Well, no agility last Thursday since there was a GLKC meeting. We reviewed the rules. It was very informative - since I hadn't gotten thru reading them myself yet!
I rented the arena w/Amanda and Skeeter on Saturday. I worked primarily on jumping from one to another, going PAST the contact obstacles. She did remarkably well. She's such a good girl. :)
We are under a blizzard warning tonight. I sure hope it'll clear by this Thursday!
addendum 3.12.07
what a blizzard it was! had to have guys w/4wheel drive trucks come to pick me up and bring me to work for days and days. Then I got sick. Then I got better. Then I got sick again. Poor Waste' was sweet and cuddly when I was down and out.
Then I got sick again and went to the doctor and asked her to 'fix me'. I was so tired of being sick!
In the meantime we did work with Carrie a few times. We tried to introduce the teeter and she got scared to death. Now she does not even want to go up on the dogwalk. Carrie said she has some tricks up her sleeve, but we will avoid contact obstacles until we work together again. I'm renting the ring tonight and we'll work on our weaves and jumps.
2.12.2007
1.30.2007
Tuesday, January thirtieth
It's cold. We are finally experiencing winter. I get off work when it's dark so we can't work outside on our equipment. Poor Waste' is bouncing off the walls.
We started our 'private lessons' last week and worked on some handling techniques. Damn. Once I get it, I'll remember it, but for now I feel like SUCH a clutz! She gets it now. She watches me so closely I have to be very careful my body language points her in the right direction!
No class this week - there is an agility match at the club this weekend. We will resume next week.
I've been busy adding video to this site as you can tell. I would like to find a template that would put my text posts in the right, narrow column and the videos in the wider, left column. I don't like that you have to scroll down to find the posts. I thought about putting the videos in the right column w/smaller windows, but nah. Don't like it. So, if anyone has any suggestions - Lauren, maybe? I sure would appreciate it. -edit- I think I found a template to suit my needs. Again, please comment and send me your feedback!
On a sadder note, Barbaro died yesterday. What a great, game horse in so many ways. New Bolton is awesome in their efforts to save his life. The racing industry will have to search long and hard to find another like him.
We started our 'private lessons' last week and worked on some handling techniques. Damn. Once I get it, I'll remember it, but for now I feel like SUCH a clutz! She gets it now. She watches me so closely I have to be very careful my body language points her in the right direction!
No class this week - there is an agility match at the club this weekend. We will resume next week.
I've been busy adding video to this site as you can tell. I would like to find a template that would put my text posts in the right, narrow column and the videos in the wider, left column. I don't like that you have to scroll down to find the posts. I thought about putting the videos in the right column w/smaller windows, but nah. Don't like it. So, if anyone has any suggestions - Lauren, maybe? I sure would appreciate it. -edit- I think I found a template to suit my needs. Again, please comment and send me your feedback!
On a sadder note, Barbaro died yesterday. What a great, game horse in so many ways. New Bolton is awesome in their efforts to save his life. The racing industry will have to search long and hard to find another like him.
1.15.2007
Agility week 2
Well, we really didn't have a week 2 yet.
Our GLKC dinner was that night and most of us didn't really want to go to that instead.
So we rented the ring and worked on our own.
The A-frame was way up there and she just flew over it. I worked on slowing her down a bit on
the downside so she did not miss her contact point. Then we worked on the weave poles about 6" spread. She flew thru those as well. Then we tried another set of poles that angle left and right. HOLY COW! She really loved those. We also worked on the table and angling jumps and
following the 'all-mighty finger'. She's doing pretty good with those as well.
Now they want to change the time to 6:30. Since I work until 6pm that just is not going to
work. I emailed Christie and she has been wonderful in offering options. I think what we're going to end up doing is meeting with Carrie at 7:30 and work for half-hour increments just one on one... oooooooooooooooooo private lessons!! One just can't complain about that. When Carrie gets back from Florida we'll iron out the details.
This week will be another drop-in with no trainer. I like getting the chance to work her indoors since the back yard has now changed to white.
We also have begun to 'get' our next trick... waving. It is oh-so-endearing you just can't help but go awwwwwww.
Our GLKC dinner was that night and most of us didn't really want to go to that instead.
So we rented the ring and worked on our own.
The A-frame was way up there and she just flew over it. I worked on slowing her down a bit on
the downside so she did not miss her contact point. Then we worked on the weave poles about 6" spread. She flew thru those as well. Then we tried another set of poles that angle left and right. HOLY COW! She really loved those. We also worked on the table and angling jumps and
following the 'all-mighty finger'. She's doing pretty good with those as well.
Now they want to change the time to 6:30. Since I work until 6pm that just is not going to
work. I emailed Christie and she has been wonderful in offering options. I think what we're going to end up doing is meeting with Carrie at 7:30 and work for half-hour increments just one on one... oooooooooooooooooo private lessons!! One just can't complain about that. When Carrie gets back from Florida we'll iron out the details.
This week will be another drop-in with no trainer. I like getting the chance to work her indoors since the back yard has now changed to white.
We also have begun to 'get' our next trick... waving. It is oh-so-endearing you just can't help but go awwwwwww.
1.05.2007
week one - advanced beginner agility
Last night was our first night in advanced beginner agility. Waste' & I are the only 'new' students. Everyone else has been thru this class a time or two before. Carrie, the assistant in our last class is the assistant in this class - she's the one who finally got us over the a-frame freeze. So, it's nice to have a familiar face to work with.
We split into 2 groups. One was most of the returning dogs and mine was made up of us and a chihuahua - oh i forget her name. They put her with us because she does not like to do anything at full height and his having huge issues with the weave poles.
So, first we did the training weave poles, spread about 6" apart; no guide wires. At that spread, Waste' just breezed thru... once they are closer, she has a tougher time. Then we did some handling exercises.
1. a circle of obstacles: a verticle, right tunnel, verticle, table. Carrie suggested I drop our leash at the table. Well, she just bounced the table and went for the leash. So, we decided I'd hold my own leash and not leave it as a temptation.
2. using a front cross: verticle to left tunnel - i have to cross in front of her as she is jumping obstacle and change hands, directing her to left entrance of tunnel (this proved very difficult to get thru my head) - to the verticle and bench. She does hit the bench pretty hard; hard enuf to make it skid across the floor. Thank fully this does not seem to spook her at all.
After we finished those exercises we moved over to work w/Christie. She wanted to evaluate Waste' and I on the contact obstacles. We also worked on some new handling techniques. There were 2 verticles on a bending line, leading to a tunnel. Unfortunately, the first verticle also headed us straight to the a-frame set at full height (which we have never done). Well the first technique was to leave the dog in a wait position angled to the first verticle. I am to position myself half way between the 2 verticles, point my left foot at the tunnel and raise my right hand and finger to get her attention. At this point she is to jump v1 towards me and then follow my body language around the bend, putting her in a straight line for the tunnel. If you remember, tho, this also puts her in a close proximity aiming at the a-frame. So what do we do? Yep, you guessed it... over v1, right past me and up over the a-frame, hits the bottom, turns around and back over it. After her 3rd trip over, I caught her. We tried this 2 more times w/the same result. I'm thinking that there is no problem with full height there! Christie finally came up with the great idea to put a gate in front of the a-frame which broke poor Waste's heart, but we did great over the exercise!
So that was it for last night. Next week is the GLKC dinner, so no class and Christie will be out of town on the 18th - we may do a drop in and work on our own that week.
We split into 2 groups. One was most of the returning dogs and mine was made up of us and a chihuahua - oh i forget her name. They put her with us because she does not like to do anything at full height and his having huge issues with the weave poles.
So, first we did the training weave poles, spread about 6" apart; no guide wires. At that spread, Waste' just breezed thru... once they are closer, she has a tougher time. Then we did some handling exercises.
1. a circle of obstacles: a verticle, right tunnel, verticle, table. Carrie suggested I drop our leash at the table. Well, she just bounced the table and went for the leash. So, we decided I'd hold my own leash and not leave it as a temptation.
2. using a front cross: verticle to left tunnel - i have to cross in front of her as she is jumping obstacle and change hands, directing her to left entrance of tunnel (this proved very difficult to get thru my head) - to the verticle and bench. She does hit the bench pretty hard; hard enuf to make it skid across the floor. Thank fully this does not seem to spook her at all.
After we finished those exercises we moved over to work w/Christie. She wanted to evaluate Waste' and I on the contact obstacles. We also worked on some new handling techniques. There were 2 verticles on a bending line, leading to a tunnel. Unfortunately, the first verticle also headed us straight to the a-frame set at full height (which we have never done). Well the first technique was to leave the dog in a wait position angled to the first verticle. I am to position myself half way between the 2 verticles, point my left foot at the tunnel and raise my right hand and finger to get her attention. At this point she is to jump v1 towards me and then follow my body language around the bend, putting her in a straight line for the tunnel. If you remember, tho, this also puts her in a close proximity aiming at the a-frame. So what do we do? Yep, you guessed it... over v1, right past me and up over the a-frame, hits the bottom, turns around and back over it. After her 3rd trip over, I caught her. We tried this 2 more times w/the same result. I'm thinking that there is no problem with full height there!
So that was it for last night. Next week is the GLKC dinner, so no class and Christie will be out of town on the 18th - we may do a drop in and work on our own that week.
1.03.2007
A New Year
Wow. 2007. What a year 2006 was!
My tax check brought me a new cam-corder. I knew I had to purchase and install a firewire in the pc to upload my new videos, but that would have to come later - actually bought it just a month ago! But I have had some fun taking odd videos of assorted antics over this past year.
Dan found a job up here in Lafayette and moved in. This left his mom, Rose, at home. That seemed to trigger a dimentia that we suspected but were not aware of it's severity. According to the doctors, it is not Alzheimers... just a type of 1 minute loop of short term memory. She realized it herself as well. It was a very difficult move, but we found her a home. She is comfortable and well-cared for, if not happy. She truly misses her home, but is not able to care for herself alone.
Then, with all this stress and many years of smoking, Dan had a heart attack in June. After surgery & stints & a very long recovery, he is now doing very well - except for the odd cigarette sneaked in. His bad cholesterol is actually down to 58!!! He is really enjoying working at the Historical Lahr House and the people he works with... (see pic of Scott singing in blog below - that's his boss) I'm so glad that has worked out for him.
Our event season was light. We drove to Theatiki in Bourbonnais, IL in our civvies. The radio had heat warnings issued, telling everyone to stay in their homes with a/c. Where were all our friends? Yep, dressed in wool uniforms, playing with guns. I've got a few videos of that weekend that I will try to post later. Like I said earlier, we were in shorts and tanks. July was too early for Dan to try to stress out in that heat.
Later in the year Waste' and I began and finished our first agility class. Poor Dan was pressed into making pvc jumps for the back yard as well as a shoot and teeter board. In the beginning, the jumps were easy and the contact obstacles scary. She continued to jump off the dog walk and froze half way up the A frame. With much encouragement and treats these are now her favorite things to do. She especially likes to 'pose' for praise on the contact points.
Our next class begins tomorrow. It is at a later time so if we make noise on the teeter board (she LOVES to slam it down), it will not disturb the beginner class in the next arena. Waste' got a new slip/tug lead for Christmas and we cannot wait to try it out!
I did get to visit my folks for a time this past Fall. My dad had some surgery, so we timed it that I would arrive just as he was released. That worked out well. I even had the chance to teach my mother how to gas up the car for herself. This is unbelievable to me as she had driven a truck as a WAC in WWII - but true nonetheless. I have to say that he looked much better when I left than when I arrived. The largest frustration of all of this is the inept communication between the hospital, surgeons and doctors. I will refrain from going into detail. You are welcome.
While I was down there, my mother presented me with a list of computer issues. One was a problematic keyboard. I never addressed that because it never happened during the whole visit. It did reappear after I left, however. I suggested she call Dell. When ordering them a new computer, I opted for Dell because I had heard how great their customer service is. Well, I was wrong! They (my mother and Dell) spent hours on this problem - days even. Dell sent them a new keyboard and mailed me a bill for it. It appears Dell's customer service is yet another who has outsourced to India. My mother is 84 years old and could not understand a word they said. After a couple of months of this she called the magazine 'Smart Computing' and they resoved it within a half-hour. 'Smart Computing' rocks!
So, that brings my life pretty much up-to-date. Will hope to post more photos and videos soon.
Slainte!
My tax check brought me a new cam-corder. I knew I had to purchase and install a firewire in the pc to upload my new videos, but that would have to come later - actually bought it just a month ago! But I have had some fun taking odd videos of assorted antics over this past year.
Dan found a job up here in Lafayette and moved in. This left his mom, Rose, at home. That seemed to trigger a dimentia that we suspected but were not aware of it's severity. According to the doctors, it is not Alzheimers... just a type of 1 minute loop of short term memory. She realized it herself as well. It was a very difficult move, but we found her a home. She is comfortable and well-cared for, if not happy. She truly misses her home, but is not able to care for herself alone.
Then, with all this stress and many years of smoking, Dan had a heart attack in June. After surgery & stints & a very long recovery, he is now doing very well - except for the odd cigarette sneaked in. His bad cholesterol is actually down to 58!!! He is really enjoying working at the Historical Lahr House and the people he works with... (see pic of Scott singing in blog below - that's his boss) I'm so glad that has worked out for him.
Our event season was light. We drove to Theatiki in Bourbonnais, IL in our civvies. The radio had heat warnings issued, telling everyone to stay in their homes with a/c. Where were all our friends? Yep, dressed in wool uniforms, playing with guns. I've got a few videos of that weekend that I will try to post later. Like I said earlier, we were in shorts and tanks. July was too early for Dan to try to stress out in that heat.
Later in the year Waste' and I began and finished our first agility class. Poor Dan was pressed into making pvc jumps for the back yard as well as a shoot and teeter board. In the beginning, the jumps were easy and the contact obstacles scary. She continued to jump off the dog walk and froze half way up the A frame. With much encouragement and treats these are now her favorite things to do. She especially likes to 'pose' for praise on the contact points.
Our next class begins tomorrow. It is at a later time so if we make noise on the teeter board (she LOVES to slam it down), it will not disturb the beginner class in the next arena. Waste' got a new slip/tug lead for Christmas and we cannot wait to try it out!
I did get to visit my folks for a time this past Fall. My dad had some surgery, so we timed it that I would arrive just as he was released. That worked out well. I even had the chance to teach my mother how to gas up the car for herself. This is unbelievable to me as she had driven a truck as a WAC in WWII - but true nonetheless. I have to say that he looked much better when I left than when I arrived. The largest frustration of all of this is the inept communication between the hospital, surgeons and doctors. I will refrain from going into detail. You are welcome.
While I was down there, my mother presented me with a list of computer issues. One was a problematic keyboard. I never addressed that because it never happened during the whole visit. It did reappear after I left, however. I suggested she call Dell. When ordering them a new computer, I opted for Dell because I had heard how great their customer service is. Well, I was wrong! They (my mother and Dell) spent hours on this problem - days even. Dell sent them a new keyboard and mailed me a bill for it. It appears Dell's customer service is yet another who has outsourced to India. My mother is 84 years old and could not understand a word they said. After a couple of months of this she called the magazine 'Smart Computing' and they resoved it within a half-hour. 'Smart Computing' rocks!
So, that brings my life pretty much up-to-date. Will hope to post more photos and videos soon.
Slainte!
10.09.2006
Fall 2006
It's been awhile since I've posted... life has been busy. Waste' & I finished our Rally Obedience with a better understanding of each other and increased enthusiasm for the sport. This fall we started what we really wanted to do...
AGILITY!!
we are 4 weeks in and my dog is just eating this up! tonight she literally ripped away from me just to go ove the A frame... she is such a pistol!
Our re-enactment season is also coming to a close. i got a bunch of great photos at Feast of the Hunter's Moon this past weekend. i'll most them here soon.
so, that is where we are as of 10.9.2006
t.
AGILITY!!
we are 4 weeks in and my dog is just eating this up! tonight she literally ripped away from me just to go ove the A frame... she is such a pistol!
Our re-enactment season is also coming to a close. i got a bunch of great photos at Feast of the Hunter's Moon this past weekend. i'll most them here soon.
so, that is where we are as of 10.9.2006
t.
1.27.2006
Rally Obedience week 2
I just have to brag… she was sooo good last night in class!
Again, to describe this class: it is called Rally Obedience and it is much like Dressage… you go into the arena and perform a set pattern. Instead of memorizing your test, however, there are signs on cones with commands on what to do when u reach them (if only Dressage were so easy!) (not that i am saying this'll be easy, but at least we don't have to memorize the test!)
Well, we worked on very basic signs last night: start, fast pace, normal pace, halt & sit, finish. Well, if anyone did their homework, that would be easy, right? The trainer asked me why she did it sooo well in the pattern, but then so distracted elsewhere?
That's my Waste'!
Our homework is to work on new signs: halt, sit & walk around dog; u turn; 270° turn; halt, sit, down; halt, sit, down & walk around dog; side step;
After the class we were talking about the difference between finish left and finish right. She asked if we knew what that was. Jo jo had one of the best finishes that judges ever saw and they told me that! So, I raised my hand and said we have a pretty good finish left… so, she asked us to demonstrate.
She just nailed it, as she usually does! What a good little girl!
Again, to describe this class: it is called Rally Obedience and it is much like Dressage… you go into the arena and perform a set pattern. Instead of memorizing your test, however, there are signs on cones with commands on what to do when u reach them (if only Dressage were so easy!) (not that i am saying this'll be easy, but at least we don't have to memorize the test!)
Well, we worked on very basic signs last night: start, fast pace, normal pace, halt & sit, finish. Well, if anyone did their homework, that would be easy, right? The trainer asked me why she did it sooo well in the pattern, but then so distracted elsewhere?
That's my Waste'!
Our homework is to work on new signs: halt, sit & walk around dog; u turn; 270° turn; halt, sit, down; halt, sit, down & walk around dog; side step;
After the class we were talking about the difference between finish left and finish right. She asked if we knew what that was. Jo jo had one of the best finishes that judges ever saw and they told me that! So, I raised my hand and said we have a pretty good finish left… so, she asked us to demonstrate.
She just nailed it, as she usually does! What a good little girl!
1.19.2006
RALLY OBEDIENCE CLASS Week 1
Well… there were 22 dogs present… and I have to say that considering all that chaos, she did pretty well on her first rally class. Not excellent… I’ve been working on everything but walking on leash… and boy, did it show! So, now it is back to the homework drawing board and learning how to heel all over again… one of her biggest downfalls is she gets so thirsty half way thru the class that she loses all attention for me… so I need to find a way to port water… maybe a sippy bottle?? I’ll have to experiment… any suggestions??
The trainer is splitting the class 3 ways: 1. returning dogs @ 6pm, 2. beginning dogs @7pm & 3. beginning dogs @ 8pm. We’ll be in the 3rd group – which will come in handy when I work late.
Stay tuned…
1.10.2006
12.25.2005
Dan's new powder horn...
and a book on how to complete it! just like he really NEEDS another project! LOL
12.15.2005
12.14.2005
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