Category: Blog

I started out clicking whenever she touched the hand that didn’t have food.  I did a quick short session at the breeder’s == and oddly what she does to teach her dogs for the conformation ring  is very similar, but no clicker is involved.

We’ve done two more sessions since we got home, and I added the cue “touch” with the last session.  I also started clicking for all four paws on the floor.

She is a very sweet dog.  I realize now how I teach separation anxiety – she started fussing in her crate this morning and I reinforced it by talking to her.  Whoops.  Of course, the other girls will probably teach her too.

She is entertaining herself right now, by killing stuffed animals and already did some degutting.

Here are the breeder's photos (I hope she doesn't mind – I took them off the website — if she does, I'll take them down).

We've got a new beagle living here.  On trial (yeah, right)…

Her breeder's page is at http://www.tesorosbeagles.com/Now%20Showing.htm and she's about half way down.

She isn't as flashy as Macy, and she isn't as out going.  Yet.  But she's a really nice girl and took first puppy at her first show. 

I'll have a video up with our first encounter.

I've already got her hand touching with the clicker, and fed her most of her first meal that way.  Right now, she's exploring the house.  And yes, she just came in from peeing.

I've got a crate in the dog room set up for her, and have a crate for her in the living room and a crate ready to go upstairs. 

I did get to see Macy's half brother and sisters.  They were really nice, but I realized when I was holding them and the litter Mildred had, that

a) I didn't want anything that small

b) I wanted something that was ready to work on now, and could blend into our family better.

She's old enough she can stay in a crate all day and I don't have to make day care arrangements.

Her call name is Cookie, but I don't think that is going to work well for an agility dog.  So far, I'm thinking Sweetie or Dulce.  I don't like the other words for cookie (spanish, french, etc).

Just ran across a CNN story about the babies that survived the Okalahoma City bombing.  Patty, UCDX Weaver’s Peppermint Patty, UD was a therapy dog and she worked with Brandon when he was in Dallas at a children’s rehab center.  It is so wonderful to see that he is doing much better than was projected.

Don’t know how he felt, but she really enjoyed being with him.  She always liked children the best.  Probably because they couldn’t throw her as far (okay, only one patient threw her and it wasn’t hard).

Since our next trial is 3 weeks away, I’m working on our table skills – besides, it’s easier to keep a table in the living room than a teeter … 

Hotel reservations are made (and paid for), food is ordered, sub is requested and paperwork to be out is submitted. 

I really want to get the new puppy!  I have already asked the breeder if I can come and play with puppies and she said maybe in two weekends.  They won’t be ready to come home yet, even if I get one out of the first litter.  Probably too young to know which are show quality, though the breeder is good!

I need to figure out how I am going to keep the puppy when it is too young to be in a crate all day.

Options include day boarding at a vet, day boarding at a doggy day care or fixing up something in the house or the yard.  Haven’t decided.

I was thinking of going and getting my puppy memorial weekend — we have to work through June 4 but we typically have shorter days and longer lunches.  I was hoping to go home at lunch to deal with puppy, but we've got two training days that will start at 2:00 pm and last until 6:00 pm, and I think those days may be ending up to be too long.

Guess I'm going to have to wait until the afternoon of June 4.

Oh well…..

My husband’s dog, a rescue, is definitely not housebroken, which gives me problems with Macy and will also give me problems with the puppy.

We also have a very open floor plan which doesn’t help much in housebreaking.  There are lots of places the dogs can go even when supervised.

Last summer I made some extra money and bought some really nice pet gates.  I also took a part an ex-pen and made barriers with it.  Unfortunately Maggie is determined and knocks the barriers aside, but at least we try.

I have also finally convinced my husband that Maggie needs to be either crated, or left in the dog room.  I prefer crated as she has gotten through the fence before during a thunderstorm and I am afraid that Macy might go with her.  Puppy is even worse.  We’ll have to close the dog run when the puppy comes as there are some places small enough for puppy to get to and we won’t be able to get to her, or she’ll be out of the fence.

I’ve just barriered off the last area that is a problem.  I am also going to focus on litter box training everyone, since I have one upstairs and it could solve some of the problems.

However, I think our best option is to put Maggie down, get new carpets and subfloors, and start completely over but I’m not sure that is an option either.

Maggie is definitely a dirty dog.   I’ve seen her lay down in places she just peed in, though she does do a good job in the crate these days.  Both dogs pee in the dog room, but at least it is slate and easy to clean.  I keep housebreaking pads there.

My aunt, who also runs in agility (and is just a few years older), talked me into reading Dogged Pursuit.

Don’t much like the narrator at this point (I’m on Chapter 11, and he just had his first Q).  He is not much of a good sport, and in fact doesn’t seem much like anyone I’d like to be around.

One of the things I like about dog sports are the people.  My beagles have always had their own fan clubs, and Macy is no exception – though she was put on earth expecting a fan club. 

Interesting reading and I keep hoping the guy will turn into a decent human being.

Oh, and reading it on the Kindle for PC.  I’ll have to get a hot tub proof PC soon.

Dogged Pursuit: How a Rescue Dog Rescued Me