Name this bird
2 weeks ago
Monday, April 2, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Sickness and other things.
We havent done any running contacts in a week. I havent been feeling good since over a week ago. It started with a sore throat and feeling achy. Then a cough which freaked Miley out. Last weekend , she spent most of the time outside and didnt want to come back in. Then during the night she kept my husband up all night acting freaky and jumping all over him. I guess because I was coughing in my sleep. On Sunday and Monday I felt really bad. Monday I just couldnt go to work. I felt so bad. I went to the urgent care at 7am. Not strep. He said he thought it was just a virus. But I still feel bad. I feel so achy. I still have a little bit of a cough but nothing that seems like it would be a problem. I guess Ill go back to the doctor on Monday and see what the heck is wrong with me. The other problem is that my grandfather is really ill. My mom is having to do all the work to help him and is getting worn out. Hospice is coming into his home but they arent there all the time. I really want to go help her but I just dont think I can drive the 3 hours right now. Ugh, Im so over this.
Back to the running contact stuff. Not only have we not being doing it because Ive been sick but also because the top plank on one of the down ramps rotted out. This is the 3rd time Ive replaced the planks on the dogwalk. After the last time, I said I would never do this again. I was going to buy one. But I dont have any money. So Im fixing it yet again. I put the fixed ramp out today.
This one below is the old cross plank. Ive started on the new boards and will probably have the ready by tomorrow.
Ive been struggling with Java's running contacts still. One day she gets them all and then the next day, she has a ton of misses. So we've been at the same height for weeks now.
Like I said before her first run across the board is beautiful and then its down hill from there. Same thing happened today. Then when I read through someone elses problems on STsite, she suggested putting the carpet just in the contact zone. So thats what I did. Its looks like it helped.
I wish she ran the plank all the time, the way she runs the first time over. Im not sure if not getting rewarded a couple of times makes her slow down or what. While watching the video, toward the end, I wasnt sure if she was adjusting her stride to hit the contact zone or to get to the stationary target. So I went out again and ran her with the target twice the distance I had it earlier.
So we will see what happens tomorrow. I need two days in a row of hits.
Our trial is this coming up weekend. I did enter Miley because I had worker coupons. Im not expecting anything great. We really havent practiced much. Weve only been doing two days a week and this pass week, I tried to practice on Wednesday when I went to the field for my beginner class. I just didnt have it in me and was running her poorly so I quit. We did a little bit of weave pole practice to a target. I wanted to proof my movement to her popping out. We have work to do there but thats not surprising since we havent worked in 6 months. Im really taking it easy on her. I want her to be sound to go to L.Muller's seminar in a few weeks. O,yea I forgot to tell you we got in both days. Whoohoo!!
My beginner class is awesome. All the dogs are lots of fun. Some of them are a little crazy but I like crazy ones. Reminds me of Miley. LOL
Back to the running contact stuff. Not only have we not being doing it because Ive been sick but also because the top plank on one of the down ramps rotted out. This is the 3rd time Ive replaced the planks on the dogwalk. After the last time, I said I would never do this again. I was going to buy one. But I dont have any money. So Im fixing it yet again. I put the fixed ramp out today.
This one below is the old cross plank. Ive started on the new boards and will probably have the ready by tomorrow.
Ive been struggling with Java's running contacts still. One day she gets them all and then the next day, she has a ton of misses. So we've been at the same height for weeks now.
Like I said before her first run across the board is beautiful and then its down hill from there. Same thing happened today. Then when I read through someone elses problems on STsite, she suggested putting the carpet just in the contact zone. So thats what I did. Its looks like it helped.
I wish she ran the plank all the time, the way she runs the first time over. Im not sure if not getting rewarded a couple of times makes her slow down or what. While watching the video, toward the end, I wasnt sure if she was adjusting her stride to hit the contact zone or to get to the stationary target. So I went out again and ran her with the target twice the distance I had it earlier.
So we will see what happens tomorrow. I need two days in a row of hits.
Our trial is this coming up weekend. I did enter Miley because I had worker coupons. Im not expecting anything great. We really havent practiced much. Weve only been doing two days a week and this pass week, I tried to practice on Wednesday when I went to the field for my beginner class. I just didnt have it in me and was running her poorly so I quit. We did a little bit of weave pole practice to a target. I wanted to proof my movement to her popping out. We have work to do there but thats not surprising since we havent worked in 6 months. Im really taking it easy on her. I want her to be sound to go to L.Muller's seminar in a few weeks. O,yea I forgot to tell you we got in both days. Whoohoo!!
My beginner class is awesome. All the dogs are lots of fun. Some of them are a little crazy but I like crazy ones. Reminds me of Miley. LOL
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sring Break- Well Almost
Well its almost Spring Break. To bad I have to go on the dreaded field trip today. So it will be an 11 hour work day. Six hours on a bus. 700 six graders and one nurse to meet everyones medical needs. Ugh. I dont know why this causes me so much stress and worry but it does. Everything usually goes fine, I guess its just the unknown. So, I'll be one happy camper after today.
So Ill leave you with pictures from the park last night.
The other dogs are scared of Guiness when he gets the zoomies. I have no idea why, he doesnt do anything to them. Guiness is happy he gets to be off leash on this island.
This looks dangerous but its just the angle of the shot. She isnt jumping some huge distance. And the big rock in front is blocking the smaller , low rock she is jumping to.
So Ill leave you with pictures from the park last night.
Ill be jumping for joy around 5:30 tonight!!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Still here
Yes, Im still here. Just busy. On Monday and Wednesday Im teaching classes. Its just kicking my butt. Im not getting home until 9pm and Im just worn out. Sad huh?? LOL Then Ive been sick again starting Thursday. Sore throat and just achy all over. Ugh!! Im not sure how Ive made it through the last two days of work. I get home and just lie on the couch. Poor dogs, they are wondering what the heck is going on. I did work Java's running contacts on Thurday but after that I was done, no walks.
Ive been struggling with Java's running contacts. Im not sure what the problem is. Every time when we practice, the first run over the board is perfect. She is right in the contact with both back feet, good separation. But after that its lots of misses with some hits. So I went to the field on Wednesday to teach a beginner class. I lowered the dogwalk for Java but also for the class. Same thing happend with running the dogwalk. Perfect the first time and then lots of misses. After class I took her out again, and tried again. All of a sudden ,she got them all. Wow, I dont know what happened and why she was getting it. Then next day at home, with the board 2 inches higher then the field, again ,she got all hits. Im happy about it but I have no idea why she is getting it. Maybe she is understanding about hitting the bottom of the board. I dont know. I have changed to a stationary target, instead of throwing a toy. ( thats the progression per ST class). Im using a Treat and Train. I know a lot of people dont like the T & T but I do. Its little and fits in my bag to take with me. I can put really high value treats in it. Java really likes baked chicken. I should sometimes video a miss but just put the camera on the T &T. She gets mad, flipping is over, smacking it. Then starts offering behaviors to see if that will make it open. Poor dog.
So here was our success on Thursday. Dont feel you have to watch it. Its boring. I just wanted a record of it. After Java chewed up that one video chip and I lost all my video , Im trying to load more on to YouTube.
Then there is Miley's circling behavior. I did realize how bad it was. I not controlling it at all. Usually when I work her I've always called her to me so she cant circle. Ill put her leash on. So Ive been controlling the behavior. But I need her to control the behavior. So when I practice with her, I dont control it at all. If she starts circling, I stop and wait for her to come to me and stop circling. Then reward. I saw a couple of times I should have rewarded on the video and didnt. Then she started circling. Im not sure if this is the right thing to do but will see if the circling decreases over the next few weeks. Again the video is more for me to document Miley circling behavior, so dont feel you have to watch.
Something exciting is happening in a few weeks. Loretta Muller is coming for a seminar. Meagan posted it yesterday. I printed out my registration form and took it to the post office that day. I sure hope I get in!! The first day is on "building Drive" and "foundation skills". Im so excited about the "drive " one. Ive been wanting to hear what Loretta has to say about this and how she teaches it for a while now. I signed Java up for this day. The second day is on tight turns and Master handling. I signed Miley up for this one.
Java really likes to chase squirrels. For a while I would let her do this but then I started thinking it was self rewarding behavior and I wouldnt let her do it anymore. But then one day she pulled the leash out of my hand to go get a squirrel and she wouldnt come back to me. I finally had to go get her. I got the impression she thought this maybe the only time she gets to chase a squirrel and she was going to make the best of it. LOL So then I thought I better let her chase squirrels and work on recalling and then sending her again. This has been working pretty well. So the other day I had sent her 3 times and recalled her. No problem, she did awesome. But the last time, she took off and didnt come back. The trees and brush have leafed out , so now I cant see her bouncing through the forest. She wont come, I cant see her. Great, what have I done. I start walking to go find her and all of a sudden the squirrel comes running out of the wood, down the path to me. It looks just like that squirrel in Chevy Chase Christmas Vacation. If you have seen that movie , you know what I talking about. They way the squirrel was running, the look on his face, could have been a stunt double. I couldnt help but crack up laughing. Im not sure why the squirrel didnt just run up a tree. But with the squirrel running like that I figured, the dog couldnt be far behind. Then here comes Java. But instead of continuing to go after the squirrel, she came right to me. Thank goodness.
Ive been struggling with Java's running contacts. Im not sure what the problem is. Every time when we practice, the first run over the board is perfect. She is right in the contact with both back feet, good separation. But after that its lots of misses with some hits. So I went to the field on Wednesday to teach a beginner class. I lowered the dogwalk for Java but also for the class. Same thing happend with running the dogwalk. Perfect the first time and then lots of misses. After class I took her out again, and tried again. All of a sudden ,she got them all. Wow, I dont know what happened and why she was getting it. Then next day at home, with the board 2 inches higher then the field, again ,she got all hits. Im happy about it but I have no idea why she is getting it. Maybe she is understanding about hitting the bottom of the board. I dont know. I have changed to a stationary target, instead of throwing a toy. ( thats the progression per ST class). Im using a Treat and Train. I know a lot of people dont like the T & T but I do. Its little and fits in my bag to take with me. I can put really high value treats in it. Java really likes baked chicken. I should sometimes video a miss but just put the camera on the T &T. She gets mad, flipping is over, smacking it. Then starts offering behaviors to see if that will make it open. Poor dog.
So here was our success on Thursday. Dont feel you have to watch it. Its boring. I just wanted a record of it. After Java chewed up that one video chip and I lost all my video , Im trying to load more on to YouTube.
Then there is Miley's circling behavior. I did realize how bad it was. I not controlling it at all. Usually when I work her I've always called her to me so she cant circle. Ill put her leash on. So Ive been controlling the behavior. But I need her to control the behavior. So when I practice with her, I dont control it at all. If she starts circling, I stop and wait for her to come to me and stop circling. Then reward. I saw a couple of times I should have rewarded on the video and didnt. Then she started circling. Im not sure if this is the right thing to do but will see if the circling decreases over the next few weeks. Again the video is more for me to document Miley circling behavior, so dont feel you have to watch.
Something exciting is happening in a few weeks. Loretta Muller is coming for a seminar. Meagan posted it yesterday. I printed out my registration form and took it to the post office that day. I sure hope I get in!! The first day is on "building Drive" and "foundation skills". Im so excited about the "drive " one. Ive been wanting to hear what Loretta has to say about this and how she teaches it for a while now. I signed Java up for this day. The second day is on tight turns and Master handling. I signed Miley up for this one.
Java really likes to chase squirrels. For a while I would let her do this but then I started thinking it was self rewarding behavior and I wouldnt let her do it anymore. But then one day she pulled the leash out of my hand to go get a squirrel and she wouldnt come back to me. I finally had to go get her. I got the impression she thought this maybe the only time she gets to chase a squirrel and she was going to make the best of it. LOL So then I thought I better let her chase squirrels and work on recalling and then sending her again. This has been working pretty well. So the other day I had sent her 3 times and recalled her. No problem, she did awesome. But the last time, she took off and didnt come back. The trees and brush have leafed out , so now I cant see her bouncing through the forest. She wont come, I cant see her. Great, what have I done. I start walking to go find her and all of a sudden the squirrel comes running out of the wood, down the path to me. It looks just like that squirrel in Chevy Chase Christmas Vacation. If you have seen that movie , you know what I talking about. They way the squirrel was running, the look on his face, could have been a stunt double. I couldnt help but crack up laughing. Im not sure why the squirrel didnt just run up a tree. But with the squirrel running like that I figured, the dog couldnt be far behind. Then here comes Java. But instead of continuing to go after the squirrel, she came right to me. Thank goodness.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
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