I Can't Find Scruffy

I haven't seen Scruffy since last Thursday. I haven't see her body in the road, so I can only assume she's terrorizing somebody else now. I'm pretty sad, I was intent on catching the little beastie. :(

Not a day goes by that I don't see a dog in my neighborhood, running loose. And 9 times out of 10, it's a dog wearing a collar but NO TAGS! What's the point? In this county, it is illegal to have a dog that's not wearing a dog license. Besides that, how am I supposed to return your dog to you? It's all well and good if you have your pet microchipped, but think about it - most pet owners don't have a scanner to detect them. I certainly don't. Put your phone number at the very least on a dog tag, so I can call you to let you know I've got your pooch safe and sound in my backyard.

Merlin's being amazing with our agility training. So far, he's doing *some* work in the backyard. He'll do weave poles, and he'll teeter, and he'll do a jump or two. It's a HUGE improvement from where we were a few weeks ago, when he refused to do anything but the teeter. We even made it through a very boomy fourth of July weekend. He's doing straight-up weave poles consistently, without any problems. I started adding a jump before the poles, since that's a problem I STILL have with Popper, and he's doing marvelously. Now, how he'll perform in class is another issue entirely....

New Flu Vaccination for Dogs

Apparently, there's a doggie flu going around, and it kills about 5% of the dogs it infects. The dogs most at risk are the brachycephalic breeds, like pugs, pekingese, and anything else with a mashed up nose.

There's now a vaccination for it!

Read more at the New York Times.

Scruffy has a friend

Every morning on the way to work, my SO sees Scruffy playing with a yellow lab that's let into their front yard early in the day. He's spotted him three days in a row, and that's about where I look for the dog every day.

Today I packed up my leather gloves, a noose leash, and some stinky bologna. I hunted all over the neighborhood in all his usual haunts - no Scruffy. It's pretty dark out and going to rain, I can only assume he's bunkered down somewhere waiting it out. So I came home empty-handed and a little bit wet, but I did get a nice walk in before I even started work. I imagine I made my neighbors nervous, walking around wearing work gloves, carrying rope, and anxious scanning every house I passed, LOL!

Tomorrow I'm going to get up and leave the house at the same time the SO does, to see if I can catch Scruffy while he's playing with the yellow lab. And of course, I'll do my afternoon scan of the neighborhood to see if I can spot him. I'm thinking of using the corgi as bait, because Scruffy loves to come tearing out of wherever to bark at passing dogs.

Another Scruffy sighting...

On my way to the dentist this morning, I spotted Scruffy having a good sniff about five houses down from mine. Unfortunately, I had to head on to the dentist but noted that he's sticking close to this area.

When my SO got home from work, he told me Scruffy was out and about again, and off we went to capture him. That dog knew exactly what we were doing. We slowly stalked him in our car, and threw some Cheez-its out the window when he laid down in the shade to keep an eye on his. He got up, sniffed those, tossed his little nose up in the air at them, and proceeded to zoom down the sidewalk. I jumped out of the car and gave chase, but he was just a HAIR faster than me, so it seemed pointless to continue to run after him. We followed him around the block, but he went in someone's backyard and escaped into the woods behind it.

So there goes my "run really fast and grab him" approach. I'm too slow.

I think I'd like to sort of herd him towards my house, with my gate open, get him inside, and shut the door. At this point, I think it's the best I could hope for. I really need a few extra people to help shepherd him where I want him to go, though.

I did get close enough to him that I determined he's a poodle mix. As his name implies, he really does need groomed in a bad way.

Catching Scruffy...

Scruffy is this little black ball of matted fur that I occasionally see on my dog walks. He loves to get within a few feet of my dogs and bark ferociously at them, but is smart enough to run for the hills if anyone gets too close. He's been loose in my neighborhood for at least a year.

This past week, he's started hanging out on my street, close to my house, as opposed to a few blocks away. One day I pulled over and tried to nab him, but he took off. I am fairly confident I could overtake him because he's not very fast, but I'll have to make sure I have a blanket with me in case he's bitey.

Until that time, I've come up with a plan that will likely be affected by the millions of loose cats that run rampant in my neighborhood.

Stage 1 - set out food for Scruffy every day and watch closely for Scruffy sightings.

Stage 2 - when Scruffy seems to be coming regularly, open backyard gate at night and put dog food in it.

Stage 3 - either shut gate while Scruffy is inside, or set up the live trap and try to get him that way.

Hopefully, he's not so feral that he's an evil little SOB. He's only about 10# or so, so I wouldn't mind him in the household as it wouldn't make much difference.

World's Ugliest Dog Named

Every year, there is a contest to see who is the ugliest dog. Sometimes it is televised, and I must admit that I do watch it whenever it's on. I just can't help myself. Generally, the competition is overrun with Chinese Crested Hairless dogs, who, because of rather poor breeding, tend to become quite hideous in their older years, losing their teeth, getting clouded eyes, and in general, looking like something you would only want to touch wearing a protective suit while having a chemical bath nearby.

This year's dog isn't even that ugly. Heck, I've had a dog with an underbite and cloudy eyes before.

Do you think he's really worthy of the Ugliest Dog Crown?

My New No Soliciting Sign

I get a lot of unwanted folks knocking on my door all day long. In the spring, it is next to impossible to keep my door open for a breeze, because within ten minutes, someone will come along rapping on it and stir all my dogs into a frenzy. It's annoying!

I do have a no soliciting sign on my door, but I'm writing a new one now -

NO SOLICITING
This includes selling: magazines or subscriptions,
long distance phone service, cable television, satellite
television, religion, meat, or anything else you want to
bother us with. We may open the door for cookies and
candy bars, especially when sold by little kids, because
they are tasty. The candy bars, not the kids.
NO SURVEYS
We are not interested in taking your survey. If you
insist, we will answer every question with "your mom" or
"that's what she said."

Thank you and have a great day!

I doubt it will work though... seems these folks can't read. :(

Mommy and Roo Day

So, once a week, I try to do an activity with just Roofus and I - no other dogs are invited! The other two boys are in agility, so they get to hang out with Mom for a couple hours just by themselves once a week, not to mention all the time we spend practicing. Roofus doesn't really have a "thing," unless there's some special workshop I've signed him up for, so I like to have a time where we just do something enjoyable together without the other dogs.

Today we went to the local park (human park, not dog park). It stormed a lot yesterday, so I figured the creeks might be high enough to swim in for him. Well, they only came up to his chest since he's so large, LOL. But the first creek we went in, he flushed out a mama duck and her dozen or so babies. Roofus has taken herding classes, so I know he's okay with ducks. I let him practice herding (in the water!) for a little bit and then "that'll do," and we went on our way. Mama was getting a bit anxious because her kids were starting to get washed away downstream!

That was pretty much the norm for our time at the park. We'd do a half mile or so, then into another creek... At least half the time there were more ducks (though I did not let him bother baby ducks after his first time), so we practiced our "walk ups" and come with distractions. He did really well, though trying to herd, in a creek, on a 16 ft flexi leash is probably not ideal!

I got him back home, gave him a quickie bath, and he's happily snoozing on my bed now, no doubt dreaming of keeping those ducks all together in one bunch.

Free Shipping till the end of June!

If you visit my Zazzle store, you can get FREE shipping on orders over $25 till the end of June! That's an awesome deal, I love it when I don't have to pay for shipping.

The code is FREESHIPON25 and it expires June 30th 2009.

Start Shopping Now!

The fine print:
To qualify for this free shipping offer, one or more Zazzle products must be purchased with an order subtotal of $25 or more. The coupon code FREESHIPON25 must be entered during checkout to receive the offer. Free shipping offer does not apply skateboards or photo sculptures. The free shipping offer is for standard (or economy if standard is not available) shipping. Shipping offer is for shipping to U.S. addresses only. Shipping charges will apply to oversized orders and orders being shipped on an expedited basis. Offer is valid from June 19, 2009 at 12:01am PT through June 30, 2009 at 11:59pm PT. Your order must be placed during that time to qualify for this special offer. This promotional offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or discount offers. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.

Keep your dog cool!

There was an interesting post on the BRAG group about keeping your dog cool... as canine athletes our little four leggeds tend to heat up very quickly, and heat stroke is never a good thing! Apparently dogs don't cool *quite* the same way as people do. Last night, Popper had agility practice, and I put a couple of things to the test. He absolutely HATES the heat (and the cold, for that matter), and will shut down and refuse to work. He was panting rapidly before we even started doing anything, he is that sensitive to heat.

Firstly, getting your dog wet does help. I took Popper out after every run and just dosed him with a gallon of water, which I rubbed in to make sure it got down in there. I have read that you want to do that right before a run, otherwise it can actually insulate the heat IN and make them hotter.

Secondly, if you get your dog wet, don't stick them somewhere with poor air circulation. If you put your dog in a crate (which we all do at trials) then stick a huge fan right on it. The evaporation of the water is what's going to keep your dog cool. If you just crate them, chances are, you're going to see your dog's temperature rise. Those little crate fans aren't much help - go buy a huge one. They do make large ones that are battery operated or can run on your car's power.

I've also heard good things about those cooling mats, if you can get your dog to lie on it, and those reflective coats/tarps.

On the way home from agility, Popper was soaked, and I turned the air on in my car and directed a vent full blast on him. After a minute or two, he was relaxed, comfortable, and not panting - I, on the other hand, was still hot, sticky, and panting!

And, of course, all my advice comes at a "use at your own risk." Always consult a veterinarian if you are unsure about how to keep your pooch cool in the summer heat and use common sense.

Firefighter Kills His Dogs

Okay, I am one of those people who are firmly into "eye for an eye." I believe murderers should get whatever they did to their victims, done to them. I believe child rapists should be lynched, drawn, and quartered. But today I am absolutely INFURIATED by this story, which sadly takes place in my hometown -

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090625/ap_on_re_us/us_firefighter_dog_deaths_1

Essentially, this guy killed his two mutts because he didn't want to board them while he went on vacation.

And what, you may ask, was his punishment for this completely heinous crime??

90 days in jail. 90 freaking days.

The guy was bragging to folks about how he offed his dogs (tied them to a pipe in the basement and shot them with a silencer) and they're going to let this maniac out in the streets after 90 days.

It's not right.

People like that, who have no regard for life, do not belong in society. Nor should they be a drain on society's resources - in other words, we shouldn't have to pay for Mr. Idiot to sit on his butt in prison while I have to go out and work a 9 to 5. Is he learning his lesson? I doubt it. I also firmly believe that his genes should not be passed on, either. My conclusion? Euthanasia. Now, I'm willing to compromise, don't get me wrong. While it would be pleasant to see this man tied to a pipe in a basement and likewise shot, and tossed in a garbage bin, I am fully willing to settle for less.

Castrate the bastard, tie him to a pole, shoot him in several places that won't kill him, and don't give him pain medication. I think that would be far more effective than a 90 day stint in jail. When he's sufficiently recovered, he can perform supervised volunteer work at an animal shelter. Not to have any contact with the dogs - he can clean out the kennels.

Too bad I'm not a judge.

General Agility Update

Weeeeell.... I took Merlin to my parents' house. Absolutely no problem doing agility there. I'm stumped. Something must have scared him in the backyard one day so that he won't do agility at my house. The only thing I can really think of is the woman next door's grandkids.. Merlin is scared of kids (we're working on it), and her grandkids HANG on our privacy fence and bark at, howl at, and make monster noises at my dogs. I chase them off of there when I see it, but I'm relatively certain the last instance is probably what did it.

If that's truly what it is, it boils my blood. Here I am trying to get this timid little corgi a little more secure and outgoing, and little asshats like that go and blow months of work in a few moments. These are people that do not interact with their dogs at all - no walks, no doggie sports, no trips to the park - they shove them outside each morning regardless of the weather, and let them back in at night and shove them into crates. They are little 20# dogs too.

So for now, we're going to work at my parents' house when possible. One of the guys at BRAG said Merlin and I could come over to work in the building one day in July before our trial, so Merlin could run a course before he has to do it for real. A FABULOUS offer, and idea! So I'm pretty happy about that.

Popper is doing really well in our fun class (and so am I!). I think I understand now what he expects out of me, and I'm trying really hard to provide it. It's just a lot to remember! He wants me to constantly keep moving, I have to let him know at least one obstacle ahead what's coming up next (and position myself appropriately), and keep in mind the little stuff, like if it's too hot for him, and rear crosses into tunnels is still a huge challenge... but we're getting there. The problem with teamwork is we each have our own mind LOL! The hardest part yet for me, though, is where my body position is. I am just not an "aware" person, so it takes a lot of effort for me to try to make it happen. I think that's why I got so frustrated in the handling classes. It's really quite foreign to me to be aware of what every single part of my body is doing at any given point. But I HAVE to get this down, Merlin is far worse than Popper about what a stray hand may be doing, or if I am leaning too far one way... :D

Agility Woes and Yays

So, as you may have read, I'm doing a "fun" dog agility class with Popper this session instead of repeating the handling class we were in. I was having absolutely zero fun, dreaded going to class, and Popper felt my reaction and started being less cooperative and joyful in his runs. I could get maybe one run out of him, and then we were done.

This is our third week in the fun class, which is zero pressure, and after the second week I saw a huge difference. Popper works for me the entire time (although he wouldn't call it work, I'm sure!), and I'm actually sad when class is over. His response to my directions, garbled though they may be, is phenomenal. He's so amazing that I find it hard to believe we've only been doing agility for a year. At our last trial, he only went off and visited during one run instead of both of them. I think before he was getting so stressed (because I was getting so stressed) that he would run off to visit folks. He always comes back, it's just annoying when you're on a speedy course. :) I'm really glad we're taking the class, because there's no point in doing agility if it's not fun.

Merlin is in the "weaves and teeters" class. He could do a full height, ground to ground teeter before even entering the class. I just started him on upright weave poles, too. So passing the class shouldn't be a problem. The problem I am having is, right after we decided he would make his debut at an agility trial in August, he suddenly decided the backyard is an evil place to practice agility in. The inside is fine, but the backyard - no. He'll do the teeter, and anything else is like pulling teeth. He's very intent on agility in class, very aware of my body positions, very eager to do whatever obstacle I tell him to, handles everything like a more seasoned competitor - but in the backyard, he's like a lost little dog that's never seen agility equipment before. I have no idea what happened. I suppose I have to start back at square one to see if I can get anything out of him. I want to pack up some obstacles and take them over to my parents' yard to see if he'll do agility there. The trial is an outdoor one, so I really need him to work outdoors. I'm not expecting much out of him for the trial, being his first one and all, but if I try to run a dog that looks like he's terrified, well, I'll probably get kicked out of the competition. I'll keep updating what's going on with him and our progress...

FDA Suspends Evanger's Dog Food Permit

From the FDA Website:
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/ucm166265.htm

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today it was suspending the temporary Emergency Permit issued to Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Co., Inc.

Evanger's, operating in Wheeling, Illinois, deviated from the prescribed process, equipment, product shipment, and recordkeeping requirements in the production of the company's thermally processed low acid canned food (LACF) products. The deviations in their processes and documentation could result in under-processed pet foods, which can allow the survival and growth of Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum), a bacterium that causes botulism in some animals as well as in humans.

In April 2008, Evanger’s was issued an “Order of Need for Emergency Permit” after the agency determined that the company had failed to meet the regulatory requirements to process a product that does not present a health risk. In June, 2008, FDA issued Evanger’s a temporary Emergency Permit. During inspections conducted between March 2009 and April 2009, FDA determined Evanger’s was not operating in compliance with the mandatory requirements and conditions of the Temporary Emergency Permit.

“The FDA is stopping Evanger's ability to ship pet food in interstate commerce,” said Dr. Bernadette Dunham. “Today’s enforcement action sends a strong message to manufacturers of pet food that we will take whatever action necessary to keep unsafe products from reaching consumers.”

In order for Evanger's to resume shipping in interstate commerce, the company must document that corrective actions and processing procedures have been implemented to ensure that the finished product will not present a health hazard.

Botulism is a powerful toxin that affects the nervous system and can be fatal. The disease has been documented in dogs and cats. Signs of botulism in animals are progressive muscle paralysis, disturbed vision, difficulty in chewing and swallowing, and progressive weakness to the body. Death is usually due to paralysis of the heart or the muscles used in breathing.

While FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is responsible for regulating all human and animal LACF processing, FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine has authority over animal feed and foods. The two centers are collaborating on this enforcement action.


I buy Evanger's canned food on occasion, because my dogs love it and it's a great food. It just goes to show that nothing is safe these days - but I'm awfully glad the FDA is now keeping tabs on all these pet food companies!

There's hope for Merlin yet!

I managed to cajole a little session out of one of the trainers (a HUGE thanks!!) and we've discovered that Merlin will perform like a pro on those teeters - as long as my hand is on his collar. So, like a daddy teaching his kid to ride a bicycle, I'll hold on for now - and then gradually let go and see how he does on his own.

We've started moving the teeter all around the yard to get him used to change (he's not really big on anything being different!) and so far, so good. I kind of wish I had a second teeter, because it would have a different pivot point than my current one, and he'd get the idea that they're all different.

But we're improving, and I'm happy that I've been shown a way for him to succeed.

I haven't decided if I'm going to take him to Popper's class tonight so we can work beforehand... he was just there yesterday and the day before...

Merlin Loses his Mojo

Poor merbutt. :( We started a new dog agility class last night, it's pretty much just weaves and teeters. I started Merlin on the teeter months ago, if you read his blog, because I knew it would take such a long time to teach it to him. And it did. Lots of time, lots of treats, and a heck of a lot of patience. But he's been doing a full 24" teeter ground to ground for about 3 weeks now, fairly confidently too.

When I sent him up on it in class, he ran straight off it before it hit the ground, and then was scared of it. I'm fairly certain it's because he's never done the teeter there, just the dog walk. And if I recall correctly, Popper did the exact same thing first time he did a teeter there too. We worked through it a bit, and at the end, he was much improved, but still not 100% comfortable on it.

So now I have to somehow get his confidence up to do the teeter in class, because he's still fine with ours at home. I'm just bummed we put in all that hard work, several times a day for MONTHS, and then something like that happened. :( I'm not bummed at Merlin. I feel like there's something I could have done different when we did it in class.

Dog Agility Brag!

Yesterday, Popper and I participated in the Wild Weaver's Agility Trial at the BRAG facility. It was very well run and we had a great time!

Popper ran in both Snooker Level 2 and Jumpers Level 1. We've been having issues with "fun" lately, so I was worried about Popper's performance. In our first run, Snooker, Popper had his best run EVER! He was FLYING around those jumps without a problem, not even hesitating at any of my commands. We did have a slight bobble on one weird angle, which was completely my fault because I forgot to swing him out to take it properly. Popper realized what Mom did and corrected for it. :D We got a first place for that run! (I think it may have a lot to do with the fact that I *love* snooker!)

Our second run, Jumpers, Popper did run off to visit twice. But he came back each time, and we still had fun and we still got our Q. Many folks came up afterward to tell us it looked like we were having a blast out there and what a great job we did. I am so extremely proud of Popper I think I could just burst.

We just need Fullhouse and Jackpot to finish off our Level 1 CPE title. Our next CPE trial is at Flashpoint in August.

Startling Discovery

I realized a week or so ago, in light of our recent loss of my beloved Pandora, that Scamp's anniversary of both his birthday and euthanasia have come around, and for the first time, I had forgotten it.

That's not to say I've forgotten Scamp, my childhood Shih Tzu who trooped along to the admirable age of 17 - no, his picture is hung right by my door so I see it every time I leave. His quilt, that I made by hand just for him, that he and only he has ever laid on, is hung over the headboard of my bed. I think about him daily. And here it is, five years later, and I completely forgot two extremely important days in my life.

And I'm thrilled.

I take the loss of every single pet extremely hard. My mom, when I was younger, told me "no more pets," simply because I become a wreck. This rule, I might add, did not stay around long. ;) Because even in the severe, heart-wrenching pain of losing an animal, you still have those years and years of joy that they have brought into your lives. I do not want to live in a world without pets. I'm sure many of you feel the same way.

I see my oversight as proof that I have finally moved on. Yes, five years later. I had Scamp from the time I was 6 years old, until I was 23. We grew up together. He knew all my secrets. He was my first baby boy, and he will always hold a very special place in my heart. Worst of all, I had to make the decision to euthanize him - quite possibly the most difficult decision I have ever, and will ever, have to make. To this day, even though he was suffering terribly, I feel as though I killed him, because, essentially, I did. For at least a year it plagued me daily what I had done to such a trusting little dog who had done nothing but offer me his entire heart without hesitation. Every year for four years on his birthday, I ached for him. He was euthanized the day after his birthday, so the next day would be even worse as I relived the visit to the vet's. Over. And over.

I still get emotional and choked up thinking about it. And to me, that's good. It means to me that he made an impression upon the world, that at least one person is sadder for him having left it. I think of my little baby boy often, and how, wherever he is now, he's moving along without pain, with perfect vision and hearing, and wondering what's holding Mom up. I hope he doesn't get too irritated with any other pets that are waiting with him, because he'll be the first one to get a great big squeeze from me. But until that day, I remember all the pets I have lost, with a tug in my heart, and the knowledge that no matter how badly their deaths may hurt, they brought me endless love and joy while they were alive.

Tragedy at Menagerie Mayhem

Last week, we suffered the loss of our long-time birdie friend and avian companion, Pandora. Pandora was a whiteface lutino cockatiel hen, an extremely endearing little bird that behaved more like her bigger cousins the cockatoo than a 'tiel. Pandora's life was long haunted by illnesses and maladies (hence her name) and at last succombed to a sudden and severe respiratory infection.

She was laid to rest in our rose garden, and no doubt is busy bossing other family members that are also resting there. She would have been 8 years old on June 3rd. She is missed terribly.

Owning an Old English Sheepdog

Because the Old English Sheepdog isn't extremely common where I live, I get a lot of questions about what the breed is like. Now, granted, I've only ever owned one - Roofus - so I can only tell you what it's like to own Roofus. :)

It's definitely an experience! LOL

Roofus is much heavier and taller than the AKC breed standard calls for, but his size is actually not uncommon in the breed. He stands approximately 30" tall at the shoulders, whereas the breed standard is 24", IIRC. He weighs 99# in the winter, full coated (take five pounds off for the summer!), and the high end is more like 70# in the standard. So, he's pretty much a giant breed dog. So you get all the issues that come with that size of animal - the ability to drag you down the road if he sees a squirrel, nicking stuff off counters, putting his head on the table while you eat - all that. He also has a problem with his front right leg because he's so large and active. The vet believes it is arthritis, which he sees a lot in giant breed dogs.

As far as the coat goes... It's not that bad. You can keep them in a puppy cut year round, but most of us grow it out all winter and then shear them in the spring. I brush his coat once or twice a week completely in the winter, and I bathe him at least once every two weeks as well. I find a nice double rake gets out EVERYTHING in his coat (and he picks up weird stuff - once, in a bath, I found a live spider in his coat!!), but you may want to use a single rake to get all the mats out first. My Old English Sheepdog does not shed, but there are some that do, and you'll love having the rake.

Food-wise, he doesn't eat much. I give him three cups a day of Premium Edge Lamb and Rice adult. He's not a voracious eater. Sometimes he doesn't eat for a day or two at a time. When he was younger, he had a lot of digestive issues, which is common for the breed. Keep this dog crated for at LEAST the first year if you don't want your home decorated in liquid poo. He stopped having these "attacks" when he was about two years old. Pepcid helped tremendously.

Personality-wise, he has the best personality ever. I love this dog to death and with good reason. He loves EVERYBODY. Even dogs or people he doesn't care for, he still loves them. He adores children, but because of his size there is a very likely possibility of knocking them over in his enthusiasm. And here I should note that Old English Sheepdogs stay like puppies for their entire lives, until shortly before they die. They are always exhuberant, always happy, which makes it pretty easy to tell if they're ill. Roofus is a lap dog - you read that right. He lays in my lap while I'm on the sofa. I encourage it. He loves to snuggle, cuddle, spoon - anything to be close to his person.

Old English Sheepdogs are great watchdogs, too, and are wary of folks that invade their home or approach their family. This doesn't mean they're aggressive - Roofus just barks to let me know someone is around the yard or coming near. They can be quite protective of their owners and families. This is a natural sheep herding mentality, but you have to keep it under control so they don't become aggressive.

OES are also known for being stubborn and bullheaded. If Roofus thinks he knows better than you, he won't listen to a word you say. They need a strong pack leader, and honestly, I let him walk all over me a good deal of the time. They seem to be trained best with lots of love and affection rather than treats. It's quite difficult with Roofus because of his size - a gentle leader is a godsend for helping to control him, particularly on a walk when he wants to go and visit with every man, woman, child and dog. My sheepie also has a jealous streak. He doesn't like it when my SO hugs me or gets too close to me. If other people do that, he may or may not care (usually nudges me), but he does not like my SO stealing his mommy. He also is quite reactive if I see a shady character while we're out and about (I don't live in the best of neighborhoods). He gives that person the evil eye, and may even softly woof or huff if that person approaches. He goes into "protect" mode, and I have no doubt he would attack someone that was trying to injure me.

Sheepdogs aren't terribly bright, either. They're smart in their own special way, but if I had to rate their intelligence, as far as learning tricks, etc, I'd put them rather low on the scale. They're GREAT at herding - they herd with their muscle, pushing the sheep around with their shoulders. But because of that stubborn streak, you may have a heck of a time getting them to do what you want them to. They just want to go out and have a good time. That may or may not include driving the sheep where you want them.

My Roofus has done a few dog classes, included advanced obedience and rally-o. He is also great at frisbee, but remember what I said about giant breed dogs.. they are definitely not made for high-impact sports like that. He would, however, die if we did not play it occasionally, so I try to throw it low so he doesn't do his big air acrobatics.

Old English Sheepdogs are also HUGE chick magnets. I have never taken Roofus on a walk or to somewhere that there hasn't been at least two people that stop and talk to me about him. Usually it's a lot more. There's just something about them. True, he doesn't get near the admirers as when he's full coated, but if I turn around and walk, say, the corgi on the same path, I generally get no comments whatsoever. Everyone wants to pet Roofus.

Roofus also gets mistaken for other dog breeds quite often. I think two people in his whole life have correctly identified him as an Old English Sheepdog on the first try. The most common ones I've gotten are: irish wolfhound (when he's shaved, he gets this a LOT), labradoodle (when his coat begins to grow out), saint bernard (oh come on people, that one's ridiculous), bearded collie (i can see that, even though he has no tail and is much, much larger than a beardie), giant schnauzer, bouvier des flandres (seriously, you guess bouvier but don't see OES??). I'm sure there are others, but those are the most common mistaken identities.

So, to sum up, I love this breed. I'll probably always own one. They are active dogs that aren't the brightest crayon in the box, but are snuggly, adorable, and always ready to have some fun with their family!

Popper And his Insatiable Hot Dog Cravings

On Saturday, I took Popper to the BRAG Agility Demo at the OSU Vet School. It was his first time he'd been outside in an unsecured area off-leash, and I was pretty nervous. I had a TON of dog treats on me to try to keep him with me. But he was very good! We did several demos with no problems at all. It was good practice for our first outdoor USDAA trial in June.

That is, until they hauled out the grills and started cooking hamburgers and hot dogs right next to where we were. That beagle nose flipped up into the air, and he started licking his chops and looking around feverishly for the source. The first incident happened when we were practicing between demos - Popper heard a man sitting right on the edge of the grass open a bag of cookies - and off he went to beg.

The second time, Popper ran off and followed his beagle nose all the way to the nearest grill, where he promptly sat down and gave all the folks in line big puppy dog eyes like he's never had a meal in his life.

The third time didn't actually happen for a long while... we were doing relay races, with big dogs versus small, and he never ran off. He did consistently lose it for the small dog team, though, because he's not good yet with weave pole entry from another obstacle so we had to keep starting over. He's a green dog so I'm not terribly worried about it at this point. :) I should note that on the next demo, he entered and did the poles perfectly! LOL!

So at the next demo, I took Popper over to the teeter, which was kind of far out and right next to the crowd - big mistake. Everyone was sitting on the ground around the edge, with their hot dogs and hamburgers... You can imagine what happened. Bye bye, Pop pop! I yelled to everyone to cover their plates but not everyone was fast enough (or listening). At that point Popper became out of control so I snapped his leash on and that was the end of Popper's agility day.

He was so exhausted on the way home his head was hanging off the seat. And his extremely full tummy looked like it was going to explode.

Yes, it was altogether a very eventful day!

Shaved Roofus Yesterday....

It was a bit overdue, but I kept him shaggy as long as I could because I ADORE fluffy dogs... but yesterday I broke down and shaved him :( He was extremely happy, because anything above 65 degrees (assuming the dog is not doing anything like running) is just too hot for a full coated Old English Sheepdog. I always leave his ears full-length whether he is shaved or not, which gives him a rather odd appearance... I'm usually quite happy to get rid of his beard and part of his mustache, because they always smell like sewer, as he's always dunking his entire muzzle in the water bowl.

This is the first year I didn't shave him down to the skin, though, because I now work at home I had the time required to keep his coat extremely well-groomed and mat-free, so it wasn't a big deal to slip on a blade attachment and go at it that way. This year is the first year where I wasn't shaving his coat because I couldn't keep up with it. That makes me pretty happy. :) I will miss my fluffy roobear, but it will grow back this winter!

Also - this is the first year I did NOT shave him into a funny hairstyle before shaving him for real. ;)

AKC Announces new Program for Mixed Breed Dogs

Well, folks who own mixed breed dogs and participate in dog agility, rally-o, obedience, and other dog sports will be pleased to know the AKC has decided to allow mixed breeds to compete.

Or will they be pleased after all?

AKC's proposal leaves many a bit dry in the mouth, a tad sick in the stomach, with its comparison to the racial integration of schools back in the 1960s.

Or particular note, from the AKC Program details:

2. Mixed Breed classes can only be held at standalone AKC Agility, Obedience, and Rally Events. The class could not be offered at All Breed Shows, Group Shows, or independent specialties, even if Agility, Obedience, or Rally events are being held.
a. The definition of standalone AKC Companion event is an AKC Agility, Obedience, or Rally event that is not held on the same date AND show site as an AKC all-breed show or independent specialty.

Heaven forbid our mutts are REMOTELY near a purebred dog show. We can only showcase purebred dogs, folks - mutts are shameful things we must keep swept under the rug.

3. Mixed breed dogs will compete in separate class divisions from AKC purebred dogs.
a. The club is not required to hold the classes in separate rings under separate Judges. The purebred classes can be held in the same ring, under the same Judge, as the mixed breed classes. Placements and titles will be scored and awarded separately.
b. For example, in Agility in the Regular class, all purebred dogs entered in the Regular 16 inch class will run, followed in the same ring by the mixed breed dogs entered in the Regular 16 inch class

My favorite part in this bit is that they will "allow" purebreds and mutts to have classes in the same ring (quite generous) but not at the same time. We don't want our precious purebreds getting any of those nasty mutt germs, after all.

5. Mixed breed dogs will earn different titles from purebred dogs.
a. Mixed breed dogs will earn titles with a Mixed Breed suffix (i.e. NAM-Novice Agility Mixed Breed)

I am just at a loss for words on this one. Now, in CPE agility, for example, which allows both purebreds and mutts to compete against each other (gasp!), dogs at a lower jump height that they measure into do get a slightly different title. That makes sense, because they aren't doing the same amount of work/effort as the other dogs who are in their proper jump heights. But why, oh WHY do mutts get different titles? Didn't they do the exact same thing as a purebred? Give 'em their yellow star of David! They must be singled out and kept separate from the purebreds.

And we can't have mutts competing against purebreds - because what would happen if a muggle born totally showed up the pure blood, I'm sorry, Harry Potter slip of the tongue there - what would happen if a mixed breed showed up a purebred? GASP!! Folks might go to shelters and ADOPT MUTTS to compete with!!

6. Dogs competing in the class will be eligible to earn similar (but separate) titles as purebreds, including MACH-M (Master Agility Champion Mixed Breed), OTCH-M, and RAE-M.

Again, if a dog earned a MACH, it shouldn't matter if it's a mixed breed or a $5,000 purebred. A MACH is a MACH is a MACH.

On a group I'm in, one of the members sarcastically raised the question if, at these new AKC events, the mixed breed dogs were going to have a separate bathroom area from the purebreds.

I think it's a legitimate question.

And for the record, I own two purebred dogs and three mixes. One mix does agility, as does one purebred. I had never considered doing AKC agility before (higher jump heights than CPE) and now I wouldn't touch them with a twenty foot pole.

The Case of the Popping Pop Pop

Went out last night to look at a wedding venue....

Came home to find shredded baggies that used to contain dog food on the floor. The dog food was from Roofus's recent kennel stay, so there was 4 cups of dog food in there.

Laying passed out next to the bags, with his tummy obviously full and with a sleepy, self-satisfied grin on his face, was Popper.

He normally gets 2/3 of a cup a day. He got his punishment today - pooping all that massive amount of food out. But he was awfully cute with his fat belly last night. :)

Another day, another dog...

I skipped yesterday for dog walks (I know, I feel horrible that I did) and only walked Roofus today since the other boys had a long "dog tricks" workshop this morning.

Yep - another dog. This time a yellow lab who delighted in zooming all over, often into the street. His owner was quite incompetent - she'd have him caught, and *somehow* he'd get away again.

Luckily I was watching for it so I slipped Roo's gentle leader on him right away before we got remotely close to the dog. I had been using only a regular harness because Roofus does seem to enjoy the walk much more and I don't worry about breaking his neck!

Come on, people, be responsible for your pets and keep 'em inside where they belong!

I just want to walk my dogs...

Spring is well on its way, and with it those warm temperatures we've all being longing for since mid-October.

For me, spring means a chance to get out and walk my dogs regularly again.

Honestly, I think every year I romanticize about how great it is to walk the dogs. So relaxing, so healthy... yeah, really, it's a nightmare.

I can overlook the fact that my dogs aren't the easiest animals to walk. Several are reactive and go nuts if they see another dog. One is extremely protective. One is leash aggressive. One pulls me down the road regardless of gentle leader, sporn harness, or any other training device and method. One dog teaches all the other dogs that walk with her that walking on the sidewalk isn't a necessity. One dog ONLY eats poop on dog walks. One dog barks furiously for the first five minutes of the walk before calming down.

I can deal with all that. I've even adjusted so that I walk my dogs in shifts - usually three or four walks - no more than two dogs at a time and sometimes just one. Heck, I even figured out who keeps their dogs outside all day, or on a tie-out, and I plan my route to avoid those houses.

What I can't deal with, is folks in my neighborhood who can't keep control of their own dogs, so I'm always encountering off-leash pets.

Yesterday, I was walking my Old English Sheepdog down the road for a 2 mile jaunt. Next thing I know, this rottweiler mix bolts out of his house and heads straight for my dog. Roofus is EXTREMELY social, loving, and friendly to other dogs - but he's also very protective of mommy, and running madly up to a dog out on a leisurely stroll is not good doggie manners. Roo was all riled up, jumping, barking, but thankfully on a Gentle Leader. I was wary because the dog was too big for me to punt if he wasn't friendly. The woman came up pretty quick though, apologizing, saying he just slipped out when she opened the door. Sigh...

Today, I was walking Popper and Blossom. A little background on my Blossom... she's a 14 year old dalmatian-border collie rescue dog, who is almost completely deaf and is very leash aggressive. Leash aggression is different from dog aggression, to an extent - she only dislikes strange dogs when she's on a leash. It's weird, I know. She came that way. She was also quite a scrapper when I first got her, so I know she can inflict damage when she wants to, which is also a problem.

Of course, we encounter not one - but TWO offleash dogs. This time, a pair of bullmastiffs. Now, they did seem to be the friendliest bullmastiffs known to man. But that doesn't matter when I'm walking a leash aggressive dog. The woman, who was chasing her dogs around (ironically right across the street from rottie lady) called and apologized about her loose dogs (one wearing a leash, one not) and tried to recall them. I said, "That spotted dog is dog aggressive! There's going to be a dog fight!" I don't know if that sped her up or not, but Blossom chose that moment to snap and snarfed at the mastiff who was sniffing her. Normal dogs do not like being snapped at. This particular dog was no exception. It began snarling, growling, and starting to lunge at B - I was pondering what action I was going to take to keep the two dogs apart when the owner grabbed the dog from behind - no small task with a large, angry dog - and I had my two gone lickety split from the situation before anybody got hurt. Blossom may not be the best behaved dog in the world - but she was on a leash and thus under my direct control. We shouldn't have to worry about being accosted by strange dogs.

That's TWO days in a row we've encountered large, loose dogs. It's aggravating that I'm trying to enjoy the time with my dogs, as well as the sunshine and fresh air, but I can't - I have to constantly be searching for loose dogs. I'm going to have to buy a can of doggie pepper spray... there's one called Direct Stop I'm going to try. It's amazing how many people in my neighborhood can't keep their dogs in their houses... I've never had my dogs slip out like that. And my dogs come when called. As Mad-Eye Moody would say - Constant Vigilance!

Havoc's New Shower Perch

I have wanted a new shower perch for Havoc, my severe macaw, ever since she discovered how much fun it was to rip the suction cups off the wall and go crashing down.

At the Mid American Exotic Bird Society Fair, I found these "activity gyms" that are actually meant to go on your window. They keep the bird occupied enough that I figure she'll be too entertained to gnaw on the suction cups. The price was a bit steep ($45), but after a year of waiting and wanting, I purchased one last week. I call it "the monstrosity."

The perch is roughly 30" tall, and it sticks out at least 20". If you know how large a severe macaw is, you can appreciate how big that perch is from the photos! It makes showering with Havoc a bit precarious, because she's the type of parrot that waits for an opening, and then attacks. Luckily for me, she seems to be more fascinated with biting the shower curtain than me... at least for now. She absolutely loves those little chains. She'll put one foot on them, one on the perch, and dangle off, flapping her wings madly and screeching with joy as she gets sprayed.

I really like that the perch is of a size I can use with my other, smaller birds. And, because it's so big, I can shower with multiple of the littler parrots, like both my plumheads at the same time. Even my quaker and the two plum headed parakeets all at once. I have four cockatiels, and they would all fit on there comfortably as well.

The bad thing about having a parrot shower playgym is that it takes up a lot of room and is a storage problem. The normal, pet store collapsible parrot shower perches just fold back into the wall. This one takes up about 1/3 of my shower. It's great that I can put it in the birdroom when the blinds are up, and it's another parrot playgym for the birds to fly onto and look out the window.

So far, though, it's really great. Havoc hasn't gotten hold of those suction cups yet, and really likes having more room and more things to do while she's showering.

Good Lord it's COLD Outside!

Sheesh, I wake up this morning to a winter wonderland - everything's white again! I know the weather forecast said it's supposed to be in the 60s by this weekend, so it was rather shocking. I really want to take the dogs for a nice long walk, and get back in the habit of daily walks, but I am sooo anti-cold that it's going to have to wait until the weekend.

I just wanted to remind everyone that our Corgi Chaos Store, which has an amazing selection of Pembroke Welsh Corgi t-shirts and gifts, is on Twitter! You can follow Merlin as he twitters about new designs, corgi experiences - and of course, his usual disgust with us "stoopid hoomins." He even chats about starting dog agility from a corgi's perspective! It's a lot of fun, so be sure to check it out.

Slowly but surely, new parrot kawaii designs are being added. You can find a great example of our Rose Breasted Cockatoo T-Shirt, pictured here. We have kawaii cartoons for the majority of our parrot species, it's just a matter of getting them added into our Cafepress store. So if you would like a species added that we haven't gotten to yet, just e-mail or msg us and we can put that one up right away.

Each design features fat funky text in assorted colors, usually blue, pink, green or teal, with the parrot cartoon on the right. It always reads, "I Love my Parrot Species" with, of course, "parrot species" being replaced by the actual species of parrot. These are really fun t-shirts & gifts for bird lovers, so be sure to check them out at Menagerie Mayhem!

Vet Experience... and agility (of course!)

I had an appointment for Blossom at the vet yesterday. She's been scooting around on her bum for at least six months. Now, she had that issue when I first got her, and of course the vet says, Oh, it's her anal glands. Expressed them, didn't change anything. So I had to take her back again (and pay another office visit fee) and he declares that she is allergic to fleas. That didn't help either. By trial and error, I figured out she was allergic to chicken. I removed all sources from her diet, and poof, no more scooting.

Yesterday's experience is following a similar trend (7 years later and with a different vet).

This time, though, first I exhausted the possibility of an allergy by switching to California Natural L&R, then to Natural Balance Venison. No change (except in my wallet). So I dewormed her, even though her poop looks fine and nobody else is having issues (and we have a notorious poop eater in the house too). No change. So I go out on a limb and buy frontline plus. No change. I added lots of Omega 3, 6, and 9 to her diet. No change.

So, yesterday, the vet tech nods politely while she squeezes my dog's anal glands and does absolutely nothing else as I recite my story of B and her scooting history. This morning, Blossom was scooting around the house on her butt again. I'm pretty ticked off. I understand vets deal with idiots all the time. But not only have I WORKED for a vet, I've got this useless degree in zoology and I own five very pampered dogs - I think I know what I'm talking about.

Blossom also was checked for congestive heart failure yesterday. She coughs a lot, sometimes she'll wake up and start coughing in the middle of the night. If I give her an aspirin, she doesn't cough, which is why I figured she has heart issues. The vet looked at her x-ray and said if she does have it, it's in the very very early stages. He gave her some broncho dialators and told me I could keep giving her aspirin if it appeared to help her. He wouldn't give me a definitive diagnosis so I guess we'll just play it by ear for now.

Agility last night was with Popper, and they told us if we passed through to the next level or not. I wasn't so sure, since one of my previous instructors told me we'd be repeating, and I ran into an agility obstacle last night and looked like an idiot LOL. But we've been working on rear crosses, and I threw a whole bunch in during class and Popper took them like a pro. That might have saved us, because we got promoted to the next level. One of the other ladies got to skip the next level entirely! I was pretty happy, I don't like repeating things. Even doing the beginner levels again with Merlin is annoying because I've already done them once, and what Popper learned I already taught to Merlin. But it's good experience for him, I guess, because he's not used to the classroom setting like Pop is.

Near Saltwater Disaster

I did a very stupid thing the other day.

I had gotten a fresh batch of saltwater from the fish store, and had bubbled it (don't have an extra powerhead at the moment) and gotten the temperature where it needs to be, and I did water changes on both my nanos. I DIDN'T CHECK THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY!!! Oh Lordy, and when I did, my 7 gallon nano (which holds roughly 4 gallons of water, and I did a 1 gallon change) was 1.027!! My black sun coral was evidently in heaven, but my big orange sun coral (I have hundreds of orange sun polyps) was really, really angry. It's a coral that comes out fully and completely with just the slightest hint of food in the water. It was sullen and sulky. I have it back down to 1.025 where it should be, and this morning it already looks happier. I've got another water change tonight (and yes, I remembered to check the specific gravity) so hopefully it will feel a LOT better and show me all its gorgeous polyps again.

In other news, when I went to get more water from the fish store, I was informed they were all out and that they couldn't meet demand anymore - that they didn't even have enough for their own tanks. Either 1) they're lying or 2) they have the worst owner/manager in history. You NEVER deprive your own store of necessities like that, and you certainly don't abandon all attempts to keep up with demand. RO units aren't *that* expensive, particularly when they can get them wholesale. I was so angry I went to Aquarium Adventure, who costs a bit more but I can be pretty sure they'll never be out of pre-mixed saltwater because they're so big. Now I'm ticked because everyone gave me gift cards to the other place for Xmas so I could get water there, and I don't intend on getting water there anymore. Great.

Changing Group Dynamics

My dogs have a problem. Whenever I say "outside" or walk to the backdoor, it's pandemonium! Barking, lunging, dogs jumping over each other - it's chaos. And if they get excited enough, my macaw starts going at full volume. It has to stop.

The method of changing their behavior is actually extremely simple in its simplicity, and has been referred to by others as "doggie zen." Essentially, I'm making the dog control itself naturally in order to obtain what it wants. Usually this applies to crate training - not letting the dog out of the crate until it has settled down and stopped barking/pawing/whining etc. I'm using similar principles.

To start with, I proceed to the back door. If anyone barks or whines, I immediately leave the room, keep my back to the dogs, and look up at the ceiling. I don't say a word. I stay this way for at least twenty seconds, maybe longer if they're still being noisy. Sometimes it takes four or five attempts before they are calm enough to be let out. My dogs are never at the point where they've "gotta go gotta go," so it's a lot easier to be patient when you don't have to worry about an accident on the floor.

Next, I include the behavior of not jumping on each other. The first step was silence - once they've gotten that down pat, I further up the ante by not allowing any potential aggressive behaviors. Usually this goes hand in hand with barking, but you may have some sneaky petes.

Third, and my final step, because it's as difficult as I wish to go, is to make the dogs sit at the door before they can be let out. I don't make them all sit at the same time, at this point, but as soon as one sits, that dog can go out. If you want out, you have to sit. Eventually I'll have them all sit concurrently. Baby steps here. ;) You could also do a down or any other behavior you want.

If you want to go even farther, you can require that the dog remains in a sit while you open the door, and doesn't leave until you give him permission. Obviously this is a good deal more difficult with multiple dogs, but it's necessary if you want to avoid the "bum rush" out the door.

Remember to keep it positive and give lots of verbal encouragement. You can see how with each step I take, the dogs are "earning" their potty time.

Playgroups This Friday

There are playgroups this Friday at Anything Goes for Dogs, located in Woodstock, Ohio. Little dogs (under 30#) are at 6:30pm, and big dogs are at 7:30pm. It's $10 for one dog or $15 for two.

Come and meet Popper and Roofus! Popper will be in both sessions and Roofus will be in the big dog group.

Huge Windstorm Last Night...

Not quite as bad as the last one, but I still woke up this morning to shingles all over the lawn. Looks like the SO will have to get back up there and fix the roof yet AGAIN!

We also lost power last night for 3.5 hours... After a couple hours, my saltwater tanks had lost 2 degrees each, I sent the SO over to his dad's for a generator. The bad thing about having corals and saltwater fish and such is that they can't tolerate being without power like a freshwater tank can. We got that sucker going and hooked up both my nano tanks (left the freshwater fish alone). By the time the power came back on, everyone was happy and well-circulated and back up to their normal temps (80 degrees). This morning everyone looks completely fine.

I always hate when we get high winds because I don't like sending the dogs outside to potty. Roofus is an idiot and I always fear he'll either get bonked in the head with a flying shingle or that he'll try to catch one. Either way, he spent most of the night chasing our flashlights around - yes, sometimes into walls. I said he wasn't too bright. Popper, the youngest, was scared and spent his time attached to my hip.

Control Unleashed

I've spoken about this book before - it's put out by Clean Run publications (the agility magazine), and it's specifically geared towards reactive dogs. Whether they are dog reactive, motion reactive, whatever. Heck, it's great even if your dog isn't very reactive, as it helps you build the skills you need to have a confident, focused dog, whether you're doing agility or not.

Merlin, my corgi, is an extremely low-threshold motion reactive dog. He sees something moving, he wants to go herd it up, barking and running the whole way. Most dogs do not appreciate being herded by a tiny dog full of attitude. It disrupts the class because of the barking and potential for a dog fight. I was becoming increasingly frustrated because I was spending all my time trying to deal with this yappy little ball of corgi instead of enjoying the class or learning anything new. I seriously doubted he'd ever be able to compete, and certainly never off-leash.

One of my former instructors (you change with every class) recommended this book. It is now my bible.

Last night was our fourth agility class for Merlin. I am an absolute treat machine at class - I carry with me roughly 300 treats to each session, to make sure I'll have enough to sufficiently reward as well as to "jackpot" him when he is exceptional. I kept Merlin about 10' (if possible, sometimes less depending on the obstacle) from the equipment while other dogs were working on it. He'd quickly glance over at the dogs working, then snap his head back around for a treat. At NO POINT do I ever forcibly restrain him or correct him. Sometimes he doesn't even move his head, he will simply round an ear backwards like a horse, and then snap it back forward. That also gets a treat. Immediately mark the behavior with "good!" and treat.

This is a dog that, on the first night and second night, would go totally nuts at other dogs running (especially on the a-frame) and start lunging and barking. VERY low threshold. His distance had to be much farther than the building allowed. By the third night, I could get him to within 15', but we still had a lunging issue on the dog walk (later I found out that the dog wasn't very well socialized himself, which isn't an excuse but would certainly fuel Merlin's desire to bark and lunge if he's being snarled at).

Last night we only had one minor instance where I noticed Merlin's "warning signs," and immediately got his attention back on me and performed basic "thoughtless" comands (like sit, touch the hand - second nature behaviors to him) until he was fully focused again. He didn't bark or lunge the whole class. I left thinking that I will probably be able to take Merlin off leash within the year, with confidence. I actually was able to listen to the instructors last night and thoroughly enjoyed the class.

If you have a dog you're having issues with focus or reactiveness, I highly recommend you pick up the book. Clean Run sells it for roughly $25.

CPE Agility Trial Last Weekend

Well, last weekend BRAG hosted a CPE agility trial, and I decided to enter Popper. It was the first trial either of us had ever been in, and while Popper was bouncing off the walls, I wasn't sure if I was going to throw up, pass out, or just soil myself. Yes, it was that scary for me.

I entered Popper in two events - Standard and Colors. He'd never run a "full length" course before, nor had I, so I was pretty sure it would be interesting. We got out there and he instantly knew something was different... he quickly started losing focus when I took his leash off (and for a half beagle mix, that's a HUGE NO NO!!!). I didn't even bother doing a start line stay for fear he'd completely zone out. I took off right away, with him hot on my heels. Oh, boy - that dog can RUN! The excitement fueled him, as he leaped, looped, and otherwise made a mad dash for each obstacle. In the first run, we did have a fault for off-course - at the time I thought it was my mistake, but upon review of the video, Popper was a bit distracted by having a huge audience and simply wasn't paying attention to my signals. But it's all good. It is a learning experience and it's for fun - which we had a lot of!

Ending the day, we qualified in both our runs - a HUGE achievement, especially for our first trial!

Popper wasn't ready to go home, but I had only signed him up for those two runs, so away he had to go. He was strutting and prancing along and you know he had a great time!

Motion Reactive Dogs

After Merlin's scuffle at Agility last Tuesday, an instructor recommended I read "Control Unleashed," which is published by Clean Run Magazine.

I have to say, the book is amazing.

Essentially, it focuses on making the dog comfortable being around other dogs that are running and playing. How? By TREATING the dog for LOOKING at other dogs! It's revolutionary! The key point is that after looking at another dog, your pooch should look back at you. You're not forcing the dog to be focused entirely on you (which in a reactive dog is bad news), but rather be comfortable enough in the environment to pay attention to you. They learn that looking at other dogs and things is ok - provided they return their attention to you after a quick looksie.

I might explain it poorly, but if you're interested in animal behavior, it's definitely worth a look. It's not a quick fix, and she even states several times that a lot of dogs aren't cut out for her method (in fact, she emphasizes it so often that it sounds like only dogs with slight reactiveness are right for this training - which are probably the ones not actually seeking reactiveness training).

But I have some new tools I am taking with me to agility class tonight. We'll see how it goes.

Obama's New Dog

It seems to me, if Obama wants to make a lot of folks happy and set a precedent with the new White House dog...

... well, he should adopt one of Michael Vick's pit bulls. Think about it - it's awesome on many levels. Number one, he would be showing that it is extremely important to adopt a dog.

Number two, he'd be showing that pit bulls can make good family pets.

Number three, it would make a statement about how what Michael Vick did was WRONG.

The only bad thing, I suppose, is that racists will have something to say about him getting a pit bull.

I firmly believe the WORST thing Obama can do is to buy a Labradoodle as the White House pet. That would be acknowledging that 1) it's okay to breed mutts 2) it's okay to pay $700+ for a mongrel when so many dogs are being executed in dog pounds.

A Portuguese Water Dog probably wouldn't be that bad, except then the breed would become much more popular - and we all know, from Disney films, that is the worst thing that can happen to a dog breed.

Sad news...

I'm sad to say there was a death in the menagerie today... Michaelangelo, one of my aquatic turtles (a painted turtle, to be exact), died today. He was one of my rescue turtles, given to me from a co-worker. He lived in a ten gallon aquarium from the time he was a hatchling until he was a full-grown male adult, and then he came to live with me in my 75 gallon aquarium. He lived in my home for over two years, and did not appear to be unhealthy in any way. He had a glorious Christmas with a lot of fun turtle presents. He is survived by two other turtles, my female RES Donatello (or "Telly") and another rescue turtle, a stunted RES named Porn Star (PS). He will be missed.

The best dog collars

I ordered a couple of dog collars from http://www.caninecollars.com for Christmas, and I was very pleased! It seems like it can be quite a challenge to find a cute AND unique dog collar for your pooches, but this places has hundreds of different ones to choose from. I ordered the Monsters collar for Popper (because he can be a monster) and the Dalmatians & Hydrants collar for my mom's mutt (who is spotted too). It's great to just look through a page of collars and say, that is sooo pop pop! There were many others I wanted to order, but my funds were limited to just those two. I will be ordering again for a matching leash for Popper.

Another Pet Food Recall

If you are feeding Optima pet food, this dog food is currently being recalled, after being linked to several dogs' illnesses. Stop feeding it immediately, and return it to the store to exchange it for another brand.

Is your pet a Super Hero?

Finally, someone has created them -
Super Hero Capes & Masks for Man's Best Friend. Cats too. ;)

They're even customizable. I want one for each of my fearsome crime-fighting team. Is that silly?

I made a new dog agility t-shirt so absolutely adorable that I wanted to reach into my monitor and give it a big ol' SQUEEZE. It's available on apparel for both kids and adults. AND, best yet - I put it on three differently colored clocks (pink, blue, and yellow) for your little dog-handler-in-training's bedroom! Cute baby dog agility gifts and other merchandise.

Popper is DOTD!

Popper is Dog of the Day on Dogster. Stop by and leave him a bone!

Popper's Dogster Page

Popper's Sister?

I was minding my own business (I swear!) and my SO sent me this link:
http://tinyurl.com/9kc5u4
I am absolutely convinced this is Popper's sister. Not only did we get him in Cincinnati, and not only was there only ONE other red puppy (a female) in the litter, she is the spitting image of Popper. I had to do a double take when I saw the picture.

I e-mailed the shelter and offered to come get her if she's due to be euthanized. No way would I let that happen. No way.

Last night I cut Roofus's eye holes and trimmed his paws up. It's always funny after I make him eye holes, he gets really excited that he can see again. hehehe! His bangs were actually fine until I gave him a bath a few days ago... his hair resettled somehow so that he couldn't see. Don't let folks fool you into thinking Old English Sheepdogs can see through their hair - they don't have super powers. It needs tied up or cut regularly.

Great News and Update

Great news - Popper IS entered in the upcoming trial! SQUEEE! So now he'll have TWO full days of agility and a training class, all in a 7 day span. :) I haz a happee!

Merlin starts dog agility class tonight. Well, it's a "preview." It's silly to do previews because all the dogs are accepted into class anyway. And Merlin does some agility with me in the backyard. I would have skipped level 1 entirely, but I do not have access to an a-frame or a dog walk, and he needs to get experience on those first. You can read more about Merlin's life experience at his blog over at my corgi store. Merlin's Blog.

I am adding some cool new "I Love my Dog Breed" designs. I want to get a good portion up before I release them to the public, so stay tuned for more info!

CPE Games Workshop at BRAG

Saw this post earlier this morning, and my registration is already in the mail! (Hopefully it gets there this time!)

REPOST:

BRAG will be hosting a workshop on Saturday February 7th about the CPE
games. You will learn how to play each game, walk the course, then
run the course with your dog. The courses will be level 1 courses, so
it will be appropriate for beginner dogs. We will be using the
electronic timers, and we will be scribing and judging each person's
run. There will be lots of chances for questions, and we'll be there
to help you every step of the way.

It will begin at 9 am, and costs $30 for members, $40 for non
members. A second dog with the same handler is $20 for members, $25
for non members.

Preregistration is required. You can find more information and the
registration form at:
http://www.bragagility.com/html/Events/CPEGamesWorkshop.html


We hope to see you there - it should be a fun and informative day!

A New Year

And it's already lining up to be another depressing series of events after another.

I entered Popper in the upcoming agility trial at the club - at least, I thought I did.

I was waiting on his CPE registration number, which has to be submitted before the trial closes. I e-mailed them, and found out they had just received my entry *today*. I sent it December 8th, which, unfortunately, was the same date I sent my agility trial registration. The agility trial info was due no later than the 15th, and it only needed to travel roughly 10 miles or so.

I have a strong suspicion it never arrived. Or maybe it arrived today. Who knows. I e-mailed the trial secretary and am awaiting her response. I wondered why I never received any kind of confirmation or communication. I thought maybe I'd get it closer to the trial date.

I had gone and bought Popper some trial stuff - a spiffy new portable crate, bed for it, and was looking into a customized crate tag. Well, now I needn't bother as it'll just go into storage until April, which is when the next trial was.

All that excitement and build-up for nothing. It's like waiting for a few months to go to the circus, only to find out the circus was canceled. Life keeps squeezing out lemons onto my paper-cutted arms.

I am not optimistic about what the trial secretary will say. I'm so depressed.

After Christmas Stuff

What did I get for Christmas?

The flu.

Thanks a lot Santa!

And it's no joke trying to run your dog through an agility course when you'd much rather be sleeping underneath the electric blanket in your snug, warm bed, oblivious to everything and heavily medicated.

But Santa Paws brought Popper and Merlin a new 18' agility tunnel, so of course I HAVE to try it out. I put together a mini course that goes tire jump, two side by side bar jumps (for working on handling), then the tunnel in a half circle, then back over one of the bar jumps and back through the tire. I have the weave poles set up too, but I'm rather unconcerned about them at this point because Popper won't encounter them in the upcoming trial. He was being a bit antsy about tunnels, but he has shown absolutely no anxiety over his new one. Zooms right in, around, and out, no problem.

Of course, they say how they run at home and at class can often be quite different from how they run at a trial.

I'm pretty amazed at how well Popper listens to me. I've gotten a lot better at handling, and if he's paying attention (which is hard, one of my instructors told me he has the attention span of a gnat) he's unstoppable. I'm a bit worried he's going to be mightily ticked off at me for sticking him in a crate all day at the trial, though, and when he's sulky, well, let's just say he may plop his butt down and ignore me instead of running through the course.

Dogs Listen More than We Give Credit

Two stories-
Yesterday I was watching "Single Santa Seeking Mrs Claus" and there was a part where Quark goes, but she doesn't believe in Santa! I looked at the tv and said, "That's probably because there IS NO SANTA!"

And at that instant, three dog heads popped up and gave me a look. A scathing look of disbelief and hatred. I spent the next several minutes apologizing to my boys (the girls are hard of hearing) and telling them there really is a Santa Paws. When my SO got home, he told the boys that people like me don't get presents from Santa. :p

Second -
Today Blossom was doing her normal whining and squeaking because she couldn't get past the other dogs into my room to lay down while I work. I managed to make a path for her and got her settled onto her doggie bed (with her quilt snuggled up just right.) I said, "Okay, NOW are you happy?" And she promptly rolled over onto her back for a belly rub.

I think I'm going slightly bonkers with no one around all day but the dogs...

Happy Birthday Merlin!

Merlin, our Pembroke Welsh Corgi, turns four years old today! How time flies. I still remember when he was five weeks old and a little ball of fur that looked like my brother's golden hamster he had as a child. Which is, of course, how Merlin got his name.

Have a great one today, Merlin!

Power out

At least once a month we have a power outtage that lasts for more than a few minutes. I live in an area where people are stupid and like to hit power lines. Normally we get a quick off-on once a week, a couple times a month we get a few minutes, and then there's that one that lasts longer.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, yet another idiot hit the power lines and we lost electricity for nearly two hours. It was a cold, cold night so I had to set to protecting my saltwater tanks immediately (fresh water being much more tolerant). I have one of my tanks hooked up to a battery backup, so it continued to function and heat the water just fine. One major concern with my SW tanks is that they are both nanos, so they lose heat REALLY fast! The other tank I wrapped in thick towels and began manually circulating the water.

My un-backuped nano lost 2 degrees but corals and fish were just fine. Little Nemo gave me a bit of a scare the next morning when I fed Lorelei, and he did not appear. I fed her again and he shot up to the surface for his share. Guess he was just sleeping. :) The smaller nano did not lose much heat at all, and the battery backup died about 45 minutes before the power came back on.

Note to self: Buy two really big battery backups...

Sadistic Mini Macaw

This morning I got Havoc out for a shower. I have a perch in the shower so we can both shower at the same time.

First, she refused to spread open her wings or do anything but stand there until she had a thorough tickling - around her face, under her wings, and on her tummy. Then, while I was getting ready to exit the bathroom with her, with parrot in one hand and bathrobe in the other, she reaches out and grabs my bathrobe. I said, "NO Havoc, this is MINE." She looked at me for a split second, before reaching down and biting my finger. And then she laughed maniacally.

I think I've just been snarked by a bird.

Rally and Fun Games

Anyone in Central Ohio interested in doing some casual classes with fido should check out www.anythinggoesfordogs.com. I signed Roofus, my big sheepdog, up for a "games day" class and a Rally workshop. It's nice because they offer weekend workshops and things on Saturdays fairly cheap, and you don't have to commit to a weekly class. It's about an hour's drive for me, so I don't particularly want to drive out there every week for a class. The prices are extremely reasonable, however, if you would want to. I'm doing the rally workshop to see if Roo enjoys it, and if it's something that we'll be able to do. There's another training facility much closer at Wild Weavers (www.wildweavers.net) that I may sign up for in March if all goes well.

I'll post about how the games day goes... it's on the 20th, and $10 if anyone else is interested. We're going to do egg races and musical sit... should be interested to do egg races with a big clumsy oaf. :D hehe

Popper's going to trial

It seems like lately all my posts have been about dog agility - and I suppose that's true. But it's become a big part of my life, so I have a lot to say on the subject!

I just sent off the form for Popper's FIRST EVER agility trial. It's not until February 1st, and I've already got a lot of knots and butterflies in my stomach. See, I really hate performing, and I don't like pressure. When I was deciding whether to be a music major or a biology major, I choose biology simply because I couldn't even stand to THINK about performing in front of people. I get so nervous my hands shake and I want to pass out, vomit, or a delightful combination of the two.

I am doing dog agility for FUN - and I want it to stay fun. You would think that would make a difference, but I played music for fun too, and it still terrified me. I have no idea what I'm scared about - if Popper messes up, that's okay. It's his first one. Sure I'd love for him to zoom out and get a Q (unlikely), but I anticipate he'll go off sniffing or begging for treats from the judge. I guess I might be more worried about ME screwing up - sending him to the wrong obstacle, running into an obstacle... it's pretty likely. I'd be mad at myself for ruining the run, but I don't think I'd ever be mad at da pop pop.

I've entered him in a CPE trial, level 1 Standard and Colors. I wanted to do Wildcard instead of Standard, but it was on a different day. I want to sort of slide into the sport with as little trouble as possible, and keeping him crated for two straight days would probably piss him off. He's the kind of dog that would smile about it and give you kisses, and then the first time you left him alone, he'd trot off and destroy your most treasured posession in retaliation. So we'll try standard, which unfortunately is before colors (unfortunate because it's a longer course), but at least maybe he'll "click on" and do colors really well. :) Assuming I don't mess up...

We decorated our Christmas tree last week... it's right next to Havoc's cage. Everytime my SO would bend in to string the lights or to put up an ornament, she'd stretch her beak out and try to bite him. At the end of the day, his shirt looked like confetti.

Fantastic agility class last night!

Last night was our next-to-last class.. and boy, Popper could do no wrong! We learned rear crosses - he did it perfectly the first time. He did his "away" command flawlessly. The next station was weave poles - he did twelve in a row on both sides, and you only need to do 6 straight poles to pass the class! At the teeter station, doing ground to ground wasn't such a big deal, he's done that for months... but last night she set up a mini obstacle course so he had to do teeter, teeter, teeter, teeter in a big circle. We got creative and threw in rear crosses, front crosses and the dog walk too.

Now I'm seriously considering entering him in the trial in February. Agility is so effortless for him!

Poor Blossom!

Poor b dog. :( She's gone through a little "rough patch," so to speak. First, she started scooting around. She really only does that when she's allergic to dog food. So I start thinking about what food I'll switch her to - when she gets a urinary tract infection. All over my brand spanking new carpet. Sigh. Well, thank goodness for pet stain and odor remover! I get her over the UTI, and she's still scooting. I switch her food. She gets WORSE. I'm at a loss - I went to California Natural, which has about three ingredients. I really, REALLY doubt she's allergic to lamb, but I suppose it could be rice... I contemplate the situation, decide to leave her on it longer to see if I'm just being impatient, and look at her anal glands to see if they need emptied. Now Blossom has a sore butt and we're not any closer to the answer - because they were empty. So I figure, maybe she has worms! I deworm her with safeguard. Butt scooting gets better. Hmmmm. She finishes her bag of California Natural and I put her back on what everyone else was eating. Butt scooting continues to improve, until yesterday, when she scooted no more.

I still don't know why she was scooting. I'm going to have to assume she did actually have worms, somehow. There aren't many reasons a dog would scoot across the floor (I did eliminate fleas from the equation early on), and I addressed them all. I didn't feel it warranted a vet visit because nearly all of the possible issues can be resolved at home (depending how comfortable you are expressing anal glands, what worms they are, etc). So she's back to her normal whining self now. Oh joy!

New Dog Agility Store!

I am very pleased to announce the grand opening of Popper's Agility T-Shirts, located at www.PoppersAgilityTshirts.com. The focus is on agility, but you can find other dog sports merchandise there as well, like flyball, disc dog, herding, and more. In addition, I have a lot of breed specific designs, so if you want a tshirt or coffee mug with your border collie running flyball, or your corgi catching a flying disc (aka frisbee), I've got those too. I rounded up the best designs available and put them all in one location, easy to find. :) I hope you enjoy it!

My experiences so far in dog agility...

When I first started agility in June, it was with the knowledge that I was entering a fiercely competitive dog sport divided down the center - on one side are the folks that are doing it to have fun with their dogs, on the other are the folks doing it to win.

Now, it may not sound like a huge difference, but it is. The attitude difference is astounding. Generally, the fun people are helpful, friendly, and they don't get upset if their dog doesn't get a Q or whatever the heck else. They might be a bit sad, but the important thing was they had a great time with their dog. The folks doing it to win are another story. They are a little helpful, but generally in a degrading manner as if agility were so complicated only the most intelligent and athletic dogs should compete, as well as handlers who have years of experience. They get upset when their dog doesn't perform, and turns an otherwise enjoyable sport into fierce competition. They tend to be a bit arrogant, as if ordinary dogs can't possible compete in agility.

I've recently had to deal with the latter through online forums. I don't want to go into too much detail, but if you have ANY agility questions - always ask your local dog agility club or trainer. Don't ask online. Because they're never going to see you, they can treat you like crap. If you're already in a class, their methods of doing things might be different from your instructor's. There are many, many ways to train agility. Keep it simple by just asking your trainer.

Fall - time for hot spots!

It's that time of year again, when Roofus starts ripping out his hair and getting scabs in a large patch on his back from hot spots. When I'm talking about hot spots, I mean the itchy itchy spots where dogs chew and chew and chew for no apparent rhyme or reason, not to be confused with any kind of skin parasite, fungus, or food allergies (which are usually accompanied by licking the front paws).

If you've never had a hot spot before and you suspect that's what it is, you should go see the vet. Yes, gripe about the cost for a minute, then suck it up and go. You want to rule out other stuff before you attempt a hot spot treatment. Also, the vet can prescribe things like prednisone if it is seasonal allergies that are out of control.

How I cope:
Again, always consult your vet before trying ANYTHING.

1) Humidifier. It can't hurt, after all. Your home's humidity should be 30-50%, and if you had a humidistat you'd find out that yours likely is well below this line. Cold air does not hold humidity very well, and running your heat further makes the air dry. It's also healthier for YOU to have a humidifier. But too humid isn't good either, so keep a firm eye on your home's level.

2) Apple Cider Vinegar. This stuff is great for people too! I put it in my dogs' water bowl everyday with fresh water, roughly 1 tsp per gallon. It's definitely homeopathic, but I think it helps so I use it during this period. I've heard it's also a good wormer. Don't use too much, that's really bad!

3) Grape Seed Extract. I used to give this to my sheepdog for his very sensitive tummy. Later I found out it helps with allergies too! It can be found in pill form in the human vitamin area. You might have to try several stores - Grapefruit extract and grape seed extract are NOT the same thing.

4) Get a really good, high-quality allergen air filter for your furnace and replace it monthly. Yep, you get what you pay for. Buy the good one - you'll feel better too.

5) Benadryl. ALWAYS CONSULT A VET BEFORE USING ANY MEDICATION. I HATE giving my dogs drugs, but with Roofus, it's a necessity if I don't want him to be miserable and rip all his hair out.

6) Allercain. This stuff is great. It's a spray on antiseptic, anti inflammatory with pain reliever. It has some nasty taste in it which isn't TERRIBLY effective if the dog is really bent on chewing on that spot, but it seems to be safe. I've used hydrocortisone with better results, but you definitely don't want the dog licking it off.

7) Bathe once a week. Yup, you heard me. Nice oatmeal and/or tea tree oil baths once a week actually cuts down on dry skin. You can also use hydrocortisone shampoo, but only use on the affected areas!

Agility Class last night

Last night was the first night of Session 2.5, Weaves and Teeters. My SO built me a teeter, and during the break between classes, I taught Popper the teeter by gradually raising it (3", then 6", 12", 18", 24") one level after he was extremely comfortable on it. Took roughly one week of practicing 3-5 times each day. I set it on my wooden deck first at the lowest height, so it would make far more noise than normal, and sometimes I'd just walk by and bang the crap out of it and give him bits of hot dog to desensitize to the noise. ALWAYS use a high value treat for these "scary" obstacles!

Popper did awesome last night, he was the only dog already doing ground to ground on the teeter. There was another dog that did it but was iffy, so they went back to using the tables. I was really proud of da Pop Pop! Weaves, well, they use the channel method. I've been trying to get Popper's speed up and to get him working independently, but it's not happening. I'm probably going to buy a set of channel weaves (which are expensive!!) and retrain them that way. Everybody was really impressed he's already got the teeter and weaves. It's a class people commonly have to repeat - and I really, REALLY don't want to! I don't like doing things twice, that's why I have my own teeter and weaves and other equipment.

Well, we'll see how it goes. Now I'm off to eBay to see if there are any used or less expensive channel weaves for me to buy.......

Popper's Weaves - Video

Well, everyone who wants an update on how Popper's weaving is coming along, here's a video!

He does REALLY well when I'm on the opposite side of him... not so great when we're on the same side. :( So we're going to go back and start working with just three poles for that side, then add a pole at a time until he's simply amazing. :) Popper's awesome that way.

See? You CAN teach weave poles at home by yourself! It did help though that I take agility classes so I could ask the instructors for help if I needed it. :) We start actually learning the weave poles in class at the end of October. Hopefully I've given Popper enough of a head start!

Next up, teaching the teeter totter! First, though, I have to find out how to paint it. :)

Teaching Weave Pole Entry

Well, today was the 2nd day and I just finished the 3rd training session with Popper on weave pole entries. It is working so well so far that I thought I would share the method that was shown to me. Today, after several successful entries, I sat Popper offset to the left of the pole by about 6 inches. I called him, and boom! Successful entry! It was the only time I offset him because I was so proud and happy I didn't want him to mess up, LOL. We do at least two training sessions a day so I figure we'll work on offsets more later after he's solid in entries.

The method used, which is harder to explain than to show, is to only use two weave poles. Put the dog in a sit-stay directly in front of the first pole, centered so he has to choose himself if he's going to the right or the left. You go and stand behind the second pole like a statue, treats out of sight (but in your hand). Call the dog. If he enters correctly (weave pole to the left of the dog) you give him a treat, quickly, at nose level of the second pole. It's very important to not use body language to influence your dog! Just reach down quickly after a successful completion, click or use your cue word (I say "GOOD!" since he's afraid of the clicker and so are many of my other dogs) and give a treat at nose height, right next to the weave pole. If the dog messes up, don't say NO or anything else that's negative (which is really hard for me, as I am accustomed to say no or AHT! if the dog does something wrong). You simply go oops, try it again, and put them back into their sit-stay. Never ever ever get frustrated with your dog. Always act happy and excited (especially when they do it right!), but you can act a bit sad if they do it wrong, just don't yell at them. Don't do this more than ten times in a row. You don't want your dog to get bored with it.

Once you're confident your dog knows where the entry point is, change the dog's angle. Offset a bit to the right, then a bit to the left. Next session, offset even more. See how it's going? You're reinforcing the dog's entry without telling him all of the sudden to find the entry point from twenty feet away.

Happy October!

Well, I finally got grass seed planted yesterday... I overseeded the entire yard, and did some bare spots too. I used about twice the recommended amount because I did plant so late in the season. So if half of it (heck, even 1/4) comes up, I'll be pretty happy. When I first went to Wal-Mart, the guy told me to just put straw down for the whole winter. Uhhh, so I can have MUDDY straw brought into my house? How is that better than just plain mud? I picked a perennial rygrass dominant mix so it'll come up faster... but since it's cooler out it'll still take a while. It might not even become decently established before winter hits. Sigh.... I have to reseed or resod my lawn twice a year because of the dogs. I just wish I'd done it a couple weeks ago!

Last night was the last night of Session 2 agility. Popper finally got over his fear of the teeter totter board (just the board) and was zooming happily across for a piece of hot dog each time. I asked one of the instructors about some weaving help with entries, and she stayed after class and showed me how to teach it. She's such a great teacher. :) I have to start working on it today with Popper... I think it'll really click into him where he's supposed to enter. Right now I have to tell him every time.

I asked for some help on a message board I go to with the same issue, and they were pretty less than helpful... in fact, I kept getting attacked for methods I'm using and stuff like that. It's exactly that kind of "queen of agility" attitude that kept me away from this sport for so long. Like I'm some kind of jerk for working with my dog OUTSIDE of classes. Yeah, what was I thinking, trying to interact with my dog and give him a headstart in class. There is absolutely NONE of that in my class - they encourage you to work at home, and not a one of the instructors had a problem with me teaching Popper the weaves or buying a teeter. I guess some people just have a need to try to put others down or make them feel stupid. I know where I WON'T be going for help from now on. Glad the agility club is so awesome!