Caden's Combination Veg and Hard Surface Track

(plus a bonus sidebar at the end...)

Finally, I am posting the video of Caden's track from November 15. I was so proud of how he did, that I saved it for last! The first video shows his first leg and turn. He is a bit intense and pulls a bit hard still, but I like his style a lot more now. The turn is on the road, at the curb. I used the fold of the curb to hold scent. He also had to choose to be down on the road. I love watching videos after because I see things that I would not have remembered when following my dog. I love seeing him check grass, road, grass, road, then choose the hard surface!

You can see that after making the turn, he lifts his head and I had to help him out and calm him down. Interestingly he gets thrown off right at a light post, which can cause scent to do weird things. He is also tracking very intensely now, and I think I need to build up his endurance especially on hard surface. He works so hard, I think he needs the break. I have to watch this, as I definitely never want him to feel flustered when tracking.

I will lay his next track to keep up his confidence and accuracy, because what is in your dog’s mind is important. I believe it is important for our dogs to have the ‘can-do’ attitude at this phase rather than ‘it’s getting harder!'

By the way, I have learned from observation, and also read and been told to never, ever put an article beside a light post or tree or telephone pole because scent seems to be deflected further out and dogs miss articles beside them by being pushed away.

In part two, he moves along the curb very smartly. I like this transition, because the curb holds the scent nicely and you can see several times that he chooses it over the veg until the turn. I’m training him differently than any dog I have had before and am so far very pleased. For hard surface I have been combining my own method with SchH footstep tracking and HITT intermittently.

Here is the part I am so thrilled with...at the turn (black squiggly asphalt streak) he overshoots by a few steps, then lifts his head, backs up, makes a small circle, then finds the track up on the boulevard. I try to handle my line in such a way that he has the freedom to overshoot a corner, so that I can determine how he is demonstrating a loss of track, so I can also start to read him. To me his behaviour shows a clear indication that he has lost scent. It shows that he knows his job!

Following the SchH style I am learning, I have built in some verbals so if he goes too far, I gently say no, hoping to redirect him verbally to search more diligently rather than overshoot too much. When he is correct and appears to commit I say good boy quietly.

As he moves along on the veg he gets a bit too excited. I usually just leave a jackpot, but this time put the jackpot on a leather work glove and I am sure he could smell the glove. I won't do this again because he kept lunging a bit, changing pace and a steady pace is preferred for him to stay more calm and accurate. Plus - in SchH tracking he will be penalized if he keeps altering his pace from slow to fast.

Overall this was an exciting track. It was only 150 meters and about 45 minutes old in cold, dry conditions. I love tracking with my boy! I learn so much and he makes me feel very happy and in the zone as I follow him.

Sidebar

He has also been coming to work with me, while Jet recovers from her surgery. Usually they are kennel mates. This has been a nice experience, having him alone in the car all day. And, he loves the coffee runs! At Tim Horton's he gets a plain Timbit, and at Second Cup, they give him two milkbones. I consider this all "relationship building" so include in this tracking post!!
As soon as I drive up, Caden knows we are at the coffee drive through. Generally he is very well-behaved in the car and frequently he is crated but I do allow this indulgence.

I told the girl at the window that Caden had a blog, and she was great about posing for pictures! A "hand model" only (do you remember that Seinfeld?)
The cookies! He has such a cute face, he is hard to resist.

I had a Skinny Vanilla Latte.

Sunday Courses - New Mexico

Today is my last day here in Las Cruces and there's a lot I'm going to miss! First, the people and exhibitors. What a great group!

Today's challenge was the wind & rain. I'm told that they had more rain today than all summer. I told them their hospitality went too far in making it feel like home (Seattle)

Onto the courses!

* Not a single dog was fooled into thinking they were going up the a-frame after the #3 jump.

* Most handlers went on the landing side of the #6 jump and did a front cross so the dog was on their left going over #7. Of those few handlers who did a front cross on the landing side of #7 (stayed on the right side of #6 & #7), I liked that tight line the best for dogs.

* Another great piece of handling was from #9 - #12. For fast/driven dogs, several handlers were able to push their dogs and then 'pulled their dogs up the teeter towards them and meet their dogs at the end of the teeter.

* I'm not sure why, but several dogs took the #10/#15 panel down. It was a bit slick on the grass and it's my understanding that this group doesn't run in the rain often.

On Excellent JWW, the weaves were quickly completed and were followed up by two large loops, the first to the left and the second to the right. After that, there was a tighter pinwheel (in comparison to the last two loops) that required more precise handling, followed by a large loop out.

The challenge on this course was to support those jumps that were furthest out and to be able to quickly change to a tight handling area at the end.

It was a great course to end the weekend with as dogs ended with a lot of energy and success.

Thanks again to everyone for such a wonderful time!

Splash and Emily's Dog Party/B-day party

Mickey the Mal watches over the Pupcake table to make sure no one takes one to many. 

Kiko and Splash share a Pupcake before the guests arrive.

Splash and Kiko got to see their best doggie buds.

Splash hangs out with her wise mentors, who trained her how to be a real Border Collie! SOMEONE THROW THE FRISBEEEEE!!!!!

Kiko's most favorite friend in the world Einstein shows off his tricks! 

Bark Magazine Pupcake Recipe:

by Diane Porter

Whip up three dozen bite-sized carob mini-cupcakes in less than an hour with this original recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup honey

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar-free applesauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons carob powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla

-----------------------------

There was no icing on the Bark Mag cupcakes so I made the icing from a mixture of low fat cream cheese, with a little bit of flour to thicken it. And put non-sweetened carob chips on top to decorate the cakes. 

Fri New Mexico Courses

Looks like I inadvertently labeled yesterday's courses (which were from Friday) Saturday's and I'll just label today's (the real Saturday's) Friday's Clear as mud? LOL

This course had some interesting lines that don't come across as technical on paper, but were a challenge to handlers. They were:
* #3 to the a-frame with that off-course tunnel sucked in quite a few dogs. Some had already made their choice and were hell bent on taking it and others were handling errors. Some pushed their dog into the exit side of the tunnel and others caused a refusal at the a-frame as they pulled too hard.
*#6 - the teeter was a unique line (I know, looks boring on paper!) as the dogs were focused on the a-frame and with a simple step in toward the dog from the handler, the majority of dogs changed their lead leg and redirected to the teeter.
* The #10 - #13 sequence was not one to take for granted and it first required a push over the #10 jump at an angle.
* From #14 - #16, most handlers hung back and did a rear cross at #15, even if they were ahead of their dog. I liked the angle that it created for the dog to the weaves, but wondered if a rear cross would/could have the same tight line with a little more speed.
* The surprise challenge was getting from the #17 jump down through to the #19 triple. Unfortunately, quite a few handlers were behind and forfeited a clean run when their dog passed by the triple when there handlers either called them too hard and pulled the dog off of the obstacle or the dog incurred a refusal when it went searching for its owner who was 2 obstacles back.


As for Excellent JWW, we started with an unusual place for the first obstacle and worked our way around the weave poles.

As expected, some dogs took the off course tunnel exit. However, I really wanted to point out how great several teams did on executing the weave pole entry.

While not impossible, the positioning required either a bit of handling or a dog who was comfortable finding the weave entry on their own. This group did a great job and I'd love to come back and practice the various ways the handlers did setup for this obstacle.

The off course #16 dog was a close call for several teams and the #14 jump required a bit of a push out or support. If this was lacking, dogs pulled in too early and incurred a refusal/runout call.

For me, the day was non-stop as I made sure both rings were always ready to walk, paperwork was in order and all of the other usual judgely stuff. A few nice perks were that we were done by 2:00 p.m. and the weather was wonderful! I actually think I have a bit of color from the sun!

Since we were done in a timely manner, I had a chance to go back into the quaint little Indian town just down the road and do a bit more browsing around. Later we met for dinner at a Mexican restaurant near 'the square' and had a WONDERFUL meal! I believe they're stopping tonight to get me tamales to take home with me tomorrow....I can't wait!

A bit of news from the home front, Dan got his first Double Q with Spot today! That puts Spot at 10 DQ's and 1100 points toward his MACH2. Maybe I'll put that down as a goal for 2010 : )

Courses Sat New Mexico

Today is Day 1 of the trial and it was a beautiful sunny 67 degrees. Today was Excellent only.

We started with Standard and as one exhibitor described the course as having 'subtle challenges'. The areas were with the most judging calls were:

• * The incorrect tunnel entrance (handler error)
• * The usual weave issues (entry/popping out)
• * There were several teeter fly-offs as handlers headed down the line of jumps & dogs left early to catch them
• * Refusals at #15 as dogs spun while looking back for their handler or as handlers pushed in too early and the dog headed for the chute.
• * The off course jump near the chute
• 
  Overall, I was impressed with the consistency of the handlers & dogs!

Next was Excellent JWW. I have to admit, I really liked this course and the varying challenges. Individually, none of them was difficult, but put together, the handler & dog needed to be on their toes and able to quickly adapt to the next sequence.

The challenges on this course were:
* Between jump #4 & 5 as dogs were heading toward the off course #15 jump.
* The off course tunnel only caught a few dogs as most were already heading toward #8 when they landed after #7.
* #12 jump - many dogs went went for the #2 jump again and some completely missed this jump.
* Some dogs headed for the off course #4 jump with a few of them taking it.

The ending from #15 on was a fast sequence!

Again, dogs did a great job and it was a pleasure to watch them.

On a separate note, I LOVE being able to get a feel for the local culture and this is a cute little town. I was taken to a place called the square that had wonderful shops with native jewelry, pottery & ceramics, clothing, a winery and other specialty shops.

The shops were true to the area and very different than anything we have in Seattle. I purchased a beautiful silver cross for myself, a bottle of wine for Dan (from Heart of the Desert winery) and an amazing Christmas gift for Dan's Mom. Beth (Dan's Mom) and I have a wonderful relationship and I spend all year looking or making something special for her. I seriously can't wait to give this one to her : )

Please VOTE for River! Hallmark Christmas Card Photo Contest

River Brinkworth A Dog Named Christmas - click here to vote. Below is our write-up. Thank you for voting for River. I think she could be on a Christmas Card, don't you?

River Brinkworth
Alberta, CAN

River is a long-coated German Shepherd and a very accomplished tracking dog. Everyone loves her soft coat, adorable floppy ear and muppet feet but they can also make her look very soft and pretty like in this photo taken on her 8th birthday. River is the kind of dog everyone should have - smart, fun, gentle and loving. We just moved together, from Ontario to Alberta. Thanks, River for bringing me so much joy. You are my best friend.

You've Got Mail, River!

I hardly ever get anything but bills in the mail. Go figure that RIVER gets mail!Today, her friend Austen sent her a lovely card. Austen is the world-famous Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who is Canada's first toy breed with a Tracking Championship. I put the card out for River to enjoy. Austen is so thoughtful, he knows River is pursuing the elusive UTDX. River was reading..."Dear River, I know you believe in yourself, but I think Celine D makes the best background music. So bark at Donna to fill your entry form out on the UTDX entry and play the music in this card..." At this point, River takes over the narration - this is the FIRST TIME River has ever posted to the blog.

Excuse me, but what is with this little pocket in the card? I must investigate with my super nose. Austen is a good tracking buddy and perhaps he has hidden some liver in there. What is that noise coming from that pocket? Is it some kind of code to look inside? Believe in the liver, believe in the liver... I must put this card on the floor so I can use my big paw. The lady likes all those words, but I am sure Austen has sent me something...believe in the liver, believe in the liver... AHA!


THANKS AUSTEN! And thank you to that other lady for mailing it.

I loved my card. You are a true buddy. Your friend, River.

Austen's card continues from above... "...The humans are so happy afer that UTDX track! They seem motivated to hang onto their gloves too, so you will be able to relax more.
AustenThanks Julie, what a day brightener. We will treasure this card and make sure it travels with us to our next test!

She's got the look

I admit it. There are some dogs I am drawn to because of their looks. Sometimes it is because they are cute, sometimes because they are well proportioned or are a breed I am interested in. And sometimes it is because they are absolutely hands down, drop dead gorgeous. Just take a gander at this beautiful girl at my local shelter. Her name is Isis and she is a blue American Staffordshire Terrier.

It is probably a good thing that I am at my house limit because she tempts me.

My biggest worry with a dog like her is that she will attract the wrong sort of adopter. I don't mind people being attracted to her because of her look, heck that's why I noticed her, I am only concerned that the people will want the look and not the dog inside. She deserves a great life, not one as a trophy to parade around for macho points. And heaven forbid she gets an idiot that tries to make her aggressive to make themselves look good.

There is a new show I've watched a few times called Pit Bulls and Parolees. I am a little conflicted about a few things on the show but one of the things I like is how they handle adoptions. They bring out 3 dogs that might be a good match for the person looking and let them chose from only those 3. I think this is a great idea. For one reason this ONLY gives the adopter choices from dogs that should be the best match for their situation. One of the issues with people choosing dogs from a multitude is that they go for a certain look. To many people chose looks over the behavior of the dog and the fit for their family. They think they can change the dog or change their lifestyle to suit the dog. Unfortunately that rarely happens. The dog goes home and reality sets in and the sometimes the dog gets brought back to the shelter. (in the best case scenario with a good shelter or rescue) I also like that they have said no to certain situations while educating the people why a pit bull isn't in their best interest.

I like the idea of a slumber party trial for dogs. Seeing the dog in a shelter environment and how they are in a real home can sometimes be a night and day difference. There's always a courtship and engagement before a wedding right?? No one should jump blindly into a long term relationship. (This is also the same reason people shouldn't try to pick pets for another person. Would YOU want someone picking a spouse for you?? To me it is the same idea.) You need to either know about the behavior of the breed or the specific dog you are interested in before you can make an informed decision.

I worry for her and other dogs like her. Her beauty is it's own danger.

(**Photos taken through fence only because it was my lunch break and I was wearing light colored pants. I didn't know if should would spread some of the mud in her kennel on me or not. She took all my treats super gently.**)

Wordless Wednesday

Wag More, Bark Less

This post is dedicated to everyone who has had to deal with mean people....

Since moving out to the Seattle area, I've continuously struggled with a small group of people in agility who are insecure, petty, vindictive, unhappy and just miserable. I wouldn't normally notice these things, but unfortunately they find it entertaining to talk badly about others, including me & my life as they think they know it.

What makes it so tough is that they act nice to your face. Saying Hi, asking about specific details in your life and pretending like all is well. While in reality, they're just plotting or poking for something to speak badly of. If they can't find something, they'll make it up and do so with relish. After all, if they're cattily chatting about you, it makes them the center of attention and they feel important.

I've often been the target of their sharp tongues and worse yet, their make-believe reality. I've heard everything from I use prong collars to teach contacts, insensitive gossiping about the reasons I had to put my young border collie down and all the way up to someone approaching my husband (at a trial) before we got married and saying "We're concerned about you, you don't have to go through with it, are you really sure you want to marry her?" and someone openly discussing ringside how there's no way our marriage was going to work.

Ouch! It doesn't take a psychic to know that these are hurtful comments! Not to mention inappropriate, disrespectful and quite frankly, not their business.

I have to admit that after years of trying to rise above, keep smiling, keeping my chin up and more, I've finally realized that their bad behavior isn't going to go away or stop because they're not capable of that. So next I tried the old "I don't give a crap" approach and honestly, I've begun to feel myself acting just as miserable as they are! Clearly the close yourself off, hard edged approach isn't for me...

While it may not seem like it on the outside, I am a sensitive person (aren't we all?). I do care about people, their feelings, prefer building them up and more. This is the polar opposite of what the unhappy group is about and while I like to give, they like to take and simply based on that large difference, we're never going to see eye-to-eye. So that leaves me still trying to come up with a way to cope and not loose sight of who I am.

Lately I can't help but feel "If I'm going to get blamed for & labeled being a crap person, then I mine as well be!" OK, not necessarily logical but if you continuously hear or are impacted by the negative, sometimes you can't help but think about throwing in the towel and just going with it. Again, I need to find a magic sentence to block the hurt this causes me. Ah yeah and "just don't worry about what they say" somehow doesn't work so well for me. LOL

Looking on the bright side, it is because of these very people that I NEVER, EVER want to treat anyone less than with respect and kindness. After having felt the pain that they cause, I can't imagine ever inflicting the same feelings on someone else...that's just cruel.

I know logically that the majority of people here in this area aren't like that. Actually, I've met some of the most sane, personable, warm and amazing individuals ever. After yet another day of hearing crap about myself, I wrote my frustration on Facebook and was so touched by the kind words. It was nice to be reminded of the non-crappy side of me and it made me happy to know that the good side is still there and that people DO see it.

What scares me the most is that sometimes when the negative words get to me and I close up and go into 'protection mode', I'm afraid I'll lose the carefree & happy part of who I am to bitterness & hurt. It happens to a lot of people and I suspect that's exactly what happened to this specific group and now that's the only way they know how to live. You know, this reminds me of a horror flick where people are poisoned and turn into Mummy's!

Now that I've said my fears out loud, I feel so much better. I'm also going to come up with a plan to make sure that I avoid the Mummy Lifestyle the unhappies took. I never want to be compared to the walking dead!

Tooth Fairy Time - Jet's fractured tooth was removed today

There are probably some sheep out there who will be happy to hear that my Jet has one less tooth... Jet had a hard day today! She has spent the evening snoring on my bed. I wonder what the doggie Tooth Fairy will bring her? I know, probably some expensive cans of Evo soft food for a week! I took the above photo this morning. Last week, she damaged her tooth beyond saving by running for a ball so hard she slammed into my fence. It fractured vertically exposing the pulp and nerve. I took her to a dental specialist for dogs in Calgary who explained the tooth was literally dead, with no chance of recovering. If I had left this, she most certainly would have developed an abscess within six months from the bacteria that would come in through the open nerve and pulp. From this view, you can really see what she did to it. Dogs more commonly break their teeth horizontally, but not Jet! She likes to do things her own way.

Check out Jet's purple sutures! My vet did not colour coordinate them with my decor, honest!

So I had the option of saving it at the base and doing a root canal, or having it pulled for half the price. The root canal is more intensive a surgery, but not as invasive into the jaw. Extraction involves cutting the canine sideways out of the jaw because it has such a deep root. Jet's jaw will fill in and she will be fine. While she was under, my excellent vet, Dr. Ken Hubbard, Cedarwood Clinic in Red Deer, checked for any sign of jaw fracture because of her impact but saw no cause for alarm, thankfully.

I just hate leaving a dog at the vet, and I was so happy to pick her up after work. She was full of spunk from the clinic to the car, and when she first arrived home, ran around the yard and showed just how tough she is - putting on a brave front. But I knew better. I blocked her in the bedroom where she initially made a point of being unhappy about being separated. When I checked in on her a few minutes later, her big sulk was fading as she was literally FALLING ASLEEP in this sitting position! She always sticks out her tongue when she falls asleep. Maybe it will happen more, now that she is missing one tooth.

Jet has improved immensely in the past year overcoming her temper and temptation! But I think if sheep had a chatgroup, there would be a thread right now about how to get more dogs to run into fences and shatter their canines!

Fun and Games

Yesterday I took Jenny and participated in a Fun and Games workshop with Dee Ganley. I had no idea what to expect. I went only with the intention of having some fun, and learning new things with my dog. I was not disappointed.

We played a variety of games including "My dog can do that" as well as drill team work, relay races, and tried a couple of scent discrimination exercises among other stuff. Funny enough I blew one of the scent exercises due to over thinking it and bad body language. Ironic considering my last post. The other involved a ball (pic below) and Jenny just isn't a ball driven dog. Now maybe if we smeared some blood on it......

Logan and Suzan above finding their ball.

A leave it exercise. (that's a Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen)

Another Logan moment.

Relay race!

And for anyone who thinks dressing a dog is easy:

I missed the best stuff. The dog in the video was pretty hysterical playing as she tried to dress her/him. Jenny stepped through the neck of her shirt on the way down our lane. She didn't care. It was cute.

A loose leash walking exercise/race.

The afternoon was Self Control and Focus games. It was full so I only audited that one. (all the better to get photos)

Another relay race with mat work.

Sumac and Phoebe above relaxing.

I didn't know everyones names. The dog above is a mix and the one below is a dutch shepherd.

And this pretty girl is Brina and I am obsessed with her. She is an American Staffordshire Terrier.

Seriously, I am her official stalker.



See what I mean? Gorgeous. And a wicked love bug to boot. I got some fabulous cuddle time in with her. (She's a leaner btw and her coat is super soft. I was even lucky enough to get a kiss.)

It was alot of fun and I thought Jenny did great. Especially considering we have never done anything remotely similar. And I have never done anything formal with her either. We went in only knowing some basics. Of course basics are the foundation for everything else so it worked very well for us. I don't think she has ever eaten that many treats in one day before in her life. Being a serious chow hound she thought that was pretty great.

I think a great time was had by all and I would totally do it again. I definitely learned a few things that will come in handy with both my dogs and with clients.

What do you mean we have to go home???

My Dad's Cat Scarey Story!

So, my Dad took both of my kittens home as you may recall from my Thanksgiving post. Yesterday he told me a scarey story, but it turns out OK. Oh yes, and Caden's tracking video IS coming! It is on the Spiritdance Channel on Youtube if you want to check it out without my details...

Here they are! He has blankets everywhere to save his leather furniture right now!

He sometimes opens the glass door in his apartment a few inches for fresh air. He went for coffee with friends. When he got home, a lady met him in the hallway to say she had his kittens. He didn't really know what she meant, so she said she would meet him at his apartment. When he got upstairs, he saw that he had forgotten to close the glass door.
He realized that the two kittens, Mutt (the girl) and Jeff (the boy) got the door open and walked from my Dad's balcony to the balcony next door! Apparently the man next door looked out to see two little kittens on his balcony and brought them in! He called the superintendent who knew they were my Dad's new cats. My sister took these pictures for me. Look at that little walkway! And the drop - FIVE STOREYS. They are safe and sound and home again. My father really enjoys them. They cuddle all the time. The little girl sits at the computer with him and chases the cursor on the screen, so my Dad makes the arrow go round and round with his mouse so she can play. Jeff is a big, affectionate boy. I understand the entire apartment building knows about his cat's adventure. It is funny because now he has this great story to tell about them, and I think it makes him very proud of them. I am very happy they are such good company, especially as I am here in Alberta.

SIDEBAR NOTE

By the way, that is a picture of my Mom from the 1950s taken behind my Grandma's house in Thunder Bay. I love that shot - she looks so beautiful and happy. My Dad stuck something he cut from the newspaper into the frame that says:

WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO

Author: Unknown

Cancer is so limited...

It cannot cripple love.

It cannot shatter hope.

It cannot corrode faith.

It cannot eat away peace.

It cannot destroy confidence.

It cannot kill friendship.

It cannot shut out memories.

It cannot silence courage.

It cannot reduce eternal life.

It cannot quench the Spirit.

My Mom was only 58 when she died from Cancer, when I was 35. It was a horrible loss and shock to us all and my Dad still can't talk about her without his voice cracking. I know I walked around in shock for months afterward, trying to look strong on the outside. I feel for my Dad so to be without her at this time of life. Now that I am closing in on 50, 58 seems way too young to die. I am so lucky to have been released from ongoing checkups in 2008 five years later! It was caught early but don't let anyone tell you it is not frightening. Even though things happened quickly for me, it is something I carry inside all the time; the grief and fear hearing the words "you have Cancer" and the gratitude and sometimes even a bit of guilt, to be one of the lucky ones. It really brings things home and makes you take stock of your life. Because of my mother's experience, I truly thought I was going to die, but here I am blogging away! Not a day goes by that I don't miss my Mom. Every day, and aging, is a blessing! I am very proud of my Dad and his ability to remember my Mom with so much love and so many positive thoughts. And it is another good reason he should have the kittens, to keep him smiling and give good company.

(sorry, that is the serious part of this post!)