Smooth Collies, Border Collies, Danish-Swedish Farmdog

SeminarTag Archives

At the Flyball Seminar

Tatum Flybal Seminar I am at the flyball seminar! The puppy and green dog part was pretty good. A lot was basic puppy training that I already am familiar with, but it was good foundation information for new dogs and new green handlers, too.

Tatum didn’t do very much because she is being pretty nervous. I pulled out her mat (as you can see from the picture) because I knew that having her do some things she already knew how to do would make her feel better. So we did mat work and some sits and downs and shakes and she was taking livers. She took some treats from people she didn’t now, but when she was out on the running lanes she really didn’t want to take any treats. But it is a great first trip for her. The townhouse I am staying in with my teammates is very nice and Tatum gets to sit on the couch and mingle with the other dogs.

Chase is being a bit grumpy so he is in his crate. He is actually putting himself in his crate when he gets too overwhelmed by the other dogs so he is being a very good boy. And we have our own room so Chase and Tatum get to be with me a little bit on our own.

Tomorrow we will have Chase’s seminar and we will see how that goes too!

Cynthia
February 29, 2008
Chase, Flyball, Tatum
13 comments
, , , , ,

Touch n Go Flyball Seminar in Vegas!

Well, we leave tomorrow! Yay! I am so excited. Chase is too.. it’s been too long since he’s done flyball. Too much snow on the ground around here. And Tatum.. well, she’s going to the Green Dog portion and hopefully she will have fun, too. She may be nervous for a while but we’ll see how it goes. It’s going to be a great test for her.

Me and some of the members of my flyball team, Thunder Paws… we are renting a townhouse and so we will have fun evenings with wine and beer and song… okay well maybe not song, but videos for sure. I’m packing up dog videos that we can watch for entertainment.

The driving situation is all worked out, so we hope. I do hope that all my junk and a team mate’s junk fits in my Outback. And three dogs. We might have to send some of the junk down with another teammate in her car instead.

Anyway.. I don’t know if I’ll have internet access from Vegas or not. I’ll have my laptop with, but if I don’t have internet I’ll have to save the pictures and info for when I get back.

Cynthia
February 27, 2008
Flyball
11 comments
, , , , , , ,

Flyball Seminar Coming Up!

Woo Hoo I am so excited! I’ve been sleepy today but then I got my confirmation papers (email) for the Touch n Go Flyball Seminar in Last Vegas in.. in only a week!

Three days. Well, Friday will be for Tatum, and Saturday and Sunday will be for Chase. Looks like our team, Thunder Paws here in Utah, will have to bring our own box. And I have crates and food and clothes to bring, too. Man, there is always a ton to bring when bringing the dogs. It was so weird going to the Clicker Exp and only bringing stuff for me. I felt so light and empty.

We still haven’t decided who is driving down with whom.. or if we are taking one van or two cars. Or when we are leaving from Salt Lake City and when we are leaving from Las Vegas to come home. But it will all work out in the end.

I will have to pack this weekend, get all my stuff together. Monday will be busy, and Sunday a little bit with a private lesson and puppy class, but I should have some time. And Saturday will be my self-imposed down day. I’m going to need a zero gravity recliner when I get back, in order to rest! I’m sure it will be an information packed weekend and my brain will be loosing it by Sunday. But it’ll be fun!

Cynthia
February 21, 2008
Chase, Flyball, Tatum
0 comments
, , , , , , ,

Clicker Expo!

Okay so tomorrow afternoon I am flying outta here and heading to the Clicker Expo in Los Angeles. I am excited. It is Friday through Sunday. I’ll fly home Sunday night.

Not only am I looking forward to learning a heck of a lot about clicker training, I’m looking forward to it being 60 degrees in California! I’m so tired of the cold around here. Though I do like the long dark nights. But they will have those there as well.

I hope to buy some good clicker products, and I’m really looking forward to the labs and seminars they will have. I will try to blog from there, but not sure how much time I will have. I’ll have my camera with me, too, because it’s new and I just have to take it, and I want to get some good pictures while I am there.

I do wish I was taking a dog… and Tatum just almost would fit in my carry on suitcase.. she tried super hard to scratch into it when I was packing. :) But alas, I don’t think she’d like to be cramped in there for two hours!

Anyway.. I may or may not blog before I go. Or while I’m there. Either way, should be fun!

Cynthia
January 30, 2008
Daily Posts, Training
18 comments
, , , , , ,

Green Dog Seminar!

Touch n Go, the flyball club in Las Vegas giving the seminar in March, just announced they are also having a Puppy / Green Dog seminar on the Friday before! Yay! I sent in my entry fees and I’m going to bring Tatum. Woo Hoo. I’m excited. Not only will Chase get some good instruction, Tatum will too!

And I was all set to leave her home. I am glad she can come with. And I’m especially glad that she gets to be a part of the seminar. I just sent the check off today, they should get it Wednesday, and hopefully we’ll get a working slot. If not, I would audit that class. But I’d rather have a working slot. Tatum will be one of the very few collies in flyball. I think there are only 3 in U-FLI, and not too many more in NAFA.

So now we have to find some good discount hotels Las Vegas style. That, of course, take dogs. Still not sure where the seminar is, yet, but we want to get on it soon because the sooner we book them, the better a price we get.

I’m excited!!!

Cynthia
January 28, 2008
Chase, Flyball, Tatum
5 comments
, , , , ,

I Got In!

Woo Hoo I got into the flyball seminar! I’m so excited. My flyball caption, of Thunderpaws here in Utah, is also sending off her entry. I hope she gets in, too. If she does we’ll drive down together.. such a saver on gas. And share a hotel room.

I wish I could bring Tatum… but I don’t think they’ll be room in the car for her. I hope she doesn’t get mad. I’ll ask and see but… I’m so silly. I want to take her everywhere and do everything with her. I just adore her! It’s so weird, I’ve never connected with a dog so quickly before. Ever in my life. And she’s not a sweet innocent docile thing, either.. she’s a brat! She has such a sassy attitude. I can’t give her up! So it’ll bug me more than her if she can’t go. And there will be other times she can go.

So anyway, the folk got my entry and I have a working slot. Yay! I can’t wait until March 1st and 2nd to go!

This coming weekend I’m going to the Clicker Expo in Los Angeles. That will be fun too. Wish I could take a dog. Hope I’m not repeating myself as I’m so bad at remembering what I’ve already said. ;) Maybe I’ll leave home my chemises since the husband isn’t coming.

Cynthia
January 27, 2008
Chase, Flyball, Tatum
8 comments
, , , , ,

Flyball Seminar

So.. there is a flyball seminar in Las Vegas in March. March 1, 2, 2008. I really want to go. I hear they are only about half full, so I sent my entrance fee for a working slot in today. Hopefully I’ll get one. I hope some of the other members of my club, the Thunder Paws, come too.

Instead of going to mover NYC, I’ll be going to Las Vegas.. yet again. Man, that city just calls to me all the dang time. I am going there so very often! But it’ll be fun. I really want to see how I can get a better box turn on Chase. More reliable in competition. And how to maybe speed him up a little bit. His fastest time was 4.7 seconds. And I would love to see him at 4.5 or maybe even below. I believe he is capable of it! He is a very fast boy. It’s the box turn that slows him down, I think.

The seminar is being given by Touch n Go. They keep winning the U-FLI nationals, and they have, I believe, the fastest U-FLI team. And man, they are fast. I saw them in the tournament I went to in Nevada last October.

So.. I hope I get in!

Cynthia
January 23, 2008
Chase, Flyball
10 comments
, , ,

Good Seminar

I enjoyed the seminar this weekend. The days were too long, and yesterday, Saturday, was rainy, even snowy, and too cold. We moved indoors in the afternoon because it was pouring rain and even snowed. It was still cold, even with 5 layers of clothes on. I couldn’t find my winter jacket. Hrmph.

Chase did really well. He only worked today. We got some good tips on his heeling and his dumbbell. He doesn’t like to hold the dumbbell, I just have to work it some more. We also got some tips on when he won’t release his toy. He gets into high drive and does not want to let go. We’ve tried letting the toy go slack, pulling up on his collar, waiting him out… nothing has worked. So we have now resorted to the flank pinch. It’s not really a pinch, but it causes his mouth to open and he lets go of the toy. He doesn’t much like it, either. Hopefully that’ll convince him to release that toy even when he is high.

I brought Tatum today, too. She did super. It was too long of a day for her, though. We left around 4pm, and people were still there. She sat in the car most of the day, but we did some socialization with the dog people, with a dog around her because she is more comfortable with another dog. She sat with me ringside for about 20 minutes, too. She was taking and eating chicken, so that was a good sign. She just needs experiences, everything is so new to her. It was too stressful for her, she came back home and had diarrhea and then threw up. But she’s been playing her bouncy rabbit play with Bianca for a little while. Now she has settled down. She needs sleep and to rest and recover, and she’ll be fine.

So now I’m home watching Numbers and relaxing. It was a long weekend. I’m so glad I don’t work tomorrow.

Cynthia
September 30, 2007
Chase, Daily Posts, Tatum, Training
4 comments
, , , , , ,