Friday, February 17, 2012

Freaky Friday and a Recap of the Week that was

This morning, I went downstairs to let the dogs out of their bedroom [laundry] and couldn't find Snoopy! She wasn't in the laundry or the back yard!
I was panicking!
So I sprinted upstairs to get some shoes on so I could go out hunting for her... and there waiting for me in the lounge, was Snoopy!
Naughty girl... she must have somehow fit through the cat door in the middle of the night, and decided to spend the night in the lounge!
Hrmmm!!

On a better note....
Snoopy doesn't know how to fetch, she generally doesn't enjoy playing with dog toys (except for stuffies which she loves to destroy). Our guess is this is because of her upbringing, growing up in a pack and never seeing toys or being played with until she was 20mths old.

I recently discovered Dr Sophia Yin's website and found a blog entry about teaching dogs to fetch, so I decided to give it a try, tho slightly alter it (I don't have a fancy treat feeding machine like she does, and Snoopy didn't know how to pick up a ball!)
A week down the track, I can now roll the ball across the ground and Snoopy will go and get it, and bring it back to my hand! This is HUGE progress from a week ago. She literally wouldn't even put it in her mouth. Last night she was so excited that she had the hang of things.
I'll try to get a wee video sometime over the weekend.

And Snoopy and I had our first agility training for 2012 on Tuesday evening. We've been put in the Elementary A training group, which seems pretty well suited to the level we're at. Snoopy's more onto it than me, I often trip over jumps or Snoopy - need to learn to look where I'm going. Anyway, Tuesday evening, Snoopy was a superstar!
Other than not holding her starting 'waits', she did everything I asked. The waits can easily be worked on. She even did the first 2-on-2-off contact I ever asked of her.
We've got a new trainer for this group, and his methods slightly differ to those previously. That's okay, we'll get there - horses for courses and all that!

Rocky also had his second puppy class with NJ this week. I'm told he was a very good pup too, and the trainer commented on what a quick learner and onto-it pup he is :)

Though... NJ tells me Rocky SAT ON a staffy puppy who was being very naughty. Hmmm!
Rocky got what was coming to him on Wednesday at work with me.... One of my colleagues has a lovely Foxie x English Springer Spaniel by the name of Tilly. Tilly is used to silly young pups, and they get TOLD if they try to push Tilly around. Rocky was being silly, tried to dominate Tilly, Tilly told him off, lay him down, and sat on HIM til he behaved.
I do believe this did him the world of good, as he didn't try any monkey business after that.

All in all, a pretty good week I think!

3 comments:

Sagira said...

Keep up the great work with fetch and agility. Agility is a lot of work. My husband runs Sagira and Bokeh and he sure has to know where to turn, put his shoulders, etc. There is a lot more to it than people realize I think. :)

BODIE said...

Have you tried her on a milking inflation, we've had success with dogs who are not toy or tug or retrieve orientated with them. One year old smelling of milk. NOM. Emily can get you started.

2 dogs + 1 cat + 2 humans said...

Yup we sure have!! To no avail either! :(