Talisman & Totem SportDogs

The last few days have reminded me why I love to train my dogs, and even do some trialling...which is not my first love. My Dad always said that as a writer... "keep it simple stupid" meaning, sometimes there is no need for flowery, complicated or over-doing. I took that thought with me this weekend, as I had entered a few trials. I like to have fun and enjoy what I am doing as hobbies...not feel miserable.  It has been months since I competed in agility. Seriously started to wonder if I was losing my love of it...completely. Was looking forward to it, but at the same time had a mental goal, that if I didn't accomplish certain things...that might be it. Maybe forever, or at least a longer break. With C'ura still not ready to go back, from her dogwalk injury, I have missed being able to train her, feel guilty leaving her at home, so we stayed home.   The weekend started with agility, with my girl  Ggrail. We entered four classes, first class was Masters Gamble...

Yesterday and the day before, a breakthrough with my mighty midget! I am just letting her Be, and asking little things of her...taking off pressure completely. I think of how I might be belaboring what isn't happening, on my mental timeline with this one pup, and realize she has no idea there is that criteria of time. I'm not in a rush, no need to get a  pup out there the day they are old enough to compete. Or, push in training if they are showing they need some time. It's a dance, to figure out the balance. The last few days, we have been cutting up the floor! She came along for our long 6 hour R/T trek to Maine for herding lessons, but did not work-she got to see sheep, to swim, just be a puppy and work on long line recalls. Just letting her be a dog, is how I am also approaching creating more reinforcement for her-when she chooses me over environment, which she did several times...big party!  Our fun recalls are coming along, she has a light in her eyes ag...

Let me count the ways... Raising a pup to work as a team-whether for real work or sport, involves shaping many layers of interactive behaviors that are both innate and taught. Temperament is there in every pup, they are born with who they will be, on a basic level. While we can shape behavior, we can not change temperament. Basic drives and instincts in a dog, dictate who they will be.  The pup in front of us, is complicated. Finding what makes them tick, is the key. Some pups don't offer us the keys as easily, we have to count ways to picking the lock!  So as trainers, how do we find and build reinforcers, for a pup? How do we become important? I think that whether you have one dog, or ten-they all teach us to evaluate and re-evaluate in regards to how we do things, and our relationship with a dog. Our relationship with one pup, may be very different than with another-we remain the constant in the relationship. We might change a bit, but after raising a few dogs, we ...

I was thinking about July 4th coming up, and the first thunderstorm season for many of my pups, both here and elsewhere. I know many already know this, but proactively engaging a pup before they react to something either by distracting or redirecting, when something new that could be scary is happening-is better than waiting to see how they might react. Waiting for the reaction to work on something, the pup's emotional state is already reacting/protecting/worrying-their brains are not open to your "help" at that point. TeG who just turned 9 months, saw the ceiling fans moving for the first time this past week-motion control brilliant herding puppy that she is, she swirled under them sure she should control them, her unsure self barking at them. With cathedral ceilings, it probably wooshes that much more, and she is also in a bit of a sound sensitive stage, which is pretty normal for this age.  I am pretty sure I turned them on a few times this past winter-but obvi...

Two years ago today, I lost my Mom. My life changed. Grief becomes bearable as time goes by, anniversaries put it right back into your face, and your eyes. Writing is cathartic-whether about grief, dogs, life, things I love. I write here often, just never hit "publish".  As the world gains instant access to your every move, if you read it on social media it must be true, the world is a marketing machine of me, me, me, Google follows your every keystroke...I have become much more quiet these past two years. I have no patience for drama or falsehoods. There are so many public circuses, I try to stick with my own monkeys.  I do not suffer fools gladly.  When I was 7 years old, I started my first journal. Not really a diary, as my thoughts were more about what happened on a daily basis and why? Already keeping a "farm journal" of the multitudes of creatures in my life. Around the age of 7, was pivotal for me, for our family, our lives changed. When you are hurt ...