Playing in the Snow

Dang, that’s a lot to be unsure about. LOL. I go back and forth from day to day thinking he’ll get it, to he won’t get it. I guess going in the ring is the test. It’ll be kinda fun, I think. And why the heck not.

I’m putting Jet in Beginner Novice. Which is all on leash, so I think he’ll be okay. Though I still think he’ll get nervous and I don’t know what to really do about that. I’ve been working on keeping him happy and playing games, but the ring… well, we have an ASCA obedience trial in Feb and I can get him in Rent A Ring again, so hopefully that’ll help. It’s at the same time as agility so that’ll be interesting to see how he does.

So anyway, that’s the plan for March obedience wise. I hope I can relax when I go. Maybe I need to look up the best ebook reader so I can sit and read in between. I love to read, it really does help me relax.

So I figured I needed to do something, because Jet was entered in an obedience trial the next week (which was yesterday). And I think we just train in places that are too quiet. Because Jet is deaf in his left ear, he has sound issues. And you can see in the above video that the ring was set up right next to the bathrooms (I guess most people don’t even think about doing that?) and the flushing of the toilets really bothered him.

So it inspired me to start taking Jet to a place that had many more distractions. Mostly I train in very quiet parks where Jet does a great job. But most obedience rings are not so quiet. And so I took him to Sugarhouse Park every day last week. We did heeling with minimal treats. I figure, when in the ring, it’s just me and him, and we need to build a relationship without treats, too. However, I went to some pretty hard places at the park and when he showed signs of nervousness, I gave him treats anyway. And so yesterday this is what I got in the ring:

I think it’s much improved! So this is my goal then… to take Jet to difficult places and do heeling and training. At least once a week. My work schedule is changing and they are making me work 5 days a week (YUCK!) starting in October. I know I know, I’m spoiled, I haven’t worked 5 days a week in over 10 years. I usually work 4 10 hour days, which I much prefer. But now… well, I don’t want to talk about it. Anyway, I’ll have to work training into a new schedule. I think it will help. We don’t have another obedience trial until maybe March. So I’ll see how it works out. Though in the winter it will be hard to go out and find places when it gets cold. Hrmph.

The rest of this weekend we are doing agility. Jet did good today, but didn’t Q. One mistake in JWW and one in Standard. He did Q in the new Time 2 Beat class, which was fun. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I need to snuggle into some nice cozy sferra sheets tonight for bed. I’m tired, and sore, and I need to get some rest. But alas, I do think his heeling has gotten a bit better.

I think he’s doing well, though still I worry that he’ll kick it into gear at a trial. I have to say, though, the only two trials I’ve entered him in were super hard. One was a conformation show with a busy smelly building with lots going on. And he did okay, actually, and would have Q’d but crawled to visit another dog on the down stay. The other show as the same day as an agility trial, and I think it was hard for him to switch from agility to obedience.

I may enter him in a one day obedience only show in September. It’s the day before the 3 day agility trial. Maybe he’ll do better there. Outside, relaxed. I hope so, anyway. I’ll probably give it a try and see how he does.

Anyway, life goes on, I’m trying to work the other dogs, do fun things, get on with life, accept that Lucy is gone. Maybe getting some Off Road Lights for the van would help in the dark when it starts getting closer to winter. I dunno, though, I usually just like it dark.

Jet went into the ring in the afternoon and he did pretty well. I thought his heeling would be better. His heeling in training is really solid. But this building is hard. There are lots of smells, and there’s conformation going on too, and agility outside. And Jet does have trouble resisting sniffs sometimes and it showed in this run.

He did not Qualify. He would have, but in the long 3 minute down stay he couldn’t resist the girl border collie next to him, and crawled over to see her. The goof. So the judge nodded at me to go and get him and so I did, and then we had to stand until the rest of the down stay was done.

Other than that he would have qualified. And this did give me a really good idea of what we need to work. We need to work speed at the start of the heeling. More push-backs I think. And I think we need to work finding heel position. Like I need to run away and play with him a bit then have him fall into heel at my Trot cue and have him stay with me.

But I was happy with him anyway. And the video always looks better than the actual feel of the run. He’s a good boy. We have a month before he has another obedience trial, so we can do some work!

And tonight I’ll be able to sit on the couch and rest. Obedience stresses me out more than any other dog sport. So I’m tired. But I ate well today, which was good so hopefully won’t need any sensa to help my weight loss along!

Jet and my Leg

His Novice work is really nice, I think. As long as his stand for exam holds. I’ve been training up his open work too, so that he’ll be ready once he gets his CD. He might just scream right though novice, or I may be over confident, I’m not sure! But if he gets his CD then we’ll go into Open. He needs work on the Drop on Recall and the Broad Jump, but his dumbbell is really nice, so is his heeling. So those will be good. I think he just needs more time with the broad and the drop on recall. And I don’t want to mess up his novice recall either.

It should be fun. If I’m not too nervous. Maybe some coach gifts will perk me up. I’m kinda his coach.. and his team mate!

As long as his Stand for Exam holds up, he comes on the recall when I call first, and he holds his stays, I think we’ll do well. Of course it’s just a test. First time in a real obedience ring is only a test of our training anyway. But I’ll still be nervous. It’s AKC obedience.

I just love Jet’s heeling. I love his front feet trotting up he’s so cute. And he looks so happy. And happy is the best part. I wouldn’t even do obedience if I had one of those dogs that trudged around the ring like they are moving through mud and look miserable. I want happy dog!

So hopefully we’ll do well in obedience and agility. It’s still a couple of weeks away. And it’s the trial I pulled Tatum from. If she’s okay I’ll bring her a couple of the days just to make sure she’s fine for the middle of May agility trial I have her entered in. Why is it so hard to pull from trials? I don’t know, but even with if I had a usb barcode scanner to scan my entries with I still would have a hard time pulling from trials. It broke my heart when I had to pull Levi years ago when he was having such weave poll problems. And now Tatum. I just hope and pray and cross my fingers that Jet will be healthy and sound his whole life. Even though he can’t hear in his left hear, that shouldn’t stop us from doing what we love!

The only thing I don’t like about this video is how much weight I’ve gained! Ugh. I’m doing good writing down my calories every day, so hopefully it’ll come off soon!

Jet on the Beach

Jet is entered into his first Obedience trial. It’s AKC and it’s going to be on Thursday May 5.. errr, I think it’s the 5th. Is that a Thursday? Whatever. I think it is. He’ll be in Novice B and I hope he does well. His Stand for Exam is still not solid. Sometimes it’s good, and sometimes he wants to tuuuurrrrn his head all the way around to sniff the person going over him. So we’ll see. He might lose points but he probably won’t NQ because of it. And I hope he moves forward on the heels, once in a while he’ll just sit and won’t move. LOL. And I hope he comes on the recall, and I hope he stays on the stays. So much to worry about. But I guess it is what it is and I’ll have to trust our training!

Then that same weekend is agility. It’s the same judge 4 days in a row, and being in Novice and/or open it’s pointless to go 4 days in a row because you need to have legs under different judges for titles. So we are just doing the 3 days and hopefully be able to move into Open. Both Tatum and Jet are entered in that.

I was able to take them both to the agility field we practice in last week. Tatum was nervous again but she hasn’t been there in months. It’ll take her a while to get comfortable again. I’m hoping after 3 days of agility she’ll be better after the first day in the same place. But I’m just not sure with her. Jet will be fine, of course. And his hearing disability shouldn’t hold us back at all. My training disability might hold us back, though. LOL. And with all the snow we’ve been having this April, we haven’t been able to get out and train much, which sucks. But oh well, again, trust in the training. But I do know we still lack some training skills. I was able to work some serpentines last Friday with him so that was good.

Maybe some thrust bearings would kick us into gear and help us but I’m not so sure about that. Anyway, that’s the latest. Not much is going on this month but in May I’ll be overwhelmed. I have trials 5 weekends in a row starting in May and I’m not really looking forward to that without any down time. I wish I was retired so my down time could be during the week. Only 2 years 5 months 21 days to go.

Jet and Cookies

So the indoor training goals for this winter include the following….
1. Scent Articles for Jet and Chase: They are both doing really well when there is cheese or some sort of food on the bit, but when it’s gone, they aren’t doing so well. So I’m going to clicker train the scented articles with both the boys, so they understand what they are supposed to be doing. I’m getting this from Clicker Training for Obedience by Morgan Spector. I like the book, and I think it’ll work well for them.
2. Send to the Back of the Jump: Doing this just with Jet. He needs to learn the skill of being sent to the back of a jump, then coming around to jump it towards me. It does seem this is getting more common in trials. It’s a skill we need and he’s catching on fast.
3. K9 Nose Work Boxes etc: Working this with all the dogs! They love it. Moving from boxes to other obstacles like chairs and stuff too. I also hope to put the scents in this too soon. Birch, Anise, and Clove.
4. Back Up: Jet still doesn’t know how to go backwards. The rest of my dogs do, so this is on the list to teach him!

And hmm… now I forget what else is on my list that’s stuck on the fridge in the kitchen. But those articles are going to take some time, I think. And they are fun! Maybe I need go get some document scanning going so I can make copies of my training list and put one at work too.

Oh and this picture? This is jet ‘helping’ us make Christmas Sugar Cookies yesterday. He’s such a goof. It was really hard for him not to eat all that dough, even though I told him he’d get super sick!