Invitational Day Three

Three clean runs each! Good, good girls.


Yes, this is a bit late. Perhaps the outcome had me a tiny bit sad and I didn't feel like writing about it right away.

Fancy was up first in jumpers. The run went well until the second to last jump. I did a front cross right in front of a jump and when I moved out of the way, Fancy had only a split second to see the jump and attempt to jump it. She tried very hard to heave her body over the bar, but she was already at the base of the jump, and pretty much crashed right into the bar.

Next up was Pie. Run went well, up to the SAME EXACT JUMP! I sort of indicated the jump but didn't tell her to take it and she just came around with me, instead of taking the jump, earning us a refusal. I should have went back and had her fix it, but I was so demoralized by my own poor handling we just went on to the last jump. It turns out if I had fixed it we would have been the highest scoring Malinois and earned a pretty medallion, but that's ok. I'll imagine the medallion hanging on my wall, knowing Pie earned it except for my lack of agility handling skills.

The next round was a hybrid round with all the obstacles except the dog walk. We were out of the running for the finals so I just ran as fast as I could. Both girls did great. Pie finished seventh in that round.

Overall, I haven't checked were either dog ended up, but I know Pie was near the bottom since I didn't go back and fix the jump- we took a zero for that round.

I am very pleased with how both dogs ran. Fancy was fast and happy the entire time and Pie listened very well and did not knock any bars. Both tried super hard and if it wasn't for me and my spazmatic handling, both would have had four clean rounds. (We were soooo close!!)

After agility, Dottie tried dock diving. She went in the water from the ramp, but wouldn't jump off the dock. I think she might do it eventually, but isn't quite ready yet. Then we went up to Meet the Breeds and both Pie and Dottie represented the Malinois and got lots of pets. Pie loved it, as always- Dottie liked it, but not nearly as much as Pie. I always enjoy Meet the Breed because I get to talk to people about my favorite subject and my victims are willing listeners!

Here is what I wrote the night after the last day of the Invitational: I ♥ my dogs! I was just thinking about how hard Fancy tried to keep that bar up. I was blocking her view of it, and when I swung out of the way and she realized she was supposed to jump, and took off the minute she saw it, right from the ...base of the jump, doing her best to hike her body over it, but instead hitting the bar with her chest....why would she try so hard for a game she doesn't really care about? What does she care about pvc bars staying in their places? She gets her treats if she does well or not, right? Back before I understood how to keep Fancy moving fast in agility, I used to tell her she was wrong for knocking bars. She did her best to keep that bar up because I wanted her to and while she might not care about agility, she cares about doing what I want.

And Pie, who gets out there and has so much fun in each run...who isn't the fastest Malinois by a lot but who has a great time...she doesn't think- "You know, I wish I was a little faster. Wouldn't that be super?" She runs, then grabs her leash and thrashes it around, wishing she could have another go. The bond between dog and human and the joy of running is what is agility is about and both Fancy and Pie demonstrated that this weekend. No finals for us this year, and most likely not for 5 more years while the competition is in FL, but I was really reminded this weekend why I do agility, and while I treasure my dogs every day of my life, this weekend was a concrete example of how much that treasure is worth to me.

All the agility photos are from our last run.



Fancy was so fast she was just a blur. Or maybe the camera was on the wrong setting.


Good weaves.


Starting off strong.


A frame to tunnel.


I get ahead and am already directing the next jump before Pie took the previous one. Let's be nice to me and say since Pie is committed to the double, I no longer need to support (or direct?) it...it is pretty amazing my dogs ever run a course clean, with a handler like me.



I think Pie is smiling.





I love all the random people taking our picture. We are famous!


Weaves... almost done.



This is a pretty fancy move for me. I left Pie in the weaves, and ran around the outside of this jump, so by the time she took it, I was already moving in the direction we were turning. I didn't see anyone else attempt it. I did it because we had nothing to loose, and it actually worked well. Also notice more random picture taking by strangers.


At Meet the Breed. Is anyone surprised Dottie and Pie both kept falling off the haybale?

Despite not making the finals, the 2010 Invitational was a great time for us. I wish it wasn't going to Florida next year. I've been invited and attended for the past five years, and missing it next year will be sad.

Rescue Dogs at the Invitational

We took this picture of the rescue dogs at the Invitational. Some dogs had already went home. And several people contacted me and let me know their rescue dog was invited but not able to make it (mostly due to financial reasons but one sad person told me their dog died suddenly.) But on a happier note, these dogs are all rescues and are doing very well in agility!

Terribly Exciting Dock Diving Video

Oh boy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_F3_u02a_w

Invitational Day 2

What a great day! Fancy and Pie both ran clean in Standard and Jumpers. I think my new pants were lucky. They certainly were comfy. I will wear them again tomorrow and see what that does for me.

In addition to running well, Pie also got to do dock diving and we took random pictures. I'd say the dock diving was Pie's favorite thing so far. She's never been on a real dock diving dock before, but she could smell the water and see her ball and the whole time we were in line she was barking in excitement. I didn't let Fancy play because she is groomed all pretty and I didn't want a damp dog in the trailer. Dottie was back at the car so she didn't get to give it a try. Maybe next time.

Here are our pictures from the day:



Fancy and Hunda sleeping with ffluffy.


A nice group picture.



Pie trying on a hat which is too small.


This one fit better. I was going to buy Pie a hat but the owner of the store didn't like us testing them out so we left. I am careful when trying stuff on my dogs and never let my dogs play with toys before buying them, but I suppose all people aren't so careful.

Random people were walking by taking Pie's picture.



Dock diving.



Swimming.



Setting up the ring for jumpers.



Walking standard. And the crating area. My crates are in the first row on the end by the red chair. With a stranger crated between my 2 crates.


A giant dog.


Eukanuba stuff everywhere.

Onto day 2 of competition and Day 3 of the Invitational.

Agility Invitational- Day 1

First, drama started off the day. I had just woken up and was laying in bed, when the lady who lives in the other side of the duplex started screaming. "Help! I don't know what to do! It's flooding! Where's the shut off! Water everywhere! Run and tell the landlady! Call the plumber!" And so on. I would have gone to help but I didn't know where the shut off was either. It turns out her ex-husband was getting the boys ready for school and went to turn the shower on when the entire handle came shooting off, hit him in the chest and shot scalding water on him. He stood there with his finger in the hole until they were able to find the shut off.

I figured the plumber would get there soon and park in the driveway, which meant I wouldn't be able to get anywhere near my house with the trailer because there is no street parking right outside my house. Therefore, I quickly moved my car and trailer into the driveway before he got there. Good thing, too, because as I expected he showed up shortly after that.

My water was still on but the outside water was off, which meant I couldn't fill my water tank on the trailer up. In the trailer is a 6 gallon water jug, and I used that to top off my tanks. It is good to improvise. I packed the car up and headed out, getting a bit of a later start that I wanted. I had fiddled around with the trailer, turning the fridge on, finally draining the gray water tank (it took me a while to figure out how to get the cap off), loading up my pillow and quilt and other such necessities. But finally we were on the road.

Right outside our town is The Grade. This is a steep section of the 101 that I thought might give us a bit of trouble. I pressed the pedal down and we motored up it. The battary light blinked on and off twice (why?) and the temp needle moved a bit above 1/2 way, but as soon as we crested the top it went back down to its normal location. Also it moved a bit going up the Spelveda Pass. The car pulls the trailer, but it rather wouldn't. Luckily I do not plan on taking trips every weekend. Someone on an RV chat board said they don't understand why Americans get so worked up about the size of the vehicle pulling the trailer. They said they live in England and everyone pulls trailers with cars. After reflecting on this a bit I think the difference is there are not many mountains in England.

We got to the RV parking outside of the Convention center and I pulled into the spot the nice man pointed out to me. Then he decided he wanted me moved over a bit which meant backing up. I gave it the ol' college try and got the trailer to go where I wanted, but when I pulled back it it was all crooked. So the parking man called for back up and a dude came along and hoped in the drivers seat and straightend us up a bit. But not very much. I think even he found it more difficult than he expeted. Small trailer= harder. The best thing about the tiny tear drop was I could unhook it and wheel it around like a cart.

So, after I parked I grabbed Fancy and Pie and headed for warm up and check in. Then we waited and waited. Finally Fancy went in and she did great. This run doesn't count for anything- just practice. Fancy was fast, happy, and listened great.

I knew I'd have some time before Pie ran, so I went back to the trailer and lowered the braces/ struts/ what are those things called? Stabilizers! Actually, before doing that I checked the level, which was off a tiny bit, so I put down a one inch block and backed onto it, checked the level again, pulled off of it, put in under the other wheel and tried again with the same results. Not needed apparently. Then I put the front foot on the tongue down and cranked us up to level. THEN I put the stabilizers down, hooked up the electricity (cord was almost too short and among all the stuff the previous owner gave me, I couldn't find an extension cord. I'll be adding one when I get home. Although the good news is they seem to have plenty here.)

After everything was set up, I leashed Dottie up and walked back to agility. It is really nice this year because they put sod down inside instead of the mats. I showed Dottie off to the other Malinois people I had met previously (they liked her cute face) then got ready to run Pie. But not ready enough apparently because when I went to check the board as it got close to her turn, I got yelled at because we weren't already in line. Oops. I got her, put her over the jump a few times, and got in line (in plenty of time, but I understand why they want you there early so I won't be "late" tomorrow. But boy, was that gate steward mad!)

Pie did not run as nice as Fancy. She was not running her fastest, she didn't slow down on her a frame contact, and she missed a serpentine and ran around a jump. Good thing it was just a warm up!

Back to the trailer in the fog. Dogs barking in RVs all around us. Heated up my left over pizza dinner in the microwave, got the hot water heater lit. That was the most difficult thing so far. The pilot wouldn't stay on. I wasn't expecting the small explosion of flame that occurred after the pilot was already lit. It burned big for a while as the tank was heating, but I don't hear it anymore, so the water must hot enough and is now being held at that temperature. My little folding table worked well. I have dog beds out for the dogs and they were using them for a while, but Dottie and Fancy have wormed their way up onto the bed and are snozing away up there. The folding bunk will not fold with any bedding on it so I have my blankets shoved in a closet. Ffluffy is going to use the bottom bunk so I hope she doesn't mind a small bit of Fancy and Dottie hair. If she does, she can have the top bunk....

Earlier when I went to put my suitcase under the bed, I ran into resistance. Turns out Fancy had crawled under there and I was ramming her with the suitcase. Poor Fancy.

The huge RV next to me is as big as a bus. While I was sitting on the ground in my grubby agility clothes trying to light the water heater, the owners stepped outside, in complete evening dress- the woman in a floor length fur coat and the man in a tux. On their way to a fancy dinner perhaps? Ah well... maybe their first RV was a 14 foot trailer also.



The cold and fog curtailed any use of the x-pens. Plus, I need to get a mat to put down so they aren't on the asphalt and if Dottie is to be in there, a top so she doesn't help herself to an adventure.


Pie and Fancy sharing a bed.



Dottie hoping I will share my microwaved pizza. Nope!

Dottie's BH Photos

In case you did not follow the link in the previous post: (all photos by sam)

Heeling to the start position after the long down.

The slow.


Normal. I'm concentrating very hard on counting my steps.


On leash group.


Fast off leash.


After the heeling pattern looking to the judge for direction.


Down in motion.


Recall. Very fast.


Finishing.


Crooked but very attentive.


During the critique. Who is that good looking puppy?

Dottie's Second Agility Trial Day 2

Big news from today- Dottie is now Dottie von V NA! (novice agility title.) No jumpers title yet.


Today was cold. Brrr... As the day wore on and the wind came up and my lips got more and more chapped and my nose ran and my dry and cracked fingers continued to catch on things I asked myself 2 questions: 1) Why am I here and 2) Why doesn't California have any INDOOR agility? The answers are 1) Because it is fun (usually- when it isn't so cold! and 2) Because supposedly CA has nice weather and doesn't need it. Agility in 100 degrees in the valley in the summer and in the muddy slop in the winter (or the show getting canceled to protect the grass or because it is flooded) would suggest differently. Heat is usually our problem, but shows do get canceled in the winter due to rain. I would love to show agility indoors in perfectly flat footing.... sigh.... but back to today.

Another long day. Pie ran in the morning- no QQ- knocked bar again in jumpers and first place and 56 points in standard. Dottie ran at 3pm for her first run. She knocked the second bar (same one Pie did!) then did well the rest of the run. She ran really wide on the closing sequence and sliced the second to last jump and knocked that bar also, then ran around the last jump. I didn't go back to fix it because it was my fault she went so wide, I'm sure.

In standard she had 2 faults (2 allowed in novice.) She went around 2 jumps. I forgot to support each jump. Yesterday I remembered and we had much more success. It is hard to remember your young dog needs much more help than your seasoned dogs. She also ran fast and happy in standard. She did her contacts nicely and ran fast for the last tunnel, finishing a head of me. Dottie is a good puppy.


Dottie sleeping on the couch with Fancy and unknowingly posing with her ribbons. 2nd place and New Title.


Close up of the tired puppy.


Who is taking pictures of me as I sleep?


I am too tired to really care and fall back asleep right away.



Is this the same puppy who is now one week away from being a year and a half years old and has a BH and a novice agility title? She's grown up physically but not really mentally (as my much aggravated father can attest.)

Next weekend- the AKC Agility Invitational!!! Fancy is invited for her 5th time and Pie is invited for the first time. Next year it moves to Florida for 5 years (boo!) so this will be our last time for 5 years. Unless I win the lotto and fly my dogs there. (Unlikely.)

Dottie's Second Agility Trial- Day One

Today we had a local trail. One judge, one ring. Fancy and Pie ran in the morning (one Q each- they wanted to give me reminders for the Invitational. In Fancy's case- do not say GO! unless you want your dog to really GO! and take and off course jump and for Pie, do not do frantic, flailing front crosses in her path as she is over a jump because the bar will probably come down) then Dottie didn't have her first run until around 3:30. It was nice and cool today, even cold at times. Just as we were leaving around 5 it started to drizzle.

Dottie ran JWW first and the GO! work I've been doing with her paid off. She took 4 jumps and ran ahead of me to the weaves...oh wait.... she was running towards what she thought was a toy lure but turned out to be a drill. That's ok. She came back, did the weaves, then finished up nicely.

In Standard she stopped on her A-frame contact when I asked her to and did fine up until the table. The tunnel was after the table and she tried to bypass the table to take the tunnel. I called her back to the table, but it was a run out so she got one refusal there. She drove to the end of the teeter and I did a front cross (late) at the end of the weaves. Then it was jump, jump end and since my fc was late, I ended up behind her on the last 2 jumps. I told her GO! and she went! I was so happy! Unlike Pie, she doesn't know that she can pick up her leash at the end. I'd like to work on that because after GO!ing so nice, she didn't get a reward and looked kind of lost.

To recap: The "go ahead of me" work I did with the toy paid off in both our classes today and she drove ahead and didn't stick right by me. I need to continue that work. At one point she saw a drill on the side of the ring and thought it was her toy and drove to that. Good news is she didn't pick it up. She got a first and a third. Since she does not ever get to run to her actual toy in competition, I hope I can continue to get her to go ahead. My next goal is to get her playing with her leash because that is in the ring at the end of each run. Pie figured that out pretty quickly, once even picking up and extension cord that she thought was her leash.



Little Dottie and her ribbons from today. Someone asked me why I run her in 24 inches. Because she is 22.25 inches tall! (The cut off is 22 inches and the .25 might be generous. There is no tricky measuring that would get her under 22 inches to run in the 20 inch class.) Because she is so slight, she appears much small than she is. Some people think Pie is very large, even over standard for a female. But Pie is 23 and some and the standard for females is 24 inches, with disqualification occurring if the female is over 25. So she is in the upper end, but she is not huge. When you put Pie and Dottie next to each other you see they are close to the same height and Dottie is not as tiny as she appears. Yet her 4o pounds to Pie's 60 makes Dottie appear to be a mini-Mal. (Disclaimer- Dottie may have gained weight. She feels much heavier than usual when I pick her up to shove her in a crate.)

Dottie is sleeping on the couch with Fancy and I, tired out after her big day of agility, pestering Pie when we came home, then practicing tracking articles.

Dottie's BH

Dottie passed her BH on Saturday. The BH is an obedience and temperament test all dogs who wish to participate in Schutzhund must pass before they can go on to earn other titles. I decided to enter Dottie for her BH when I decided to buy the trailer. I knew I had to travel over 300 miles to pick it up, and didn't want to waste a weekend driving with no dog events to participate in. There were no obedience or agility trials in the vicinity of Northern CA that weekend, but there was a SchH trial. I began working extra hard on Dottie's obedience and sent our entry in. She didn't know how to "finish" (go from the front position after a recall into the heel position) and everything else needed polishing. Your obedience for the BH does not have to be perfect, you just have to get enough points to pass (it is pass/fail) then you go onto the "traffic" portion which tests to make sure the dog is safe for society.

After working hard to get more ready, I was disappointed when the club holding the trial called me to say I was on the wait list. I relayed my disappointment to a member of my SchH club who told me the San Diego Club was holding a trial on the same weekend, and our helper/ decoy was judging. Unlike AKC, anyone can show under anyone else, unless you are in the same household as the judge. Even though the club was in San Diego, 3 hours in the opposite direction that I would be headed to pick up the trailer, I decided to go. I had missed the first closing date, but the club was nice enough to let me in anyway. Also something that wouldn't be able to happen in AKC.

The show started in the afternoon, so I had plenty of time to drive down. Which was good since it was raining very, very hard. It rained so hard I had to creep along because I couldn't see through my windshield. It rained for just about the entire 3 hrs. Complicating matters was the fact that I didn't know where I was going. I did not receive directions on how to get to the club, and they do not have a website! I did not have a number for the club. I called a few different people as I drove and got some directions which got me there.

I arrived at the field and walked Dottie around a bit. The judge (who I know) showed up and had me walk Dottie on the field and do a down in the long down spot so she could eyeball her surroundings. The other dogs present at the time had been to the field before and were familiar with the surroundings, or, they had already helped themselves to practice. It is good he had us check out the long down spot because the location is marked with a small flag, which Dottie was convinced was a tracking flag. Down went her nose and "Sniff, sniff, SNIFF!" could be heard, probably back at my house. If it had been in the trial, hauling her away from the flag by her leash probably would have been frowned on. After chilling awhile in the down spot, we left the field a did a little warm up since we were the first team. A few days before the trial Dottie had started giving me "poop face" while heeling. This is when she squints her eyes and puts her ears back and does not have the nice forward, interested expression/ attitude that is so important in SchH. Yet another difference from AKC- attitude is judged. If your dog trots on the retrieve, you have a big problem. If your dog flinches on the down in motion, you get points off. Compulsion is used by the majority of SchH trainers, and yet the best trainers still have dogs who are happy workers, because if they are unhappy workers, they will not score well. Back to the poop face- maybe it came up because I had been working her too much or for some other unknown reason, but it was not present at our club's field the Thursday before the trial, and it was not present at our BH either, I am happy to report.

The first part of the BH is a very general temperament test. You shake the judge's hand and he checks a tattoo or microchip. No problem. Then we went onto the field. Dottie had to do the Long Down Under Distraction first, while the other dog did his routine. I should have spent more time training this. I was very nervous she would break, but somehow she made it through, albeit with some wiggling and turning sideways. After the other dog was done, I returned to Dottie and it was our turn.

We started off our 50 paces down field and I could see out of the corner of my eye Dottie was projecting the picture I worked hard to get. Head up, ears up, looking at my face. Our about turn could have been a bit better (it is a turn to the left.) I thought our fast to the slow was pretty good. Into the group and she got really distracted and the leash was tight, but then she caught back up. Leash off for off leash heeling, back into the group. Dottie nosed one man in the rear end and he turned around to see what was going on. Maybe I thought I was poking him?

Our next trouble spot was on the right turn near the end of the heeling off leash. I completely lost sight of Dottie out of the corner of my eye. Where was she? I lost count of my paces (the judge does not call the heeling pattern) and had to make something up. She eventually caught up and we finished. I heeled her over to set up for the moving sit and the judge told me - praise her. It's not that I forget, just that sometimes I can't figure out when you are allowed to do it and went you can't.

On the sit in motion she did a down- pretty common mistake but I know she can do a very nice sit. I know we'll get it during our SchH 1 routine. Her down in motion was nice with a fast recall and good finish. Then we reported out and were done with the obedience portion. The judge knows Dottie is young and called her slight lapses of attention "young dog moments." I call them "shinny penny moments" (as in - Look! A penny!) or maybe I should call them Orange Moments-I'll have to relay that story another time. We had some good feedback- he said her drive and desire for the work is very good. There was one exercise we got an Excellent on, but I can't remember which one. Except for the sit (insufficient) we got all High Very Goods and Very Good. Maybe the long down was only a Good. I wish I got a copy of our sheet so I could report more accurately and not be accused of inflating our ratings, but they don't do that.

After the critique, I gave Dottie a proper reward, then put her away. Then I put my Gortex rain gear on because it started pouring. ALL the other teams got soaked. I'm not sure Dottie would have held her long down in a downpour, as some of the other dogs did not. So, we were lucky!

Most of the other BH teams passed obedience. One GSD was very silly and had some very good moments but also broke the long down and did not do the sit or down in motion so could not be passed.

The protection dogs did their Obedience routines which adds retrieves and a really long go out. Then it was onto the traffic portion. The rain had mostly stopped but now it was really muddy. I had to be careful not to slip. Dottie didn't have a problem with anything, even though the judge is the person she gets to bite every week. She knows when it is time for biting and when it is not time. Mostly the presence of the bite sleeve tells her when it is time.

After passing the traffic portion, Dottie now had her BH. Her first title! Introducing Dottie von V(my last name removed) BH!!

I watched the protection routines before heading home. A 2 year old female GSD got a 90 going for her SchH2 (but she failed OB so no title this time) and a big male GSD was excused for being out of control while trying for his 3. He kept biting the helper when it was not time, such as during the set up for the escape or during the back transport. It was a small trial- those were the only 2 dogs entered.

We headed home to get some rest before the trip North to get the trailer. Even though the first trial didn't work out, I'm glad it was suggested I go to San Diego. The drive was long and the rain was wet, but it was worth it. I am looking forward to showing Dottie in her obedience for the SchH 1 (need work on the retrieves) and in AKC obedience. She is the first dog I put so much time into getting a certain style of heeling. And also really focusing on attention. Pie is sadly lacking in attention. I wish I had trained her correctly. But I didn't know how to get what I wanted. Now I (mostly) do, thanks to the trainer in the SchH club!

No pictures because it was dark and raining. Wait! I found this:

http://k9fundamentals.com/blog/2010/11/san-diego-diensthund-club/

And this! http://picasaweb.google.com/lodestar.shepherds/SanDiegoDiensthundClub#

Of Dogs and Cars

Dottie: doing her best to eat/ destroy her baby kong left over from her puppy days, which she just stole from Pie who was munching it.
Pie: watching Dottie until she spotted the bone next to her elbow, now eating that.
Fancy: curled up on the couch next to me, nose under tail.
Three happy dogs.

I got a tune up done on my car today. Also a high output alternator to go with the trailer. I had new brakes and rear rotors put on last week, and that, combined with the trailer wiring equals A LOT of money spent on my car. The only trailer related expense was really the wiring and the alternator but that might have been going anyway because my headlights dimmed sometimes at idle. The Buick has been paid off for some time and it is my goal to NEVER have car payments again. I am hoping this maintenance helps it last a long and useful life. It has 93,000 miles on it and is a 2006. Seems like a lot of miles for a youngish car. So far the Buick has served me well. It certainly fits a lot of dogs! 8 dogs and 2 people is our record so far. And don't think those were a bunch of toy breeds either. To recap, we had:
2 Malinios
2 Border Collies
1 Largish (30 pound) Tibetan Terrier
1 Largish (30 pound?) Corgi
1 Sweedish Vallhund
1 20 pound mixed breed
The Rendezvous is an often overlooked car for dog people, but it is a good choice for me!

More Trailer Pictures

Your inside look at my new home away from home.



Fancy has to check it out for herself. Note the step to make entering and exiting easier.




Modified bed- real mattress added. "Bunk" in the down position.



Tiniest bathroom ever!



Came with free TP! I got my money's worth. Storage and vanity.


Kitchen.

The rest of the photos are here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52211&id=100000152104007&l=69dc83f79f

I think it is a great trailer. Small, but I knew that. If it were bigger, I wouldn't be able to pull it with my car. Did I mention it was small?

My Newst Addition

No- not a dog- a very small travel trailer! More later since it is 1:14 am right now.

Left the house at 7:30 am, just got back at 1 am, and this is what I brought home! Car pulled it fine. Worked a bit harder than when not pulling, but that is to be expected. So is the abysmally low gas mileage. Other than that- drive from Santa Rosa was good. No sway, good braking- even avoided the Flying Mattress of Death.

Dottie's Hips

I had Dottie's hips x-rayed at the mobile vet clinic at the Dixon show. She had, "The best hips I've seen all day." I did not submit them to OFA because that is extra money and as a rescue, no one cares what her hips look like except me. It is great her hips are so good (full coverage of the ball by the socket and a very straight line from tip of socket to tip of socket for those not in the know) but I still think something is going on with some part of her body.

The regular vet was not in, so they were not offering knees/ patellas to be examined. It could be her knees. She doesn't bend them when she walks, but does when she trots. When she holds and carries the full sized heavy sleave after she has won it (which probably weighs almost as much as she does- well, it isn't quite that heavy, nor is she quite that small) she skips a step every so often in the rear. Dog with luxating patellas do that. I'll have her knees looked at next.

If she does have luxating patellas, then she is in good company because that is what I have. Except when one of my knees caps luxate I don't have three other legs to stand on and therefore I usually end up in a heap on the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Well, not quite- but that is what I feel like doing! Note to self- do NOT attempt to run Fancy on an agility course, after twisting your knee while running Pie, because not only will it be so badly injured you will need to use your folding chair as a crutch to hobble back to your set up, and even when using the chair you might almost not make it and will have to stop several times (at least you have a chair to sit in but you know you'd better not because getting in and out will be impossible for your knee), and your friend will have to load your car and walk your dogs to the car for you and then your knee will be so swollen it might not bend enough to fit it in your car and once you finally get it in, you will have to go through the drive though fast food window to ask for ice in a bag to put on your knee. If you ignore this note to self, be sure to at least also order a drink so you are not 100% a weirdo going through a fast food drive through ordering only ice in a bag and nothing else.

So- back to Dottie. I also had her heart listened to by the heart doc who declared, "No problem hearing HER heart!" and also that it sounded good. Heart trouble is not the cause of her lack of agility stamina. At our first trial I used a glycogen recovery shake and also some energy/ power bars made special for dogs and I think one of those things helped. She seemed to have the same amount of energy for the second run as the first run.

Tomorrow we go to San Diego for Dottie's BH, then on Sunday we go to Santa Rosa to pick up the trailer! Lots of driving. Getting the trailer will be worth it. Crossing our fingers the drive to the BH is worth it also. I seem to have neglected training the long down. (Cue ominous music.)

"Stand for Exam" Story

The below is a post I wrote for an obedience email list after some people were mentioning different ways to train dogs for the stand for exam exercise. I was thinking about the various methods I used and thought my general experience might be useful for people to read. After posting it a reader asked my permission to post it on her website. It seems she felt it was a worthwhile story. I have not said yes or no yet because I need to check out her website first and make sure she is not promoting anything I disagree with.

And the story...

My first obedience dog was a 11 year old guy who had a hard life physically but still had a nice solid little temperament. (Adopted at 10, no obedience or training or house manners before that.) He was neither excitable or timid. The novice stand for exam (SFE) was very easy for us. He didn't resent the judge nor was he inclined to get all silly when pet. He just stood there. We always got full points. We did not go past novice due to his increasing deafness, which when combined with his dimming sight, made retrieves impossible. (A side note: perhaps my proudest training moment- a 12 year old dog doing a full length retrieve for the first time in his life. Took us a full year to get there. No play drive, no chase drive. Did it twice then when I tried it the next day he couldn't find the dumbbell. But he tried. I didn't ask him again. What a nice little dog he was.)

Around the time I started showing him, I found a score sheet from my childhood Rottweiler. At the conclusion of her obedience class, the instructor ran them through a pre-novice routine and the score sheet indicated our pet dog (handled by my mom) had failed the SFE. Having only the experience of my solid old man, I asked my mom, "What kind of dog fails the stand for exam?" Well, those fateful words laid a curse on me, and I have no one to blame but myself!

My next dog was shy when I got her, and even snapped at the very first stranger who tried to pet her. That was the day I pulled her from the shelter. (Now I know better- don't let people pet your brand new rescue dog until you know the dog better!) Before ever starting her in ob I had friends give her cookies, and she watched the old guy get pets, and figured people aren't so bad after all. She was always fine on the novice SFE. But when we got to utility she had problems. I was 10 feet away, and the stranger was being very intrusive on the bending over and petting all over. She did not like it. We got through it by me proofing all kinds of weird things like dragging a large branch under her and doing an exam with a pay phone hand set still attached to the pay phone. But she never liked the exam and for a dog of her temperament, I understand. We got the UD but did not go on. She felt abandoned and insecure with a stranger feeling her up while I was some distance away. I trained her to endure it, but did not want to subject her to it after the UD. She has come so far from that first day, though. She happily goes up to strangers for pets, but I am with her, and she controls the situation by approaching the stranger, not them approaching her. The SFE is a good way to show your dog is trained, but a very artificial exercise that goes againstthe dog's nature.

Onto dog number 3. A Malinois. Big. Scary. Sometimes have iffy temperaments? Ummm.... no. Pie cannot contain her excitement at the thought of a stranger petting her. The stranger you are, the more she loves you. Her even most best favorite? Very, very, large men. A new training challenge. Going from a shy dog who resents the exam to a dog who loves it so much she wants to come towards the judge as they approach, or follow the judge as they leave for more pets, and if she is able to contain those impulses, wiggle so much while being pet the feet move quite a bit. We've had many comments about her being the friendliest Malinois examined. There are other Mals out there who are very friendly, but Pie is just the most demonstrative. She has her UD and a few UDX legs, but I still do not have a solid STF. It has gotten better over time, but not perfect by any means.

And my newest dog. Another Mal. Just 17 months. Haven't been working AKC obedience and there is no SFE in SchH. But I will do AKC eventually. Dottie is friendly also, but not nearly as wiggly as Pie. I think if I train it carefully she will have a nice solid stand. Maybe I have gone full circle, back to my first dog, and will have a nice fat Zero under point deductions for SFE, but never again will I ask the fateful question, "What kind of dog fails the stand for exam?" Because I know only too well- lots of kinds fail, and I've had all of them!


Bloom: "I was the best Stand for Exam dog ever!"



Blossom: "I did not get to do SFE, but I probably would have been good. And if not as good as Bloom, just as cute!"


Fancy: "Stand for exam was not my favorite. Sorry."



Pie: "Pet me. Please? See, I even have three antenna and pretty beautiful butterfly wings to make me more petable and less scary. And petable is a real word because it describes me most truly. I am the most petable Malinois ever. Pet me and find out. You'll see. Just do it." (Wiggle, ears back, wiggle....)



Dottie:"I promise not to do this to the judge during the stand for exam when I finally do AKC obedience. Unless he has a padded sleeve, and a stick that he waves at me. And if that happens, it probably isn't AKC obedience, so then it is ok, right?"