The Will to Prepare

I am formulating a plan to start trying to be more active training the girls again.  Maybe, depending on how things go, I will even want to be more active in competing again.

Once upon a time competing in multiple venues and earning titles was a focal point for me, but somehow along the way it lost its appeal.  Maybe things became too goal oriented and less fun...  I'm really not sure why things changed.

Currently the girls and I dabble in agility, sometimes only actually training the one night a week we have class.  Water work gets only slightly more effort at the moment.  Since I am a fairly experienced trainer and use positive methods and the girls are pretty eager to work and get things "right", we  can do reasonably well in both these venues with minimal time invested on my part.

The girls don't need to compete or earn titles, but they do enjoy training and putting their sharp minds to use.  They've been happy enough with their current routine of regular exercise, healthy meals and lots of love, but I think they will be even happier with a little more mental entertainment in the form of training too.  

So...time to stop writing and head out the door to train and see where the journey takes us.

Independence Day

Steady as she goes...

To keep on a steady course. An instruction from the captain to the helmsman of a ship, to keep the ship heading steadily on the same course regardless of gusts of wind or cross-currents.

Ecko is a team player.

 Often those of us that enjoy dog sports groove on the brilliant dogs.  Eager, driven individuals that throw themselves into activities with a passion.  These dogs are exciting, flashy and fun to watch as they go about their tasks.  I have been blessed with several dogs like this and would be more than happy to work with more in the future.

Today, though, I celebrate and recognize that sometimes unsung hero, the steady dog.  What they lack in flinging them into activities with wild abandon, they make up for with their "can do" work ethic.

Guarding the Gear

My steady dog of the moment is Ecko.  Her eagerness is not so much for the tasks at hand, but to be at my side.  She rarely has a "bad day" training, and (assuming I communicate clearly) progresses quickly and linearly in learning new behaviors.  She is happy to lay quietly in her crate and watch the other dogs work, but is equally happy to join me for her turn to earn some treats and spend quality time with me.

We went water training today.  Ecko's brilliant daughter was a bit lacking in focus, but Ecko was her workmanlike self.  She persevered to complete a task that caused her some momentary confusion and made solid progress on a difficult exercise still in the learning phase.  To take a line from the Eagles, I get a "peaceful, easy feeling" in working with my steady dog and "I know she won't let me down".  I hope she knows how much I appreciate her.

 

Diamond Dogs

"No pressure, no diamonds." ~ Thomas Carlyle

Delta and I had a fabulous agility class tonight.  She has all the ingredients to make a fantastic agility dog.  She is:

• smart
• athletic
• soundly structured
• loves the game
• is a talented jumper

We do have some hurdles to overcome, however, one of which is that she has not handled being pressured well at all.  Delta can go from wild puppy child to "can't do it, no way, no how" faster than you can say "Jiminy Cricket".

We had a super class tonight because we are slowly, but surely finding the balance on pushing Delta ever so gently out of her comfort zone of safe and easy things into some trickier challenges with shutting her down.  

So pleased with my Diamond Dog Delta and the progress we are making.

Merry Christmas!

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Ecko and Mama Stoker

Spring has flown by and we are "enjoying" some sweltering hot, dry summer weather at the moment.  Fortunately things cool off decently in the late evening through early morning and the dog perk up a bit and enjoy walks and outings then.  Of course, they are always instantly energized if we find time for a visit to the lake or river.

Delta is working on learning the exercises for the Working level of the water trial program we trial in and Ecko and I are slogging away at learning one of the more advanced exercises for the Courier level, the buoy ball drop.   Such a tricky combination of foundation skills is involved in teaching this exercise.  Each dog I have trained to this level has learned the exercise slightly differently.

"Bumper Dogs" - Delta and Granny Stoker

Training advanced skills always makes me appreciate how hard dogs work to get things right for us and really drives home how important it is to read what your dog is telling you and tailor things to meet those needs.  When Chili was a young dog a good friend always used to say it was so easy to see when Chili had not "gotten the memo" on how to do an exercise yet.  She was such a fast learner and tried very hard, but needed to get clear information from me in order to succeed.  Chili has taught me so many important training lessons and hopefully Ecko is reaping some benefit from that.

Jan has been working hard too, in the yard and garden.  In the bottom photo, the coven is sitting on our newly painted deck with a recently planted bamboo privacy screen growing in the background behind them.  We also planted a raised bed garden in the area where our old above ground swimming pool used to be and the dogs are NOT happy that we have the area fenced off and out of bounds for them.

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July!

The coven overseeing Jan's garden and deck projects.

Spring Update

Delta plays with the puppies.  That is Annie's "keeper" Birdy to Delta's right.

 In the end of March, Delta and I headed north with a friend to temperament test a litter of pups for a friend.  The litter was sired by a male that we co-own and their grand-sire was part of our family years ago.  We were pleased that the pups all had fabulous temperaments and were heading off to wonderful homes the following week.  If was hard to tear ourselves away from playing with them to head back home.

 On April 11, Delta made her agility debut at a CPE trial in Ridgefield.  She qualified with a 1st place in her Jumper's run!

Vancouver Lake Sailing Club, water play day

 On April 18, the Vancouver Lake Sailing Club allowed the dogs to come visit for the day.  We had 8 PWDs there (Delta, Ecko, Stoker and Chili were joined by friends Cooper, Tsuzi, Taz and Rawley), along with a Golden Retriever, Lab mix, Terrier and a Chihuahua Mix.  It was a beautiful day!

Chili enjoys the yard in late April.