Category: Blog

Macy tried REALLY hard. 

She got every obstacle in JWW, but really slow on the weaves and got a refusal on the first jump.  The slow weaves got her a bunch of refusals and we ran out of time.

She got everything in Standard but the teeter and table.  She got on the teeter, froze, then bailed.  The table was the next obstacle, she stopped and couldn’t do it, so I went on.  She got everything else.  We also ran out of time.

We tried Fast for the first time  It was teeter, tunnel, which of course, she couldn’t do.  She did get on it again after I crossed the line.  I think our plan would have worked if we hadn’t gotten a teeter.

Poor Dulce.  I forgot my meds, so went back to Dallas and back to get them.  That was way too much.  However, everyone played with her, told her how pretty and sweet she was so I think she is liking being at the show site.

We’ve been working on stays and stands.  She is starting to know her name.

First, once again my favorite parent has dampened my day.  Principal came up to my room to tell me she demanded a meeting, he and I agreed it wasn’t happening Friday and I asked for today.  Didn’t want it to hang over the weekend.   We also agreed that we hadn’t talked if it wasn’t going to happen.  We ended up with me working over the weekend <snarl> but the rest of the status quo being the status quo.

Spent most of the trip discharging it all on my mom who really wants to tell the parent  what she thinks.

My biggest problem right now, is that Dulce is a bit hand shy.  Since I have to reach down and grab her to catch her, I don’t blame her.  We have worked hard on her name and come this weekend.

She loves loves loves chew stuff, which makes her very easy to entertain.  Also loves tug and we played a round of that in the hotel room. 

We’re still dealing with car sickness, though this last trip to find a McCafe (didn’t) was the best.  She was able to eat something almost right out of the car.  She hasn’t peed though, and she has drunk the best part of two bowls.  Macy has peed twice.

Still loving her, glad to be away from home – though I probably have to go back tomorrow, forgot my meds.

We have agility class on Wednesday night. 

I had a Dulce choice to make.  Do I leave in her a cage from 6:45 – around 10:00 pm or do I take her and maybe get a few minutes to train her.  I choose taking her.  Unfortunately as too car sick to do anything but drool and look quesy when we got there, and it was too dark to do anything when we left.

I still think it was better than sitting in the cage at home.

I was exhausted when I got home, so I only got one training session with her.

BUT MACY!

She was good.  I made one mistake.  I wanted to do our runs without food, but I didn't show her that I had food available when we started, so she wasn't very enthusiastic.  ALWAYS do some clicker/food training with that dog before we run!  Her other runs were good.

Another want — distance work with her, and I need to find a way to get that done.

We're going to Fort Worth this weekend and will be doing AKC agility with Macy.  Dulce will be learning how to be an agility dog.

Dulce was really good this morning which was a good thing as I was dragging butt.

Since Macy wouldn’t let Dulce in the cage,  I decided to try what I was trying earlier – shaping a sit.  I’m trying hard not to lure any behaviors so I clicked jumping up first, since to sit you have to raise your shoulders.  Didn’t take too long and got a sit – not bad, since she’s a show dog and hasn’t been encouraged to sit.  She has been trained to stay and walk on a show lead, but not sit.

She also STAYS when she sits, unlike Macy (Wild Woman).  Macy always pops up the second I click.  Not this girl and I’m encouraging it.

Dulce decided that we would learn cage tonight.  A very valuable skill.  Fun thing about clicker training, you might decide you want to teach, say, sit, but end up with a completely other skill.

Fun dog!

I love Mildred’s beagles — they are all slug a bugs in the morning, content to sleep in.  Yesterday I rushed everyone outside at 6:00 am fed them, left them in the dog room, etc.

Today I took a more laid back approach, and got up and got ready for school before taking dogs downstairs.  Did she care?  Nope.

I sent everyone outside to pee/poop — then fed them.  Tried to put everyone outside after eating and they all said "nope".  In fact, she said that she wanted to sit next to me on the sofa be cuddled. Who am I to argue?

She also fussed when I put her in the crate in the living room, so I put her back in the small crate in the dog room between Macy and Maggie — Macy wants the smallest, oldest crate, weird dog.

I’ll have to ask my husband how they did when he was leaving, since he was slightly behind me.

I think I can go back to my regular routine tomorrow.

We had a small disaster during the day.  Dulce got out of her crate.  No damage done, but she was stressed to find herself in a house with no one else there.  I had put her crate in the living room, so if she was noisy would be less likely to disturb the neighbors.  She tore up a shoe that I really should have thrown out a few weeks ago, but was still wearing.  No accidents were found and no other damage.

I thought I should go back and check the crate door, as we had a bit of an issue getting her in.  Basically I ended up with three dogs in the crate instead of one.

Class went well.  I am going to Dog City Training Center, taking their Levels/ Pre-Agility class.  Of course, she doesn’t know her name.

We worked on “leave it”, beginning stages.  We also worked on targeting, which I had been doing at home, we worked on come, but ended up doing more of a click when you catch up with mother.  We also worked on playing tug.  All in all she did well with her first class.

My goals this week is

• teach her, her name
• go into crates on command
• starting on coming
• working on the car sickness

My friends that don’t know beagles keep asking if they are jealous and if they are getting along.   Yes, they are getting along fine, though Maggie has to keep yelling at everyone.

Started out with a session with Dulce – we worked on

• touch – touch my hand
• stand – a behavior she already knows
• table – just getting on it

Macy had a review session of table and box

• table – meaning get on the agility table and down
• box – meaning get on the agility table and down

Took the click and train out and Dulce and I worked on coming and going down the channel weaves.  I’ve got her going the full length.

Let Macy try her turn at the channels, since she was telling Dulce she wasn’t doing it right.

All in all a good session.

Decided to get out my Click and Train remote trainer and widen my channel weaves and see what I would get.

Worked out pretty well.  I am going to get some garden fencing in a little bit, that will make it go a bit faster.

She has learned that the click and train delivers treats. 

She has learned that momma gives you treats when you come to her.

I’m not sure that she knows the poles have anything to do with it.