Alright folks...we are back in business!!!!
I'm going to be posting on our training activities and lessons we are working through...super excited to get back to blogging about our adventures...since last we met we have moved to a house in the country...Juane is 3...Reyna turns 8 in March and Feather is 5...the human kids are 8, 6, and 3!!! super fun!!! but stick around....I am revamping the blog and getting back online! AND I just realized that I posted almost two year ago that I was planning on trying to get Reyna's NW3....well we got it!!! 1st try straight out of the gate and I decided it was time to retire Reyna from competing....she is happier working just me and her....the trials were all about me wanting the titles and she had given me her heart and soul - she never once false alerted in her entire 3 year career, she never missed a hide in any ORT or trial and she gave me a first place overall in her NW1, and element placements in each trial including a mind blowing 1st place container search in her NW2 that had the judges laughing, and even when I doubted her in her NW3 she remained honest and refused to alert on odor that wasn't there - she pushed through all her reactivity and environmental concerns for me, it was time for me to give back!
~Elizabeth and the gang!
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Baby Dogs and Baby Babies: A day in the life
Found this draft post from almost two years ago....hard to believe how far we have come!!!!! this was from the first few days with Jaune....here is our journal after his first month I need to do a new one for now that we have William added in!
So now that Jaune has been with us for four days and he is pretty fully integrated into the family what do our days look like?
6am - Jaune wakes up and I take him and Reyna out for morning potty break. They are allowed about 15minutes to romp and explore the yard together provided both of them respect the other. The very gradual introductions means that they have slowly gotten used to each other's play style and each is learning to trust the other. Jaune is learning to trust that when Reyna moves quickly she is not going to stomp him, and Reyna is learning to trust that when she has had enough puppy bites Jaune will respect her body language and check himself. If either one looks like they will break that contract I am nearby with high value treats to call them for sits and downs.
6:15 - Breakfast on mats for both dogs, husband let's cat out of her crate for breakfast while dogs are occupied...Jaune and Feather are getting along great, but it is harder for him to disengage from her than from Reyna so we monitor their interactions even closer to pick him up if he gets locked in.
6:30 - The kids get up, Feather goes outside, Reyna goes into her crate or onto the porch so we can turn our attention to getting ready for the day and making breakfast etc without so many furry variables in the mix. Jaune gets lots of kibble bits for sitting calmly during human breakfast prep and kids running back and forth down the hall to get dressed
7am - Potty break for Jaune, I leave for work
7am-5:30pm - Norm goes about his daily life, if the kids are calm and listening well both the dogs get to roam the gated section of the house or be outside with the family, if the kids are a little wild Reyna is separated out on the screened porch or her crate in my room, and Feather stays outside, if the kids are insane both dogs are in their crates. The day consists of indoor chores/play, outdoor chores/play, errand running giving. Jaune a chance to practice being crated while we leave for short period, naps for everybody and all broken up by regular puppy potty trips. The kids have learned that if Jaune goes for their ankles they should stand still and cross their arms, if he doesn't let go they should call for help. They are always supervised 100% of the times with Jaune, but you never know and we don't want them to panic.
5:30pm - Reyna and Jaune eat dinner as part of calm mat training
5:30-7:30pm - Depending on the energy level of the house Reyna is out and everybody is randomly rewarded for calm behavior, but we always have crates to fall back on if we need some peace.
7:30 - One parent gets kids ready for bed, other parent takes both dogs out for some training and play
8:00 - Reyna gets to go for a walk without the puppy
8:30-10pm - Jaune gets lots of play and chew toys and potty breaks. Reyna is generally in her crate during this period.
10pm - Jaune in his crate for the night after a final potty break and. Reyna is out, she will usually sleep in her crate anyway, but she has earned the right be loose in the house
During this whole time Jaune is learning the rules of house, he is rewarded for sitting for petting, for not chasing children, sitting to go out, sitting to come in, laying down quietly in general, ignoring the cat, coming when called, staying out of the playroom, pottying outside, going in his crate on his own etc. qWe are not using any cues yet, just capturing offered behaviors so they become defaults, he has his whole life to learn shaped behaviors.
If you haven't noticed there is still a lot of management going on, this is having a puppy two kids (soon to be three and an older dog who can get grumpy...welcome to our new world :)
So now that Jaune has been with us for four days and he is pretty fully integrated into the family what do our days look like?
6am - Jaune wakes up and I take him and Reyna out for morning potty break. They are allowed about 15minutes to romp and explore the yard together provided both of them respect the other. The very gradual introductions means that they have slowly gotten used to each other's play style and each is learning to trust the other. Jaune is learning to trust that when Reyna moves quickly she is not going to stomp him, and Reyna is learning to trust that when she has had enough puppy bites Jaune will respect her body language and check himself. If either one looks like they will break that contract I am nearby with high value treats to call them for sits and downs.
6:15 - Breakfast on mats for both dogs, husband let's cat out of her crate for breakfast while dogs are occupied...Jaune and Feather are getting along great, but it is harder for him to disengage from her than from Reyna so we monitor their interactions even closer to pick him up if he gets locked in.
6:30 - The kids get up, Feather goes outside, Reyna goes into her crate or onto the porch so we can turn our attention to getting ready for the day and making breakfast etc without so many furry variables in the mix. Jaune gets lots of kibble bits for sitting calmly during human breakfast prep and kids running back and forth down the hall to get dressed
7am - Potty break for Jaune, I leave for work
7am-5:30pm - Norm goes about his daily life, if the kids are calm and listening well both the dogs get to roam the gated section of the house or be outside with the family, if the kids are a little wild Reyna is separated out on the screened porch or her crate in my room, and Feather stays outside, if the kids are insane both dogs are in their crates. The day consists of indoor chores/play, outdoor chores/play, errand running giving. Jaune a chance to practice being crated while we leave for short period, naps for everybody and all broken up by regular puppy potty trips. The kids have learned that if Jaune goes for their ankles they should stand still and cross their arms, if he doesn't let go they should call for help. They are always supervised 100% of the times with Jaune, but you never know and we don't want them to panic.
5:30pm - Reyna and Jaune eat dinner as part of calm mat training
5:30-7:30pm - Depending on the energy level of the house Reyna is out and everybody is randomly rewarded for calm behavior, but we always have crates to fall back on if we need some peace.
7:30 - One parent gets kids ready for bed, other parent takes both dogs out for some training and play
8:00 - Reyna gets to go for a walk without the puppy
8:30-10pm - Jaune gets lots of play and chew toys and potty breaks. Reyna is generally in her crate during this period.
10pm - Jaune in his crate for the night after a final potty break and. Reyna is out, she will usually sleep in her crate anyway, but she has earned the right be loose in the house
During this whole time Jaune is learning the rules of house, he is rewarded for sitting for petting, for not chasing children, sitting to go out, sitting to come in, laying down quietly in general, ignoring the cat, coming when called, staying out of the playroom, pottying outside, going in his crate on his own etc. qWe are not using any cues yet, just capturing offered behaviors so they become defaults, he has his whole life to learn shaped behaviors.
If you haven't noticed there is still a lot of management going on, this is having a puppy two kids (soon to be three and an older dog who can get grumpy...welcome to our new world :)
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
New K9 Nosework Kit!!!!
Hurray...Just finished building our new scent kit for Nosework! In case you are wondering....
I buy the oils straight off Amazon and have been very happy with them for the past 4 years. I use Nature's Kiss brand, but I think as long as you get the scientific name right off the NACSW website and it's 100% pure you should be fine. I liked that brand because when you take the top off the jar has a built in dropper on it. I have not had to replace vials of oils!
Tins and q-tips and containers were a different story, they were everywhere...it was time to take my pile of glass baby food jars, re-purposed mason jars, and jam jars and revamp my whole collection.
I have a toddler so I got rid of the rare earth magnets and switched to quake hold putty (also from Amazon)...it's not as convenient on metal items as the magnets were, but I feel safer not having rare earth magnets in the tins, and now I can stick hides to just about anything!
I bought new jars...the baby food jars worked great, but I wanted a uniform look and plastic instead of glass. Glass holds odor better, but the plastic doesn't shatter when my toddler gets a hold of it and throws it (he's REALLY fast!!!).
Next came the hides themselves...I prefer the slide tins the best, the are slim and don't need holes punched in them, but sometimes a lip balm tube really is better so I bought 4 of each of these:
Slide Tins
Lip Balm Tubes
I just saw the lip balm tubes also come in oval....super cool! I probably would have gone with those if they had had them at the time....oh well, they're cheap if I decide to replace them :)
I love the Elements website because it's super cheap, shipping is very fast and reasonable priced, but mostly they have NO minimums of any order...I could literally order one slide tin if I wanted and it gets to the Atlanta area in 2 days! They are my only source for containers....can't say enough about how happy I am with their company!
Then lastly I bought waterproof labels...again Elements! No minimum I don't have to buy a whole pack of labels just one sheet. You probably already have these at home.
Now what to store it all in???
Enter the Pelican Case $29 on sale and absolutely awesome. I was able to customize the inserts however I wanted and it fits everything...three odor vials, three jars of q-tips and straws, 4 lip balm containers (1 for each odor and 1 for a combo) 4 slide tins (1 for each odor and 1 combo) and a slot for the quakehold (still wrapped in paper of course.
Here is the finished product...
I've been using it for a few weeks now and cannot tell you how much I am enjoying it. When William gets older I may switch back to glass jars and put magnets back in the tins, but I will still keep the quakehold regardless...awesome stuff and completely reusable. Now I just grab and go and I have set up to 5 search areas and never have to stop and sniff the tins to get them back in the correct jar anymore!!!!
I buy the oils straight off Amazon and have been very happy with them for the past 4 years. I use Nature's Kiss brand, but I think as long as you get the scientific name right off the NACSW website and it's 100% pure you should be fine. I liked that brand because when you take the top off the jar has a built in dropper on it. I have not had to replace vials of oils!
Tins and q-tips and containers were a different story, they were everywhere...it was time to take my pile of glass baby food jars, re-purposed mason jars, and jam jars and revamp my whole collection.
I have a toddler so I got rid of the rare earth magnets and switched to quake hold putty (also from Amazon)...it's not as convenient on metal items as the magnets were, but I feel safer not having rare earth magnets in the tins, and now I can stick hides to just about anything!
I bought new jars...the baby food jars worked great, but I wanted a uniform look and plastic instead of glass. Glass holds odor better, but the plastic doesn't shatter when my toddler gets a hold of it and throws it (he's REALLY fast!!!).
Next came the hides themselves...I prefer the slide tins the best, the are slim and don't need holes punched in them, but sometimes a lip balm tube really is better so I bought 4 of each of these:
Slide Tins
Lip Balm Tubes
I just saw the lip balm tubes also come in oval....super cool! I probably would have gone with those if they had had them at the time....oh well, they're cheap if I decide to replace them :)
I love the Elements website because it's super cheap, shipping is very fast and reasonable priced, but mostly they have NO minimums of any order...I could literally order one slide tin if I wanted and it gets to the Atlanta area in 2 days! They are my only source for containers....can't say enough about how happy I am with their company!
Then lastly I bought waterproof labels...again Elements! No minimum I don't have to buy a whole pack of labels just one sheet. You probably already have these at home.
Now what to store it all in???
Enter the Pelican Case $29 on sale and absolutely awesome. I was able to customize the inserts however I wanted and it fits everything...three odor vials, three jars of q-tips and straws, 4 lip balm containers (1 for each odor and 1 for a combo) 4 slide tins (1 for each odor and 1 combo) and a slot for the quakehold (still wrapped in paper of course.
Here is the finished product...
I've been using it for a few weeks now and cannot tell you how much I am enjoying it. When William gets older I may switch back to glass jars and put magnets back in the tins, but I will still keep the quakehold regardless...awesome stuff and completely reusable. Now I just grab and go and I have set up to 5 search areas and never have to stop and sniff the tins to get them back in the correct jar anymore!!!!
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Canicross with Reyna and Jaune
In case you ever wanted to know what it feels like to run canicross with a two dog team here ya go...it's actually a pretty realistic representation of what it looks like to watch the ground in front of you so you don't face plant while simultaneously trying to watch the trail ahead so you can predict the dogs movements and watch the dogs themselves for any sudden movements, it's a BLAST! This was taken about 1.5 miles into the run, a video would not have possible any earlier as they stay pretty amped for about the first mile.
Reyna has been running canicross for about 3.5years now and Jaune is just learning the ropes, he's only been out a handful of times but he's learning fast. Right now Reyna keeps tension on the line about 95-99% of the time, Jaune is at about 60-70% but getting better with each run!
Embedded videos aren't working right now so here is the link, watch at your own risk...
Canicross Fun
It's hard to believe our little puppy used to be THIS BIG
Reyna has been running canicross for about 3.5years now and Jaune is just learning the ropes, he's only been out a handful of times but he's learning fast. Right now Reyna keeps tension on the line about 95-99% of the time, Jaune is at about 60-70% but getting better with each run!
Embedded videos aren't working right now so here is the link, watch at your own risk...
Canicross Fun
It's hard to believe our little puppy used to be THIS BIG
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Stay and Handling Class
We are signed up for two classes with the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy at the bronze level so I'll be tracking progress here so I can keep up.
The handling class (Cooperative Canine Care) is so I can get better at Jaune's and Reyna grooming and handling. Reyna tolerates just about anything because she is so submissive, but Jaune is quick to tell you how he feels about things, and is very touchy about his ticklish feet. We have worked with him his whole life but he's still not a fan. And even though Reyna tolerates it I feel like she deserves some training too in order to reduce stress especially as she is now middle aged and could start seeing more of the vet as she ages.
Here is Jaune's baseline video. As you can tell from his body language feet and tail are the worst. He is better about being handled lying down since that's how we've always done most of our grooming, but for vet examines he will need to be comfortable standing up so that's what we'll be working on.
The other class we are starting is Sensational Stays. Both are dovetailing well this first week with lots of self control exercises and cuing when the dog should stay in place and I will bring the treat to him and when he should move to get the treat.
It was a bit jumbled at first, but by the second session Jaune and I are both getting better at "Good" - Stay put and I'll bring the treat to you, "Yes" - Come get the treat, "Get It" - Get the treat from out there somewhere. It was more difficult than I originally anticipated at first but we are starting to get the hang of it. Reyna is actually struggling more than I thought, but I've been taking Jaune with me on errands the past few days and she tends to get cranky and jealous when I do that.
No vids from those classes yet, so to tide you over, here is David's first attempt at helping me video. These were blind hides and I didn't know how many were out there. They weren't supposed to be but David forgot where he put them and how many he put out!
The handling class (Cooperative Canine Care) is so I can get better at Jaune's and Reyna grooming and handling. Reyna tolerates just about anything because she is so submissive, but Jaune is quick to tell you how he feels about things, and is very touchy about his ticklish feet. We have worked with him his whole life but he's still not a fan. And even though Reyna tolerates it I feel like she deserves some training too in order to reduce stress especially as she is now middle aged and could start seeing more of the vet as she ages.
Here is Jaune's baseline video. As you can tell from his body language feet and tail are the worst. He is better about being handled lying down since that's how we've always done most of our grooming, but for vet examines he will need to be comfortable standing up so that's what we'll be working on.
The other class we are starting is Sensational Stays. Both are dovetailing well this first week with lots of self control exercises and cuing when the dog should stay in place and I will bring the treat to him and when he should move to get the treat.
It was a bit jumbled at first, but by the second session Jaune and I are both getting better at "Good" - Stay put and I'll bring the treat to you, "Yes" - Come get the treat, "Get It" - Get the treat from out there somewhere. It was more difficult than I originally anticipated at first but we are starting to get the hang of it. Reyna is actually struggling more than I thought, but I've been taking Jaune with me on errands the past few days and she tends to get cranky and jealous when I do that.
No vids from those classes yet, so to tide you over, here is David's first attempt at helping me video. These were blind hides and I didn't know how many were out there. They weren't supposed to be but David forgot where he put them and how many he put out!
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Plans for the Spring
Well I have some old puppy videos of Jaune I need to get around to posting so those will be showing up randomly, and also we will be working on some handling training from an online class and some stay training also from an online class both at the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. In addition we will be working through some homework assignments from a NW class we took and fell behind in. I hope to enter Reyna in an NW3 in April and maybe finish her Rally Novice maybe, while also getting Jaune his ORTs knocked out as soon as possible and building his competition foundation for rally and obedience.
Also I'll post some canicross videos as soon as our new tripod gets here...it's even more fun with two dogs!!!
That's our plans for the spring and summer, what are yours?
Also I'll post some canicross videos as soon as our new tripod gets here...it's even more fun with two dogs!!!
That's our plans for the spring and summer, what are yours?
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Back at long last....
Well the furry baby is 20 months old and the cuter one is 15 months old...
Hard to believe how fast they grow!!...time to get back to training!
Nose work, Obedience and Rally. Time to prep Reyna for NW3 and Jaune for Rally and Obedience. I'll be working through some NW3 prep homework and Obedience fundamentals and levels training with Jaune. Jaune has absolutely zero foundation, none zilch nada...I've been too busy with work three kids and trying to help my husband from going insane in this circus of a house! They only look peaceful in the picture!
Hard to believe how fast they grow!!...time to get back to training!
Nose work, Obedience and Rally. Time to prep Reyna for NW3 and Jaune for Rally and Obedience. I'll be working through some NW3 prep homework and Obedience fundamentals and levels training with Jaune. Jaune has absolutely zero foundation, none zilch nada...I've been too busy with work three kids and trying to help my husband from going insane in this circus of a house! They only look peaceful in the picture!
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