We are making progress - yeah!

After a disappointing introduction to sheep last weekend we also had a disappointing tracking lesson yesterday. Moto was very distracted and enjoyed leaving the track to smell other more interesting things I guess. He was so distracted he even walked over the glove with no indication in order to smell a bush. Not good!
But this morning was a new day and we just did some Novice obedience work since we have a fun match this Sunday. Our neighbors across the street have a new dog which was tied up in their front yard. I decided to challenge Moto and see if he really understood attention means Pay Attention When I Tell You To. First we did some attention at a distance from the dog (who was barking at us) and then we heeled with attention in the street and heeled right past the dog. He did try to steal a look but just a quick "ah-ah" did the trick and he snapped right back to keeping his eyes on me. I was absolutely thrilled. He is using his rear on left turns which looks sooo pretty but we still need to have him drive on the right turns but it is coming. I just loved his figure 8, stand for exam and recall. His swing finish is really nice and the around finish still needs work. He will come into a slow sit so I will need to push him a little on that.
Best of all he really enjoyed training, tail up and wagging and big smile the entire time, and he enjoyed my praise when meant so much.
Things were going so well I did a little Utility work too - gosh he is getting a nice turn and sit and his signals are really lovely. If Obedience is all he does well, I'll be one happy camper as this is my favorite thing too.

Moto sees his first sheep

Sunday it was extremely cold and I called to see if herding was cancelled. Fortunately it was not so I made the 1+ hour drive to the new herding facility. It was really nice, sheep were khatadin/dorper crosses and very cute. The owner was really pleasant and had lots of good information. Another gal came with me with her Cardigan so I let her go first so Moto could watch and I could gauge his interest. Well, the result was "not so much". Moto was mildly interested and watched but I didn't get that "let me in there, I know what to do" feeling like I have with Dusty, Shiloh and even Blitz.
Once it was our turn we went into the round pen, and it was too small and a bit intimidating for him. So I had him "drive" the sheep into the larger area where they could run around and hopefully generate some excitement for him. Well, not really. He greatly enjoyed smelling and eating sheep poop and was scared of the horses in the adjoining paddock. There were a few periods where he followed behind the sheep along the fence but he did not push enough for me to lead the sheep while he did some wearing or even some circling. ARGH.
It was really, really hard for me to hide my disappointment from Moto, and I wanted him to have a good experience so when he did follow briefly I praised him a lot and we stopped right there. But at this point he could really take or leave herding. What a bummer. I'll bring him a few more times to see if he ever turns on. If he does, he will be a thoughtful, smooth worker. His daddy Shiloh is so much the other way - all ego and an "it's my way or the highway" attitude.
So far, it's tracking that has really ignited any kind of strong interest in Moto, and fortunately for me Obedience is coming along very nicely. It's taking a lot of patience on my part but I can see the big payoff in a nice happy attitude.
Agility will start up again in the spring. He did seem to enjoy that too but of course it was just puppy stuff. More than anything else, I would love to have a competitive Obedience partner. I am beginning to feel a lovely strong bond with him which I hope will carry over into the ring. Time will tell.

Yeah! We have a retrieve!

It's time to celebrate because Moto is now consistently retrieving! And, he is retrieving no matter where he is! I am keeping the dumbbell close - not throwing it far (yet) as speed is so critical with this guy. He understands the urgency and understands picking it up pronto and returning quickly. I want this as a solid muscle memory. PATIENCE is so hard for me, I'm so hungry to return to the ring that this is my biggest problem. But doing it this way, and getting it right, will pay off big in the long run. I cannot WAIT to get to articles. This is my favorite thing to teach and I think he will enjoy it like all the other dogs.
His go-outs are very nice and very quick and he is getting a nice turn and sit. Signals are nice and directed jumping is not perfect but coming along very quickly. My biggest setback with this is the weather. It's so cold that it's difficult to remain outdoors for long. Example: today it's 6 out. Not conducive for hanging out outside.
We still need for Moto to understand attention heeling. I have to backchain many times to make sure he understands that he needs to WATCH. While he's stubborn he's soft at the same time so I'm walking a fine line. If I want that sparkle and attitude the corrections need to be perfectly timed and not too harsh, but he's the kind of dog that needs a strong impression made of what I want, and to respect it. Sheesh!
Tracking is coming along as well, we've hit a bit of a wall in that he doesn't do as well once the track has aged 30 minutes or more. He also loves to eat deer poop if he encounters it. So there's some things to work on but overall he is turning into a nice working pup!

The ravages of DM

Things have been perking along pretty good here, until last night. When I left in the late afternoon all five dogs were their usual selves. However when I returned from class (hubby was at home with the dogs) I couldn't find Blitz. When I called he came to me on 3 legs. The right rear was tucked up under his belly. Clearly he was in tremendous pain. Erik said they all went out and pottied about an hour previous and everything was fine. Just to make sure it wasn't an injury or infection we did a medicated soak for 15 minutes, then into his crate for the evening.
This morning he was able to walk but anything faster and his leg would tuck back up under his belly, so off to the vet we went. A thorough check revealed no injury, no infections, nothing to cause such severe limping. But again it was very evident that Blitz was suffering. So he is on pain killers, a stronger medicated soak, and some anti-fungals just to be safe.
I'm sure he'll pull out of this one but each time it happens it is very heart-breaking. He isn't even two years old yet and he has suffered more than most dogs will ever endure in their lifetime. And, it brings the "quality of life" issue to the forefront. I was always told it's time when the dog cannot do their three favorite things. At this writing Blitz cannot be Laundry Buddy, play Around the Fence or romp with Moto. But, it's not time yet I know. This is definately a bad day and the good ones will return. It IS a dark reminder of his mortality. Do keep little Blitz in your thoughts and prayers, and if you wouldn't mind, pray for me too, to know when it is time to do the right thing.

The long road to Tuesday

Hope you'll indulge me in some non-dog blogs for the moment. I really don't like to discuss politics, but what with history in the making this coming Tuesday I just wanted to add my thoughts.
It all hit home to me a few weeks ago when Obama was elected. While there were celebrations 'round the world there was also some ugliness too. While I do not live in the South, racism is alive and well in my part of the world, much more so than when I lived in California. I was shocked to discover a horrid racist email in my work inbox, filled with the "n" word and every other racist name I'd ever seen in my lifetime. It ended by saying "it's not a crime to be white, but if we don't stick together it could be!" This email came from a prominent person in our town, and sent to every single community leader in our town.
For me in my little life it was a defining moment, for if I was quiet I felt it would mean I agreed. In small towns everyone knows everyone, and roots run deep so even though I've been here eight years I know I'm still a "newcomer". If I spoke up, I realized there could be consequences: possibly eventually losing my job and many friends. I truly don't know who is a racist where I live but there it was, sent by this person to everyone who mattered in our town.
But I took the plunge and emailed back, cc'ing everyone saying how it was hurtful and demeaning, etc. etc. I was scared. Fortunately my story has a happy ending as the person who sent it said it was their spouse who sent it, apologized to everyone, and made a comment that "not many people would be as brave to stand up for what they believe in." End of story for me. I'm very lucky to live in these times. Had this been but 50 years ago, I'm sure the outcome could have been much much worse. And, I really wasn't "brave" at all. Not even close, considering that back then, standing up for what you believed in meant dire consequences, not just losing a friend or two.
And now on Tuesday, a man of color takes office.
So let's take a moment to thank all those brave men and women who stood up for what they believed in, because it was the right thing to do. It's because of them we will have Tuesday.
Now my friends, THAT is bravery.

Snow'sno fun

It seems I'm still a California girl. Even though I've lived in the Midwest eight years now, I still do really dumb things in the winter. Past experiences have been driving into ditches when there's a lot of snow, leaving water in the car overnight (car is outside) and duh! It's frozen!
So I thought I was a lot smarter by now, but apparently not.
We've been blasted by some of the coldest, nastiest weather yet this year. It's been in the negatives in the morning, add a wind chill and it's like -20 below. Poop still has to be scooped in this weather so I bundle up appropriately. I'm very proud to remember to cover my nose with a scarf. I start chipping the poop into the scooper when I realize my glasses are fogging over. Not a problem, remove scarf so they can de-fog. BAD IDEA in this cold: my glasses quickly became ice cubes. DUH steam is water! So into the house I go to defrost said glasses.
So dogs trained, errands done and I'm driving to work. My office key is not working! It's frozen! So, I think to myself: I'll just blow into the lock to warm it up - good idea right? Well it is if you take care not to let your lips touch the freezing metal! Did I think of that? Noooooooooooooo..........
So now I'm sporting a nice little scab on my upper lip. Lips are SENSITIVE!
I wonder when I will finally wise up to how cold it really gets here?

It's almost a retrieve!

Well I took the show on the road and before this cold wave hit I took Moto to our nice park. We did a little training in the parking lot - attention heeling and some basic pivot stuff. I need to be more vigilant on getting him to use his rear more. He favors going to the left backward over going to the right and I feel I need to work that right side. Also, on a long sit he did the famed "Sheltie slide" so I need to get his stomach muscles strengthened. This was the first time that happened and I do NOT want that to happen regularly!
Anyway, after just a bit of training out came the dumbbell. He did great until he had to take it from the ground, but one pop and then he did it.
Then, at Chris' obedience class I dared to do it there and thank God he did it wonderfully. I was very proud of him at class. While he doesn't do the long heeling as the other dogs, I have to remember the following: a) he is by far the youngest; and b) these dogs do not use attention. So while their progress is more rapid at this point, I will be able to get what I want over time. Other than that he held his own with the other young dogs and I was really happy with him!
Today it is bitterly cold; I was going to track this morning but the winds were howling and it's sub-zero temps with the wind chill factor. So we will have to wait for that.

The Heart Dog

How or when does a dog get this title? It's not spoken of lightly by any one who knows the true meaning of having a Heart Dog.
For me, it's when the relationship I have exceeds "normal boundaries" and by that I mean...I love ALL my dogs, and love them all the same, but there is that one special one that you feel like you've known them for all time. It goes so deep that you know that you will be forever together, in Heaven and on Earth.
My first Heart Dog was my childhood pet named Sunny, and he is featured in the book Tails From Beyond. It's my belief he has come back into the soul of my beloved Dusty, as Dusty frequently does many things Sunny did. Dusty however has his own personality and has earned Heart Dog just by being Dusty. I could go on and on about him, but he gives me pause to say "Lord let me be the person my dog thinks I am" and I have never met a soul so pure as Dusty.
Dusty will be celebrating his 14th birthday in just a few weeks and he is enjoying spectacular health. Yes, he's a bit more blind and deaf and he needs help going up and down stairs. But he still plays, eats and loves life. But I know the time will come sooner than later when we will say good-bye, and I was wondering how I could go on without this extraordinarily special dog.
Enter Moto.
And I wasn't even looking.
Yes we've had our ups and downs and I believe we will continue to have more of these. But something happened yesterday when we were training that made me pause. We'd had yet another great session and I realized he was playing with me, cuddling with me, and enjoying my company. But more importantly, I was really loving being with him. We rolled in the grass and I held his big paws and rubbed his belly and he was reveling in the moment. I realized then that Moto is becoming my next Heart Dog. It is he that will fill that empty spot when Dusty goes to the Bridge.
He may never be a great obedience dog, or really excel in any venue. Oh yes we will try but he's too young to really know what he will or won't achieve.
But I do know this: I am going to love this dog forever. It's in his eyes. I was told by a friend that all dogs come to us for a reason, and I believe that is why Moto is here. I'm so very grateful for him.
No matter what twists and turns our journey takes, I can truly say that I will enjoy every step. We have entered into that magical union between man and dog, that very special bond that I've been lucky to have:
Heart Dog.
Moto is my Heart Dog.

Finally! Training is getting fun

Moto is finally understanding about the dumbbell, and that he has to take it whenever I say, whever we are. We have a 100% success rate now (10 X/day) whever we are in the house, front yard or back yard so it's time to take the show on the road, or rather a park setting with mild distractions. The dumbbell is getting lower and lower and pretty soon we will finally have a retrieve....couldn't happen soon enough.
Gosh his heeling is coming along beautifully. So is his attention. He understands going deep for his swing finish. I made a little box out of PVC pipe like in Laurie's video and am having him do his signals in it, and that is where he goes, turns and sits for go-outs. Once he decides he wants to learn, he learns very fast. And above all - GREAT attitude. I am really thrilled as huge progress is made each day.
Even bigger strides have been made in tracking. After a month off our trainer laid a regulation-length TD track. The corners were marked but I did not know which direction they went. Only once did Moto stop and quit. It was a very difficult corner where an off-road vehicle had been earlier, with deep ruts which got him lost. Once he was lost, he just turned and sat and looked at me. I gave him the start article to smell again, led him to the turn and off he went. Other than that he did very, very well. We are getting closer and closer to certification!
The sad part of this post is I don't think I will ever be able to compete with Blitz. After training him regularly (short periods) and taking him to class, he has slipped downhill. Sores are on his legs and head and once again his skin is "creepy crawly". He is having trouble eating his soft food breakfast and once again is the last one to finish eating. My theory is he puts so much into his work - such excitement and energy - that it drains him from fighting his battle against this disease. So, my beautiful Prancing Puppy will have to prance just for me. I sure wish the world could have seen this amazing dog. At least the You Tube video will always be out there, a happy reminder of what could have been.
Other than that it is a beautiful sunny Sunday, with highs in the 40's. I'm completely exhausted as like Oprah, I don't sleep well these days and last night was really really bad. I've trained Moto, played with all the dogs, everyone did their special "job" (Dusty got the morning paper, Blitz helped with the Laundry, Shiloh retrieved the ball, and Daisy led in a fence game we play). All poopsicles are safely in the poop bucket with a nice tight lid Moto cannot open. Dogs are sacked out. I think I will curl up with a nice book and a latte and enjoy this glorious lazy day - there are never enough like this!

If it's not one thing....

When one's life is tightly compressed and minutes count, one small mishap can send shockwaves to everything else in the day, and so it was this morning.
With my resolution to be dedicated to training, I dutifully got up at 5:00 am to begin my day. First was pottying dogs, and making breakfast and lunch for hubby - good girl! Then I went downstairs to work out. I left the basement door open so the dogs could come in and out which they greatly enjoyed. They'd play and come in and check out my running on the treadmill, go outside and play some more. Good for me - I ran two miles! I was so proud.
Now, off to a nice hot shower and change into training clothes. I was getting changed when I heard that sound no dog owner wants to hear - that horrible retching sound a dog makes before it barfs. It was Moto. We are on the top floor, I'm hoping to grab him and make it at least to the kitchen which is tiled. No such luck. As Moto hurls, it is a disgusting stomachful of what appears to be poopsicles. Mind you I pick up poop twice a day, and if I see a pooping dog I go out there and pick it up. Obviously my eyes have failed me as this was a LOT of turds. The odor quickly starts wafting through the house so I must quit staring in horror and take action.
Out go the dogs. I find a shovel (yes, it really WAS a LOT) and shovel up the disgusting mess. I won't bore you with the rest of the cleaning regimen but suffice it to say we have a light carpet and this was dark liquid barf with chunks and it took a LONG time to a) clean the mess and b) nullify the odor.
By the time all that was taken care of, all there was time left for was to make my lunch, change into work clothes and here I am. *sigh*.
Maybe this afternoon.....

First Lesson of '09

Yesterday we went back to our formal Obedience lessons, puppy class. I took Blitz and Moto. Blitz did really really well and just gets so excited and happy to work. However, on the stand for exam I saw him beginning to flag. I'd been swapping dogs back and forth throughout our 1.5 hour lesson and we were getting towards the end. Once back in his crate he laid down and quietly watched the rest of the class. While previously in the crate he'd be watching and anxious to get back out there and have his turn.
Moto also did really well. He did have some attention problems but understood the corrections and tried hard. He did as well, if not better, than the older puppies in the class. Good boy!
Now that Moto understands that he has to RISE to get the dumbbell, I pushed the envelope a bit. We'd done it in one part of the house, now to go to the guest bedroom upstairs to see if he would take it there. Point being, you take the dumbbell NO MATTER where you are! Nope, no can do. Unfortunately I had to give him a harsh correction. You could see his wheels turning....considering whether he should battle me or not. He gave it one more try, got the same harsh correction and then took it. As always, third time was a charm. I'll keep moving around the house, then outside, then different places.
Now for the fun part: I also took Moto out tracking. He remembered instantly what he needed to do and got really excited when the harness went on. He drug me to the start flag, was very proud of himself when he downed at the article, and took off at a RUN! this caused him to overshoot the first turn, circle back, and VROOM down the line he ran again, overshot the second turn, circled back and this time he trotted quickly to the motivational article, found it, downed, and off we went again. Fourth turn he worked but then was thrilled when he found the glove. The track had aged 30 minutes. I was really pleased with him, and he was very pleased with himself!

Thanks Laurie!

We are moving into training high gear for 2009. After seeing my friend Laurie's video of her pup who is close to Moto in age I realized we have really been missing the mark. Then, at the sho n go a gal with her Golden puppy who is only 1 month older than Moto was showing him in Utility. Geez, and we still didn't even have a retrieve. I was pretty embarassed by my laziness.
But I'll back up a bit. We did start training again, and I was getting frustrated with the dumbbell....again. Everything else is coming along nicely. At the sho 'n' go Saturday, Shiloh really struggled and his rustiness showed. He missed the first article, went crooked on his go-outs. His attitude was good, but even with 2 years off he is not foaming at the mouth to return to the ring. I'll keep training him but I'm not so sure I want to show him..."for fun". Blitz did good, he too was a little rusty but he was so thrilled to be in the ring. Now, if only his health would hold, he'd be a GREAT dog to show "for fun".
The most exciting part was - Moto! His attention was absolutely fantastic. He really put a LOT of attitude and effort into his performance. Particularly thrilling for me was the figure 8, when he drove nicely on the outside and slowed a bit to remain in position on the inside turn. WOW. Front and finish were very nice too and need just a tiny bit more tweaking. Really, I think this boy may enjoy being in the ring - a huge bonus!
Now to thanking Laurie - we had a nice long obedience conversation and she reminded me Moto may need some compunction to do the dumbbell. Well sure 'nuff, on went the pinch collar and it worked! First I held the dumbbell above his head and said Take it, had to pop him (no pinch collar yet) and he'd leap to it and take it. Then I did the pinch collar - said Take It and then the pop up with the pinch. He gave a surprised yelp then jumped up and took it. Praise and lots of treats. Dumbbell over his head - Take It...nothing...another pop, a leap up and he took it. More praise and treats. Third time was the charm, no pop, he leapt up and took it! Now lots of praise, lots of treats, and lots of roughhousing with Mom. Just once more to make sure he understood what I wanted and yes, he can leap up now and take the dumbbell. Thanks Laurie!