Maggie starts Novice obedience!

[Stacy]

So, Maggie and I didn't get the memo that our Novice obedience class was going to be full of dogs who know what they're doing and that they're totally going to show us up! I think we need remedial novice. Some of those dogs have real titles already.  She said, stand your dog for exam, and I'm like uh, what? And then it was, "hold the leash like this and hold the treat like that and put it right here..." And I'm thinking, people I'm going to need at least 2 more hands to do all these things at the same time. Especially if I'm not supposed to trip over the dog too. Coordination is hard, and those ballet classes did not help. Sorry, mom. 

Needless to say, we have homework. I'm supposed to teach Maggie to stand. We need work on our long sits and downs (3 minutes feels like eternity to me too.) Our figure 8's need some work. Ok, everything needs some work. But she's having fun and that's why we're doing it. I just secretly want her to be the best. I have to remind myself that 2 sets of classes ago she didn't even know how to sit. She should get an award for most improved. We like awards.

There is this Belgian Malinois in our class (I thought he was a mutt at first, and I kept looking at him and couldn't figure out why he still had his boy bits, when I realized he was a Malinois.) He seems like a nice dog, but so intense. His focus was incredible. It looked like he was saying, "awaiting my next command master." I've always wondered what it would be like to have a dog that was so high energy and scary smart - a malinois or a border collie or something. I think it would be a poor choice for me, but, I would kind of like to try it out for a couple days just to see what it felt like. 

In summary - tonight was a lesson in all the things I really kind of thought we already knew. Canine Good Citizen is as far in obedience as I've ever gotten with any dog. Now I know that there is so much more out there that we can learn and do.

[Josh Adams]

You're welcome! I'm going to try the Turkey and Beef flavors. I will keep you posted on how they work out for our guy.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Please do! I'm betting he loves them! 

[Stacy]

We are using chicken currently. Maggie's eating beef dog food right now, she seems to be one who is blessed to be able to eat anything, except she's kind of picky and turns her nose up at a lot of treats. Fruitables, Cloudstar tricky trainers? Not interested. I would think the soft ones would be enticing. She adores string cheese and hard boiled eggs though. Too bad I can't make those class friendly!

[Stacy]

I should really have a blog. But because I don't, I tell you guys all my dog related stuff. Today Maggie and I went to a dog fair. The city was having a dog swim event - getting ready to close the pool down so they invite the dogs to come swim one day for $6.00. Maggie didn't go swimming because they won't let people in the pool with the dogs and she's not really a swimmer, and Katie only swims if I get in first. But they had vendors there and made it a festival.

It was really fun. Maggie got some swag. A new bandana, some free treats, a poopy bag dispenser. And we talked to some nice people. There is a training center not too far from home that lets you buy a punch card and then do drop in classes. But they are mostly doing classes for house manners, and I feel like we are more advanced than that. But they are looking to do some other classes depending on interest and they're having an open house next week where dogs are invited to check out their agility room. It sounds like another fun free event. 

Last night there was a party in the park and Maggie and I went and listened to live music for 2 hours. She was wonderful in that crowd. We sat on a picnic blanket and I pretty much fed her treats the whole time. A couple little girls came over and asked to pet her. She was a little nervous, but did really well.

And tomorrow we are going to go try out our first agility class at yet a different place (this one is farther away than I wish it were.) I have no idea what she's going to think of this. But I thought that obedience classes might be a disaster and they've been wonderful. I don't think I give Maggie enough credit for how resilient and willing to try new things she is. There might be an agility dog hiding in there. 

Sometimes it makes me so sad that Maggie and I are doing all the things that I wanted to do with Ava. I could never get her healthy enough to get anything started. Every time I thought we were through the hard stuff she had something else come up. Her life just wasn't fair, and I think I'm forever going to mourn the fact that she never got to experience the life she should have had. But I still believe that she sent Maggie to me. So I'll do my best to make sure that Maggie has as fun and enriched life as I can give her. We're really enjoying the dog sport thing. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You can mourn what YOU didn't get to to with Ava, but you provided her with the life she needed - one with love and caring and protection. I am sure she sent Maggie to you so that you could provide Maggie with love and care and protection AND fun activities.

[Stacy]

Thank you for this. I struggle with Ava's death... I know I did everything I could, but I just didn't want it to turn out that way. But she was so loved every minute that she was with me. And now Maggie is here, and I think she likes her life. It does make it better.

[Stacy]

I'm just going to keep this here if no one minds. 

Novice week #3 - We are really enjoying training. It's just fun, and it's something to do together. That said, we talked about footwork tonight. I apparently cannot walk in a straight line. I do not find this troublesome in normal life. It seems problematic for obedience. The way I've been stopping on the halt is exactly opposite of what she said we should be doing (shouldn't we have talked about this three weeks ago?) I'm going to spend the next week practicing stopping. The malinois dad is trying to help show me how to hold the treats better, which is great but I need to grow a third hand. I don't seem to be able to do all of these things at the same time. Maggie sits crooked a fair amount of the time, but I think they should still be amazed and inspired that she sits at all. I get it, we're stepping up our game here. If we really want to go to a trial we are going to have to take this class 12 times. I'm kind of ambivalent about it. On one hand I would really like to win some ribbons. On the other, maybe we would be better working on tricks and therapy work. I don't think Maggie really cares. As long as we're doing something she's happy. 

We took our first agility class last Sunday. It was also very fun. But somehow I had this idea that we were going to go in there and start running up the dog walk and flying over the jumps. That's how I remember Teddy's training from way back when (I'm not sure that's how it really happened, it's just how I remember it.) Ha! We started by working on walking through a hoop. Maggie had no idea what I wanted from her, but she's so willing to please. She wants nothing to do with the tunnel though. She doesn't even want to touch it. The instructor was encouraging. She said that Maggie is happy to stay with me. And she is, she's my little shadow. We can get her comfortable with the equipment if she stays with me. So we signed up for 11 more classes. They are drop in classes with a punch card, which is really great. It means I don't have to work my whole schedule around those classes. 

Unrelated to training, but related to dogs. Today I was part of a transport relay taking a nursing momma dog and her 7 4-week old puppies from Tennessee to Colorado. I only had them for an hour, but momma was the sweetest girl. She leaned her head against my leg and snuggled and slept the whole way. And the puppies were adorable! The puppies were crated so they weren't all over my car, but man... I did not know how much puppies could stink! They just poop and pee and poop and pee and poop and pee! But I realized I have never seen a dog nurse her puppies before. It's just something I've never had the opportunity to encounter. I loved it. It was just so cool. I know that I can't save the whole world, but if I helped change these little one's lives for the better then I will take it. I wish I could be a Colorado dog! It was a good day.

[DonMarie and Picco]

Who is learning more - you or Maggie!  ;-)   It sounds like you life has gone to the dogs - of course we all know that's a good thing!  I wish I had your time and energy. 

[Stacy]

That's the thing, right? We always talk about how the handler and dog are a team. And I think, of course we're a team. But the more we do this the more I realize that I have to learn my part of the teamwork too. I'm not just walking along telling Maggie what to do, I have a job as well. (Show me again what I'm supposed to do with my feet.) 

I feel like this is what I've always wanted to do and it's time to start doing the things I want instead of just thinking about them. Maybe someday I will figure out where my feet go and turn this into something. That's where my passion really is. This other stuff is just a job. 

[Stacy]

Novice week #4 This week we practiced heeling with a light line, to simulate off leash heeling. I kind of chuckled when she suggested it, and thought there's no way. But I don't give this this girl enough credit sometimes. She was phenomenal. I think she might have heeled better on the light line than on her leash. She is my girl. She trusts me. She wants to stay with me. We are definitely the most novice in our class, but she consistently amazes me. I don't know how she knows the things she does.

That said, we still struggle on our outside walks. She never pulls in class or when we go to the store, but those birds and squirrels, and just outside things. It could be so much worse, and I don't think she needs to perfectly heel the whole time, I just don't want her to pull. I stop walking and she immediately turns and comes back, but if she just wouldn't pull in the first place... There is a lot of stopping and starting on our walks. I don't know how to fix it, but we're still practicing. She gets so excited when I ask her if she wants to go. I love how happy she is. 

My mom volunteers at one of the local hospitals (we call it her fake job) and she has been encouraging me to bring Maggie for pet therapy visits. So this week I signed up for the online handler class with Pet Partners. I just finished that and we can sign up for our evaluation. I watched the sample evaluation and I don't think we will have any trouble with it, but I'm still a little nervous. We should just give it a try. The worst that could happen is that we're scored not ready and we know what to work on. Or maybe Maggie doesn't like it and we find a different activity. 

I've never worked so hard with a dog, but we have a really special bond. There's so much joy in our relationship, and here I thought we would never even master potty training!

[DonMarie and Picco]

Thank you for sharing your training experiences, I find them very interesting.  I think it's cute that she surprises you. And what a sweet relationship you now have!

Picco is shy around people and when we went to proofing class, he wasn't very enthused but did what he had to do!  I wanted to try the R.E.A.D. program but he gets too timid walking through the library and I don't think he would spend time with a child unless I was right beside him.  It's just not for him.

They do act different when placed in another environment.  Picco is great walking (pulls sometimes) but when he sees another dog then all he wants to do is meet it - barking & pulling!  I've had tips from a trainer but treats and squeaky toys don't even phase him when another dog is around.  I try to make him sit and wait till the dog comes close which mostly works, but what a pain!

[Stacy]

I'm glad you like it. I wish I would have started back around the time of our first class. I find it helpful to go back and see how far we've come. It's amazing how quickly I lose sight of our progress and think that about how we still have so much to learn, and that we'll never get there.  

At our very first class they went around and had us introduce ourselves and our dogs and say what we hoped to get out of the class, and my response was something to the effect of, my dog hates me. My dog no longer hates me! 

I like the philosophy of Pet Partners. They say, you are your animal's best advocate. You are with your dog the entire time and they really empower you to make sure that your dog (or whatever animal, did you know there are therapy llamas and rats?) is comfortable and happy. This should be fun and rewarding for both of us and if it isn't we won't do it. It's definitely not for all dogs. I'm about 50/50 on how it will go. I know she can pass the evaluation but whether she enjoys it is the big question.