Bad Puppy!

Demon Puppy expressed an opinion about my playing with Spoiled One outside.  I actually saw her take great bites out of the window covering, like a demented furry alligator.  I had played with her just before and (I thought) worn her out.  Apparently, I was wrong.

Oh well, the window coverings sucked anyway.  Sigh. 

Workin' Those Issues

Rather frustrating agility drill in Los Lunas today.  Good, but frustrating, both for Weasel and me.  I accidentally picked the hardest course.  Also, I am spoiled in that usually I camp out in a course by myself while the rest of the group does another course with the instructor.  This time, soon after I hit the course, the rest of the group came over, so I was dealing with Weasel loosing her brain because there are other border collies.  However, it is something we need to work on.  I'm kinda of glad they did come over.  It's just frustrating to actually work on this issue with Weasel.  And Weasel, being the very sensitive and soft dog that she is, picks up on my frustration and shuts down (her version of shutting down is to tune me out completely and loop around the course or go sniff on the sidelines and steal things out of other people's bags.) 

Sigh.

However, we persevered, and I got to see her have bits of success with the other dogs around.

Unfortunately, the course I picked to start on was the most difficult.  As the instructor told me "this isn't even an AKC course"  It was a real course, but USDAA masters level.  The first part of the sequence was through the tire, straight over the A-Frame, over a jump, right and over a jump (not taking the jump in front of her or the dog walk that were soooo tempting) around and a bit of a run to the next jump, turn to the right again for another jump in a loose 270 degree turn (not taking the teeter, which was right there) then back through, by (but not over) the jump she just took to the teeter.

We were kinda doing tire, A-frame, jump, right dogwalk at first, then switched to tire, A-frame, jump, right, jump vrrroooooom past the next jump and me pointing at a jump, straight to the teeter.  It was very, very frustrating, but it was good to work on my skills (or lack there of - I kept catching myself signaling the turn with the wrong hand, facing the wrong direction).  And, we eventually succeeded in that bit of the course.  Then I played frisbee and looked for something easier.  It was somewhat consoling that everyone else had problems with it as well. 

I think oodles of boxwork with jumps will help me, and remembering that Weasel needs a high level of reward and and patience.  And so do I.

Merry Christmas

So cute, except for the decapitation business

The Spoiled One says "PPPPPLLLLLLLBBBBBT!"

Yeah, right.  Why don't you pose all cute with the stupid ribbon?

 'Tis the season, after all.  However, if they're gonna pull this kind of stuff, I think I need to find the dorkiest hats and antlers and dress them all up, next year.

Ordering Food for Raw Fed Dogs

 I just recently discovered that there is a a local group trying to start a raw feeding buyers group.  It's very exciting to me because I spend more on dog food than people food.  Spoiled One is the worst.  Anyway, here is the link:

Local to Albuquerque Raw Feeding Coop


I placed an order through them for chicken quarters and it worked out well, and much cheaper than my other sources.  Just thought I would share, as the more people in the group, the more buying power the group has.   Plus, the more links to the site, the higher the Google rating, and the more people that see it who are looking for it, so, yeah, I put a gratuitous link in my blog.  I'm evil.  Deal with it.   I like cheap(er) dog food.  Plus, I'm sick of getting weird looks from the cashiers at Albertson's when I buy vegetarian this, that, and the other thing, Silk milk equivalent, and then heaps of family pack chicken quarters. 

By the way, yes, it was a practice Saturday.  Spoiled One and Demon Puppy did awesome, blah blah blah.  Weasel's return to me is deteriorating.  She seems out of shape, too - less endurance, fading fast.  I definitely need to work that. ,

Demon Puppy is beginning to enter that "make me" stage - i. e., "You want me to come over there?  Yeah, right.  Make me."

Sigh.

Teenagers are such fun. 

Oh well, she's ridiculously cute, very sweet, and faster than (there was a bad word here).  We'll work on obedience. 

Saturday Practice

The 45 minute drive to Los Lunas is worth it just let the dogs play in that field.   It was a beautiful day for practice.  We all arrived at about the same time, and as soon as the dogs were let out of the car, they joyously raced around that half-acre field.  I love seeing them stretch out and run.  Demon Puppy kept trying to herd Spoiled One, and Weasel stalked Captain unmercifully.  It seemed like every time I looked around, Weasel was so flat on the ground only her mohawk stuck up above the grass, with her eyes fixed on Captain. 

Demon Puppy ran in great arcs out around the other dogs, or tried to cut off Spoiled One and Nacho as they ran about.  That puppy wants sheep so bad.  I love that beautiful outrun.  So far, it doesn't seem to have caused her any tendency to break off and chase the dog in the other lane.  (knock on wood)  She is so easy I feel like I am cheating somehow.  I'm just starting the over and back over a low hurdle (she got it immediately, of course).  I am also trying to keep up with the fetch/switch, and restrained recalls, catching, and making certain other people call her and she responds.

Anyway, one of my teammates made a video of Spoiled One, Weasel, and a dog named Captain's boxturns (or lack there of) yesterday.  I'm happy with Weasel, but Spoiled One is using the prop as a foot rest.  PITA dog.  I'm not really sure what to do with it at this point.  He is ten years old, so I don't want to do a lot of bouncing off the wall kind of stuff.  Maybe I can work on having him sit up and other things to emphasize those back feet.