Laughable

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

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!

Abby RL1

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!

Two Down. . . One To Go. . .

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!!!!!

Run Thru

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!

Rally Trial: Score 203

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!!!!

Run Thru Re-Do

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.

Rally Run Thru

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.

Abby's Last Fun Match

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

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.

Another Great Class!

This has been a terrific weekend all around for Abby. Not only did she do well at the fun match, but she also did great in Rally class yesterday. She had a lot of focus and her heeling was TERRIFIC! We even did an exercise that I haven't been able to get her to complete in class before - the step/sit exercise. It consists of step - sit, step-step-sit, step-step-step-sit. It is actually one of the easier exercises, but Abby generally gets anxious when we aren't moving along, so we regularly skip that one. But she was doing so well in class that I thought we should try it. . .and we DID IT!!! I was super impressed with her when a dog broke into our class and she didn't freak out! She held her sit perfectly until I realized that the dog was not going to go easily and I thought it easiest to pick her up. And the best thing about it was that she continued to work after that!!!! I couldn't be more proud of her.

From time to time I think back about how far Abby has come, but given that it is her anniversary, it happens more lately. I was thinking about how she was last year was when I actually really started training her. I would visit my friend's house and we would work the basics of agility - and I mean VERY basic. It took forever before I could get her to go into a tunnel! Then we took our first obedience class and struggled through most of it. Then we progressed to agility class and finally to fun matches and agility trials! It's really amazing to see how far she has come so fast. She is not only doing so well, but she is having a great time doing it. Its fun looking back on the progress that we have made and the team that we have become. I really enjoy this little girl and I hope that she is around for many years to come!

Super Fun!

We had an awesome time yesterday at the fun match. Abby did great, and had fun. Mole got to eat a ton of cookies, so he had a great time. Pocket slept in. . .

I entered Abby in two standard runs and two jumpers runs. I am very glad that we got to do the standard runs first because that is the one that we usually run last and therefore lag through it. The first run was just ok (hi-def videos to come!) Abby kept trying to go see auntie marci and kept ignoring me! That's ok, it's Abby. . .we expect some level of that. The second run was PERFECT. And I don't mean Abby perfect - I mean PERFECT! If we were at a trial we would have Q'd (maybe not have placed, but def Q'd!) Unfortunately that one was not caught on video. . . had we had the video camera there, Abby probably would have been looking for auntie marci again!

Jumpers runs were second, and I was expecting them to be great since Abby loves jumpers. . .but it's Abby. . . The first run was terrible. Truly horrible in every way. The way the course was set up meant that we had to run alongside the other ring - that terrified Abby. She wouldn't do anything for me. I almost scratched her from her second run, but I decided to just go in and give her lots of cookies. I also started her off course. Once she got the idea that we weren't running near the other ring, and that she got lots and lots of cookies, she had a great time. Had we been set up outside, I think that she would have done really well both runs. We do have videos of the second jumpers run coming too!

Dave Mills - awesome photographer- was there again taking photos. He was set up in the standard ring, so I hope that he got some great photos of Abby running.

We all had a great time until I found TWO TICKS crawling on me on the car ride home! The first one I thought was an ant crawling on my neck until I grabbed it and it was TOO FAT to be an ant. The second one was crawling on my pant leg. When I got home I stripped in front of the mirror looking for more! I think that I tried to pull every mole and freckle off my body just to be sure! The kids were spared, thankfully!

Forgot My Camera

Abby and I haven't trailed in awhile for a few reasons 1) its too cold 2) its a really long drive 3) I have to get up way too early 4) it gets expensive especially 5) because we never Q Despite all those reasons we went up this weekend and trialed. Why, you may ask???

Cutest Puppy Ever!!!!
Darling Dixie is a 3 month old Aussie that just came to live with some friends of mine who trial on weekends. Since this would be the first chance anyone got to see her, we sucked it up and made the drive. She is lucky she is this cute because I had to get up an extra hour early to meet her. . .I hate the time change!

Since we were there, I figured that we might as well trial too. I put Abby in Jumpers and 2 standard courses. I was super surprised how the day went.

The jumpers course was first thing and I am always the most nervous first thing in the morning because we aren't warmed up. Plus, we have a clean slate with the judge and I don't want him to look at us every other time we enter the ring with frustration. Abby surprised the crap out of me on her jumpers run. I was very pleased with her performance. She took off great with three straight jumps, then turned for an angled up without even thinking about running to sniff in the corner! There were some more jumps followed by another angle and then more jumps. . .which she blew past to sniff the sand bags. . . I am not at all surprised that she did that, and not at all frustrated about it. There was a time in her life when she would have been terrified of the bags and would have stopped working entirely. I got her attention back and we finished perfectly. She was gorgeous. I looked at the times later and realized that we could have Q'd with her run had she stayed on course! I was so proud of her! I actually feel like we did it - probably because this is the first time that I actually realized that we could if we keep working! I really wish I remembered my camera at 5:30am (well, actually it was 4:30 to my brain but the time change made it and hour later)

After our jumpers run things seemed to fall apart. We had a terrible standard 1 course. I was deeply disappointed because these are the types of coursed that we run every week. The standard 2 course opened my eyes to why we had such a bad standard 1 course, so I am glad that we pushed through for the second. The first course had a discrimination early a tunnel or a dog walk - not surprised that she took the tunnel - the wrong obstacle. After that it was useless. She had a bit of fun on the A-frame but we were a complete mess. The second run (exact oposite of the first) started out great. We jumped, weaved, tunneled, took the A-frame, then came back to the first discrimination - FAIL! She wouldn't take either. She just sort of FROZE. I finally got her to take one - which was the wrong one. . .then put her through the tunnel to end the course early. What did I learn? Abby doesn't like to be wrong.

Back when I was training Mole I had to be very careful when he missed an obstacle because he would fall apart when he was wrong. But I never noticed it in Abby before. You could see the look on her face: utter fear and confusion. It completely broke my heart. Here is a dog that desperately wants to please me and is terrified of making the wrong decision. (Just a side note, when she has been wrong in the past, I say "no" or "nope" and ask her to do it again. You are not allowed to use physical punishment for dogs in agility nor are you allowed to use harsh commands or raise your voice in disapproval - you will be disqualified for the day.) Abby has been fine with that in class, but apparently that is too much in a trial. I guess she understands that there is a difference. Now, I have to work harder on discriminations and remember to bypass the obstacle completely in a trial if she misses it. We are a long way from a Q in standard, so there is no reason for her to go back and try again - especially if it stresses her out.

Another good thing about the day was that the other Iggys were running too!! I love to watch them because they run so fast and so clean. Another reason is because they are all rescued too and it gives us something to strive for. I wasn't able to talk to Jennifer, couldn't find her, but I heard later that she thought that Abby had come a long way and was looking good. I was very pleased to hear it. I can see the difference, and I know that my friends can see the difference, but it is nice that other people, people I look up to, also see the changes. We have been working so hard for so long, and the changes are often so small that it is hard to look back and see all those changes a whole.