Petsmart Training

Okay, I admit, I like to go to Petsmart and Petco and train my dog. I like to shop there too, it's a win, win situation.
I took Quinn and Missy to Petsmart for a little training/shopping. I had two store clerks show interest in Quinn, since I usually am training we aren't often interrupted. It really hit home that he is scared of a lot of things. He's almost as shy as Jojo in new settings.
No wonder he sometimes freaks out at dog shows.
I've been thinking this may be hyper vigilance --looking for out of control dogs to bark at, is really part fear of out of control dogs and fear of the 'unknown.'
At one point he spotted an adorable Eskie getting a haircut in the groomer's window. He growled at it I gave a correction and I made him do a 30 second sit stay and 30 second down stay with the dog at his back. He did okay.
I then brought Missy into the store (because I wanted to buy some rawhide that was on sale) and she didn't 'see' or wouldn't acknowledge the 'doggie in the window'. She was a little friendlier with the store clerk, she doesn't care about people much. After meeting Missy the store clerk asked me: Have you ever considered training?
LOL
I didn't say that they both had obedience titles, just that I was training Missy for Agility.

Playing Catch Up!

March 2009

Training is continuing for Quinn, but I haven't worked with Missy in a while.

Danny was diagnosed with Insulinoma, it's a type of pancreatic cancer that causes him to have chronically low blood sugar.The vet has given him 2 weeks to 8 months to live. I'm spending a lot of time with him and also have switched him to a low carb, raw diet. I'm hoping it will stabilize his blood sugar a little. He's now on Pred and Phenobarbital. I'm preparing to take Quinn into Rally Advanced this spring. He's doing very nicely.

May 2009

Quinn and I competed in RA at the Seward County Kennel Club Show at the end of April. We earned our first two legs with a 90 on Saturday and a 97 on Sunday. Sunday we earned first place. We've been practicing the jump, but I got a little nervous and instead of telling him to 'look' at the jump. I said 'Watch' which he did, as he ran right into it.The judge said later, he's never seen a dog run into a jump before, evidently he's never seen a dog who had good attention and trusted his handler. Quinn did the jump on the second try. I've been working a little with Missy in Agility and we went to an outdoor Agility trial in Omaha the first weekend in May. She left the ring all four times. I was afraid she might jump the very low ring gates, but she found little holes to run through. She didn't really quit working (though the judge whistled us off) she was just too full of energy.

I now have another Aussie named Ketch. He was returned to his breeder, because he was unable to herd cattle. He was then given to a family, who decided they didn't have time for him. He's about 18 month old, and looks like a Border Collie mix, though I have his AKC papers. He's never really been in a house. He's learned stairs and house training. The one major issue is he chases cats. I'm working with him, still not sure if I'm going to keep him or place him.

June 2009

I had planned on taking all the Aussies to Vermillion for the SVKC show and then camping afterwards, but I've been diagnosed with a stress fracture in my foot. So no hiking, I've sent my entries in so I'm going to go ahead and compete in Vermillion. On Saturday 6-20 Danny was having serious trouble standing, and he was vomiting pretty badly. I took him to the vet pretty sure that this was the end. They gave me hope and said it might be just a bacterial infection. Sunday morning he was still breathing, but unresponsive, I think he just had a series of small seizures all night and it was too much for him.

Rest In Peace, Danny!

Eatinrocks Sunshine Dancer RN CGC

2000-2009

July 2009

I took my sister, her Aussie, Ketch, Quinn and a friends Border Collie to the SVKC show in South Dakota. Quinn earned his final leg for his RA on Saturday 6-27 with a 95 and Second Place. He earned an insurance leg on Sunday with a 94 and Second place again.

My sister and her dog Lacey, earned their final two legs for their RA as well.

Overall it was a bittersweet weekend. I missed Danny very much.