Velvet might be sick.

Not again. She has the runs again. I am afraid she might have eaten something again that clogged her system. Last year around this time, she had clogged intestines and we had do to an emergency operation on her for a ridiculous amount of money. It started with diarrhea, and then went on to throwing up, not keeping any food or water in her system, and there we found ourselves racing out to the emergency clinic on a Friday night. Please, not again..... I will cook her some nice rice and try to get her stomach in tune again.

Training at the Club

Today, I took both Bunny and Velvet. Nancy was there again, with a friend, they had half the building set up for agility. Cathy also joined us with Daisy. I told Nancy that Bunny is learning to be more sure of herself in meeting people, and she came over to make Bunny feel comfortable. And Bunny really was very happy to meet her. I very much enjoy having people greet Bunny that way, giving her some treats, talking nice to her and just helping her to be more secure. Sometimes when she is not comfy with a person, she will start barking at them, or she will just hide behind me. She has come a long way, and I attribute that in large parts to the dog club people. I should take Bunny and Velvet to Petsmart sometime, just for training.
I had either Velvet or Bunny in a crate the entire time, and took them out to train one after the other. We got some excellent sit/stays and down/stays (Velvet, Bunny still has a hard time downing at the club), recalls, heeling, attention and for Velvet even a few broad jumps. Bunny got to sniff the broad jump, and got many treats for it. For a while, I fed Bunny just for enduring the see saw noise from the other half of the room. I just waited until the big bang was about to happen, and then fed her the best little treats.
What is funny to me is, that Velvet is trying so hard to meet people and dogs, when she sees them,but once she knows we are in training mode, it seems she has enough self control to contain herself. That is great to know, because I really doubted that for a while. Today, there was a lot of stuff going on, and she worked hard in the midst of it.... well reasonably far away from the actual people, but even in playing or when she jumped over the broad jump, she didn't run in a circle to go and meet the people or dogs in crates, she looked at them, and then paid full attention to me again. This extra training is very, very good for all of us. Bunny of course, I didn't even have to have her on a leash. She doesn't leave my side, unless I tell her to stay. She is excellent. I just wish I knew how to get that same attention in the backyard, and I could never put a leash on her unless we are out walking. I am learning so much!

Ice cold

Today it is freezing cold outside, so no big dog walks. We spent most of the day waiting for our SUV to get done with inspection. So Craig and I were shopping a bit. We got some workout clothes, and I bought a bait bag for Julia that she can use next time we go to agility class Thursday.
Velvet has a small case of the runs.
I did some training level tests tonight with her, and some Stands and Targets with the target stick. She doesn't know the word Stand yet, and still bites the target stick sometimes. So she didn't pass those two tests, but she excelled in Down Stay and Sit Stay. She passed those two for the level 2, so now we are moving on to level three with them. I love Sue Ailsby's training levels so much. It is such an easy way to train, and by logging the exercises, all I need to do, is go online and look at our scoreboard to see what we still need to work on!
Tomorrow I will meet Cathy at the dog club again at noon time and we will help each other with the levels. I better get a list printed of level exercises I want to work on. I think this time I will also bring Bunny.

Sunday with Friends

Today, Julia and I went to Laura's house for a Videothon. The PR Partners have started that some time ago. We watch dog videos together. Last time it was Patricia McConnells Seminar in parts, and some Sue Sternberg videos, this time we watched In Focus by Deb Jones and an older Clicker one by Gary Wilkes. Cathy and Nancy joined us. I can hardly think of a better way to spend a day than with likeminded friends who believe in the same training methods and value their dogs as partners who deserve respect and kindness. We shared lunch together, and I learned so much. One of the big issues I learned to avoid, is when Velvet is released out of her crate, to then stop and wait for her attention before going off to some obstacle. The In Focus video had a whole wealth of information like that. Gary Wilkes video was a bit dated, and it was fun to compare how the training methods have changed, and what his ideas were on training then.
Off to bed now.
I worked on the training levels with Velvet this morning. I did a few downs, a stand stay, and some zen.

Trying to escape the prong pushers

I met up with a friend from our Positive Reinforcement group we formed at the dog club (PR Partners) last Wednesday around noon to train on Sue Ailsby's training levels with her pup and my Velvet. I was planning to work on approaching a person without Velvet breaking the heel position. She has self control issues when it comes to greeting people and other dogs, she gets to a certain distance, and then she just starts like a rocket to meet them. There was another lady there, who had set up half the building with agility equipment. She had quite an old German Shepherd mix, who was remaining nicely in a down stay while she was still setting up some things. She was actually very friendly, and offered immediately to help out as a goal post, or with whatever we needed. So I said that I need someone to be my person I can approach with Velvet, and she happily agreed. I took a few steps with Velvet, and Velvet started breaking and tried to get to her. I did what I learned in Leslie Nelson's seminar, I gave Velvet penalty yards, ran backwards to where we started, clapping my hands, and calling her, and we set up again. Velvet was ready to go again, when the lady said "You know what would work great for a big strong dog like her.... a PRONG!". Immediately, I gasped for air, Velvet got up out of her heel sit and started pulling, sniffing frantically on the floor and we were just a mess. Talk about a handlers body language influencing the dog's mood!! Velvet must have sensed my shock ( I thought the lady was a positive trainer too). I said " Absolutely not" about 5 times in a row, and she went on to explain about how happy it makes the dogs to wear it, how the pressure is distributed evenly with a prong, and not as harmful as if they pull on a flat buckle collar, and she so much wanted to convince me, that I just didnt' know what to do. I just kept insisting no, and that I only use positive reinforcement, and her answer was "But the prong is POSITIVE!!! She was so nice all the while, but she did give up for now, and remained me goal post. Velvet and I composed ourselves and started up again, and I kept having to go back to the beginning about 3 times, and all of a sudden Velvet looked up at me, and when I slowed down on my way to the lady, she sat down, and instantly, I could walk around her in a circle, Velvet remained in heel position, giving me attention, and being in prime working mode. The lady was very surprised of the outcome, but I kept thanking her for being our helper, and it is no lie, I really appreciated that very much, because my neighbors are willing, but completely useless in dog training, because they meet Velvet halfway mistaking her breaking the heel for her absolute love for them, so they are flattered into rewarding her for her behavior. So Velvet learned a lot that day, and I learned that I can just say that I don't have the prong in my tool kit.

Why I want to talk about my puppies....

I am a positive reinforcement trainer. My favorite tool is the clicker, my favorite pastime is freeshaping with my puppies. There is no greater joy in this world for me than to see a dog literally come to life, offering behaviors in order to make that click happen. I did have the brush with the prong for my labrador Velvet, put on by a well meaning traditional instructor, but luckily I was not able to do the corrections the way I was supposed to, so I threw that thing where it belongs... in the garbage, and never looked back. I will write about our training, what I am learning on my journey to be the best positive dog trainer I can be, and what happens along the way. I train in a dog club that has a majority of traditional trainers, so I am constantly confronted with what me and my other positive friends like to call "The Dark Side". I feel like there is a lot to learn, and I would love nothing more than to be able to convert some people to using PR by showing them, how wonderful a true relationship with a dog as a partner can be. I know we are raising many eyebrows, but I trust we are also raising awareness. Every change has started out small, and then avalanched its way into perfection. I am happy to be a part of this one.
My blog stars:
Velvet.... 4 year old black labrador retriever girl.
Bunny.... 3 year old white fluffy cockerpoo/Lhasa Apso girl.