Freestyle class

Freestlye class was lots of fun. Guiness was very excited to be there. I was worried that he would be reactive because he has been acting that way in the neighborhood. But he was fine. He was whining to play with the other dogs. There were 4 shelties and one lab in the class. First we worked on heel walking with the dog on the left and then the dog does an outside turn away from you as you turn around. So the dog will go from your left side heel to your right. Most of the dogs wanted to turn into you when you did the turn. So she said you can use elaborate gestures to get your dog to do things and slowly fad them out. We then worked on getting your dog to go around a chair, first clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Don't treat your dog in the same place as he comes around the chair or you will teach your dog to stop there. If you think of the chair as a clock, give treats at 6, 9 12 and 3 o'clock. As your dog gets proficient with the going around the chair ,add your body into it. Put yourself close to the chair so now the dog has to go around you and the chair. ( not every dog needs to learn it this way. Some dogs you can teach just to go around you) Just don't always reward the dog in front of you so he thinks that's the end of the behavior. Once the dog has the behavior then you start to add your movement. Like you turn in the opposite direction as the dog goes around. We also worked on on teaching your dog to spin in each direction and weave through your legs. Weaving through the legs should be done with dog entering through the front and from behind. We worked on roll over. Guiness can not roll over. When he lies down , he doesn't roll off to one hip. So that makes it very hard to go on his side and roll over. Last we worked on backing up. This was a fast moving class with lots of homework. You need to work on all these things with a command for each one. The last thing she wants us to introduce was pressure to your dog. If you put your hand lightly on your dogs hip, he should press back. You will have to work in this for a while for you dog to get it. We need this to teach our dogs in the next class to move with us sideways when you use a touch stick on his side between him and you. I know this was a lot, but she stressed fun and not drilling you dog. If he gets it right , stop. Celebrate and don't do anymore. Wait a day or so and do it again. None of the dogs were proficient with the tricks. Its all homework. Probably the worse part was it was 95 degress out and no air conditioning in the building. The humidity has been 90% everyday for the last week. So it was hot!! Its suppose to cool down after tonight. Thank goodness. Last night we walked the dogs at the park. It was miserable. Twice I doused the dogs with water ( which Miley hates). I told my husband I wasn't walking there again until the weather changes. I was covered with sweat after walking an hour and it was 7:30 at night. Yuk!
I ran Miley through a short agility course. The first run she was very excited and dropped almost every bar. So I got the video camera out and started taping. Then she didn't drop any bars. Weird huh. It was a short 5 min. session because I needed to go to class. When I came back from class I ran her again. She was perfect. Not one dropped bar and fast as lighting.

Thanks for the award!

Nicki over at Boarderblog ,http://cruzanborders.blogspot.com/ ,gave us an award. thanks Nicki!

Todays practice

Today I took Miley to the practice field. I felt, while I was there, that it went really well. But as I view the video it doesn't look that way. First we ran a standard course that someone had set up. That went well, no dropped bars. So I was happy about that. Then I set up the course above. Its a course from a trial that I had in my bag. ( didn't set up the whole course) I had 2 problems or maybe three. The first problem was over jump 5. I would be on the left side of the jump and crossed behind the dog after jump 5. I must have come in to soon or I crossed to late because several times she dropped this bar. But sometimes she kept it up. But I know that it was what I did that caused her to drop the bar. So if anyone wants to give me there opinion what I should have done I would be grateful. Next was getting the dog to turn from jump 10 and into the weaves. I tried crossing behind the dog but she continued on to jump 11 and into the tunnel. Then I tried slowing my motion and calling her. That didn't work either. The only thing that worked was a front cross , in front of 10. But that was very had for me to make and I cut her off slightly, but she did make it it to the weaves. She also dropped the bar on 13. But she was looking right at me when she started to jump and not looking where she was going. I know that means she is looking of information. I don't know how to give her the info she needs. Usually I tell her "tight" when I want her to wrap the jump. But my commands are late and I felt that was causing her to knock the bar. So I thought I would just try body motion, but then she is clearly turning her head to look at me and drops the bar. Ugh!! None of my video showed the problems that I had. So I didn't post it. Here are her weaves.

Dog Antics

The other morning I was taking a bath. My sons swim team bag was sitting on the floor. It appeared empty. Guiness comes in and sticks his head in the bag. When his head comes out he has a five dollar bill in his mouth. He turns to leave and I tell him to drop it. He does. Well at this point Miley's ears must have perked up. I guess she figured Guiness must have something really good. She come running into the bathroom, picks up the five dollar bill and takes off running. Miley is a shredder. Laundry sheets that have fallen to the floor are great fun. She also like poop bags she gets out of my pants pockets and toilet paper rolls. So I know the five dollar bill is history if I don't act fast. Of course I told her to drop it, but no dice. I jump out of the tub and into the bedroom. Already part of the five dollars is sitting on the floor. I get to the kitchen and tell Miley to drop it again. This time she did. The five dollars survived. I only had to tape that one side back on. Silly dog.
Guiness's face is almost healed. No sure what that spot was but the hair is coming back. I signed Guiness and I up for a freestyle class. It starts next Monday. I thought I would try it with him. If its to hard on his back legs, I change and bring Miley.

Sunday adventures

Miley's legs must be feeling better. Twice when we were on the beach she jumped from the beach and into the front of the pontoon boat, which was up on the beach. Its a pretty good jump. Then when we got home. My daughter called her while she was sitting in a big over stuffed chair. It has very tall arms. Miley took a flying leap and jump the side of the chair, over the side arms and into my daughter lap.

We had lots of fun on the lake and Miley was very excited to be there. When we first got to the boat she just kept barking. It was as if she was telling us to hurry up and get to the beach. Guiness did much better swimming to day. I have been holding his tail up while he swims to keep his butt up. That way he uses his back legs and doesn't panic swim. Today after the first time of holding his tail up, he did the rest of the swimming himself keeping his back end up. Yea!!

When we were going home we saw this steam boat. I thought it was interesting and took some pictures of it. My grandfather is very into steam engines and builds miniature ones. So I'll email the steam boat pictures to my parents and then they can show my grandfather.

Hair, skin and legs

Ive been trying to get a good picture of Miley. I couldnt get one . This was the best I could do. I wanted a picture that shows her coat. About 2 weeks after she was spayed ,she started blowing her coat. Tons of her undercoat fell out. I think all of it did. And it hasn't come back. She was spayed in June. In the above picture her chest hair is thin and short. On her underside, she has a few thin hairs hanging down but not much. You can see her collar easily which you never use to . Guiness sheds all year round and never blows his whole coat. It is definitely easier this way. I hope her undercoat comes back in for winter. Its only the beginning of September and it wont start to get cold probably until November so there is plenty of time. ( Miley is still beautiful)

Guiness's round spot on his face came back negative for ringworm. Its still there and it might be a little better. They told me to keep treating it with the lotrmin cream and if its not better by next week, bring him in.

Ive been worried about Miley dropping the bars when she is running. I don't see anything wrong but I just don't want anything to happen to her. So I haven't done any agility with her for a week. I'm going to wait one more week and then start again and see how she does. Last Friday I had set up one jump and then the weaves. It was the first set up of the day. She was running a wide turn and then came to the jump. She crashed the jump but made the weave poles. So that really bother me. I think what happened was she saw the jump at first but was late seeing the weaves. Then she tried to collect right before the jump to make the weaves and something had to give as she put on the brakes to late. But it scared me and I decided right then to take 2 weeks off.

Look at me!!

We took the dogs on the lake again. Miley actually went swimming on her own one time. I think she was just trying to get to me, but Ill take it. The reason I want her to swim is so she will cool herself off when its hot. She will sometimes get in the baby pool, but she just stands there. I would like her to lie down .