Doberkids

Practicing with Baby

Last night, I hauled Baby and me over to the arena for another bit of work. Being she had the lapse on staying on Monday night, I thought it appropriate and necessary.

The group who practices on Tuesday night is not the group who practices on Monday night. It’s very interesting that such a divisive set of dog people exist in the same community. The Monday night folks are mostly obedience and agility. The Tuesday night people are mostly agility and confirmation. The three people there who were practicing obedience were one other person from Monday night, her friend, and me. We were in our own little squared-off areas practicing different things. It was isolating, but fine. We were there for a purpose, so we got to it.

I took Baby on a run-through. I was the judge and the handler. OK, it wasn’t as strict as the ring being I gave Baby a few treats while doing the routine, but she did fine. Even the recall, which we did four times, was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful! (I hope we didn’t use them all up.)

Then came the stays. These were perfecto, too. Eegads! It was as if Baby transformed into an OTCH dog. OK, I shouldn’t go that far. She did sniff a little on the down-stays. (We did two sets of each.) And on the sit-stay, Baby’s ears perked up in such a lovely fashion, but it was out of interest due to the confirmation dogs were playing a game and Baby Social Butterfly wanted to join them. However, she maintained herself, and sat there. I did not treat her on either set of stays until the completion of the down-stay being if I don’t treat her after the sit-stay on Saturday, she may hold a grudge, and get up on the down-stay to come over to me to ask, “What gives?’

After our one-dog run-through and stays, Baby won the blue ribbon and HIP – High in Practice. No picture was taking being the camera had declined to come to practice night.

Yeah Baby! My beautiful 10-year-old rescue buddy! You go, girl!

Helen

Baby, Training

Mar

2008

Baby? Are you going to stay?

Helen

Baby was spectacular on her recalls tonight. So much so, that during the 1-minute sit, which our club practices for 3-minutes for the Open dogs, Baby ran to me twice! Now this was after the 1.5 minute mark, as I had asked the drill class instructor to let me know at the halfway point. I went back to my dog then, my dog being Baby Puss Doberdiva, and gave her a cookie, let her get up, and I put her back in a sit. Why did I do all that? Because I am so worried that her arthritis is paining her, I don’t want her to have to sit for longer than she has to if she is uncomfortable. But truly, she took advantage of this. By the time I got back in the line of handlers, turned around, Baby ran to me…full speed. Had this been a recall, I would have been thrilled. But the purpose of a sit stay is the STAY part, though the sit part is relevant.

I asked my friend to take Baby back in line, and she did. She sat her for me, and Baby looked appalled! I thought that would be that, and it was. For me! Baby came running to me a second time. OK, I was not going to give her a treat for that. No no no.

Before class, I had fed Baby half a dinner bowl sized portion being there was another half a dinner bowl sized portion in my treat bag, and she knew it. I had pan friend 4 chicken tenderloins for the Queen Mother yesterday. Chicken is one favorite food of Baby, aka the Recall Specialist. Mostly. Baby wanted more treats. More food. More more more. She chopped me during the times she wasn’t eating tonight. She’s a dream.

Meanwhile, I had to work her recalls vs stays after drill class was over. This was a series of do-overs being Baby ran to me every 3 or so times before I said, “Baby come!” #*&@#$!! I got a lot of exercise walking back and forth to put Baby in “her place” tonight.

Most importantly, to Baby, she has a new title. Baby’s previously troubling courtship with the recall – to come or not to come – is now replaced with the arbitrary stationary refusal phenomenon aka “to stay or not to stay syndrome.” Being I will now be worrying if she is going to STAY or not until the moment the answer comes on Saturday, Baby’s new title is the Creative Goddess. She gets me worried over something new and delicious every other week or so. She’s the best.

God bless creative souls.

Helen

Baby, Training

Mar

2008

Clicker Training with Luigi

Helen

Luigi and I were practicing our pose for when we win a blue ribbon at a future trial. OK, that’s not the reason were were posing, but it’s what I’m gonna tell you.

Hmmm…all my dogs are sleek. I’m not. I’m going to have to do something about that probably.

Meanwhile, Luigi is not only a hard worker. He is photogenic. Here he is fetching a dumbbell.

Here he is jumping.

And landing.

I’m a clicker trainer.

Luigi learned everything he knows in obedience through my click/treat methods. Though when I’m at drill class, I will use a word like “good!” rather than the clicker. The sound of the clicker is not pleasant to everyone’s ear, so why stir the pot? Some people don’t like clicker training for that very reason – the noise of the clicker. But any noise can be the precision marker telling the dog what he is doing at THAT moment is IT! Then the treat follows the marker. It takes practice marking that exact moment. Luigi knows.

On a side note, years ago, the first dog I used the clicker on was Baby. I was so thrilled when my clicker arrived in the mail. I took it, some treats, and Baby straight outside, and tried it on her. Baby, the Queen Mother Diva, did not appreciate my new clicker. The noise of the first click drove her straight through the opened house door, into the bedroom, and onto her bed, which is sometimes my bed. Ewwkay. She’s grown to appreciate the clicking noise since then, especially as our household has grown. Competition does something special to a Diva. Makes them a little more appreciative of their human. Uh huh. But not that much more. Beauty sleep still outweighs getting up when she’s called…unless she wants to.

I carry a very nice treat bag around for clicker training. It is the best one I’ve found. The opening snaps open and shut, so there’s no messing with strings, clips, or other closing mechanisms when you want to get to that treat fast. Good timing is everything in the clicker world. This is a stock photo. The treat is way too big for clicker treating, by the way. They need to taste a treat, not have a meal, as while doing a clicker session, the handler will be doling out lots of treats.

Remember, when the handler doles out treats during training or otherwise during the day, those calories should be considered when doling out other meals. (Note to self: that goes for the human, too.)

I use a humane choke collar when I take my kids off the Fort Doberdale campus to train. This is a collar that can be adjusted to the exact size of the dog’s neck. When the dog pulls, it will not choke him like a traditional choke collar will. This is a stock photo from Coastal, which is the company that makes this particular collar. Others are made with cloth instead of chain. These collars are shamefully not allowed in the AKC obedience rings. Either a buckle collar or a traditional choke collar is allowed there.

Back to Luigi. After he and I finish a training session, he loves playing ball solo with me. That’s the best treat for him. (Baby’s is a Frisbee.)

I like playing ball with my boy, too. There’s something fun about playing fetch with a dog who brings the toy back, just to chase it again. Not all of the FDSP has that innate behavior. <coughBabycoughDivacough> Differences makes the world go ’round.

Helen

Baby, Luigi, Training

Mar

2008

Toy Time!

Helen

I have been getting the message that one of Raven’s favorite toys is getting well worn.

Leissl inspected it after laying it atop a border rock.

Then Raven took it over again and frankly, it had been raining. And when she brought that soggy, well-worn toy into the house, I had to take it and throw it in the washing machine.

Horrors to Raven! Her beloved toy was in that machine again? So I thought it time to break open a new box of these wonderfully strong soft toys. I got a bunch when they were on a good good sale.

(New toys are great, but that doesn’t mean the old ones won’t be put to use after they come out of the washing machine. Like worn shoes that fit right, old toys are comfortable.)

But Raven liked what she saw in that box. Especially the ring.

The ring is Raven’s favorite of all time. She can play tug-o-war best with it. But Luigi had his eye on it, and his name!

As long as Raven had her say, though, that ring was hers!

Meanwhile, Baby looked cute as usual. She is always good for a photo opp. As for these toys, well, Baby says if they’re not flying discs, they’re not toys.

Annie found out she liked the red tube.

Yes, she did.

And Lilian was into the blue fish.

These Tuffies Pet Toys last a long time here at Fort Doberdale, which is a good thing because the Fort Doberdale Squirrel Posse put their toys to work everyday and we need long-lasting toys.

Helen

Annie, Baby, Lilian, Luigi, Raven

Mar

2008

Baby’s Arthritic Back

Helen

Baby is 10-3/4 years old, and has some bad arthritis in her back. A vet sent us home with some Arthrimaxx in October, 3 month’s worth, but it didn’t help. Baby stands slanted sometimes due to the discomfort.

I have been giving Baby 1500 mg of Glucosamine in the morning and at night since the Arthrimaxx, which has done a better job for her. I had heard about another product called Platinum Performance Plus, which is supposed to be excellent. So I called the company to find out the size of tub I should order for Baby.

According to the website, Baby would need 2 TBS a day, but the wonderful people on the Platinum Performance phone lines told me that is a maintenance dose. Baby needs a therapeutic dose, so for two weeks, she will get 2 TBS in the morning and 2 TBS at night. Week three, and thereafter, she will get 3 TBS in the morning and 3 TBS at night. So we got a 10-pound tub. It arrived today, hence my posting.

I thought it was going to be white, but when I opened the lid tonight to give Baby her first serving, surprise! It’s brown.

It has a little blue scoop inside, too. One full scoop is 1 TBS. There is a line within the scoop that measures tsp-sized servings too. It’s very convenient.

The website says to use the product within 5 months. Fresh is better. The phone support person, told me to keep it in the refrigerator for better freshness.

Baby had her first dose in her dinner tonight and liked it. I did, too, much better than the Arthrimaxx. I didn’t like the way Arthrimaxx tasted. Platinum Peformance looks and smells like something you could put in yogurt…there’s no scent! Maybe I’ll try it.

The bucket came in the mail solo. That saves on shipping costs and paper usage because no need to put the product in a box to mail. I called the company when I found out there was no packing slip/invoice attached to the bucket. They told me it would come in the mail.

Baby is going to keep us informed on how Platinum Performance does for her. She’s always willing to give a product review. OK, she is a Diva, so maybe not always. But when she feels like it, and eventually she’ll feel like it.

Doberkids

Practicing with Baby

Baby? Are you going to stay?

Clicker Training with Luigi

Toy Time!

Baby’s Arthritic Back

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