POTC Agility Trial

Bill, the whole pack and I headed to Zanesville, OH for the weekend.

I can say I was very consistent this weekend....consistently screwing up!

Here's the run down;
Abby- I still truly don't know what to make of her. She ran 4 times, two were very nice runs, with just one little thing preventing us from Qing (the table and a knocked bar on the triple), but she was happy, focused and had nice speed through the whole run. The other runs were total train wrecks, I took her off course while I was still smiling and laughing at her in one, and the other I tried to muddle though, as she ran around half the jumps and generally just wasn't connected at all. I just can't seem to reach a point where I understand running her.

Kittie- She managed to either NQ from something silly, like running around the far side of the tire???? or she dropped bars. she was pretty slow too.....there were several hold ups before her last run of the weekend, and you just can't do that to Kittie, she just wilts away the longer she has to wait, she comes out of her crate roaring to go, but give her a minute and she'll fall apart. She's such a bizarre, stressy little dog. Our next trial is in May, 3 days outside, she should be happier.

This was Indy's first time really traveling and staying in a hotel and she did great, slept the whole night in her crate without making a peep.

I discovered something this weekend, people who have never spoken to me in the 5 or so years that I've been trialing, all of a sudden talk to me.....ever since the addition of Indy! I thought maybe it was because she's a puppy, and puppies are irresistible, but no, Abby was at trials as a puppy. I don't know if this is a matter of certain people treating you different when you run a non traditional breed, but it sure feels like it.

I'm not complaining, it's great for Indy. She's met so many people and has been introduced to so many nice dogs, and because of this, trials are like a trip to Disney for her....but it would have been nice for Abby when she was a little thing too.

I've recieved a lot of nice compliments about Indy, she's so high energy and spunky. She's such a ham, it's hard to not notice her!

Poor Indy

Indy was attacked by an off leash dog today. I'm just so upset......We live near a very nice park, I walked the girls over there today, and as soon as I got to the bottom of the steps that lead to the park I saw this big black dog, that I just didn't like the looks of, it was off leash, just too wild and out of control and the owner was yelling at it, so we all hung way back, waiting for them to pass.

This dog came charging at us and threw itself on top of Indy. She started screaming immediately, then I started screaming and kicking the dog, and grabbed it by the back of it's neck. Rudy, Kittie and Abby were standing behind me at this point (thank god) I scooped Indy up, and then started freaking out at the owner who had the dog by collar at that point.....this idiot was trying to claim that her dog was "trying to play", I lost it, there's just no excuse for that! She never even asked if Indy was okay!! As she started walking off she let the dog go and it came back and tried to go for Abby....Abby told the dog off and it left.

I didn't see any cuts on Indy anywhere, and wanted to just get away and play with her, feed her some treats etc....just distract her from what had just happened.....she wouldn't/couldn't even walk, wouldn't take food, was soaked in pee and poop and her gums were pure white. We ran home, and I got her to the vet, luckily she's just very sore, has some inflammation in her neck and chest. The vet said she went in shock from fear....poor thing thought that she was done for.

She's still not herself, she's shaking in her sleep and whimpering when you pick her up, the vet said she could be a little more sore tomorrow. I've put so much work into socializing her, getting her around lots of nice dogs of all sizes...she's been such a confident, fearless, friendly little thing, she's only 5 pounds! I just hope she bounces back from this....Why are people so stupid. This is a very crowded park, I don't let my own dogs off leash in this section of the park and they're so well trained to be off lead it's ridiculous.

It's so hard trying to socialize tiny dogs, you don't get them out and about and the end up yappy little things, you bring them out into the world and idiots like this can destroy them...literally, she could have been killed.

non-existent table criteria?

Could it really be possible that Abby really does not know or is unable to stay on the table when she's approaching it with some speed?

I finally have a real agility table in the backyard, reg. 8" height. I did some playing around yestersday with Abby, I wanted to build up a bit of speed, so I would send her to a tunnel, a jump or whatever and race her to the table, with just slight deceleration, and an opposite arm to cue her to collect. If she slid off, I did nothing, no praise, no correction, just nothing, if she stayed on (in any postion) I'd give her a huge jackpot, treat after treat after treat and just gush over her like she did the best thing ever. After several attempts at this, I'm coming to the conclusion that she really has no idea how to do this. Sure she had some good ones, but I didn't see any improvement.....there's always work to be done!

An Easter Story

A local shelter was having pet photos with the Easter Bunny yesterday. This isn't your ordinary shelter, it's one of those new shelters that's nicer than most people's homes, with a pet boutique, classes to teach you how to massage your cat, there's walkking trails and fenced in play areas too. I took Indy figuring it would be good for socialization. I walked in to see dogs everywhere!! It was crazy, little dogs, big dogs even a cat or two! We were # 76, they were on # 52, I thought it would go pretty quick, but an hour came and went. I wouldn't have stayed that long just for Indy's moment with the bunny himself, but she was having a ball, the little social butterfly that she is! She loves all dogs! Not much scares her.

It finally was our time, we went in to see the bunny....and Indy was terrified of him!! I don't think it helped when he took the bunny head off! The whole day was like a scene from A Christmas Story, except Easter.

So, I learned Indy's doing really well with her socialization....but I really need to get her around more giant man sized rabbits, : )

The photos will be sent to us, I don't have high hopes for them.

Jay Sisler Home Movies Part 1

Need some ideas for new behaviors to train? These videos are loaded with all sorts of stuff....apparently Jay sisler used pancakes to reward his dogs, you got to love that!

That's the girl I know

Took the pups to see Maria, for their monthly massage appointment yesterday........First Rudy announced her arrival by screaming in the car, then I had to fight with Rudy to let Maria touch her, it took her probably half her 30 minute appt. to finally give in and just relax, then she started with Jamie's dogs, then she wanted to wrestle with Indy while Kittie was trying to just relax.......yep, that's my girl. Her motto "tooth and nail, fight all the way".

She's such a loveable jerk!

The Big Plan

I want to put together a list of tricks, skills, cues etc for Indy. Things she already knows, things I'm in the process of teaching, plans for the future. It's basically for myself, just to help keep me on track and focused, but I thought I would share it....this way anyone who feels like it can call me on anything I'm not living up to!

At 5 months
* = skills already understood * = skills partially taught * = skills we haven't started

Basic behaviors & Tricks

1. sit *


2. down *


3. come when her name is called *


4. wait to be released from all open doors & her crate *


5. 1,2,3,4 lift each paw on cue *


6. perch work *


7. step backwards onto any (appropriate height) object (this leads to teaching handstands) *


8. cover face with paw *


9. put all feet in small bowl *


10. ride a skate board *


11. walk backwards *


12. weave through legs *


13. weave backwards through legs *


14. run and pounce front feet on target *


15. left & right directional cues *


16. walk in heads up heel position *


17. handstand *


18. sit up/beg *


19. cover face with both paws *

Agility specific things - the only agility specific things we've started are the teeter with me holding the end, she's doing really well and loves it! The table, again I'm really pleased with her, we've started recall to heel exercises.

1. Have full understanding of postional cues


2. teach jumping using Linda's foundation work


3. teeter- run to the end, crouch down and wait until board hits the ground and move


4. Contacts-Silvia's method. (With full ability to turn using direction cues, and fully independent of my position)


5. Table- get on, stay on, get in postion fast and leave on cue, quickly


6. Come in close when cued, not after taking an obstacle, immediately come to whatever location is cued (AKC courses are getting tighter and tighter and I find I'm needing this skill more all the time).
7. Full understanding of verbal obstacle cues....I tend to run silent and depend 100% on motion cues, it does work well, 99% of the time, but I need to break this habit.
8. Full understanding of forward & lateral sends.
9. Weave poles- find the entry no matter where I am, stay in no matter where I am, with speed. will probably use 2 X 2 but may try channels

I'll probably be adding to this list over time.

Any thoughts on things you would teach if starting a young dog