Now I'm Officially Worried

We had such a long work day and she was so cooped up all day.  I did get her a few good walks, but that doesn't go very far to burn off energy.  Then took her over to visit Linda & Ron, more of my non-dog friends, who pronounced her adorable.  She played like a maniac while there - they even sacrificed a sock so she would have something to play with (probably to save Ron's slippers which she repeatedly insisted on "airing out").  Unfortunately, even that hour of play didn't do much to burn off pent up energy.

I was so pleased... I showed her the back door to the fenced yard right when I got there and twice she went to that door (once to the front door where we came in) and went outside to potty.  She'd be 100% potty trained if I was more consistent.  I was just so pleased that she did that in a strange place.  Such a good girl -- all that effort Tana & Bernie went through to keep the puppy environment clean really pays off.

Today we did another session with her yellow mousepad paw targeting in the car.  I even stuck the mousepad up in the door handle, so she had to paw the door, instead of stepping on it.  And she got that handily.  Then I moved it to the back seat area and she didn't see it right away.  But she did see one of those plastic envelopes that you keep papers in to carry them around and it was yellow, about an inch of it was sticking out of my work bag, so she whacked that with her paw.  I was really impressed that she had already clearly picked up on the color, so it wasn't just the shape/look of the mousepad.  I think that is very sophisticated understanding for no more than we've done this (this was only the second session). 

Then to show off her skills, we had another session at Ron/Linda's with her mousepad.  Linda would move the pad while I had her turned toward me getting treats.  And as long as she didn't move it a long way, Gimme found it real quickly.  Toward the end Linda was moving it quite a ways and Gimme was really looking for it and finding it.

And I got Linda to withhold treats and wait for a sit.  It took Gimme several minutes to figure out to give her the first sit, but after that, they were coming very quickly.  And just like she did the first day she learned about sitting for treats before we came home when learned it with me - she would run off and play and do silly girl stuff, then would trot right over, plop her heiney down and say "mo' treats please."

You know I've always said you have to be smarter than a dog to train one - I'm officially starting to worry...

Our Fun Weekend

[these pictures are of Gimme's altercation with the strange dog that lives in the mirror in my parent's motor home]

On this trial weekend Michael did about the same as he always does on Saturdays - not great, but not awful, then usually pulls it together on Sunday.  

However, this Sunday that was not the case.  Instead he bypassed four jumps. Going around the jumps I take as his way of telling me that "he doesn't think he can".  So, hard as it is to do - he is now officially retired from agility.  The salmon poisoning was an unlucky break for us - since that is when he lost so much weight and I wondered if he'd get his strength back with the weight.  I guess the answer is "no".  <sigh> 

 
Several people expressed concern afterward... and were at least nice enough to let me explain that I was aware of what was going on, knew for sure that he wasn't in pain, and was letting Michael make the decision of whether to continue playing or not, which he did.  If he'd been in pain or harming himself, I'd have made the decision for him before now.  Naturally, some other people are so judgmental and make that equally clear.  Sometimes people are such buttheads.

Retiring Michael was not the fun part of the weekend.  I am very thankful that we've already started Rally training (actually have our first novice leg), so we have something to go on with.  Just wish there were a tracking group in this area that we could join.

Gimme was a tremendous hit throughout the weekend and everyone loved her.  I got so many positive comments that I am positively fat headed about it.  I know all puppies are cute (just like I really do know she isn't the first puppy to have it out with their reflection in the mirror [though clearly she is the cutest puppy to do so).  Some puppies are just special and I think Gimme is one of those.  A couple people said as much, and suggested she be in commercials.  All those free treats for being cute meant that her automatic sit for treats had "temporarily" disappeared, though its back now that we are home and she realizes the free ride is over. 

She had a great play session with Aussie, Trey (a delightful guy).  He was totally appropriate and let her set the tone.  He ignored her and was ultra casual and then when she invited play, he let her chase him.  It was verrrry cute. 

On the other hand, I am continually astonished by the stupidity of some people.  Someone I know from trials and before thought well of, was walking by as I was taking Gimme up to the building Sunday.  She asked if her dogs could meet the puppy.  I asked "how good are they with puppies?"  She says, "So-and-so is great, she will bark in her face for a minute, but then she will play nice."  As I'm thinking of how to reply, she continues, "I don't know how this one will react.  I've never had him around a puppy, but I'm getting a puppy in a few days so I need to try him out on another puppy first." 

To say that I was shocked is a huge understatement.  On what planet does she think its a good idea to try her unknown dog out on my tender impressionable puppy for the benefit of her tender impressionable puppy.  I just told her that it wasn't the kind of experience I was looking for right now and moved away.  I kid you not - she seemed to be following me and edging continually closer, so I finally picked Gimme up and put some real distance between us. 

Overall Gimme did great over the weekend.  She did really well with all the changes, spending the night in my parents' motor home and riding in a strange car (we took her to the Halloween party, she stayed crated in the car).  Didn't show any concern about the weird garb of the "witch" that came out to meet her.  She only showed slight "concern" about all the newness when we first went in the building on Saturday.  I was just so proud of her all weekend.  I can finally say that she is completely adjusted.  Doesn't mean she doesn't still object to her circumstances -  she just has to get in the last word.  BTW she also tugged while in the trial building - she's a good tugger overall and I make sure she gets to win often.

I was kind of surprised by how many agility people handle puppies kinda roughly in their "petting".  Oddly a husband and wife who have BCs were the worst.  Gimme is not shy about showing she thinks that is rude.  "Excuse me, I'm the center of the universe and that's not the way you should treat me."

She also watched a good part of the excellent jumpers course and told me she's ready to go in and do that now.  I guess we have to get her a 2 year calendar so she can mark off the days and know when to be ready.

She totally won over my parents who are not dog people and think I'm waaaay beyond weird.  My Dad let Gimme chew and pull on his socks while his feet were still in them.  Then Sunday he was talking about grandson Harrison and said he was just the cutest kid , cuter than any other.  And I asked, "Cuter even than Gimme?"  And Dad said, "I wouldn't want to sound crazy, nothing is that cute."

And to cap it off, Michael and Gimme had a short, no barrier, interaction Sunday morning.  I took her out to pee at the crack of dawn and Michael came with.  After he peed, he came over near her and was kinda close and she moved nearer to him and even touched his tail and he just looked at her calmly.  So I praised him profusely and took him to the car for a cheese stick.

So all in all a good weekend for Gimme, a sad one that Michael is retired though.  I am just so thankful that I have her now to move forward with. 

On Monday, Gimme started learning to do a foot touch on a yellow mousepad.  She picked that up in just 5 click/treats.  Going on to repeat it about fifteen more times, even though I was moving it around and she had to sometimes turn away from me to do it.  She was very deliberate in her foot touches.  I love seeing this, since that is the foundation behavior for our running contacts.  It is sooooo much fun training a canine genius.

Day 3 - Coming Home

Wednesday, 10/20/2010

It was certainly an interesting day.  I spent part of the morning packing and the rest playing with the pups. 

Without Grace to challenge Gimme and being more than a little possessive of her newly selected person, she was being quite the little twit.  While Tana cleaned up the puppy area in the sun room, I sat with the pups on the deck, entertaining them by being a human chew toy.  Gimme decided that no one should be allowed to sit in my lap.  Whenever she saw someone there, she'd come over and press in between us.  If they didn't move off voluntarily, she would drive them away.  One puppy made the mistake of coming back to my lap later (for the second time) and Gimme got quite mad about it, persisted in driving her off and wasn't accepting her submissive behaviors as a cue to cease the attack.  So I intervened and chastised my girl, which of course resulted in another pouting episode, but at least she got the hint and took it down a notch or two. 

I think she may not be impressed by her first 8 hours with her newly captured person.  She rode as carry-on luggage and was severely disappointed with that experience.  Never having been confined before, she made it very clear that it wasn't what she signed up for.  Often attacking her puppy buddy in frustration.  Peanut butter in her baby Kong was the only positive in that experience. She found the airport experience taxing, but bounced back after short breaks and did well on the flight, falling asleep after cleaning out her Kong one more time.

People were fascinated and captivated by her.  She gives cute a whole new dimension and EVERYONE wanted to touch her.  The flight crew loved her and were constantly checking on her - admiring her sleeping.  Gimme has her own agenda, so time spent in a Sherpa bag is not on her list.  She just knows she is the center of the universe and we hear reports that Colorado tipped when our plane took off.  Auntie Tana said it was pretty scary at first, but that things have settled down now.

Uncle Michael hates her and barked at her - she thinks he's aberrant, really aberrant.  Meaggi isn't sure what to think of her, and I think Meaggi is just reeeeeally hoping she's not going to be a pain in the heiney like someone else she knows.  Meaggi watches her a lot and so Gimme barks at her from her crate.

This puppy is scary-smart and will be everything I ever want for a performance dog, but I have no doubt she will challenge me along the way.  As I was eating lunch, she came over to beg her share, trying to climb into my lap.  I just waited and when she finally sat, I popped a goodie in her mouth.  It only took that one treat and after that she'd play for a minute, then run over and sit for another treat.  She even did one tuck sit.  She comes from a rawfed litter and has never had that gangly out-of-balance experience, so she's very coordinated.  Anyway, back to the scary smart - hours later in the airport, despite all the stress and distraction, whenever she wanted something (like getting picked up), she would come right up and sit in front of me.  That has already become her default and now she's learning that sometimes it doesn't work (can you say variable schedule of reinforcement).  For instance sitting as a demand to get out of a crate doesn't work (nor does barking, screaming, killing your puppy buddy or dozens of other behaviors).

When we got home, it took her less than 2 minutes to climb to the top and perch on the wire edge of the expen in the living room, ready to leap to freedom.  Gimme is having a little difficulty accepting the concept of confinement and separation.  Mostly she just screams her objections for a really long time.  Her persistence will one day be an attractive behavior, but not the way she is using it now.  I'm really having to work to stand my ground, since its an absolute necessity.  Not to mention that with her personality, if I give in now, she'll rule my life for the next 15 years. 

LAUGH OF THE DAY - All seven of the people in the airport who asked me how long it takes for the spots to turn black.  I told them I hoped NEVER, since I'd waited a long time to get another liver spotted Dalmatian.

BUMMER OF THE DAY - The idiot woman who was in line behind me to get on the plane and had to share with me her stupid opinions that I was being cruel and abusive to keep Gimme in the Sherpa bag, since she couldn't stretch out both back and front legs at the same time.  I explained to her that while I understand everyone has their opinions about things, I was personally inclined to take my advice about short term crating from the AVMA, rather than someone who was just plain wrong.  I'm thinking I didn't win a convert... 

She is quite the little girl and already has me in the pad of her paw - but don't tell her (I'm hoping she doesn't find out).