-07-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't written a whole lot lately about Abby's training mainly because we took a few weeks off. In the past year and a half we haven't taken much time off from training because there was always something going on. But now that we can't do agility, its easier to take time off between classes. I've still been hiking with her and doing small things here and there, but no actual training.

A few months ago, I put together a training plan for Abby that consisted of 3 phases. The first phase was to get her out in new environments. The second was to do very basic training in environments that she was comfortable in. The third phase. . . well, we didn't actually come up with a third phase because we were still trying to work on the first one. I think that I have an idea for phase 3 that consists of training in new environments. . . but we aren't there quite yet.

Today Abby and I started phase 2.1 of our training plan. I had no idea that there would be a 2.1 when I started, but I knew it today when I saw it. Abby and I went to our favorite hiking spot. We don't go there a whole lot because it is a bit further than our usual hiking spot - and way more remote. Abby likes the quiet of this place but I am always worried about mountain lions and psychopaths. In these hills Abby will totally settle and actually walk and mark and will just be a dog. I knew that this was the right place to do more intensive training with her.

I wanted to do some training before our hike because I figured that she would be less interested in getting back in the car - one of Abby's favorite things to do because she gets an "all done" cookie after class and hikes, etc. Abby did surprisingly well on the basics, so we worked on some distance stays, and some mom being weird stays. I was quite impressed with her willingness to work in this environment, and more impressed that she didn't completely freak out when a car a drove by. After the training we went for our usual hike (well, maybe a bit slower since I took an ass kicking class at the gym yesterday. . .) As we approached the car, I got this silly little idea in my head about doing some more training BEFORE getting into the car. I have no idea what devilish imp gave me that idea, but I decided to run with it. I was completely shocked when Abby actually responded to the training commands. She really wanted to get into the car, but she still worked some heeling and some stays - and a "distance" down ("" because I'm really only 2-3 feet in front of her at this point). I was really proud that she was able to control herself with something so tempting in front of her.

I'm still super bummed that we can't do agility. . . and even more bummed about it when she flies over the ONE jump we do in Rally 2 practice. I'm sad that her body gave out because I think that she would have continued to do well in the sport. But even though I am bummed about agility, I'm really glad that we still have something fun that we can do together. And it's nice that we can practice closer to home rather than drive 30-60 minutes for training.

New Phone

2010-07-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

I had an iPhone for a few years, but it has been slowly dying lately. Earlier in the week it decided that it would no longer accept phone calls; but for some strange reason I was still able to talk using my blue-tooth... Strange, I know. . . it was becoming increasingly evident that I needed a new phone.

I have been thinking and debating about phones for a few months now, but this is a bad time of year for me at work, so making non-work related decisions is difficult. I had hoped to put the decision off until September or October, but having a working phone is sort-of essential. . .

After much thought I decided on the HTC EVO, for a variety of reasons that I will not go into. For the most part, I really like my new phone. I am happy with the service so far - Sprint -and really enjoy the lightning fast data access (I was stuck in the olden days with the Edge network). I really like the big screen, I like the camera, I like the radio feature, I like that my contacts are synced with FB and everyone has their own unique photos. There are a few things that I don't like, however, and I don't think that I will get used to 1) I can't access my mail folders - or at least I can't figure out how to access them 2) I can't seem to get my iTunes music transferred- even though I KNOW there is a way to do this. 3) I don't like the limited options on the calender for selecting repeated appointments 4) I don't like that it takes FOREVER to charge!

I have a full 30 days to try out this phone and service. I am almost 100% sure that I am going to stick with it. I can't quite say that I like it as much as my iPhone, but it is still new and we are still getting used to one another.

Ignorant Owners

2010-07-12T15:20:00.001-07:00

No, this isn't a rant about how some ignorant owner wronged me or one of my dogs. This is about how sometimes I wish I was an ignorant owner. OK, not really, but sort of. . .

Sometimes I wish that I didn't have as much veterinary knowledge as I have. Aside from the time I would save cleaning ears, expressing anal glands, trimming nails, and looking at limping and lumps on friends pets; I would save my self a great deal of worry about my own pets.

My kids are getting old and I see all the symptoms - perhaps magnified because I know exactly what I'm looking for. While some people wake up one day and find that their 8 week old puppy is suddenly a 12 year old geriatric dog; I see all the small symptoms along the way. I notice that hesitating to get into and out of a car is a surefire sign of early arthritis. I see that "accident" as evidence of kidney disease or loss of bladder control. I see the slowing down on a walk as proof that we are having back problems.

While many owners would ignore these small symptoms - or not see them all together, I panic and rush my babies into the vet to figure out exactly what is going on. Because of my panic I learn things about my kids that other people might not know for years to come. And while I think that it often causes me unnecessary worry, I think that in some cases it prevents the problem from becoming irreversible. Learning Abby had kidney problems through a routine blood panel (after noticing more "accidents" ) I freaked out. Once I calmed down, I made a plan and with a slight change in diet, we remedied the problem. While I know that her kidneys aren't fixed, I know that we can manage the problem for longer than we would if I had just ignored it and let it get worse.

Recently, I have noticed that Mole's back isn't doing too well. . .again. Sure he is still getting around ok, but he is slightly off. I can see it when he walks and how he stretches and how he gets up from a nap. I know he is uncomfortable, but my stoic old man tries his best to hide it from me. We've tried muscle relaxants for a few days, but that hasn't seemed to help. We are going to try NSAIDs for a few days and hope that works. He isn't bad enough to put on steroids, but we might have to go back to the opiates.

Sometimes I wish that I didn't know as much as I did and then I wouldn't worry quite so much. But other times I'm thankful for my knowledge because I can pick and choose my medications more carefully rather than relying on a standard Rx from a vet. Then again, if I was an ignorant owner, I wouldn't know any better to begin with. . .

Abby's Last Fun Match

2010-07-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

Who knew back in April that this would be Abby's last fun match. It makes me sad looking at this because I can see how truly happy she is. She is a bit distracted, but all her friends are hanging out just outside of the ring cheering her on. (who would've thought that Abby has FRIENDS!!!) Once I did get her focus back she RAN with her tail wagging the whole time.

Even though this video makes me sad, it still makes me happy because I can see that we went so far in such a short period of time. I mean, this was the dog that I had to teach how to jump - EVERY JUMP! Each obstacle was new, even if she had done it before, if it was in a new location, or even if it just looked different in any way, I had to start all over at the beginning. And this video, the first run of the day, shows exactly what dedication and determination can do.

You go, ABBY

We Don't Need No Stinking Titles

2010-07-03T20:23:00.001-07:00

I read this earlier this week on a blog that I frequent regularly:

" What Is A Title Really?" by Sandy Mowery

Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher Title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores.

A Title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honor the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard. And though the dog himself doesn't know or care that his achievements have been noted, a Title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.
A Title says your dog was intelligent, and adaptable, and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed. And a Title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog, and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed, and that in the end your faith was justified.
A Title proves that your dog inspired you to have the special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a Title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return. And when that dear short life is over, the Title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials before or after the name.

A Title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received permanently.

When I first read this I agreed completely. A title is a tribute to a dog and to the relationship that you have with that dog. It means that your dog was smart and adaptable and loved you enough to work for you. It means that you loved your dog and believed in your dog enough to spend the time and money it takes to earn titles. These are the reasons that I want titles for my dogs. And the drive for titles is why I am carefully thinking about my next dog.

But as I thought about this more, I realized that this isn't always true. There are many people who have titles on their dogs who do not necessarily do it because they love their dog. They do it because they love the titles and what having dogs with titles means for them as individuals. I think that this is a minority in the competitive dog world, but these people do exist.

I think that people like me, with dogs like Abby, is the other argument to this article. I spent a lot of time and a lot of money working with Abby in agility and we have no titles to show for it. I am spending even more time, and even more money with Abby in Rally, and we may never get a title there either. This doesn't mean that I don't love Abby enough, or that I don't believe in her enough. It also doesn't mean that Abby isn't smart enough or adaptable enough. And it sure as hell doesn't mean that I haven't worked with her enough to get those letters.

Even though I know that having titles doesn't matter and it doesn't prove my love or dedication to my dog, I still want them. I want them because of what it means to other people. A title will go into a record book, one that no one ever reads, but it will be there. And it will show that this Italian Greyhound called Abby did something special. Few people will ever know exactly how special it is or how much we worked through to earn those letters, but I will know. And while I am proud of Abby almost every day, a title will not only prove that Abby can do something special, it will prove that together, we can do something special.

Still Having Fun

2010-06-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was feeling pretty low earlier this week, but an awesome Rally class was just what we needed to get back on track.

Abby did awesome in class today. She learned two new exercises and we got to practice something that we haven't worked on in MONTHS! She did pretty good on her heeling off leash again. We were the last ones to run and some of the other class mates had started packing up and making noise, and while Abby was spooked, she kept working. I am actually quite surprised that she does so well off leash in that environment. But she picks things up fast, and once she knows what I want from her, its game on! We also have a bunch of homework this week. Its a bit sad that I am so excited about homework, but we really needed something new to work on. Both Abby and I were getting bored. . .

I am going to try not to get too sad about agility. Abby still has so much potential and we still have so far that we can go. I actually think that she likes Rally better because she gets to work closer to me and gets rewarded more frequently. I am going to try to look at the positive side of this. . .and I'm going to look for another sport to try. . . there has got to be something fun for old dogs to do!

Looking Ahead

2010-06-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

First let me say that I am not getting another dog any time soon. But that hasn't stopped me from thinking about one in the future.

I have never chosen a dog, well not for me anyway. I have chosen a lot of dogs for other people. . . but that is a very different thing. All of my dogs became my dogs for various reasons but none were for a specific purpose. My next dog will be for a specific purpose: agility, obedience, and. . .??? The possibilities are endless.

I thought that it would be easy to choose a dog, but there is a lot to think about and the first is breed. I know that I need a dog that is physically capable of handling the routine. I also need a dog that is going to be able to mentally handle my life - and by that I mean people, other dogs, cats, children, traveling, etc. I know that I don't want a dog with a lot of hair or one that is going to require grooming. Even with those specific requirements, there are still a lot of great breed prospects. And once I settle on a breed, I then have to decide if I want to rescue or purchase a puppy. There are benefits and drawbacks to both.

I am giving myself roughly two years to sort this all out. I figure it will take about that long to talk to enough people, meet enough dogs, and purchase a bigger car. Plus, it's going to take me at least that long to talk pocket into it.

Depression Sets In

2010-06-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'm officially depressed. I was sad about no more agility before, but now I am officially depressed about it. I am strongly tempted to crawl in bed for the next 5 years. And the more I go about my life, the more depressed I get.

I don't think that normal people really understand how devastating this is. I have tried to explain it to some (ie: imagine if you couldn't play video games, or if you couldn't take pictures) This is my way to disconnect from my job and from other suppressors in my life. This is a way for me to bond with my dog and to have a great time. I read books, follow blogs, talk to trainers about agility. This isn't just a sport that I do with my dog, this is a whole sub-set of my social structure!

A friend asked me earlier how Abby was doing and I said that she is fine! SHE has no idea that there is anything wrong. She enjoys agility, but she has a pretty great life otherwise so I doubt that she will be heart-broken over it. I imagine that if I took her to an agility field and didn't let her do anything that she would get frustrated, but I don't think that she thinks about it regularly.

I know that Abby and I still have a lot of things that we can do together, and I am looking forward to all of that. But there was so much more that we could have accomplished in this area and I am sad that we will never get the chance. And I am sad that this part of my life is over for the time being. And I can see why some of these people have so many dogs - when there is always a dog ready to compete, you never have to give it up.

Despite my depression over it, I am still glad that we tried it. So many people told me that I wouldn't be able to do with Abby any of the things that we have done so far. But we did. And we didn't do it with a perfectly bred, perfectly socialized dog. We spent the time and did the work and got past so many fears and we did what so many normal dogs before us have done - we did agility.

Chunk By Chunk

2010-06-22T14:22:00.001-07:00

My grandfather said that a few years ago he started falling apart piece by piece. Now is he falling apart chunk by chunk.

So it seems with Abby.

Abby has been weird lately when it comes to agility. She was refusing her favorite obstacles and has been even slower than normal. Despite my belief that she was just being Abby, it turns out that there are some (more) things wrong with her. On top of her seizures, and her kidney issues, we now have heart murmur, arthritis, and degenerative disc disease to add to the list. I never believed that Abby would be a long-lived dog, but I didn't think that she would fall apart this young either.

When I first saw those X-rays a part of me was relieved. All this recent behavior is not mental. But once I made that realization, my heart sank. It isn't mental, it's physical. This won't get better. We can't train through this. This is permanent. We can no longer do agility.

I never thought that Abby would win titles, but I hoped that we would be able to train and trial and have a ton of fun for years before we retired. But we have to stop now. And it really depresses me. We have spent a whole year doing this. Countless hours training, countless $$ spent, countless hours driving. . . and we don't really have anything to show for it.

Ok, I know that's not entirely true. We learned a lot and Abby has a ton of confidence (a ton considering where she started) but right now I just want to be sad that we have to give up something that we both loved doing.

Father's Day with My Old Man

2010-06-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've always called Mole my old man - even before he was old. . . He just has an old soul. And now that he really is old, we can't do the things that we used to do together. It's sad, and I miss his company on those outings. Lately it's been Abby and I going here, there, and everywhere, and I know that he really wishes that he could go with us. Sometimes he does, but mostly he can't.

Today, I decided to spend some quality time with my old man. I was trying to figure out what to do because we can't really walk too far. He doesn't really like to sit and do nothing for extended periods of time either. Abby had class later, so we couldn't really do anything too time consuming. I decided that we would go and have breakfast. It sounds kinda silly when I say it like that, but we both had a really great time.

I looked on Yelp for some breakfast places that had outdoor seating and came across the Blackberry Bistro. It was close, had good reviews, was in a neighborhood that I knew, so off we went. I was careful to pick a parking space close, but not too close so that we could get in a tiny walk (two blocks). We had a 10 minute wait, but that was better than I was expecting at 11am on Father's day. I thought our table was fine, but Mole thought he hit the mother-load! There must have been kids sitting at our table before because there were cheerios all over the ground. He had a blast cleaning up. I choose to wait and eat the food that was brought to me on a plate - eggs, potatoes, cheese roll, and. . . bacon!

Guess who ate the bacon:

He was such a good boy the entire time. He is actually the perfect eating companion because he doesn't want to be on my lap, and he is happy eating whatever I hand him. We both had a really good time and I am planning on doing this more often.

Building Drive

2010-06-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

Abby has been SUPER pokey during agility training. I have no idea what is going on, and because it's Abby, it could be nothing, or it could be everything. And since she still seems to want to do obedience and go out for runs, I am assuming that she is physically fine. She just has no drive for agility right now. . .

As much as I love Abby and as fun as she can be to work at times, she can also be as equally frustrating. Part of the frustration comes because she seems to be fine one week, then is completely off the next. That is part of the reason we are keeping the journal - to hopefully figure out what I'm missing. Right now, she has no drive, but is still completing the courses. Its very strange.

I'm trying to do some research and I am asking everyone I can think of to ask. . . but as of tonight, I have no answers, just frustration. I'm being very careful not to let on how I feel, and am throwing big parties whenever she does anything. . . but it hasn't helped.

Despite my frustrations, I still really enjoy working with Abby and I think that she really enjoys working with me. We have formed a true team in the past few months and it has really strengthened our bond. And I know that once we figure this whole thing out that we will be that much better together. . . And I know that I will have that many more tips and tricks in working with other dogs. . . but right now, I just wish that we could go out there and run a course like we used to when we first started.

Panzanella Salad

2010-06-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

My summer goal this year is to cook one new dish a week. Last week I made a really awesome home-made polenta dish with sauteed mushrooms and spinach. I wish that I took pictures because it was an awesome dish. . .

This week: Panzanella Salad (bread salad)

The ingredients are simple and can change a bit from person to person depending on what they like to eat. Mine consisted of cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese, mix green lettuce and bread. The dressing is a simple olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. The bread is supposed to be day-old, but I didn't plan that far ahead, so I just baked mine a bit longer. I also added the blue cheese and the cherry tomatoes to the bread in the oven.

The food was delicious. The wine I chose to go with it. . .bleh. ..

I chose an Old Vine Zin made by a vintner I'd never heard of before - Haraszth. Its from Lodi and is a 2008. I tried to get some information about this wine/vintner, but I didn't find a whole lot of info. . . The wine itself has no real flavor. Part of it might be due to my allergies and not being able to smell properly, but I don't think that is all of it. The one good thing I can say about that wine was that it didn't detract anything from my meal. . .

The Reading Chair

2010-06-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

I made the long weekend extra long and spent some time visiting relatives on the east coast. Unfortunately I did not have as good a time as I hoped because I spent most of it in the hospital visiting my grandfather. Since only so many people are allowed at one time, I spent a good portion of my vacation reading a book in tiny, uncomfortable hospital chairs. The entire time I was day dreaming about my old reading chair and vowed to figure out a way to get it back into my life!

Skip ahead a week, lots of pushing, shoving, door removing, and voila! Reading chair parked comfortably (albeit tightly) into my room. I was looking forward to reading in it when all of a sudden, Mole remembered how comfortable the reading chair was and hopped in.

After some time, Abby decided that she wanted to try the reading chair

Then, before I knew it, pocket joined the group

And as you can see, there was no room left for me. . . I was left reading on the floor with Eddie. . . But it was as great book, so I didn't complain too much. If you have never read Water for Elephants - READ IT. It is a great, and easy read. . . and with days like I've had lately, an easy read is necessary!

Training Log

2010-06-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided to start a training log for Abby.

Most serious trainers use training logs, and we aren't that serious about all of this. But after Abby's A-frame fiasco, I started thinking that a training log might be more helpful in working with/through her issues.

I write a lot of stuff about Abby on this blog, but I don't write down the details of exactly what she did, how she did it, and how she felt doing it. I also didn't keep track of where we were and what the weather was like, and how I am feeling that day. I am not sure if real trainers keep track of all that minutia, but since Abby's fears are based on seemingly tiny things, I think that the more I keep track of, the better I will be at handling her.

I have learned so much more about training dogs since Abby came into my life, but I still feel that I have a lot to learn in training Abby. Everyday that we work together I feel that we are becoming more and more of a team, but I always know that I am the bigger part of that team, despite the fact that Abby is doing the actual work! If I am not motivating her, and if I am not up-beat enough, Abby will shut down. That is no fun for her, and it makes me feel like a bad mom. But I think that we are finally starting to find our groove in training, and I think that the log will help us polish up some things. I still think that she has a lot of potential.

I Should Write A Book

2010-06-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

I have been on vacation for a week out of state.

That is a whole week away from Abby.

A whole week away from training of any kind.

A whole week away from exercise.

Tonight, Abby took the A- frame.

Tonight, Abby (almost) off-coursed and took the A-frame.

This whole no-training training really works!

I really should write a book about it. . .

Thanks Ken

2010-05-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

A year ago I wrote a letter to a man named Ken telling him how inspired I was by his IGs, and what he was able to do with them despite their history. One of his IGs, Gracie, had a very similar story to Abby and yet she was still able to do so much. I also told him how frustrated I was that most people/trainers I talked to said that Abby would never be able to do Agility. He wrote me a really sweet letter telling me to keep working with her and that eventually we would find someone who would work with us. His letter really kept me motivated and kept me working with her at a time when I really just wanted to give up.

Obviously I kept working with her and didn't give up on her. We eventually did find someone who was willing to work with us (and still does despite everything!) and Abby CAN do agility. She has really blossomed into a wonderful dog and became everything that I could ever ask for in a dog - even if I forget that at times. . .

I recently tried to email Ken to say thank you for his kind words and to update him on how Abby was doing, but the email came back. I'm disappointed that I'm not able to thank him for giving me the courage to keep going. I'm sad that I can't tell him how much his work with his dogs inspired me to work so much with my own. And since I can't thank him directly, I thought that I would thank him here. Maybe the internet in it's wonderful and mysterious ways will somehow get the message to him.

Thank you, Ken.

Still No A-Frame

2010-05-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

I really have no idea what happened to Abby's A-frame. This once beloved obstacle is now completely shunned. We got it back for a bit after a practice session, but she refused it again in class. I am beginning to think that she might have come off it wrong in class and is now afraid that it "hurts". The only reason that I am thinking that is because after the one A-frame a few weeks ago, she completely fell apart for the rest of the class - refusing everything. . .including jumps. When she did take the jump, she took it crooked. I wondered that day if she didn't twist/pull/sprain something, but Abby is a pretty sturdy dog so I didn't give it too much thought.

But after class today, I think that I am revisiting my old theory - something about that A-frame "hurts". Abby did great the entire class, jumping perfectly at 16", took the dog walk both ways, but again refused the A-frame. I'm not sure if it hurts on the way up or the way down, but I think it might be the way up since I don't think Abby is smart enough to put the "what goes up must also come down" rule. We'll break it down again in a few weeks and hopefully we can get over it eventually.

After a few weeks of not training, I think that Abby actually does better without the constant push of training. Don't get me wrong, Abby likes to train - she gets all wiggly and prances around, but it was just the same old stuff. And if she did something wrong and didn't get a cookie, she got frustrated and confused. As well as she is doing, she isn't as mentally prepared for this stuff as some of the working breeds. Abby doesn't do wrong well. She wants to do well and shuts down when she doesn't. And once she shuts down, there is no getting her back. That's part of why I'm working on training in different places. It's stuff she already knows, but we are adding a new level of difficulty with a new environment. And even though she isn't comfortable enough to actually train in new places, I think that we are getting some benefit - relationship building if nothing else, and that helps tremendously in classes and trials.

Everyone is getting used to the new training program. Abby is very demanding after work and fusses about, expecting to out and do something. Mole finally understands that he isn't coming with us. I think that pocket is just happy to get that crazy dog out of her hair for awhile. I'll admit that it was very difficult at first taking Abby out without Mole - especially because he REALLY wants to go. . .and probably expects to go too. After all, he always came before. . . but I think that he gets it now. He stays home. I still feel guilty about it, and I think that it has made him more needy at other times, but that is ok. There are so many dogs in this house that if you don't demand attention, then you can get over-looked at times.

Phase One

2010-05-18T19:36:00.001-07:00

Things just got serious.

I have been working consistently with Abby for just over a year. We have come a long way in that year. We have had a few set backs but we have had far more rewards. And while we have worked hard together, we have not had a real training plan. We have gone to agility class, then on to agility trials, and now we are doing rally class, and hopefully will trial soon. Even with all this training, I have not thought farther ahead then next weeks class. I haven't thought weeks, months, years, into the future because I never really believed that Abby could do well. However, a few weeks ago I actually realized how far she could go if I put the effort into her that I plan on putting into my next dog. Once that clicked, I knew that I had to put more effort into her training.

The end goal with this new training regiment is to have Abby comfortable doing her obedience in a new and public place . . . but we are going to do it in phases because this is Abby and nothing is ever straight forward.

Phase One: Take Abby to as many new places as possible. Abby goes a lot of places but it's rare that she goes anywhere new anymore. My main goal for phase one is to have her be comfortable (hopefully happy) and able to pay attention to me. I think that phase one is going to be a long one - and possibly a never ending one considering her history.

Phase Two: practice basic obedience in comfortable environments. This will eventually go on in conjunction with phase one. Since I can't take her somewhere new every day, we will often go back to places that she is comfortable with and work on basic training there.

Phase Three: ??? I am not entirely sure what phase three will be, but we'll figure that out once we get to phase two.

So, how did day one of phase one go? Not too bad. We went for a walk on a new trail and I got some attention from her. I didn't ask much from her, but did ask her to check in with me from time to time. She did better at the beginning of the walk when there was less distraction. Once the horse walked by she was constantly wondering what kind of bizarre creature would jump out from around the next bend! The weather was crappy so she had to wear a coat! We were lucky though, because as soon as we got back in the car, it started to rain!

NOT Training Works!

2010-05-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

I don't advocate anyone STOP training their dogs, but a break here and there is good for all of us. When I decided to take a week off from training I was afraid that Abby would forget what she learned and stare at me confused and bewildered when class came around. Surprise of all surprises Abby did quite well in class! Despite loosingher stays (which aren't that great to begin with) she was perfect. She not only did well, but she also had a great time doing it.

We played a few games this week, choose to heel was our favorite. The idea is that your dog is allowed to do "whatever they want" but they are heavily rewarded for being in the heel position. This can be on leash, but is more effective off leash. As a compromise Abby dragged her leash. I wasn't afraid of her bolting as much as I was afraid that she would play on the agility equiptment! Abby got the game and quickly came back to heel position after being sent away. I was really surprised that she did so well until I remembered all the long-line work we've done and all the recall training. Our instructor was surprised at how well she did too!

We've officially gotten back into "training mode" but we are going to mix it up a lot. I think that our new regiment will be more fun and will be more effective. When we can't follow the new plan, then we will learn new tricks - like tonight! I always think it's cute when dogs weave through their owners legs, so I decided that will be our first trick. Abby is a little slow picking this up because she keeps trying to get into heel position! It's ok... She'll get it eventually... But I'm sure that we'll break one or two behaviors along the way...

And Then There Was One. . .

2010-05-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, there are still FOUR. . .but yesterday I got a chance to see what it was like for people with only one dog.

Abby had a weird week last week in agility class and since we had no Rally class on Sunday and no agility class Thursday I decided that we should take the week off from training and do fun things instead. One day we all went to the cemetery and and took a nice walk (well, Abby and Mole walked, and I carried Pocket). Yesterday I thought it would be fun if we took a nice hike in the hills. Since these are the same hills that Pocket got attacked in, I didn't dare bring her or mole - plus mole shouldn't walk that much anyway. With Abby being larger and less squirrel like, I figured that she would probably be safe from those "rescue" dogs.

Aside from being fun, I thought that a nice hike would be a good conditioning exercise for her. I really should be doing conditioning exercises with Abby all the time, after all, she is supposed to be athletic! But having a multi-dog household makes it difficult to do things with only ONE dog. I feel guilty leaving them behind and I think that they feel bad being left. But I am trying to put those thoughts behind me. I know that I don't love mole any less because I can't take him with me. And I would never forgive myself if I took him and something horrible happened because of it.

So, I was temporarily a one-dog person. And I have to say that I really liked it. It was easy only having to watch out for one dog - even with that one dog being Abby. But since Abby is larger then the other two, and isn't obsessed with peeing on everything, we were able to get in a nice work out. I was surprised that she was able to walk alone without the comfort of her companions. She didn't panic or try to run away. She simply walked with me. There were a few times when we came upon a biker and she was unsure, but she stayed close and followed right behind me. I was really proud of her because she was on a 25' long-line and could have made poor choices. I know I often say how amazed I am at how far Abby has come, but I truly am. I often say that I am proud of how she can do agility and rally, but secretly, I am happier that we can take a nice walk together. We are becoming partners more and more every day.

Abby being a total DOG and sniffing the flowers:

Mothers Day

2010-05-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

I know that some people make fun of people like me - people who think of their dogs as their children. They think that having dogs can't possibly be as difficult as raising children. I beg to differ. Try having something with the brain of a two year old child living with you for 15 years. Imagine having to ask you teenager if he went potty and then walking him back into the bathroom to "make sure". Imagine having to make breakfast and dinner for your children for their entire lives. Imagine being completely responsible for every facet of your child's life - food, exercise, mental stimulation, socialization, etc for their entire life. Now, I am not saying that being a parent isn't tough, I am simply saying that being a good dog parent is also difficult. A friend once told me that I am the first "soccer mom" that she knows. . .and I often feel like that. . .but I enjoy (almost) every minute.

Here are new pictures of my kids:

My smiling old man

Abby still carrying her winter weight

Unfortunately I didn't get any new pictures of Pocket because this

Kept doing this

That was pre-surgery when he was still allowed to run and play. . .post surgery he is doing well - better than I expected. . .but spending most of his time "resting". We can't afford for him to rupture any sutures, so until we get the A-OK from the Doc, he is being crate rested with limited exercise.

Puppy Envy

2010-05-08T15:01:00.001-07:00

I have puppy envy. . . yes, those words actually came out of my mouth. And, as far as I can tell, I am still completely sane.

I'm not the biggest fan of puppies because they have a ton of energy, make a lot of mess, and require a ton of work. I have, from time to time, fallen in love with certain puppies, but those puppies usually belong to friends and the puppies are like my nieces and nephews, so of course I love them. I have never wanted a puppy of my own. . .until today. . .

Abby fell apart half-way through agility class on Thursday. She decided that she didn't like the A-frame, and would only take the dog walk one way. Abby reverted back to her old self and I am not entirely sure why. I was really disappointed and apologized to our instructor, but she didn't seem phased at all by it - guess it's more common then I think (selective memory). Abby and I went out to the agility yard this morning to work on some of the issues. I had to put the A-frame back to half height before she would take it - then she took it joyfully. She was fine both sides of the dog walk today, but she only wanted to jump 12". As much as I love Abby, and as proud of her as I am at what we have accomplished together, it is still frustrating having to re-teach her basic things that she actually LOVES doing.

Today, I also got to work with my friend's puppy. She is a gorgeous aussie who was excellently bred and properly socialized. She was a total joy to work with. She had a great time doing very basic things, and had no fear of anything new. She is super smart and picked up on what we wanted from her right away and was very willing to continue working with us. I found myself thinking that I actually might want a puppy one day. I am a firm believer in rescue, but I have absolutely no problem with great breeders who are actually bettering their chosen breed - and I don't blame owners who want an awesome dog - especially owners who want to do something specific with their dog.

But, another dog is still a long way away for me, and in the end, I will probably rescue an adult - probably with issues. . . but it's always fun to dream of that perfect dog - the one that I can do everything I ever wanted with. . .one without years of baggage to sort through. . . But, in the mean time, I'll continue to work with Abby and be happy with the small success that we have. . .and try not to get frustrated with her when she has set backs. . .after all, she is not a well bred or properly socialized dog. . .and we have still managed to do some amazing things together.

Fostering. . . Again

2010-05-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

I was planning on taking the year off from fostering - although I knew that if a medical case came along that I would probably be the one to take him in. We never hope for medical cases - you never hope to come across a dog that has been so neglected or abused that they need it, but we often do. Some we take and fix up and adopt out, some we can't help at all. But when this little guy showed up on the needs rescue list at a south bay shelter, he was impossible to pass up. And being tiny (only 3 pounds) it seemed like my house was the most obvious place to put him.

He is all over the media now with the horrific story of what happened to him - and it IS a terrible story. And everything that has been said is completely true. He is in a lot of pain when he defecates. And, unfortunately, because of the scarring, most of the pain he is in isn't productive, so he tries to go more often then a healthy dog does. He has been with me for only a few days, and my heart breaks with all his crying - and I can't wait until he goes in for surgery tomorrow so that he will finally be pain free.

But, when he isn't in pain, he is just about the cutest thing on this earth. He is a total puppy in every way - much to the chagrin of my old grumpy dogs! Luckily he isn't too annoying, and when everyone refuses to play with him, he goes and plays with "dean" - a stuffed dog that some friends got me YEARS AND YEARS ago after a very special puppy I worked really hard with was finally adopted. He also loves to play fetch and tug. He has no weird fears of people, places, or things. When he is all fixed up, he is actually going to be one very well-rounded and socialized puppy. It's truly amazing what dogs can go through and still be friendly and trusting after it all. He is going to be a great companion to someone soon.

If you are interested in donating to his medical fund, you can go here.

Relationships are never 50/50

2010-04-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

I learned a very valuable lesson last night at agility class: my relationship with Abby needs to be 100/100 - I have to give my all before she will give hers.

I've been giving Abby a good percentage of my energy, but it's been awhile since I gave her 100% of my energy in a class. Part of it comes from working a lot with mole first. That guy will continually give me 100% even if I only give him back 10%. In fact, mole does better when I keep my energy lower because it helps keep him out of his anxiety stage. The other part has to do with abby's accomplishments. As she started doing better I started expecting more. When I expected more I became frustrated when I didn't get from her what I know she could do. As I got frustrated Abby got stressed and worked less. It was a downward spiral that wasn't fun for either of us.

After reading that post from Susan Garrett I decided to try something different in class this week. I decided to reward Abby like everything she did was outstanding! And, in some ways, the fact that she did anything at all WAS outstanding! The funny this was that the more I rewarded her for, the better she did. And the better she did, the more I wanted to reward her. It became FUN again for both of us. Abby did better in this class than she has in weeks - despite thefact that it was windy and rainy in class - and Abby truly hates weather of any kind!

I really like working with this new dog and on my way home it dawned on me that this was the first time in a long time that I put 100% of myself into working with her. I pretended that it hasn't been a long week, and that I didn't get up at 6am, and that I didn't just spend 90 minutes in traffic trying to get to class on time. I put everything else aside and just focused on her and what she needed from me to make this relationship work. And while Abby wants to do well and get lots of cookies she still needs me to motivate her. She needs me to put in the energy and the effort that she gives back. In the end, you can't blame her for that - after all, it is a fair trade

" when I look at my dogs, all I see is greatness"

2010-04-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

If you don't read Susan Garrett you probably don't do agility. . . but even if you don't do agility, and you just have pet dogs, you can still find a lot of useful information. One of her more recent posts really resonated with me and I had to ponder it for a bit before I was able to write about it.

One of Susan's dogs was labeled "Deak the Freak" by many of her instructors because of her lack of confidence. But rather than labeling her dog with a perceived limitation Susan took ownership of that issue and spent the time making her better. Susan said it better: I don’t focus on what isn’t there with my dogs, I focus on what is. I take up ownership of anything that can be made better and I spend that dog’s career trying to make it better.

She also talks about how our dog's poor behaviors can be isolated events. But that if we do not use that first event as a wake up call and make the change then ". . . this event becomes a pattern and if you accept this pattern as your reality it becomes part of your journey."

The whole post was wonderful (you really should read it), but the main point of the post was that she refused to become frustrated with her dog's limitations, and that, instead, she chose to work with her dog to become better. "I don’t focus on what isn’t there with my dogs. . ." ". . .when I look at my dogs I can only see greatness.”

As much as I work with Abby, I don't do it because I see greatness in her. . . I do it because I don't see greatness. I see all the limitations and I get very frustrated at times. I constantly underestimate her. I call her all sorts of silly names and I make all sorts of excuses for her perceived limitations. But the truth is that she is a great dog. That despite her previous limitations, she has exceeded my wildest dreams for her. Most of her current limitations are a result of my lack of effort. Seriously. I know that I have been working hard with this dog, but if I actually worked with her like I plan to work my next dog, this dog really would be great. And not just great for the Abby that arrive two years ago, but great for the dog that lives with me today. And I would be that much better of a trainer.

***Totally forgot to mention that Dave Mills took this awesome photo of Abby at our fun match two weeks ago! She was coming off the A-frame and you can see her tail!

You know you live in CA when. . .

2010-04-25T13:29:00.001-07:00

. . .when you buy hotdogs as treats for your dog and the cows were raised on an environmentally sustained ranch with no antibiotics, no hormones, and were grass fed. . .