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SincereArtisan

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    Louisville, KY

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  1. Oooh ho ho she is GORGEOUS! How about: Fate Eva Blip Cy ...Thats all I have right now.
  2. Whenever I see an elderly dog picking up on bad habits such as counter surfing and trash diving, I initially worry there may be some medical issue at hand that is messing with their appetite... Has he had bloodwork done recently? Or, is he on any medications that are increasing his appetite?
  3. Yeah, Pat...Ido and I waited a long time for this. She turns 4 this year. We have done so much work, only to find that the hardest part of all is finding some one we can learn from... ...I shouldn't be too harsh. He *IS* teaching us some things. But it is frustrating to see that my dog could be excelling far better if he would only let me use my clicker in class. He's just so set in his ways...for instance, he got on to me for saying 'here!' to call my dog to me. He stated: "The word is COME!" ...*sigh* I taught her 'here' (because I feel that word carries over distances better.) ...she does not know what 'come' means. Oi.
  4. They were not encouraged to do them fast, just 'walk' them, but the dog was still tripping every which way regardless. Looks like my search is on after the end of this 6 wk course.
  5. I do not see my instructor permitting me to use a clicker in class. He is pretty set and firm in his ways, and insisted if I wanted to use it at home, I am free to do so of course...but not in his class. I will try fading the clicker to another word, this way I can bring my "secret weapon" along with me to class... I like this instructor, for the most part. But there are a few things--such as this clicker issue--that set me off about him. I mean, srsly, if I havea method for teaching my dog something that works far better than peppering an obstacle with food, why not let me try it??? ...Another is we had a great dane (10 mo) in class this past week, and this dog was going through the same tunnels as everyone else... HE WAS HUGE! ...Now, I on' know if thats the accepted norm, or if they get bigger tunnels to fit their greater size, but geeeez... The same with the weave poles. This giant dog was expected to go through the same spacing as my 27lb border collie. Needless to say, the poor lummox was tripping over poles and pole guards every which way, which only complicated his willingness to do the obstacle... I can't seem to win for losing. Finding the perfect agility instructor in this town is getting more and more complex...
  6. So, I have achieved leaps and bounds with Ido using the clicker to train her to follow behind my left ('close') or right ('side') hands... But when I asked if I could use the clicker in class to teach Ido what I'm looking for on the command 'End' (which is our cue for two on two off) ...he said no. His reason? It takes away from the human/dog bond. So, now I have to figure out a way to teach her to look at ME for the end, and to stop dilly dallying around the contact looking for tidbits left behind...*sigh* We work on two on two off at home with random objects, but Ido tends to take things very literally. What she learns on the ottoman or the stairs she does not apply to the dog walk or A frame...
  7. First off...Is your dog very food motivated, or do they need something a little extra that makes them want to work for it?? IF your dog is VERY food motivated, this is easy. Use their own kibble. This prevents them from being overloaded with rich extra tidbits, and you can portion out a bit every day from their regular feedings so that they are not being overfed. If your dog isn't very food motivated, or needs something extra/different for them to work for treats...try cheerios. Its light, a good handful of them can be broken up and last you a real long time.
  8. Miss Priss Ido crosses her little paws in front of her Monk stretches them out side by side in front of her Rune just...sprawls.
  9. *sigh* I've seen parvo affect dogs from as early as 4 wks to as late as 9 months of age. What did almost all of the dogs over 15 weeks have in common??? Poor vaccine protocol. They either never received the necessary vaccines at all, or had an incomplete booster series. Titers are great and all, but the results can be MISLEADING. Particularly in the case of a puppy. Consider this.... "...we do not know the most crucial piece of information that is necessary for interpreting titers. We do not know the minimum titer measurement that correlates with protection from disease. There is another factor that complicates the use of titers. Titers measure only half of the immune system. Although it is very useful to know the quantity of antibodies circulating in the bloodstream, antibodies cannot work alone. They depend upon a different portion of the immune system (called cell-mediated immunity) to get the job done. At this time, I am not aware of any way to test cell-mediated immunity. Consider this analogy. Antibodies are like foot soldiers in the battle against disease. Cell-mediated immunity represents logistics and weaponry. If your dog has a high titer against rabies, that is the equivalent to having a huge army of soldiers ready to battle the disease. But it matters whether the soldiers are armed with high caliber weapons and advanced communications, or whether they are disorganized and can fight only by throwing dirt clods. Without the ability to measure cell-mediated immunity, one cannot truly know whether a pet is protected against the disease in question." I've never had anything go awry committing to a full puppy series of vaccines, (DA2PP @ 6, 9, 12 and 15 weeks, Rabies @ 15wks) Personally, I value socialization at an early age as well. I avoid most other puppies unless they are well mannered. Manners tend to rub off, so keep this in mind when choosing playmates for your puppy. Instead, I host frequent visits with adult, fully vaccinated and healthy dogs who can tolerate and correct puppies admirably. I also avoid dogs who frequent dog parks. I loathe dog parks, and the last thing I want is a dog carrying something home from one and infecting my puppy with it.
  10. Your first mistake was that she was off leash to begin with. For a dog with an iffy recall, ANY OPPORTUNITY for that dog to blow off your recall is positive reinforcement for doing exactly what you do not want her to do. In her case, she has just learned that by ignoring you, she got to play for extra long, swim, and hang with her buddies. Who wouldn't be pleased with themselves?? No more off leash. Put her on a really long leash, the 20-30 ft ones. When you call her, and she ignores you, REEL her in. If she comes right away, have an incredibly great treat on hand for her. This may take months before she gets it into her head that if she doesn't come when you call, you're gonna make her do it anyway...but if she DOES come, well praise and treats and love are showered down upon her. From the leashed setting, you move up to a fenced in area (with no distractions) to prctice in, then you gradually up the distractions. Do not set her up for failure and ask for too much too soon. A solid recall takes time to build upon. I also start working with whatever command I have for recall at home. Start when she comes up to you randomly, without incentive, and makes eye contact with you. I will say "Oh GOOOOD Here! What a good Here. Good Here." and provide a treat I have stowed in my pocket for just this reason. After she gets the idea that walking up to me and making eye contact gets her praise, I will wait until she is a little distracted several feet away. I utter "Rune, Here!" and shower treats and praise when she comes. If she does not come, or I have to say it twice, I go get her. Then praise. Once she has this down, you can start calling her from the other end of the house. Just remember...You want to instill in as many ways as possible that the word "Here" is NOT optional.
  11. Hold you hand out from your side, palm out...so that the back of your hand would be facing the dog at your side. Getting Ido to follow the back of my hand has strengthened her ability to read what obstacles I am trying to guide her towards. When she pops out of a tunnel, her eyes are already on what hand I have out, and it helps adjust her position as I call out 'Side' or 'Close'...she will either be on my left or right side. Its really helped our communication so far...
  12. Ido and I had our first agility class with a new instructor/facility last Monday. As some of you know, my life has been tossed around a lot the past year or so, and since that single 5 week course we took waaaaay back in Oct, Ido has not laid eyes on a piece of agility equipment since. I was apprehensive, as my description as to what Ido was capable of was a bit...well, uncertain. I knew from past experience she could *do* many of the obstacles I asked of her last October. Her off leash manners and etiquette are exemplary. She follows direction well and is very eager to work and learn. But, there was the issue that she'd not been around anything agility-wise in over a year. Therefore, the instructor was unsure of where to fit us in. Hoping we would not be too far behind, he stuck us in Monday night's class, a group of people just finishing up the first 8 weeks of agility training. Having only 5 weeks of guidance over a year ago, I must admit I was a bit intimidated...but willing and eager to see what we could do. What on earth was I worried about? Ido had this all under control! LoL. First thing, within ten minutes Ido learned to follow the back of my left hand on the command 'close' and the back of my right hand on the command 'side'...This was a bit of a challenge for us initially, because the instructor's typical method involved a smear of canned cheese on the back of the hand to get the dog to follow. Well, Ido has inflammatory bowel disease. Cheese is out of the question. Cheerios, on the other hand, are not. Of course, by the end of the night, my finger dexterity improved twofold having to balance cheerios between my fingertips and release them according to when Ido earned her reward or to keep her focus. Luckily, Ido is a fast learner, and seems to get more reward out of pleasing me than cheerios. Food has never been the biggest motivator for her. Her desire to please has always been outstanding! Ido did everything I asked of her as though she'd been born to it. Her trepidation with the teeter is still there, and she needs a refresher course with the chute. (In our first class, she loved it! I don't think she yet remembers that the fabric does indeed open on the other side. Like most things, I don't doubt it will only take one time showing her before she'll be darting through it with all enthusiasm. Unfortunately we did not have time for this last Monday.) I really like this instructor. He puts a huge amount of emphasis on the use of body language and hand signals. He will also not hesitate to call you out on what you're doing wrong. He was respectful of my dog's special dietary needs, and did not seem to get exasperated and continue to offer her other food rewards as my last trainer did. His training methods are also more geared towards having FUN while still learning what it takes to compete, which is ultimately what I want to do. This week, Ido and I have been working on 'End'...our 'two on, two off' cue for contacts, as well as 'Close' and 'Side'...the weather has put a damper on our ability to practice outside, but I am compromising with the use of stairs and foot stools. I have also begun clicker training with all my dogs, and I am swept away by the possibilities. I am commissioning my significant other to build us a dog walk that I may use to practice with, as well as a teeter board to increase Ido's comfort level over the ground shifting beneath her feet. This is addicting. I am so excited about the possibilities this opens to both myself and my other dogs!
  13. The only thing I would add is to not crate the puppy in the bedroom. Getting used to a new house, new people, new rules is all very daunting, I know...but the last thing I would want a puppy to grow dependent upon when coping with all of that is my presence wherever he/she is sleeping. I usually crate my puppies within hearing, and as close to the back door or where we exit to go potty as possible.
  14. If you blow in Ido's face, she will dart away and then refuses to look at you if you try and get her attention. She will bring things, come, do anything but meet your eyes head-on, LoL. Monkey and Ido stalk the bathroom when I am in the shower. Ido clears any stray droplets that happen to get past the curtain, and Monkey sneaks in to lick my toes/legs when I get out. I guess people-flavored water tastes better??? I was once at a reptile show, visiting a friend's booth. They did not have hardly a thing on their table. Rune was with me, leashed at my side. She has a thing for jumping up on any surface I ask her too...Well, she was a bit more focused on me than I thought, (can't fault her for that! LoL) for as I layed my hands down on the table to get my friend's attention, Rune leaps up and lands neatly right in the middle of it. The look on our faces was priceless!
  15. No, he didn't. He blew you off and took off after what he considered at the time to be more fun and worth it, and didn't come back until he felt like it. If he had made a solid recall, he would have broke from the chase and returned to you, and there would not be a reason for this post. I am with the rest of those who have already suggested he return to a long line for a while. I also do not like encouraging my dogs to chase anything unless they can be called off of it. My girls will readily go after a squirrel, but one word from me puts the brakes on! Its not worth the risk.
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