Last Parade

We've been staying busy - as always.  Gimme was invited to the last parade of the season for Rainier Roundup Days.  I think they only invite me because someone has to be her chauffeur.  Its a smaller town and a fun event.  Gimme was a hit as always.

The only downer for the parade was that the only way to get there (without driving 20 miles out of our way) was to go down the same road where we usually meet Grafton.  Gimme got more and more excited, thinking that was where we were headed. When I actually passed the last possible turn, she shrieked in her highest teenage girl voice to let me know I'd missed the turn.  She was certain I was just dazed and needed a reminder to turn.

Gimme has always liked Andrew Barkis; he's running for county commissioner.  Andrew is one of those people she is perfectly content to sit beside and have her picture taken - no holding her, no bribes... just hanging with her buddy Andrew.  They say dogs are good judges of character and I agree.  Clearly she has good taste; I like him too.

This is our whole group, getting ready for the parade to start.  Gimme thought this parade was especially nice because there was a lot more candy being thrown than there were children to snatch it up.  Much as I tried to stop her - she was able to gobble on the fly and got a number of tootsie rolls and such.  I thought she might end the day with a bellyache because of the dietary indiscretions.  

This last picture is Gimme with state Senator Randi Becker.  We support Randi wholeheartedly.  She's a very nice lady and a great senator.

I've been promising a video of Gimme and Grafton playing.  Here's a short clip I discovered on my computer.  Young love is such a joy to behold (especially to us two doting Moms).

Nosework (5/7)

Gimme was stellar again tonight, but so what else is new, eh.  I noticed some of these hides were paired Birch and Anise (in separate containers).  We played the same games as last time.  You can find the detailed description of how to play the games at:  

Nosework (4/7) blog entry 

First we did the Line game, using a chair with the odor stuck to it.  We started with it right in front of the dogs, about five feet away.  After getting it right twice, going directly to it, then it was moved about 15 feet. They got two or three direct to the chair at the longer distance.

Second we played the One-Two game.  The first hide was on the upright pole for a handicapped parking sign and the second one was on the chair about 15 feet away.  This was repeated doing: one, one-two, one-two.

After that we did a search with four hides out.  Gimme was really direct on the first two.  Then the two that were on the low ledge took her a little longer.  I noticed the fourth one was Anise odor (no Birch).  I made sure to reward that with a lot of treats.  I commented to Joyce, "Oh, that was just Anise".  She said we'd been doing Anise for quite awhile now.

I guess I need to get an Anise jar of q-tips going.  Also means I have to get separate hide containers for Anise too.  People who are serious about this make sure to have a collection of little containers for each odor.  Typically they have a little sticker with the letter "B", "A" or "C" on them.  That way you know the dog is responding to that particular odor and not residual odor of another type from a prior search.  If you want to put out two odors, you do it with them in two separate containers.

I just got a notice of this picture from the recent trial.  Its her indication on the Exterior Search.

Well, I promised Gimme some steak for dinner, so I better get on it.  Can't keep the birthday girl waiting...

Birthday Girl

It's so hard to believe the munchkin is 2 years old today.  It seems like just yesterday I was sitting on the floor in the puppy pen, with half a dozen puppies biting my shoes and my fave, Gimme, biting my lips.  But yes, I look at her and she does look pretty grown up.  And I know her behavior is getting more grown up all the time.

In a bit we leave for nosework class.  I was going to get treats for dogs and people to help celebrate, but didn't have the time today.  Besides, Gimme says they should be bringing treats and presents to her.  When we get home, Gimme gets steak for dinner, thawing as we speak.

Meanwhile I've come to the momentous decision that I'm going to have to start taking a clicker and treats with me to the bathtub.  Gimme almost always comes up to me at some point during my bath with a big Dally grin on her face.  That's the only place and time she does it.  I love grinning Dals and would love to have it on cue.  You know its commitment (or else commit-able) when a person starts taking clicker and treats to the tub with them.

Agility Natural

Tonight's class with Blynn went well.  I have to say at first I had my doubts.  I'd planned to arrive early, but didn't plan on two accidents on I-5.  So got there, was rushing around, setting up our crate and getting ready.  Meanwhile Gimme is in the car, shrieking her head off and throwing a bonafide fit.  I don't know if she remembered the place from when we had our private lesson with Daisy, or if she was responding to my rushing. She was pretty high when we came in, bug-eyed with excitement and not really calming down, despite a lot of peanut butter Kong ball.  Every little noise had her jumping up and wanting to investigate.  I confess I was thinking this was not going to be workable.

When our first session on the floor came, I kept her on leash, mostly dragging it.  I used the peanut butter tube as a lure, passing it from one hand to the other.  I started out rewarding her after every obstacle and we got through all 15.  We needed Blynn's help with the curved tunnel and the full height teeter, but everything else went smoothly.  The full height dogwalk didn't faze her.  She did a full height aframe over a year ago, went at this one without hesitation.  We did 12 inch jumps, since I had her in her EasyWalk harness.  There were twelve weave poles and since she hasn't been trained to weave, I lured her through six, then pulled her out.  Blynn pulled those away and then we did the last six the same way.

Then we still had time left to our turn, so I just did the same course, rewarding after 2 or 3 obstacles and without dragging the leash.  Gimme is highly focused when I have the peanut butter tube.  Blynn helped again with the tunnel and we spent a little extra time getting Gimme to do it independently.  After her first working session, she calmed down considerably.

For our second turn later on, we spent a little extra time on the teeter, since Gimme was rushing it and I didn't want her to crash it and scare herself.  Everything else went smoothly.  By the second time through the course, when I was luring the 12 weaves, Gimme got ahead of me at the end and finished them without me!  She had great single-foot striding and just did it as if we'd actually trained to that level.  Sometimes this girl is just too damn smart.

I had her sit in the car for a bit between that and the second course.  When our turn came, we spent some extra time on the tire jump, which she'd never done before.  Blynn put it down on the floor and I was tossing cheese through it.  After a few tries of that, Gimme left me for the first time all evening.  Turns out she was headed to her crate for the jar of peanut butter that sat on top.  When she came back I whipped out the peanut butter and put her to work.

She did everything so quickly, that we got further down course than Blynn was prepared for and the last couple jumps were still set at 20 inches.  Gimme took the first one and then balked at the second.  I swung her around and she took them both in stride.  Since she's never jumped more than eight inches, I was very pleased with her at that.  She really has a beautiful efficient jumping style and seems to like jumping.

I love that the Mecklenburg handling system is so intuitive to the dogs. Yes, I've done a lot of flatwork training, but there were many things I had not trained and Gimme just did them as if they made perfect sense.  Because of that, we were able to move through the course smoothly.  I did have to be closer to her than I would for an experienced dog, but I didn't have to be right on top of her.

I think she will learn to work distance pretty quickly.  She clearly likes this agility game and did so well that she made me look good.  I should probably mention... she is going to be fast...   REALLY  R E A L L Y  F A S T

Running Girl

Its been so hot here lately and Gimme and Grafton, while enjoying their walks, are not as enthused about the unaccustomed heat.  Toward the end of our walks, they have a tendency to run ahead and find a tree that is shading the road and then will hang out there waiting for us slow pokes to catch up.

We try to get them out at other times when its not as hot, but too often my schedule means those have to be shorter walks in town.  We went out last night at 7:30 and it was cooler, breezy and nice.  They have both finally accepted that they can't play on leash, much as they might want to.

Last night they met a concrete deer.  Gimme rushed right over to let that deer know who was boss.  Grafton was not so bold.  Later after we were done, I drove around to pick up some really nice clothes that had been dumped along the path, which I've taken to Goodwill.  While doing so I saw a much more realistic deer statue.  It was a more realistic size, the color was more correct and it authentically turned its head when I slowed down to look at it.  Don't know how we missed it when we were walking.  <eg>

Mary and I committed to getting an early start for a walk with the kids today.  Its been significantly cooler all day and the kids just thoroughly enjoyed their run this morning.  They ran more than they have in a long time and it sure was nice to see them have so much fun.

We will try to get video of them running together sometime.  They just run and run and run out in the big open fields (which you can see in the background of the picture above).  We just have to remember and be prepared, because if we stop to fish out a camera, they rush over to see what we are doing. 

Nosework (4/7)

Joyce has just come from an instructor training and brought back some games.  Gimme did well at them, though I'm not sure she considers them "real" nosework.  Usually after she's done her first search, she settles down and waits patiently and quietly.  Not tonight.  She whined and fussed throughout the whole class until after our third set, which she considered a "real" search.  Then she was quiet.  After class we went with Mary and Grafton for a short walk.  Then she proceeded to whine all the way home - having done only one "real" search.  At least that is my take on her behavior - it could be something entirely different.

Raced home to make sure I got my trial entry in for the November 4th trial in Renton.  If I don't get into that one, will enter another trial for the same weekend in Oregon.  Of course neither are guaranteed and even if we get in, if Gimme comes in season at all late, we'll pull rather than have an experience like our third ORT attempt when she was in season.

So about the games in class.

The first game I'll call the One-Two Game...

• The purpose is to teach the dog to go directly to odor when they notice it nearby and its also about letting them tell you its there, instead of them waiting for you to tell them to look.  
• ONE hide is set up in a spot that is super easy to find.  You start the dog from five feet away, and without giving them a search cue, let them notice the odor and pull you toward it.  A dog with less desire than Gimme might not pull, so you keep a very light tension on the line and let them tell you the odor is there.  If they get to it in a direct line and don't pass source, then reward at source.  If they go past it, then you walk in a circle turning away from the odor and returning to the start line.  Do this as many times as it takes until they go directly to source.
• Repeat three or four times so they understand the pattern.  After each iteration, circle away, returning to the start line.
• The next step is to repeat the ONE hide and as the dog is getting rewarded, someone sets the TWO hide about five feet away.  Wait for the dog to notice the second hide and head toward it.  If they get to it in a direct line and don't pass source, then reward at source.  If they go past it, then you walk in a circle turning away from the odor and returning to the start line.  Your assistant will take up the TWO hide while you are returning to the startline.  Repeat starting from the start line and the ONE hide.  Once the dog is successful, repeat three or four times.

Gimme was pretty good at the One-Two Game.  Once she realized she had to go direct, she got very good at doing it.  Even though it wasn't "real" nosework, she was happy to get the treats.

The second game I'll call the Line Game... 

• The purpose is the same - to teach the dog to go directly to odor when they notice it nearby and also letting them tell you its there, instead of them waiting for you to tell them to look.  
• The hide is set up in a spot that is directly in front of the dog, pretty much in plain sight - such as a tin on rough pavement.  You start the dog from three feet away, and without giving them a search cue, let them notice the odor and pull you toward it.  If they get to it in a direct line and don't pass source, then reward at source.  If they go past it, then you walk in a circle turning away from the odor and returning to the start line.  Do this as many times as it takes until they go directly to odor source.  
• Repeat three or four times so they understand the pattern.  After each iteration, circle away, returning to the start line.
• After that, as you are circling back to the start line, your assistant will move the hide about three feet further away, in a straight line from their original approach.  If they get to it in a direct line and don't pass source, then reward at source.  If they go past it, then you walk in a circle turning away from the odor and return to the start line.  Each time they are successful it gets moved a little further away.  
• You will only move it away four iterations from the original location and the last two can be less visible.  Such as in a spot where there was a chunk of concrete missing and then behind the little concrete curb you often see in parking places.

Gimme was pretty good at the Line Game.  She is normally moving so fast that she had to collect herself and move slower to not overshoot the odor and be circled away from it.  This was especially apparent as it was moved further away and she had a chance to build up some momentum.  What I liked about this game especially was that Gimme chose to slow down, rather than me slowing her down.

Joyce says we will play these and other games again and that over time the dogs will learn to be more efficient.  Gimme loves searching and she could stand to be more efficient, because no matter how good I make the rewards, its clear she still loves the hunt more than the goodies.

Our last search was a "real" search, three hides out for her to find in a courtyard.  She was very content and quiet after that - until she realized it was the only real search she was getting.

Joyce also asked me to share with the class about the trial, how we did and what I learned.  She asked about whether Gimme indicated any boxes other than the one she fringed on.  When I said "no", we talked about how she has basically given up the extra indications.  I had to laugh when two of my classmates said they would miss seeing Gimme destroy boxes because she's so funny.  So, its not just me...

Our New Game

I taught Gimme the names to a few of her toys, with more to come.  Ball (her black rubber Kong ball) and Flossy (a frayed rope toy) are the  most solid.  I ask her to get one for me, by name, and reward when she brings them.  She carries one or the other around a lot, so she is often leaving them in some part of the house.   That entertains her as she goes looking for them.

A couple weeks ago, I started sneakily, pushing them behind things or setting things in front of them, so they weren't visible unless she got to the right spot.  I expected she would just keep "looking" for them and investigate more extensively.  Instead I noticed that after she visually scanned all the rooms in the house and didn't find them, then she started air scenting for them.  Naturally with that keen nose, she always finds them.

Today I put her in the office and then hid her ball in a deep box.  When I let her out, it took her awhile, but she still found it.  The first time she walked by the box and sniffed, she didn't detect it, but ten minutes later when she sniffed in that area, she caught it and homed right in on the ball.  It probably took that long for the ball smell to drift up and out of that narrow steep-sided  box.  She couldn't actually get to the ball, so whined at me until I helped her and she's been proudly carrying it around ever since.

I'm just amazed at her persistence.  When we first started this game, she'd look for about two minutes and then if she didn't find the one I'd cued for, she would offer the other one to me.  This time she spent close to fifteen minutes looking for her Kong ball without giving up, even though Flossy was in plain sight.  I could have actually accomplished something in that amount of time, if I hadn't been so fascinated watching her search.

When I get that confidence and persistence applied to our competitive behaviors, this kid will be unstoppable...