I tried to post yesterday, but the page had an error and the post didn't go up.

Yesterday my training center had a mock agility trial for all the agility classes so we could get a sense of what how a real trial worked. Comet took 1st among the 20" jumpers! I was a mess trying to handle such a fast dog on a full course, but he did everything he thought I was telling him to do and he really had the time of his life running and jumping and taking tunnels. He even got a mock first place blue ribbon!

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Go Comet Well done Tippykayak & Comet

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Golden moments shared with
Casey, Faelan, Towhee & Brady too !

and forever in my heart, my golden Bridge boys
Rowdy & King

He's a pretty boy, Tippy<: Sounds like you'll be doing trials this summer?

We did sensible pet-dog training today...

I'm dealing with bronchitis (just in time for Christmas!) that better not go to my lungs! So needless to say I'm short on energy and still have to get a lot done for Christmas!

Bertie has black and blue gums and is VERY chewy right now. The sad thing is when I tell them to "go settle", Jacks immediately listens and tries to lay down and be quiet... but pup is climbing all over him and biting and chewing and pulling at fur.

Putting up the baby gate doesn't work because I don't trust Bertie out of my sight. And then Jacks refuses to leave my side in the evening, especially when I'm sick.

I had enough and pulled out the big wire crate and put Bertie in. He's been crated in his little plastic crate in the car, but never at home or in the big 42" crate. I put the crate right next to my chair so he was close by, but still he's never been in there before.

He was outraged, but settled down nicely in there when I completely ignored his squawlling.

Later on just so he didn't connect the crate with being locked away while I snoozed with Jacks sprawling all over my feet - I played a few "go crate" games with the door open. My opportunist Jacks was diving into the crate and planting himself so he'd get treats. I fed pups in there (door open) and tossed some ice cubes in there too for him to eat. <- So positive reinforcement after his imprisonment earlier.

Then later on I pulled out the scissors and toenail clippers and did feet on both dogs. I stand by my belief that when they don't snip dewclaws off, the dogs don't fight the clippers. That, and when you talk about those foot-tests where they pinch the puppy's feet to gauge the level of sensitivity? Or something like that? You can pinch Bertie's feet all you want and he doesn't care.

I still gave treats after every 2-3 toenails just so he knows this is all positive.

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Always loved, never forgotten, all our previous boys -

What a great picture of Comet. He looks like he really enjoyed his event.

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Zoe, Rockwall Nantucket Breeze, BN, CGC, Delta therapy dog
Zeke, our introduction to the world of Golden Retrievers

Ha, I wish!

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Jodie

AJ's Maiden By the Sea CDX RE (Annabel - retired)
Mud E Paws UDX OM2 RE OBHF (Conner - retired with 28 OTCH points)
Sunfire's Flying Head Over Heels UD BN RA (Flip)
And the odd one of the family - Colby Jack Teeter Smack CDX GO RA (Colby - Lhasa Apso)

I can jump in and say that I can now work Miss Maddie I LOVE being home for a nice long Christmas break! I plan on a few agility trials, maybe one obedience trial. Weather permitting, we will do a few things in the house tomorrow and go play in the snow!

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Caryn
Proud owner of: Miss Maddie Magoo CD NAP NJP RE CGC

Heehee.... well, I'm planning to trim every couple weeks or whenever I see a tip curving and do the treat training... just in case. But really - when Jacks was a puppy, I thought I'd get an early start on toenail clipping to keep him from turning out like Danny, and Jacks was fighting for his life even as a 8 week old puppy with me touching the clips to his toes (not even clipping!). The thing that my two worst clipper dogs had in common (Danny and Jacks) was the fact they had the dews snipped off.

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Always loved, never forgotten, all our previous boys -

Officially proud of my Brady

Last night's session was putting some (baby steps) pieces together so I decided to begin with 1/2 his evening meal set close by - like on the same grooming table we were practicing Sit, Stands, Downs, twirls, touches etc on. I have never had the food bowl set so close before and while he would eye it occasionally he was really very very good!

No, he does not have to work for his food but occasionally I think it is a good thing to expand on the whole Its Yer Choice concept, especially when he's hungry and antsy

Good boy Brady!!

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Golden moments shared with
Casey, Faelan, Towhee & Brady too !

and forever in my heart, my golden Bridge boys
Rowdy & King

There was a recent post on a thread that disturbed me on a lot of levels. A post that alluded I must live in a museum, that positive trainers take it way too far and even advocated grabbing & tugging on the loose skin under a dogs chin as an appropriate punishment etc.

I was thinking of this this morning when I realized that my not even 5 month old pup and my 3 older dogs never attempted to jump on the counters while I was preparing their breakfast - all trained without punishment but via Its Yer Choice (ala Susan Garrett Say Yes)

This morning they waited through

- my opening new rolls of their beef/tripe/organ mixture and putting in their bowls, followed by my rinsing the packaging before throwing out
- my finishing off & rinsing out a yogurt container after finishing it and throwing out, then opening a new container
- My chopping & blending their veggie mixture
- emptying the trash to the outside garbage pails (the bag was full - it was not avoidance on my part) - yep I literally left the house with their food sitting on the counter next to a table with chairs they could have climbed.

The bowls were put down and they waited for their release. They were no commands given until they were released to their bowls.

Vent over, thanks for listening....I guess I just think some people do not understand that positive training is not permissive training and that distraction training is built in from the very beginning.

BTW: I rinse attractive wrappings & containers before disposal so the wildlife don't raid our garbage cans, not so I can maintain a museum like atmosphere in my home <picture me snorfling with laughter at the thought of 4 active, playful goldens living in a museum>. We have coyotes, possums, bears. hawks and all kinds of wildlife very skilled at tipping garbage cans and pulling lids if they think it will be worth their while.

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Golden moments shared with
Casey, Faelan, Towhee & Brady too !

and forever in my heart, my golden Bridge boys
Rowdy & King

Went to class last nite in awful weather but I think Nugget is solid on his 3-5 minute sits and downs, I put food in front of him about 2 ft.and he didn't move although 3 other dogs broke . I'm pleased and that alone made the trip worth it. He did well with everything else but fronts and finishes they were lousy


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