I got peer pressured into showing Ruby in April...an hour and some away.
I sent in my entries today and realized that she has the lovely habit of crying in the car.
Hopefully Leah won't want to kill us. :)
This means I have to start practicing again. I entered Rally/Obed both days, so hopefully she'll finish two titles - her RN and CD. I promised her Obed retirement if she cooperates!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Something that irked me today.
Not dog related.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around something I witnessed today. I'll give an account of the situation and see if this makes any sense.
Someone at work that you know is getting married. That person didn't tell too many people, but several people decided that they needed to throw her some kind of celebration. She said no several times to the idea, but it was done anyway, with gifts and cake.
I understand that marriage is a big deal. I know how exciting it is. However, if someone says "no" repeatedly to ideas from others about throwing her a shower, why in the world do you do it anyway?
Is the idea of celebrating something that someone doesn't want to celebrate basically ruin the whole point? Like "Oh hey, you didn't want to make this a big deal, but we're going to make it a big deal because that's what we think it should be?"
I don't know. It's just something that hit me today, and I'm still thinking about it hours later. Ugh.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around something I witnessed today. I'll give an account of the situation and see if this makes any sense.
Someone at work that you know is getting married. That person didn't tell too many people, but several people decided that they needed to throw her some kind of celebration. She said no several times to the idea, but it was done anyway, with gifts and cake.
I understand that marriage is a big deal. I know how exciting it is. However, if someone says "no" repeatedly to ideas from others about throwing her a shower, why in the world do you do it anyway?
Is the idea of celebrating something that someone doesn't want to celebrate basically ruin the whole point? Like "Oh hey, you didn't want to make this a big deal, but we're going to make it a big deal because that's what we think it should be?"
I don't know. It's just something that hit me today, and I'm still thinking about it hours later. Ugh.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Nothing more exciting.....
than helping someone find a GOOD breeder for their first dog!
So....anyone know any good Cavalier breeders??
So....anyone know any good Cavalier breeders??
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Rocket/Ruby - Latest Progress
He turns two this month! He'll supposedly be a big boy then, but I don't think that's going to happen.
We've made some definite progress in terms of his training. I've always put a prong collar on him for safety purposes, but haven't really put it into a whole lot of use while training. I decided to just take it off of him and work on a buckle to see how it goes.
There was no difference. In fact, it may have lowered his work inhibitions a little. Weird! But now I have an excuse to buy him a new collar to train in. :)
New stuff we've been working on:
1. Moving stand
Not bad! It doesn't hurt that he knows what "stand" means...when I give him the command while heeling he freezes into a stand, wonky feet and all. I'm ok with that for now, but will teach him to stabilize himself in the future. He kind of understands the return to heel at the moment, but he's a little unsure.
2. Directed Jumping
We've worked on this a lot with just one jump, but I've introduced them both at the same time. I haven't been asking him to "choose" yet, just showing him two jumps and what signals mean.
3. Broad Jump
I've been doing this with him for ages, but just this week I pushed it to his actual jumping length - 56". He did it successfully twice! so we'll continue to get him comfortable with the leap.
4. Finishes
I haven't done a whole lot with finishes, just teaching the basics. I haven't really taught him a square sit yet either, so that's why I've only been teaching him the movement, not the entire exercise. I want him up and moving when I give him the command, so I've taught him a "touch" to have him jump at the command.
5. Out of Sight Stays
This one is going to be a little rough. On downs he's pretty good. It's when he's sitting up and can watch me go behind him or out of the ring that makes him chatter his feet and twist. I've been using a board to remind him not to move his feet but it's gotten too small. I'll have to use something different.
6. Go Outs
He knows how to go to a designated place. I've been extending the distance necessary to see where his confusion starts.
7. Heeling
Yay! I've been able to get him to understand where his head is. Now I just have to teach him how to sit! We can do it very nicely without starting from a sit. I'll be able to put them together sometime this year.
Ruby has decided her recalls are no longer broken, but her stays may be. D'oh! I think it's a matter of practice and her "old age"....she's getting crankier. We just need one more leg of her CD so I want to get her back in form to finish that up before she goes to straight Rally.
All in all, a lot of good progress lately!
We've made some definite progress in terms of his training. I've always put a prong collar on him for safety purposes, but haven't really put it into a whole lot of use while training. I decided to just take it off of him and work on a buckle to see how it goes.
There was no difference. In fact, it may have lowered his work inhibitions a little. Weird! But now I have an excuse to buy him a new collar to train in. :)
New stuff we've been working on:
1. Moving stand
Not bad! It doesn't hurt that he knows what "stand" means...when I give him the command while heeling he freezes into a stand, wonky feet and all. I'm ok with that for now, but will teach him to stabilize himself in the future. He kind of understands the return to heel at the moment, but he's a little unsure.
2. Directed Jumping
We've worked on this a lot with just one jump, but I've introduced them both at the same time. I haven't been asking him to "choose" yet, just showing him two jumps and what signals mean.
3. Broad Jump
I've been doing this with him for ages, but just this week I pushed it to his actual jumping length - 56". He did it successfully twice! so we'll continue to get him comfortable with the leap.
4. Finishes
I haven't done a whole lot with finishes, just teaching the basics. I haven't really taught him a square sit yet either, so that's why I've only been teaching him the movement, not the entire exercise. I want him up and moving when I give him the command, so I've taught him a "touch" to have him jump at the command.
5. Out of Sight Stays
This one is going to be a little rough. On downs he's pretty good. It's when he's sitting up and can watch me go behind him or out of the ring that makes him chatter his feet and twist. I've been using a board to remind him not to move his feet but it's gotten too small. I'll have to use something different.
6. Go Outs
He knows how to go to a designated place. I've been extending the distance necessary to see where his confusion starts.
7. Heeling
Yay! I've been able to get him to understand where his head is. Now I just have to teach him how to sit! We can do it very nicely without starting from a sit. I'll be able to put them together sometime this year.
Ruby has decided her recalls are no longer broken, but her stays may be. D'oh! I think it's a matter of practice and her "old age"....she's getting crankier. We just need one more leg of her CD so I want to get her back in form to finish that up before she goes to straight Rally.
All in all, a lot of good progress lately!
Bad things come in.....6s?
I've been a very, very bad blogger. But I have an excuse!
I gave my computer to a friend to update. He plugged it in at his house, ran a preliminary program, restarted it, and it died. I had to order a new power source, which isn't a big deal. What is a big deal, though, is that my computer is "rare." So, on the entire interwebs, there were only two places to find the part. I did get a small break, though, because it was half off at one site. Almost 3 weeks later, I've got a working computer again!
That was the beginning of the end.
A few days later, the alternator on my husband's truck goes out, leaving him stranded a few times, usually late at night after I've gone to bed.
Another day or two later, I'm driving home from the club and smell burning, and a huge white cloud is following me down the road. The station has a cracked head gasket.
We borrowed Grandpa's truck for Jeremy to drive while he waited to get his part for his truck. He drives it one day, and I go out in the morning to borrow it for work so he can take my Cavalier in for an oil change. Overnight, the front right tire has gone flat...all the way to the rim. Yep, tire had a crack in it.
Finally, for broken item #5 - my washer goes out last Friday night while I'm cleaning so we can leave for the weekend. I had to go purchase a new washer that night so it could be delivered this week.
#6 is currently an unknown....I'm crossing my fingers that nothing else decides to go wrong!
I gave my computer to a friend to update. He plugged it in at his house, ran a preliminary program, restarted it, and it died. I had to order a new power source, which isn't a big deal. What is a big deal, though, is that my computer is "rare." So, on the entire interwebs, there were only two places to find the part. I did get a small break, though, because it was half off at one site. Almost 3 weeks later, I've got a working computer again!
That was the beginning of the end.
A few days later, the alternator on my husband's truck goes out, leaving him stranded a few times, usually late at night after I've gone to bed.
Another day or two later, I'm driving home from the club and smell burning, and a huge white cloud is following me down the road. The station has a cracked head gasket.
We borrowed Grandpa's truck for Jeremy to drive while he waited to get his part for his truck. He drives it one day, and I go out in the morning to borrow it for work so he can take my Cavalier in for an oil change. Overnight, the front right tire has gone flat...all the way to the rim. Yep, tire had a crack in it.
Finally, for broken item #5 - my washer goes out last Friday night while I'm cleaning so we can leave for the weekend. I had to go purchase a new washer that night so it could be delivered this week.
#6 is currently an unknown....I'm crossing my fingers that nothing else decides to go wrong!
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