Getting prepared

I love my big bro!

I trialed Rival this past weekend for the last time before we head to USDAA Nationals next week.  Given that he took so much time off this year, I've been trying get him into shape before the event.  As I've mentioned before, giving him the long break this year was SO great for him.  He's come back so refreshed, super keen to play the game and really responsive on course.  Earlier this year, I found that at trials he was getting so much more aroused that he was not collecting at all and becoming a bit too obstacle focused.  So I started doing more technical sequences to make him pay attention to my handling more.  And I also focused a lot on distance work since we have been struggling with gamblers Qs.

He's run incredibly well at the last two trials.  I always love stepping to the line with him, but I think I started getting really hung up on the Qs that he needs for his ADCH.  I think my focus shifted more towards getting the Q instead of just enjoying the ride.  And because of that, I think the break for me was so good as well.  I came back to trialing with a different mind set, just eager to run my boy again.  And wouldn't you know, the Qs started coming again.  He got 3 gamblers Qs in a row to finish his Master Gamblers title.  It took us a full year before the first and second Q and another year between the 2nd and 3rd!!  So to get 3 in a row was incredible.  He also got the last Super Q he needed in snooker.  At the Masters level you need 3 now (it was 2) for the title which basically means beating everyone else.  Not easy to do in snooker!

But I actually think this was my most fun run of the weekend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPvNqjLIZg4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUrhRPoQ-vmOzKGQhccWB_jw

I love Rival's wagging tail at the beginning and how focused he is on me as I leave him on a stay.  He's just the best boy EVER.  What a gift he's been, in so many ways.  I am so thankful that some very wise people were sure that he was supposed to be my dog.

So now we turn our attention to Cynosports.  I have some goals set for us but overall, I plan to just have a good time and run my dog.  I am going to try not to get caught up in the fact that it's a "big" event, because if I get nervous Rival will know and we won't be at our best.  When I walk to the line, I plan on thinking how darn lucky I am to be stepping to the line with such an incredible partner, and how much fun we have together.  I am going to work him a few more times this week, then rest him from agility and just focus on him being fit and relaxed, which hopefully includes some beach time this weekend!

Gypsy was just brilliant at the trial this weekend.  She was so focused on me, but was happy to greet people when told to "go see".  But she'd say hi and then come back to me!  The exception is Auntie Pam, who she just absolutely adores.  Pam is the only person that Gyps has climbed in the lap of and spent more than 5 seconds there.  But Gyps was able to do tricks, tug and hangout ringside without acting like a crazy girl.  All the work I've been doing with her is paying off now, yay!  She'll be tagging along to Cynosports, so I'll be able to work with her lots in a really high energy environment which will be great.

Wet puppy at a rainy agility trial.

Boot camp for Rave!

So the last two months or so, I've noticed that Rave has been acting up a bit.  She's been stealing things like crazy, only when we aren't looking of course.  She's broken a few ceramic dog bowls in her attempts to find things on the counter while we are at work.  I found her with an empty dog food can after I got out of the shower yesterday and last night when I went to bed, she stole an entire bag of rawhide chews off the counter.  And about six weeks ago, she ate a whole, still warm, pineapple upside down cake.

So I got to thinking about her last night.  As I've said before, I didn't put the training into her like I did Rival before and Gypsy now.  Rave came into my life at a weird time, and looking back I didn't need a puppy then, but something about her called to me.  I was getting Rival ready to compete, and I still had Dazzle and I was working so hard to try to connect with her and create a good relationship.  Plus that was also the year I had a major lifestyle overhaul and was really focused on taking care of myself and getting fit.  Then less than a year after I got Rave, I met Rob and things got even crazier.  My focus shifted a lot from training and trialing the dogs to doing other things and having a more balanced life.  Though the dogs are always included in our fun, I didn't do much training with them.

Of course there are also personality differences.  Rival was born with an incredible amount of natural self control and an incredibly high desire to please.  Rave not so much!  I think girls tend to be a tad more independent than the boys in general.  Rave is quite biddable, and likes to please me, but she also very much likes to please herself!!!

I have been working a TON with Gypsy.  We have training sessions most mornings before work, play sessions right after work, maybe some more training in the evening too.  And I think poor Rave is quite jealous.  I think all the dogs are jealous, as they all would love daily training sessions, but Rave seems to be the most put off by this, and I think it's really coming out in her thievery.

So today I started working with her again, on the basics like self control!  And she told me loud and clear that if you don't use it, you lose it!  She used to be great at It's Yer Choice games.  But she failed on her first try this morning!  So we did lots of that and some shaping, which she just loves.  So I am going to try to give her short sessions regularly too, to reconnect with her more, work on her self control and keep her busy little mind from getting too bored.  I've been working with her in agility more, but I think she needs to relearn the basics.

The funny part was coming out of the room I train in with Rave, and seeing Gypsy's face.  It was priceless! As if no other dog belonged in there with me!!!  So funny!

And a switch flipped in Gyps this week.  She's always been keen to train and play, but she's turned into a shaping machine now!  She really uses her brain and tries to hard to figure out what I want.  I leave our training sessions in awe most of the time, because of the speed at which she picks things up.   Six weeks ago, if she didn't understand what I wanted, she would leave the work, and try to find her own reinforcement. Now she pushes right through and keeps trying things.  I love it!

Madly in love!

I know I keep saying it, but I am completely and totally gaga over Gypsy.  I knew what I was hoping to produce by crossing Rave to Keen, but Gypsy has far exceeded my expectations!!!  She still has a lot of growing up and maturing to do, but she is everything I wanted and more.  She is one funny little dog who oozes attitude with a dash of craziness!

First, she's perpetually happy.  She always has a smile on her face.  And she's always ready to go and game for anything.  She loves to play with the other dogs, but she loves training and playing with me even more. She's beyond brilliant and her the speed at which she learns blows me away.  And her retention of the skills is equally impressive.  She retrieves like a dream, tugs like a champ, and is finally excited about working for food.  I still have a lot to teach her, of course, but the foundation is laying down perfectly and I could not be more excited about our future together.  She already thinks agility rocks, and she's barely done any!

On top of that, Gyps gets along so well in our pack.  She knows who to play with, who to respect and who to ignore.  Smart puppy!  It does take the right social skills to navigate a pack as big and diverse as ours.

Gypsy has also become more affectionate the last few weeks.  She'll never be a cuddly dog, but she loves to be near me, get pet and will give out a few kisses each day.  I've been massaging her regularly and I think she's figured out how good it feels.  But she still doesn't have much time to sit still.  She's a VERY high energy girl, though I am starting to see signs of an off switch emerging.  A few times this week, she just laid down on a dog bed and hung out.  Not for long, mind you, but it's a start!!!

She also let me cut her nails last night without so much as a wiggle.  YAY!  For a while I could see how I could butt heads with this girl, if we didn't have a mutually beneficial relationship based on trust and fun.  Her recall was pretty bad 6 weeks ago (don't wanna, don't hafta!!!) because she found other things more rewarding.  She resisted nail trimming, brushing or being forced to do anything.  Now that we have a great relationship, she's happy to do anything I ask of her, knowing she'll be aptly rewarded---with food, toys, access to outside, etc.  I just love how we've already learned to communicate with each other so well and work together.  That's not to say she doesn't have her naughty moments but they are becoming less and less.

Most of all, she's filled a space in my heart that was vacant and waiting for her.  I feel so lucky to be be on this journey with her, I know she still has lots to teach me.

Four months already?

It's hard to believe how fast the last four months has flown by.  At this point, the puppies have all been with their new families longer than they were with me!!  I often wonder if they will remember me when I see them again.  I see Ripp regularly and he usually pees out of excitement though I don't know if that's reserved just for me!  I am so excited to see Moon in three more weeks at USDAA Nationals.  Hopefully we'll get a visit in to see Jayce in November and Envy will be swinging through Virginia in December.  Yay!

After a very long agility hiatus, the dogs were so happy to be at a trial again this weekend.  The nice long break was really great for them.  I stopped working Rave when I bred her, so she basically didn't do any agility from the beginning of April until the pups when home in early August.  And Rival worked until the pups came, but then I was far too busy with them to even think about training him.  As a result, both dogs came back really fresh, eager to run and super strong.

And as a result both dogs had a great show.  Rival went 4 for 5 finally picked up to much need gamblers Q's.  Rave exceeded my expectations and was 3 for 5 and even got a Steeplechase Q.  We had some runs that were a bit crazy, but I still have a lot more work to do with her.  Rival is a finished product at this point, and knows his job so well.  And we know each other so well that when I run him, it's effortless and just pure joy.  I didn't do nearly as good a job of training Rave as a youngster as I did Rival.  Rave was also slow to mature, so I took my time with her.  But she told me loud and clear this weekend that she's ready to rock and roll.  I need to work with her on some more advanced skills, and proof some behaviors, but her speed, focus and enthusiasm where just wonderful this weekend.    Little Stashy told me loud and clear that she still needs LOTS more work!!!  Beagles are just cut from a different mold!

Going into the weekend, I had some concerns about Gypsy's behavior at her first trial.  Last Thursday, she turned into a raving lunatic at agility practice (in a new location).  From 300 feet away, she was lunging to get to the ring to watch, or maybe chase, the dog running agility.  I was non-existent.  And for a brief moment, I panicked.  I have been doing SO much work with her, I didn't expect that behavior at all.  But instead of worrying, I came up with a plan of action for the weekend, so that she didn't repeat that behavior all over again.

So I arrived at the trial site about an hour early on Saturday, long before most of the competitors and dogs showed up.  I immediately started working with Gyps on the "choose me" game, all around the trial grounds. I allowed her time to just be a puppy and explore and meet people, but I also spent a lot of time gradually putting down layer after layer of foundation into the choose me game.  By late Sunday morning, she was focused ringside, able to both eat and tug.  She was happy to meet people and other dogs, if I told her to go see, but her focus was definitely on me!  Huge success!!!!

Her behavior in the crate still needs a lot of work, as she just loses it when I work the other dogs.  At the trial I parked where she couldn't see the rings, and made sure she couldn't see out when I took one of the other dogs out to run.  But I could still hear her fussing a bit.

And the cutest part of the trial was seeing how happy Rave was having her baby there.  Every time I took them out together, Rave wanted to roll around and play with Gypsy. Then Rave would prance around the trial grounds showing everyone how proud she was of her little baby.  Honestly, I wasn't sure how Rave would take to motherhood when I bred her, but it's truly made her a happier dog, and having Gypsy in her life has brought her so much joy.  How cool is that??

Gypsy has been the most special gift to all of us.  I can't even imagine my life without her already.  And it's only been four months!!!