Our New Home

http://kelpiepaws.wordpress.com

Yep. I've jumped ship.

New Year Coming Up

And a new blog, I think.

Still deciding whether to jump ship to Wordpress or stay with Blogger, but it's happening.

January first, this blog's going to not be touched anymore.

I will linkage the new blog for anyone who might be reading this and curious about where we'll be making our new home, but apart from that I can't really be bothered updating this before I leave it.

So ta-da :D

La Di Da...

So.

I've been really bad with updating this.

There's a few extra videos I've uploaded to YouTube that I haven't even bothered to embed in here. That's how slack I've been. Can't even be arsed to simply embed a video or two.

I'm considering making a move from Blogger to Wordpress, simply because I'm feeling so uninspired with this blog and it seemed to get caught up a bit in my other, unrelated, fairly depressing crap. I've got a blog started there (well... if "started" means a URL) and am going to have a fiddle with the design and layout and see if I can navigate the site as a whole before deciding definitely.

But to make a conscious effort to put something semi worthwhile in this blog for the time being, a few updates.

I've been super organised and entered the ADAA Dusk 'Til Dawn trial for the 31st Dec/1st Jan. I'll prattle on more about that a bit later in another post at another time. Can't really think too coherently for a really long post at 12:30AM. I've also got entries ready for posting for my first five trials for next year: one day out of the last weekend in January and then every weekend in February, I do believe. After Charlie's superb performance at the Purple Fundraiser a couple of weeks ago, I'm feeling so pumped for trialling in 2012 and I've got a really good feeling about us maybe- hopefully- making some actual, marked progress.

Zeke turned seven months yesterday- or rather make that two days ago since it's now Wednesday.

I need to go and sleep. My sleep schedule is so unbelievably fucked up. I'm slowly becoming nocturnal.

Anyway. So he turned seven months and I'm starting to finally get over the month or so of... issues... I had towards him. Given that it's fading now, I think it had something to do with his age and what age he was coming up to being- and anyone who's known me for at least, say, the past year will understand what that's all about. I just didn't feel motivated to do anything with him, didn't want to spend time with him- when I did do something it was a spur of the moment burst of enthusiasm and as soon as it waned I'd just not want to be around him at all.

It doesn't seem to have hurt him, though, the few weeks of "neglect". He had his most successful puppy gym class last night and I didn't have to put him in the crate in between activities since he was actually staying switched on and not losing the plot; I think he's finally getting to the stage where he can cope with working for such a long period of time. If he's not working- so doing some shaping or focus or being in his crate- he goes looking for work and that usually means trying to play with every dog around him, going psycho with pent up frustration and energy and becoming this zooming demon on the end of the leash.

Not pretty.

But he did really well. Obviously still was his usual hyperactive, overly friendly self, but he offered me focus after every "OMG I WANNA GRAB YOU WITH MY FEEEEETS" moment and was enthusiastic about doing every task.

Fingers crossed for a similar performance from him tonight at our second last Rally One class. I think I want to keep him back in for the start of next year and redo it, just so he's a bit older- he'll probably be about ten/eleven months by the time we graduate second time around- and we have more time to get the stuff we've learned perfected because I know, having been there with Charlie, rushing through it when it's all "pretty much there" gets us having to go right back to the beginning again and fix really stupid mistakes and bad habits.

I had some other stuff I wanted to prattle on about, but I can't think at the moment. Blurgh.

I should go and sleep.

Zeke Training: Twenty Six Weeks

WAAG 19th November 2011

Zeke's Six Months Old Tomorrow

I Need More Imaginative Titles For These Things

Thundershirt has been dispatched via Express Post, thank heavens, so I should have it tomorrow or Thursday. Since WAAG's next Saturday I was getting a bit concerned that it wouldn't have cleared customs in time, but crisis averted- and I have a ten per cent discount off my next Waggle purchase for the trouble. Shame I have no spare money at the moment.

So I just wanted to have a ramble about something that's rather quite exciting.

Actually found a use for iCal. Happy days.

But it's not just that I've found a use for iCal that's exciting, it's those yellow boxes. I went through and managed to semi-decode the proposed CCCQ trial dates for 2012 and those yellow boxes are ones that should or definitely are ones local. Look at all the pretty highlighted boxes! Apart from January, November and December, since that's when trialling is starting up or winding down for the year as usual, I could be trialling the majority of weekends every month.

How. Fucking. Awesome.

And that's not even counting all the ADAA comps I want to go along to next year. WAAG's the closest, but PADS and BAAD aren't too far a trip away so I'll probably go along to them and I would absolutely love to go down to Tamworth for at least the ADAA Grand Prix next year.

I'm determined to finish off my last eleven hours and fifteen minutes of driving on my Ls before the end of this year so I can polish up on my non-existent parking skills, scrape together some money and go for my Ps in January which will leave me free to borrow one of the cars and take myself off to trials whenever I so please. I'm aiming to have enough money saved up for a car by the end of next year at the very latest, so that'll be good eventually as well.

With the end of the year drawing to a close, I'm starting to again think about goals for next year with Charlie and trialling- given all the opportunities at runs we're going to have, I'm aiming for at least one quallie in novice agility. I'd absolutely love to finally get into ADX, but if we just get the one Q in AD I will be absolutely over the moon. I can't wait to see whether the Thundershirt helps him keep his head at WAAG and the Purple Trial because that could very well be the only problem why he doesn't get his contacts- he's just too wound up to. If we get over the one bar wonder, our JDX title is very, very do-able for next year as well. I don't know if we'll have enough gamblers runs for his GDX title, but if we do that's another very realistic possibility since gamblers is our domain :P ADO might be a bit of a stretch, but if we iron out the "thou shall only do ten poles" attitude Charlie has, the final four (should be two but something in my room eats Q cards) quallies for our JDO title could be done and dusted as well.

ADAA titles still confuse me so I won't even think about goals for that.

Zeke shall be starting a bit more of a focused approach towards his agility foundation once I've finished school (next weekend officially) and he'll be six months old this coming Monday so it seems like a good place to start. He's very reward focused and that makes him a bit of a velcro doggy who doesn't look where he's going, so we'll be doing a lot of work towards getting him to run with me without needing the toy out on the ground and having me hold it instead. I'm thinking about pulling him from the tricks class we do on Tuesday nights and changing him into the puppy gym; I kind of want to do my own thing, though, and even though I know the instructor really well I'm not sure whether I should be in the class if I'm going to want to skip certain things or do other things my own way.

Buuuut, we'll see.

Time's Rushing By

I've got about three weeks- if that- left before I finish school.

For forever.

It's all very exciting and scary at the same time; I think it feels like a bigger deal than if I'd graduated when I was meant to at the end of last year because not only am I not going to be a student anymore, but I'm not going to be a student anymore as well as being a legal adult.

It feel a bit more... real, I guess, finishing up when I'm already eighteen.

This up and coming change in my life has also started to kick me into gear in terms of what I'm planning on doing with my life. Not necessarily "the rest of my life", 'cause I'm not big on the massive amounts of forward planning, but at least for the next few years while I see where I'm headed and where I want to be headed.

I've been jobless since getting laid off around the middle of this year (suspiciously right around my eighteenth birthday... hmm) and have been getting by on birthday money and some of my savings, but with some stupid spending on my part plus having to get a new computer and bed I'm now in about a grand of debt to my parents (again, just after clearing the last bit; urgh). Although I've got eight hundred or so in the bank, I'm not wanting to siphon that out if I can help it and would prefer to pay them back in instalments instead.

The issue is I don't have any income.

I'm thankful for the decision to not get Z desexed until he's coming up to eighteen months old because otherwise I'd have to be forking that out in the next few weeks as well.

Charlie's vaccination and heart worm is coming up in a couple of months and that's always an expensive trip to the vet; Zeke and Charlie both need to go and see the chiro; I'm hoping to be able to go for my P plates at the end of this year...

I've been reluctant to get a job I merely tolerate as oppose to really enjoy because to me that's just not the point, but since I'm starting to get an idea of the sort of area I'd like to get into and to get there I need a lot more money than I have currently, I'm thinking of doing a bit of a stint behind a check out somewhere or something of the like for a while- and probably just part time or casual since I'd end up going crazy if it was a full time job.

So my plan is to try and find a little job that will, at least, give me some cash coming into my poor bank account again as well as allow me to put "experience dealing with customers" to fund a part time business that will either stay a part time business or, depending on whether I branch out and expand it and it does well, become my full time job.

And what is this proposed business?

A combination of dog walking, in owner-house pet sitting and basic (I emphasise the basic here) dog training and behaviour modification- the kind where all the owner needs is to just be shown a couple of exercises and told some common sense stuff since that's all I trust myself to give advice on at the moment.

To get this started, though, I need some expressions of interest as well a public liability insurance, my licence and a more appropriate car than one of my dad's dodgy Camira.

If I can find a part or full time position in a pet shop I'mma leap at the chance, a kennel/doggy day care would be even better, but at a pinch I'm convincing myself that a check out chick at Coles, Woolies, IGA, wherever, wouldn't be that bad if it means I can eventually do what I really want to do.

In the meantime, though, there's lots of planning and research to do.

Jimboomba Trial

Bits And Pieces

Charlie's new crate came via courier today!

Very exciting that I now have a crate that's actually an appropriate size for at least one of my dogs. It's black and blue and perty and perfect- and won't blow over in a slight breeze like Charlie's old soft crate.

With Zeke going to need a new metal crate in another month or so, plus a soft crate like Charlie's when he's older and I know he isn't going to eat or claw his way out of it, I'm going to have seven crates.

Seven crates for only two dogs.

I'm running out of space to put them all.

I popped out to World For Pets at Springwood this morning hopping to pick up a couple of the RSPCA non-spill bowls for in the dogs' crates at trials and although they sold the last six that morning and I've had to have two ordered in from their warehouse for me, I did come home with a car restraint and a Nylabone for the monkey and a Boredom Buster foam bowl and Good Cuz for Charlie, who has worn himself out playing with the latter.

Squeaky toys send him a bit round the bend.

I decided to just bite the bullet and enter AD and ADO for our last trial for 2011 at the Purple Fundraising down the Gold Coast on December 3rd. Teeny tiny bit anxious about another seesaw fly-off in ADO, but we'll see how it goes and it'll give me something to work on for the eight or so weeks between that trial and the first for 2012. If this Thundershirt works then maybe I'll have a dog that's settled enough to actually listen and not end up injuring himself. Here's hoping.

Little bit scary to think that in, basically, thirteen months- so nearly this time next year- Zeke could be in the ring.

We've got a bloody lot of work to do before then, but I'm optimistic about him having his first trial pretty much right on eighteen months.

A big part of me would really, really love to have his first run at the Purple Fundraiser next year; I think that'd be a pretty special- if slightly emotional- experience.

So

While it hasn't been that long between blog posts, it has been a fairly big stretch of time since my last non-lazy post where I do more than just embed a video and leave it at that.

So.

What's been happening since I last rambled on here.

Considering I can't even remember what my last post was about nor when it was published...

Wow. Okay. So twenty fourth of September and puppy bumps.

We've been to the beach a couple of times. I took photos- some of which sucked and some which, personally, I think are pretty epic. I'd upload a few here, but Blogger hates me and likes to throw my photos up to the top of my post and make me try really hard to move them where I wanted them to actually be and then fucks up my formatting and makes me start all over again.

So I might leave that. And that's also the reason I very rarely picture-fy this blog. 'Cause it fucks with my formatting. And that makes Em angry.

Mhmm.

My laptop died, along with my last shred of patience regarding Vista- and everything Microsoft, actually. It's now been banished in shame to my cupboard until I have the spare cash to get it fixed one day- by which stage it'll probably be the only Vista program laptop that hasn't been smashed 'cause they're so fucking awful and dodgy- and I'm forever converted to Apple. Perty Macbook that doesn't sound like it's going to eat me every time I turn it on or overheat because I ask it to open two tabs at the same time.

Only complaint with my Mac is the auto correct. I'm paranoid about rechecking everything fifty times before I send it now because I've had some unfortunate experiences with my dad's old iPhone and certain words it kept telling me were wrong- when they weren't- and just assuming I'd made a mistake and wanted to have them changed. No. Bad, over thinking, overeager Apple. Behave.

Speaking of over thinking, overeager and behaving (go the segue), Charlie. That dog... Urgh. I'mma need some of that Shane Warne endorsed hair laser technology if he keeps going the way he's going. We have months and months of beautiful progress and just when I finally let myself think, "Holy hell, oh my God, I can actually train and run my dog"... he goes and does what he did at our last trial.

I don't care that we DQ or NQ. Really, I don't. It's the fact that every time he does this it feels like I've just wasted however many weeks or months I've spent working with him; it feels like I shouldn't be training or running him because clearly I don't know what I'm doing; it makes me question whether he really wants to trial because he's always so fucking amazing at training. And the bottom line? It's just not fun running him when he gets like he did at Logan. It doesn't feel anywhere near like I'm running my dog; it feels like we just happen to be in the ring at the same time and we're locked in this fight to get the other to do what we'd like them to do.

Which is why I want to tear my hair out.

I don't know if I need to train more. Train less. Trial more. Trial less. Not bother trialling at all. Do a year of NFC runs with ADAA exclusively. Keep going exactly how we're going now and just keep my fingers crossed that the runs that feel so wonderful pop up every now and then.

If I could figure out what triggers the psycho mode to kick in, I think I'd be that much closer to finding a solution- both temporarily and as something to help work towards a more consistent future. But for the life of me I can't because it seems so random and there hasn't been any one single factor at every crazy run that I can see. I thought it was me holding his collar at one stage, so I ditched the collar in favour for a slip lead. Seemed to work- but then it didn't seem to be the real issue after all. I managed the start line breaks by treating them like an obedience stay, but even that doesn't seem to be getting the same consistent results anymore and it's pot luck whether he'll hold or break.

I've tried keeping him crated until the very last minute. Either he's focused or even more out of control. I've tried keeping him away from the other running dogs because it gets him worked up. Either he's focused or even more out of control. I've tried getting him to tug right up until we go into the ring. Either he's focused or even more out of control.

We're looking into getting a Thundershirt for Jack for his storm anxiety, and I'm wondering if (even though I really don't have the cash to be flinging around on experimental ideas at the moment) I should get one for Charlie and try it out for trials. But, again, Mr Inconsistent- I don't know if how tight it is would make him loose his marbles completely. Buuuut, idea, I might be able to borrow one off a friend of mine whose kelpie was about the same-ish size as Charlie and give it a test run. Do I smell a plan?

Can't hurt, anyway. I'm open to pretty much any ideas at the moments since I'm fresh out.

I have to remind myself that Zeke's still not even five months old yet. I describe him as "when he's good, he's really fucking good; when he's not good, he's bloody awful" and I think I've figured out that the not good moments are when he's being exactly what he is. A puppy with lots of energy who's able to find reinforcement in literally every single little sight around. So when he's not good, he's actually still good because that's what he is at the moment. And when he's good, I'm super lucky because that- far from being the baseline of what he "should" be capable of- is above and beyond that line. So really I should describe him as being either "good or absolutely fucking amazing- so amazing he'll knock your socks and shoes off". And when he's "not good" I need to not stress about it because, again- he ain't even five months old yet.

See that's my problem and why I am so, so hesitant about even considering starting down the path to becoming someone who trains other people's dog/other people to train their own dogs as either a sideline or main job. Because the thing I hate most about myself is my tendency to obsess over being perfect- and if there's even the slightest chance that something isn't going to end up perfect, even if I put in a hundred per cent of what I'm capable of, I would rather sit back and let the opportunity pass by without taking a shot at it.

And maybe that's another reason why I'm hesitant about looking at becoming a trainer.

Aaaaaaaah. Wrapped up in my own little head. I'm a bit messed up.

But anyway. What was I saying? Right: I tend to be a stress head about my dogs being "perfect" and doing things sooooo wonderfully and brilliantly and... perfectly, basically. With Charlie that meant I think I did too much and got too caught up in getting it right that I didn't let him have the crazy moments- it didn't help I was stressy over the fear aggression as well. And with Zeke I'm dangerously close to going down the other path and just not doing stuff with him or not progressing stuff with him (it's fucking ridiculous the amount of stuff that dog's had shaped that I haven't finished off/put a cue on/refined) because I'm worried about it not being exact.

What I have done with Zeke I'm bloody proud of. At ten weeks of age he had a solid sit and drop and I could run a lead out to, like, twenty metres- don't know if he could have done more because I didn't push it further... and I ran out of space for run, but anyway- without him moving a muscle. He's just the best student ever because he has so much natural enthusiasm and drive and he just can't get enough of learning- and after the mess I made with Charlie's puppyhood my main "goal" with Z is to just not kill that passion. And yeah, I'm kind of having a bit too much fun with my naughty dog who has no manners and never will have manners 'cause fuck mainstream- don't like my dog jumping on or running along the couch or doing zoomies around the living room, don't socialise with us. Simple as.

Maybe it's a good thing he doesn't have one hundred tricks under his belt... collar... already. Or maybe I should be doing more with him.

I don't know.

I've been feeling a bit uninspired with training the dogs lately, and it started with Charlie's last trial because I let myself get sucked into that "Screw it, clearly I can't do this so why am I even bothering". Which is bad, yes, and while I've clawed myself back in regards to Zeke I'm having so much trouble getting the motivation to work with Charlie. We had an awesome agility training session at class on Monday, which was followed by a very mediocre demo class on Tuesday night. He's meant to start back in obedience classes next year, but I don't know if I want to put myself through the stress and heartache of that again- try as I might, he just doesn't enjoy them, and I struggle to see the logic in doing something he needs so much external motivation to even try and do. But in addition to struggling to have the motivation, the things we really need to work on we don't have available whenever we want- really it's just once a week at agility and that's it. So there's that issue as well.

Zeke had a surprise graduation from OB1 on Wednesday- I say surprise because we only did the last four weeks of the six week class and although we can do everything included in the course I was under the impression I was only in that class as a filler until the next started. So now Zeke starts Rally One next Wednesday night and continues with week two of Obedience 1 this Saturday morning. We're special kids.

We're also in a tricks class on Tuesday nights which I'm thinking about subtly leaving only because I'm finding it a bit too... not pressured, per se, but not where I want to be right now, if that makes sense. It's going along with the taking things super slowly and making little leaps in progress with Zeke's training, and not being able to do that at my own pace because we need to be keeping up with what's being developed in the class. I don't know. It was meant to be just a temporary class until Zeke's a bit older when I'll shift him into puppy gym on Tuesday instead, but I'm wondering if I should change that and move a bit sooner.

I'm a bit all over the place at the moment- if that wasn't more than obvious from this even more disjointed than usual post.

Zeke Training: Nineteen Weeks

Logan 1st October 2011

Logan 30th September

Gold Coast 40th Anniversary Trial

Puppy Bumps

Finally made my puppy bumps today and gave Zeke a little shot at three in a row this afternoon. I still need to watch my Puppy Jumping DVD to get the whole theory behind starting to work with them down pat, but I was curious what Zeke's reaction would be to them.

After he tried to eat them (what doesn't this puppy want to eat?) he went out of his way to run around the outsides of them. I got a couple of really good reps and we ended after the best one and had a tugging party, so I think with a touch more work he'll get over this skirting around them and we'll make a bit of progress with that.

I'm actually planning on teaching him how to jump and going through the Susan Salo jumping work as he gets older (and I get more cash to get more of the DVDs), which is going to be interesting since I didn't do any- and I mean nothing- jump work wise with Charlie. He was running low jumps, then up to 500, 'cause that was the height everyone thought he'd be, then after his first comp and official measure he was running at 600 and that was it. He has a really solid style, though, and takes off and lands pretty much exactly equal to each other and isn't too shabby when it comes down to form either.

So, like always with Zeke and Charlie, I'm hanging out to see the differences in how I bring them up.

It strikes me a little more every day how totally different the two of them are. They're completely chalk and cheese and I love that, I really do, but it makes it so, so hard to not compare them- and comparing leads to frustration and unrealistic expectations. Like, last weekend for instance, at the Pet Expo when Zeke was being a fruit loop and while he was really well behaved for being Zeke I was getting a touch frustrated with him because I was looking at Charlie (who's been the same angelic creature in all of those types of situations since he was nine weeks old) and thinking, "God, puppy, I can't take you anywhere. Why can't you just sit the fuck down for two seconds?" And then I'll be training Zeke and he'll be throwing behaviours at me and bouncing back from mini failures, and I'll then go and work Charlie who's liable to have a meltdown if my mood is slightly of or he's struggling to get the behaviours right, and I'll be thinking, "God, dog, I can't do anything with you. Why can't you just be a bit more gutsy and secure able to deal with very normal situations?"

So in that instance, I don't like having them so different. Zeke's been such a learning curve for me because while people tell me regularly that Charlie is "high drive", he isn't really. He's got good work ethic towards agility because it's something he enjoys and the reward is the activity itself and he's very sure of what he has to do. He has moments where I would consider him to have "high drive", but he isn't like that consistently and he has such a super built in off switch he could not have a sport outlet and be fine.

But Zeke. Looking at the two of them, Zeke's high drive, Charlie isn't. He's high energy, high drive, and most certainly needs to be taught how to have an off switch. Chalk and cheese again. I love Zeke. I really, really love him, and after the intial "OMFG what the hell have I just bought into the house, what have I got myself into and how do I send it back" first few days I'm finding him a real joy to live with.

It's a different joy to living with Charlie, because you can take that dog anywhere and he's such a "pet"; he's easy and breezy and he won't mind if you've only got time for some cuddles and nothing else because he just craves being with you. He doens't necessarily have to be doing something, and he'll happily spend the whole day just lying near to where I am. Quite happily. He'll go and do things if you're doing them, but he won't demand the need to do them. He's convenient. He fits into the schedule. Even as a puppy he was exactly the same.

Zeke needs the schedule to be fitted around him. He needs his running. He needs his playing. He needs his training sessions. He needs his time with the hose and the dirt clods. He can't just be left out to his own devices- or even left out and casually supervised. I have him crated for the majority of the day and he's only out if he's doing something with me directly, or he's learning how to be calm on the couch- which means as soon as he wriggles he goes away. Our cuddle sessions are very short at this stage. If he was out all day, he'd be going all day. No one would get a moments rest and he'd end up collapsing from exhaustion before he willing stopped. He can't necessarily be taken everywhere and do everything because he's a basket case and hasn't quite the training or manners for me to trust him (or find his company enjoyable) but he wants to go everywhere and do everything- and I love love love that about him. He's so engaging and makes you want to be with him because he's just so much fun and a bit of a nutbar.

Admittedly, epecially since my next dog will probably be coming not very long after I've moved out of home, I don't know if I want another Zeke-type dog until Zeke's a lot older and calmer, but I wouldn't want to wait that long for a third dog. As much as I love him, I find him a bit much some of the time, and while I know some of that is all of the puppy in him, I think a lot of it is going to stick. And two Zekes... Oh boy. I'd end up being committed.

I'm picky. I'd want another Zeke, but with a bit of Charlie thrown in to just even it out a bit. And that's what's making me think dog number three could be a sheltie. Maybe. Just tossing the idea around and seeing how I feel about it. If I do feel okay about it all, it'd be in probably three or four years, and I'd ideally want a Scotsdream, 'cause I'm still in love with their dogs and the breeder herself is really lovely and helpful.

And how a post titled Puppy Bumps ended up with rambles about my third dog in four years is beyond me. Just to make it completely disjointed...

Gold Coast tomorrow!

Fucking excited. There'll be video, and photos. Can't wait, so I'm off to bed in a very short while since it's an early start for an early vetting.

Feets And Stuff

Just A Post

This is one of those posts where I just ramble.

Prepared?

Zeke and I slotted into Obedience One last night. It was week three, but since he's already able to do pretty much everything we're covering in the class it's all good. He has moments of absolute brilliance, that dog- and then he turns around and is a total crackhead little shit. Ah... Gotta love him.

Tomorrow marks six months since Fletcher was put to sleep, and to make it worse some friends of mine had to put their border collie to sleep today because of lymphoma. It's fucking ridiculous and I don't get how unfair this is: including Fletch, that's four separate dogs from really good friends of mine that have been taken too soon in less than a year. And three because of cancer. Seiko with his osteosarcoma. Then Buckley with the supposed seizure. Then Fletcher with the nasal cancer. Now Bailey because of lymphoma.

And next Saturday is the first of October, which should have been Fletcher's first birthday and despite the fact I have a trial it's going to be quite a depressing day. I was feeling a bit down and while I wasn't sure if it would make me smile or cry, I've put together a bit of a video that I'll upload on his birthday. God I miss that dog. Every time I look at a photo or a video of him it makes me miss him even more, and it makes me both want another sheltie and never want one again at the exact same time. I love the breed, particularly the little terrier ones, but I don't know if it would be easy for me to not compare the new sheltie to Fletch- and not to mention the fact that I'm now totally paranoid about healthy dogs, and shelties make me nervous in that regard.

But there's no new dogs on the horizon for me for at least two years, so I don't need to fret over anything like that just yet.

To finish on a far less depressing note, Gold Coast trial on Sunday. Lots of friends going, lots of pics going to be taken, and it's Zac's debut which makes it super exciting. I got my Agility Click order the other day and have a lot of reading and watching to do, and today my FITPaws disk and peanut came along with the Get On The Ball Two DVD, as well as Charlie's Back on Track coat (which dad says makes him look like a knight's horse going into battle, but whatever). My leads should be coming at some stage next week and then we'll be all set with our bits and bobs.

Oh. And I've also realised that next year, Zeke's first trial could in fact be in early December, at the last fundraising trial for the year. The wonderful part about that, if he would in fact be eighteen months old for it? It's the Purple Fundraiser, with the proceeds going to fund research into canine cancer.

Zeke's Four Months Old Tomorrow

Just Some Pics

Metro Trial 16th September

Just a quick written summary- no videos.

JDO was a really nice run- stay at the startline!- but the distance was a bit tricky and after the tunnel he shot into me and took an off course broad jump. I got him sent back out to the right jump, though, and the rest of the exclusion went really well. We had a bit of a bobble in the weaves, but apart from that it felt like a pretty solid run.

Our SPDX run with Julie and Tarki was waaaaaaay over time. Charlie was naughty and didn't stay at the start (which, now I think about it, was my fault because I broke the code and moved laterally before heading out and that's a big no-no with Charlie at comps) and didn't even try to stick his contact on the dog walk (which makes me reeeeeally worried for our comp in a fortnight) and he then did the third jump about sixty times by himself. Then Tarki jumped it the wrong way, then Charlie jumped it the wrong way, then Tarki- six tries later we finally got a dog over it right. They'd played before our run and I think were still a bit wired and in that "CRAZY SPAZ RED DOG" frame of mind- but in saying that, I'm happy Charlie was actually really wanting to play with Tark so I'm happy to sacrifice the control for that. Charlie also had a seesaw fly off (can't wait until next year when that stupid thing is lowered), but Tarki missed the up contact so we had to give it another shot and while he didn't stick his 2o2o, he did ride it to the ground. We finished with the Charlie running off after Tarki over the last few jumps and then they had a lope out of the ring together to finish their playing. It was hilarious fun, though.

And our JDX run was beautiful, on a very do-able course, but there was a bit of a funny angle to one of the jumps, Charlie came off the previous jump a bit wide and like quite a few dogs was heading to go around and miss this funny jump. I pulled him back and he didn't back jump and came right back around, but I pushed him to go on too fast and the weird angle he jumped at made him knock a bar. Totally my fault and the rest of the run was awesomesauce. And I got a stay at the startline.

Charlie was being a very social butterfly and made a special border collie friend he really wanted to have a chase and wrestle game with, and when we were leaving the BC walked past and Charlie actually whined and pressed himself up to the window. D'aaaaw. He's becoming so, so much better around "strange dogs" and he's becoming a lot more eager to interact with them and actually play. It's a bit silly: I've got one dog that I really want to play with dogs and another dog that I really want to stop being so focused on playing with dogs. I need to siphon a bit out of Zeke and put it in Charlie. Then we'd all be good.

He also did his funny little yoddle yip that sounds like someone stood on his tail again while we were waiting for our run in both JDX and JDO. It's so cute :D Without fail, no dogs get him worked up while watching them run as Ranger and Tarki- but especially Ranger.

We had an awesome evening and can't wait for Gold Coast next Sunday.

But for today, I'm off to get ready to head down to the Pet Expo. Tonnes of pics will be floating about tomorrow.

The Swamp Cooler

Behold!


The Swamp Cooler! I'm so, so impressed with it. Well worth the cash because Charlie will actually wear it.

I know. Hard to believe.

But I had it on him yesterday and he was walking around without the cringing, please-please-please-help-me-take-it-off-noooooooow look he normally does. And he even lay down in it and went to sleep in his bed.

Ruff Wear coats FTW.

My PayPal cleared so I went a bit nuts and put the orders all through. I've got some leads, a tug toy, a FITPaws peanut, FITPaws balance disk, On The Ball Two DVD and some other books and DVDs coming through as well as the Back On Track coat.

And now I've banded myself from buying anything else for the foreseeable future since I'm not working and my bank account is only slightly over a thousand dollars.

Metro trial this evening! Julie's picking me up around five o'clock and before then I need to get organised for the trial and for the pet expo tomorrow as well as wash and groom two dogs- one of which isn't going to want to co-operate.

Gold Coast is next Sunday, then the weekend after Friday and Saturday is Logan- and agility is on the Friday. Eeeeeek.

Exciting Weekend On The Horizon

Weeeeee! :D

So not only does Friday mark the beginning of the September school holidays, but also it marks the final, less-than-two-months stretch of my school years. Can't fucking wait.

And what's a more perfect way to celebrate that than a Friday evening agility trial?

Julie's picking Charlie and I up- leaving the black and tan monster at home- for the Metro comp. We've got a JDX, JDO and our second ever SPDX run. Strategic pairs seems to be our strong point lately. There's also a very good chance I'm going to have to run Charlie over some contact stuff during that course, so this will be another indicator of whether I'm doing the right thing at the right time, re-entering him into novice agility.

So we'll see how that goes.

Then on Saturday I'm heading off to the Gold Coast Pet and Animal Expo all day, with both dogs (questioning my sanity, yes) for an awesome day. I haven't been down for a couple of years, and never with a dog so it'll be super interesting now I've got two to take- and one of them being a fifteen week old, hyperactive, very easily over-stimulated kelpie pup. But it's going to be such a fun day, and so awesome for exposing Zeke to plenty of new sights and sounds and people and other animals.

Pretty much all of my friends are going to be down there doing one thing or another. A bunch are doing the dock diving demonstrations, a couple are on the white Swiss shepherd stall with their dogs, and pretty much everyone from the dog club are doing DWD demos as well. I'm going armed with my camera and an empty memory card and will return with plenty of photos and videos. Should be an absolutely awesome day and I can't wait.

Training Yesterday

On an unrelated note, Clean Run shipping costs more than the actual products, so my order is now coming from about sixty different places within Australia.

Convenient.

I also found a Ruff Wear Swamp Cooler coat which has a different way of fitting to the dog, with a Y buckle at the front as opposed to a chest strap which I think Charlie might cope with better, so I have one of them on the way as well.

Conditioning

Once my PayPal account clears the money I transfered from my bank account early-ish next week, I've got a ridiculously expensive Clean Run order to be placed as well as the Back On Track coat to purchase.

Amongst that Clean Run order is a lot of bits and pieces to help with my mission to get Charlie actually conditioned and work on helping his shoulders out, as well as work on building Zeke into a little muscle man. These a balance disk, egg ball, DVD instruction thing... Thirty plus items of varying importance.

I got a sixty five centimetre human fit ball from Sam's Warehouse today and it's a bit impossible to use with Charlie but for the moment it's perfect for Zeke. He was on the wobble board today for the first time as well and got pyschotically excited about how it moved- and once he figured out that he could make it slam down if he threw all of his weight onto it, well... That was when the fun really started.

It seriously doesn't surprise me that he was all out in his back and shoulders.

My goal for Charlie is to get him down to under twenty kilograms and build up his muscle. Hopefully next week I'll be able to sort out our walking route and we'll be doing an hour of that at least five times a week, combined with swimming as it starts to warm up- and now that I don't have a job anymore and no school on Fridays and Zeke had his last puppy vaccine today we can head down to the Spit once a week as well. I'm starting to really get the importance of making sure Charlie has more work put into him in terms of getting and maintaining his peak fitness, especially given his jump heights, so it's my new mission.

Tweaking

Took the dogs out to be chiropracted this afternoon and, surprisingly, Charlie wasn't out anywhere. He does seem to have a bit of soft tissue strain, though, especially in his right shoulder, so I need to do something about that with some Difflam massages. I've also come across the Back on Track dog coats and I'm definitely going to order one for Charlie and see how that goes as well.

Jack and Zeke were out- Zeke quite a bit, which doesn't surprise me since he's an idiot. He gets really, really aggro when something doesn't go his way. I've never had a dog that literally snaps and goes full on "I'MMA BITE YOU"- until now. I'm thinking I may need to get a muzzle for future chiro trips since his teeth and jaw are only going to be getting bigger. He's such a brat.

Aaaaaand: three weeks until our re-debut in novice agility >.<

AWL

That puppy right up there ^

He's called Nelson, he's a thirteen week old chi x Tibetan spaniel x cav and oh my goodness, if I didn't have Zeke I'd have come home with him.

He's tiny- like so teeny tiny he weighs nothing, but he is so spunky and confident and drivey. Officially my favourite little dog ever. I'm not normally such a tiny dog person, or someone who likes my dogs with very little muzzle, but I seriously would have adopted him if I'd had the chance.

I met Nelson- and a bunch of other dogs- today and last Friday when I did my volunteering hours at the AWL for school.

Let's just say I have a new appreciation for people who own big dogs.

I had so much fun, even though I'm exhausted after the eight hours today and my arms are aching and I must have walked fifty kilometres, and I'm determined since I'm now actually down as a volunteer with them to go back once a week for a shift and help out. You just get so much hands on work with such a huge variety of dogs- and pretty much all of the ones who end up coming up to Stapylton from the Coombabah shelter are the big working dogs that are a bit on the hard to handle/behavioural issues side of things.

It's a bit depressing though, as well, and I had to really try hard and stop myself from evaluating every dog I walked in terms of performance potenial- but even with that, and my aching arms and legs, I can't wait to go back again.

Goodies And Contacts

My bag of goodies came yesterday :)

Behold the awesomeness:

I'm particularly eager to watch the contacts DVD, because it's so lovely and relevant.

Speaking of contacts (hello accidental segue), I'm having a small crisis. I love Charlie's 2o2o- I really do. I get ridiculously excited and proud of it. Maybe my enthusiasm regarding all things contacts has to do with the fact that I've finally got them with Charlie, or maybe I'm just a bit strange, but I've started obsessing just a touch.

Our re-debut in novice agility is just under five weeks away, and while I was just going to go out there with what we have at the moment to test it under trial conditions, I'm starting to get the urge fiddle. And I may end up seriously regretting this and have to go and fix the mess I might make, but I can't help it.

Last night at training I tried to change the contact criteria slightly to get rid of Charlie's bad habit of accidental double touching- he literally runs to the end of the contact zone and just stops in 2o2o, which of course makes his back end pop up and drop back down. And that right there is a double touch and we'll be DQ'ed for it automatically if the judge notices. The judge noticing is quite likely since some of the time Charlie nearly handstands he's stopped so suddenly. I'm also a bit cringing and worried about the slamming with his shoulders, especially since they don't seem so structurally sound to begin with.

So the plan is to ignore the double touching for the moment, just until we get past our AD run at Logan, then I'll re-assess and go from there depending on how he does. I'm going to look at getting him to target less with just his feet and more with his rear end to try and get the rock back so he takes more pressure off his shoulders and see what sort of progress we make with that.

And a quick Zeke update. The thing I love most about this dog at the moment (apart from how he always manages to make me laugh hysterically, even if he's doing something evil like herding my feet and eating my toes) is his ability to know when he's working and needs to be switched on. He's always going; he doesn't stop unless he's confined to a crate or ex pen- and even then he'll try really hard to convince me he's got energy left and needs to run about some more. But if I need him for something, and if I'm training him, the spastic, crazy puppy with no self control dissolves into this mature, focused dog that is going to give me a hundred and ten per cent. He just surprises me- and it's a pleasant surprise, but he's just so far away from Charlie in every single way that I'm kind of in the "This is just too good to be true; it has to have a catch soon" stage. Which I don't think it does, actually. I think I've gotten really lucky with a really good dog that, while he's challenging and a real handful, is just an absolute dream to own and train.

I've been doing so much reading on training techniques and exercises and whatnot (looots of Susan Garrett especially), and while they're predominately for using with Zeke it's given me quite a bit of food for thought as well- and I've realised maybe I could actually put what I'm learning and trying out into practice with other people's dogs, not just my own. I've always been so nervous about running/training other people's dogs because I'm paranoid about breaking them or stuffing them up or not being able to control them or do what I set out to do. But running a couple of my friends' dogs at training the past couple of weeks has made that fade quite a bit, and I'm feeling more confident and capable. And I'm starting to think about maybe looking at dog training as a more serious (or as serious as I could possibly be about something) job option. I don't even want to think about touching behaviour modification at the moment, or going anywhere near behaviour modification, because I'm not in any shape or form even close to beginning to be capable and experienced in that area, but basic training stuff I think I could be able to do.

I get quite a few "You're doing so well with your dogs, Emma" comments, which I get a bit fidgety about because I'm cynical and have issues accepting praise- and I like to pick holes in things and be overly critical, especially when it comes to myself- and although I know for a fact that I've got two awesome dogs that make even my huge mistakes with them look brilliant, maybe I'm really not as shoddy a trainer as I think I am.

I'm not big on the planning so I'm just going to see where things take me, but it's starting to look more and more like something I'd really want to consider doing- even if it was just in conjunction with something else. No harm in giving it a go, right?

Final note, just to officially make this post a Ramblin' one: as I'm now officially bird free (save for the three fuzzy, half feathered ones in the fish tank) I don't have a chaotic morning filled with stress and lack of time and fifty kilograms of fruit and veg to chop up, so finally the morning walks will be starting. Charlie only at first since Zeke's a) too little and b) a fruit bar, but we'll both be doing an hour walk, five days a week at least. Combining that with swimming in the river once or twice a day once it starts to warm up again, plus a trip or two to the Spit once a week, and I'll actually have a fit, conditioned dog. Operation "Get Charlie Under Twenty Kilos" shall commence very shortly. Watch this space.

RDOC Trial 28th August 2011

La Di Da

Trial on Sunday!

I'm excited :D

I'll definitely have a video- and a decent quality one at that- thanks to my lovely DSLR camera, so long as dad doesn't mess up the technology. I'm hoping it doesn't rain because it's unpleasant enough running in the wet, especially with a fast dog, but not only that this is the first trial I'm going to where none of my close friends are entered so dad and I can't steal any shelter. I need to think about investing in a little shade tent thingy- they're just so bloody expensive, though.

Zeke's a superstar. I get a more solid lead out with him at twelve weeks old than I do with Charlie. He baffles me, though, because he has such a quick snap to being way too over the top and out of control, yet he has such amazing self control and inhibition with everything else. He does seem to be going through a bit of a fear period at the moment which I've never actually had to really deal with in a puppy before, so it'll be a bit of a new experience for us and I'm crossing my fingers it passes very quickly.

I've been doing some weave work with Charlie, working on independence- especially with finding the entry- and I definitely need to keep at it. I'm itching to get my hands on some proper weave, though; stick-in-the-ground with a moose just doesn't work very well at all.

Oh! I've also got exciting news about my a frame. Dad actually bought home some thick plywood the other day, and he's meant to be finishing work up (for real this time) next Monday so I'm hoping an a frame is somewhere in the very near future.

I'm thinking I might drag my jumps and Charlie and the camera and someone to film to the reserve tomorrow if I get a spare moment.

Finally!

I got through to the chiropractor!

Yay!

It took me a month of missed calls but I have an appointment for Zeke and Charlie to get tweaked at four thirty in two weeks time.

Perfect timing since it's a week before Metro and three days before training on a Monday so Charlie can actually have a proper rest instead of needing to rush back into agility straight after being popped back into place.

And I'm almost completely certain Zeke is at least going to need a small re-tweak since he's a meathead and jumps off things he shouldn't and gets stood on and sat on and is just a general psychopath.

Zeke Training: Twelve Weeks

He's just so fucking cute! :D

I've Realised

...that I really, really, really don't have another Charlie.

Today, two things happened.

It rained constantly. Zeke was a total little arse about being in his crate.

He. Barked. Constantly.

I did his usual playing and training and potty sessions, split up by time in his crate which I've been doing for the past few weeks. He's not the sort of puppy you can just have out if you're not doing something with him directly because he will eat you and all of the things you love. And potatoes. He'll steal all of your potatoes and toss them about the place before hiding them somewhere for you to find at a later date.

I thought I'd cracked the being in the crate means simmer the fuck down and relax last week. But no. Today he was barking and barking and barking without a break in between.

And it didn't occur to me until a half hour ago that the only thing different about today is the weather- and what that weather meant for Zeke's several romps down the river. For the past week or so, ever since he decided that sleep during the day was for wussy babies and he isn't a wussy baby anymore, he's been going down the river anywhere from three to six times a day for a fifteen to forty five minute run about.

And it's a run about. He doesn't stop moving for one single second.

But today, because we would have drowned if we'd gone outside, I skipped that in favour of some more intense play sessions inside.

Obviously this displeases His Highness, and obviously he's not one to break the stereotype of kelpies needing a seventy kilometre run every day, and obviously I've got a dog that is going to need his couple of hours of exercise every single day, without fail, or I'm going to have hell to pay.

Charlie spent the whole day asleep because it was raining and that's what he's more than happy to do in the wet weather.

Zeke spent the whole day punishing my eardrums because it was raining and I neglected to rug up, suit up and brave the gale force winds and downpour to take him for a run.

I'm just bloody glad I didn't get Zeke when I got Fletcher because that was solid rain for a couple of months and I think we'd have all gone insane.

I hope the weather clears up tomorrow, or at the very least clear enough that I don't have to wade to get out the front door so Mr Monkey can have his sprint around and I can have some peace.

Yay!

After a million and one problems I have finally put in my Game On Dogs order.

But, disappointment: the ultra light, ultra cheap long line I ordered orginally has disappeared off the face of the Earth so I had to get a big clunky, double the price lead. Urgh.

But no matter.

Hopefully by the end of this week I'll have my awesomesauce box of goodies: Building Blocks for Performance 2nd Edition, three Clean Run special collector's edition for handling; motivation, drive and self control; and handling, Contacts: Bridging The Gap Between Training and Performance, Puppy Jumping, my long lead and the little lamby tug.

I'm also on the hunt for a couple of tug slip leads.

It's a dangerous thing, me having money in my bank account.

And to finish off, my favourite photo I've ever taken :)

'Cause They're Cute

My dogs got swag.

Ramblin'

Aaaaaaah. Just under six weeks until our re-debut in novice agility.

SO SCARED.

I've put so much time and effort into reworking these bloody contacts and if it all goes to pieces when we trial I'm out of ideas. If we DQ in everything I don't care, I just want the contacts. I'm not even going to care if I don't get a well behaved start- if Charlie gives me contacts, he will be showered with doggy brownies.

I know he can do it consistently, perfectly. I just can't say that'll happen when we put it in a ring.

I have had the absolute crappiest week, most of which was to do with me being sick and the Commonwealth Bank being a dick. So now my order for a whole whack of training stuff has been cancelled and I need to place it again because it took me a week and a half to get to the bank to get my security questions changed so I could transfer the payment.

And then to top it all off, my computer was a total right-off yesterday and while it's been behaving itself so far this morning (touch wood) I don't think that it's the end of my woes.

On the positive side, I did get my replacement SD card in the mail yesterday. Finally. It's only a class four, though, which ticked me off because I thought it was a class ten and I didn't buy one for that very reason. I haven't tested it out yet in regards to filming with the bigger card so I need to do that today. I really do think a little camcorder thing would be a better option, though, for filming.

But anyway. I haven't got any videos of Zeke since he was eight weeks old because of the stupid thing so it might have to do for now.

Speaking of Zeke (I am trying for some coherent thoughts in this mess), he's so much hard work. He's fun, I love him to bits and he's exactly what I asked for, but my God he's intense.

We've been doing a lot of shaping- everything he "knows" has been shaped which I'm very chuffed about; that was one of my goals, hehe- and while he doesn't have a cue to anything really except for sit and drop, the latter he's still in the very learning stages of, he does have a fairly impressive range for an almost twelve week old puppy.

What have we been doing so far... He's been going to a mat; targetting a cone; putting feet on a box and rotating around in line with my front; some very beginnings of focus (in motion and in front); get it; give (still a work in progress and has varying degrees of success depending on whether he's in monkey mode or not); go play; getting in a box; recall work; 2o2o (which isn't proper, it's just something I ended up shaping when he jumped on a box and only got his front feet off); forward focus and drive to toys and food; self control with the crate and ex-pen on exiting which he's super solid at now- I even have to actually touch his collar as well as give a verbal before he'll budge, which I think might be because when I was doing this he was always getting put on lead before coming out.

So he's pretty awesome. And it's only about two and a half weeks until he can have his final puppy vaccine and he can go everywhere. Yaaaaay!

Charlie's been doing some getting in a box work as well. I'm still concerned over his back again, but I haven't managed to get a hold of the chiropractor yet so that's been a bit of a hindrance. He's being such a princess lately so I've been ignoring him in the hopes of snapping him out of it; he's just gone super sensitive and if anyone even so much as breathes in an annoyed way he slinks and does his huge worried eyes. It's driving me crackers. Urgh.

Baby Dog Has Focus!

Awesome photo a friend of mine took of Zeke and I on Sunday at the demo :)

He was supposed to be hopping on his mat, but still: focus! :D

What A Weekend

Busy busy busy.

But awesome.

Zeke first, since he's the youngest :)

What. An. Epic. Puppy. This morning he was a bit less on the ball- delicious duck poo and it was stinking hot for only a quarter past ten in the middle of August. But even still.

Ten and a half weeks old, barely done any sort of "real training" much less trained in the middle of a ring with tonnes of people pressing up against the sides... And he didn't even notice anything but me. I got awesome tugging out of him, he did his mat and his target and his feet on the box despite having only started learning the very beginnings of each a few days ago. He didn't try and run off to say hi to people or to play with Lewis. He was just awesome and I was so surprised and so proud of him. For being a real handful of a dog he has his moments where he just blows me away.

I also did a lot of socialising with Zeke- might as well make the most of an opportunity. It's not everyday you have so many weird and unusual sights and so many people just waiting to introduce a puppy to. I walked him all around the different stalls, he met all these people from babies in prams to seniors, we wandered up through the crazy ride alley of the oval which was full of screaming and running kids and flashing lights and loud noises and sudden movement and he wasn't bothered by anything. Balloons popping right by him: nah, couldn't care less. He had a fair bit of play time with the other dogs in the team as well which was good for him and today he even did his very first tunnel which he loves. After only a few attempts I got it semi curved- and it's a bit, heavy, dark tunnel as well. He rocketed through it- faster than I anticipated, actually, so I was a bit off guard when he launched at the toy- without issue. We did some running to a dead toy as well and God, if I think Charlie's fast to run I think I'm going to get a rude shock once I start Zeke.

Charlie was his usual special self :) He did semi-good heelwork, with moments of wonderfulness and moments where he was just like lalalalalalala. Did all of his stays and his recall at the end like a pro, and he loved his agility runs at the end as per usual. He was only nailing his weave entries if I "helped" him find the entry by checking him slightly to bring his speed back a bit, and even though he absolutely hates these weaves (they're short, and flimsy, and the spacing's off, and he only sees them a half dozen times or so a year at demos) and I don't blame him, I really do need to start addressing his entry independence.

Overall we had an absolutely awesome weekend; it was a lot of fun, I've got two very tired doggies who won't bug me for at least a couple more hours, and I got a very pleasant surprise in the form of a focused Zeke.

Zeke's performance this weekend has made me even more excited about the future with him. I think he's going to shape up to be a really special dog; he has every element he needs to help him do bloody brilliant in pretty much any area, so now it's all up to me to make sure I keep him on the right path and don't stuff him up.

No pressure :P

This Ought To Have A Meaningful Title

Can't think of one, though.

Ah well.

Still waiting for my replacement camera card. So fucking pissed off about the stupid thing. Grr...

But anyway. Zeke's getting another outing into town today, except he'll be sitting with my mum outside of the Marketplace while I run in and have a look for a camera bag and get some photos printed- or rather ordered to be printed. It worries me, but I'm giving her strict instructions and kibble and running as fast as I can around Big W.

My room is slowly taking shape; picking up my new secondhand corner desk tomorrow. I've always wanted a corner desk :D I saw this awesome one on Gumtree for only seventy bucks, pretty good nick, lots of extra storage, and only at Birkdale so dad and I are taking the trailer over before I leave for the fair tomorrow morning. The photos I'm ordering to be printed today are of Charlie, Zeke and Fletcher and will go up in my room as well once dad gets around to helping me put some nails in my walls.

Ormeau Fair tomorrow, and I'm excited and a bit nervous at the same time. Zeke and I are in the "puppy demo" along with Catherine and Lewis, who's a nine month old Cairn terrier and will be doing the more advanced puppy stuff. So far Zeke's started going to a mat, getting on the box, getting in a box, and I'm starting some hand and cone targetting today as well and maybe break out the tippet stick if I get time. We haven't got a finished behaviour, but the beginnings of quite a few, so I just hope it's enough to make Zeke stay focused and actually do them tomorrow. I'm a bit worried because he's so playful and dog focused at the moment and Lewis is going to be out there with us, but I'm not giving Zeke any breakfast and I'll just have to be super fun and upbeat and exciting.

And I need to keep in mind he's ten weeks old and never done this before.

This'll Be Interesting...

The only thing I've worked on with Zeke since I got him is keeping his pointy little fangs to himself (with very little success, I'm not afraid to admit), a bit of offered focus and focus in motion, tugging, the very start of sit, and offering behaviours because it was pissing me off that he'd only throw a sit my way. Now he's a bean and doesn't stop moving :D Win!

I sent a confirmation email back to Maree about the demos and she replied with, "Will your puppy be old enough to do a 'puppy demo'?"

And since he's coming along anyway, I figured why not, may as well give it a shot. It'll basically just be Maree explaining about how we start puppies at the club, with some play and focus, and if anything it'll be an awesome opportunity to at first see how Zeke reacts to that sort of environment (ring with people all around) and an equally awesome opportunity to train and work him in such a distracting place.

And socialisation! Is it sad I'm so fucking excited about being able to socialise my puppy? Ormeau Fair has become like a mini EKKA- there's tonnes of people, loud rides, chaos, noise, running kids... So much to see, so much to do, so much potential to expose Zeke to. Yay!

I swear that puppy has had more socialising work done in the past two weeks than both Fletcher and Charlie had in the first few months I had them. In addition to him going to agility training on Monday nights and puppy preschool on Tuesday nights, once I start Charlie back at Commando he'll come along to that on a Sunday morning, and I'm going to see if I can go along to the puppy preschool class on a Saturday morning as well. And I'm still trying to get him into town at least once a week for an hour or so- but he's just getting so bloody heavy and won't be fully vaccinated for another month, gah- as well as taking him along to trials and in the car. He has his ten week vaccination on Wednesday, then it should be four weeks and then he can have the final booster shot and he'll be set! And then the fun can really begin, because he'll be going to even more places. And we can go to the beach once it warms up, and we can do longer stints in town because I won't have to carry him and get aching arms.

Fun fun fun.

Books And Whatnot

I've decided I don't really know what I'm doing with Zeke- which isn't all that surprising considering that he's only the third puppy I've ever had and the previous two weren't exactly "normal". He's testing everything I thought I knew about raising a dog and I'm a bit lost a lot of the time with where I need to be with him.

Having tried a few different things and got nothing from them, as well as coming to the realisation that my family are ignorant morons (though I've known that for a while, actually) and Zeke is waaaaay too dog focused for my liking, I've ordered Ruff Love off Wag School Books and when it arrives the monkey will be entering into that particular program and we'll see how it goes. I've also got a couple of extra books coming from the same place: The Puppy Primer and Shaping Success because both looked interesting and I'm weak when it comes to resisting books that would be right at home in my little library.

I got an email this morning from Maree with a couple of extra upcoming demos at the end of the year, so I need to do a calendar check; I also need to ask her tomorrow about when the next Commando class is starting, or if it's started already. We've been trialling the past two Sundays, but still. I'll have to write a note on my hand or I'll forget to ask her again- and I may need to write a note to the write the note.

I was going to go dock diving with Charlie this coming Saturday in the afternoon, buuuuut I totally forgot all about the demos at Ormeau for the fair. So dock diving will have to wait. Too many things!