Another Video

This was not Tilda's first time running this agility course.
This run could have been a little smoother.

Tilda's time wasn't too bad.

Agility Class Results #10

Last night was rough. Tilda was at the vet earlier in the afternoon, so she could have been a little down from that. But, she has been getting scared the past weeks. So, I think, even if she was a little down, she was scared last night again. However, she is a good dog and did just about everything I told her to do, she even made it through all twelve weave poles very slow. :) The instructor wanted me to try to get her excited about some toys, but she wasn’t into playing with toys. If she is scared, she isn’t going to want to play. Tilda also wanted to sit as far away as she could from the other dogs. I really think that something scared her at class and now she remembers something happened there. She had to be scared because at the end of class we had a little play time for the dogs. Tilda didn’t want to play; she hid out in the tunnel. I tried playing fetch with her and she started make her excited noises about playing fetch, but didn’t really play. Even if she was a little tired from the vet, she was scared at class because before we left for class she played fetch and when we got home after class she played a little fetch, and jumped and weaved faster than she did at class. So, something had to have happened there. We have a week off because it will be the week of the fourth of July. We’ll have to see if after a week break she does any better. We only have two weeks of classes left; if Tilda doesn’t warm up to the place in the next classes we will be taking a break.

 

I know that agility trials will have dogs, but I know for sure that not all dogs scare her. When we were at the vet, a big lab came. I thought Tilda would get scared since it was such a big dog, but Tilda was fine. Just because she gets scared at class doesn’t mean she is going to get scared at a trial. Tilda does great at agility in the back yard, so it isn’t agility itself that scares her, it is the place where classes are.

How To Teach The Weave Poles

I was recently asked how to teach a dog the weave poles. This is how I taught Tilda and she caught on very quick. Do not worry if your dog doesn't catch on real quick. Your dog isn't going to learn the weave poles overnight, it will take a little time. Even if your dog isn't getting the hang of it as quickly as you'd like, do not give up! Your dog will never learn if you give up, keep training. 


I suggest you start with six pole weave poles and that you put your dog on a leash. And don't forget the treats! :)


Dogs Always enter the weave poles on the right side, but you can be on either side. I say you should go back and forth on what side you stand on.You don't want you dog getting comfortable with you only a certain side.

So, hold the leash in one hand and a treat in the other. With the treat lure him/her through the weave poles. As you are luring your dog through say "weave, weave, etc". or "come, weave etc" through the whole set of weave poles every time you want your dog to weave through a pole. Don't treat your dog in the set of weave poles, only praise in the set of weaves, treat and praise at the end. You can do this a couple times. 


Now, because we don't want your dog to just focus on the treat and not the weave poles, take a break from luring and just guide your dog through the set of weaves with the leash on and say "weave, weave, etc" or "come, weave, etc". Once you reach the end of the weave poles then treat and praise. Another thing you can do is before you start is say "let's weave" and then say "weave, weave, etc."


Go back and forth between luring and guiding with a leash. Do not train too long. Your dog might become bored. You have to keep it fun for your dog. To really give your dog a lot of training to learn the weave poles, I suggest doing them a few times a day for anywhere around five to fifteen minutes long. If you think your dog is getting bored, stop and take a break then come back later and do some more practice.


Whenever you think your dog is ready, take him/her of leash and do it. Once your dog has them down pretty good you can try different things. Such as, just saying "lets weave", running in front of your dog, running behind your dog or anything else. You can also start working on twelve pole and nine pole weaves. Do not worry if your dog is having some trouble at the end of the nine pole weaves. It is a different exit then twelve and six. Just keep working on it. 


AKC novice agility trials only have six pole weaves. AKC open agility has nine or twelve pole weaves. AKC excellent agility has twelve pole weaves.


Here is a short video on how to do it. Please keep in mind Tilda already knows how to weave and your dog might be slower. 

Happy weave pole training. DO NOT give up. :)

Agility Videos

This first video of Tilda was her first time running this agility course. We did do a couple tries for the video, but this was her first time running the full course. You can see some of the mistakes that Tilda had.

Here is what went wrong:
Tilda went up the teeter instead of weaving.
Then she entered the weave poles on the left (wrong) side.
We kind of ran into each other. Could of been my fault; not sure. 
Took a jump the wrong way.
Took another jump the wrong way.
Knocked a jump bar off.
Hit the tire.

Now here is the clean run video. Well, almost clean run, she had a little trouble on the table. She had practice on the course, but is also took a couple tries to get it just right for the video.

As you saw she wouldn't go down on the table right away. I did change some of my handling a little bit. Her time in the first video was about one minute and sixteen seconds. Her time in the second video was about one minute and six seconds. Not bad, she dropped ten seconds.

Buddy's Agility Trial

Buddy was at an agility trial today. He qualified and took second place in novice jumps with weaves. He got nothing in open standard agility.

The competition records:

Date: 6/26/2010
Type of event: AKC jumps with weaves
Dog: Buddy
Dog breed: Shetland Sheepdog
Dog age: 2 years old
Class: Novice B jumps with weaves
Jump height: 20"
Number of dogs in jump height class: 6 dogs
Qualified/not qualified: Qualified (Q.)
Points: 100
Points deducted: 0
Place:2ed
Sit/down on table: N/A (JWW no table)
Number of obstacles: N/A
Run time:N/A
Time course had to be run in: N/A
Yards of course:N/A
Number of trials for dog: 8th AKC/9th in all
Notes: 


Date: 6/26/2010
Type of event: ACK open standard
Dog: Buddy
Dog breed: Shetland Sheepdog
Dog age: 2 years old
Class: Open standard agility
Jump height: 20"
Number of dogs in jump height class: N/A
Qualified/not qualified: Not qualified (N.Q.)
Points: 0
Points deducted: N/A
Place: N/A (N.Q.)
Sit/down on table: N/A
Number of obstacles: N/A
Run time:N/A
Time course had to be run in: N/A
Yards of course:N/A
Number of trials for dog: 8th AKC/9th in all
Notes: Whistled off course

Agility Pictures and Video

Pictures of Tilda practicing agility.

The tire. 

The table.

The teeter. 

Tilda jumping. 

Now the video.

This was not the first time Tilda ran this course, she had some practice on it. She looks pretty good in this video, but she did have some problems. 

This course I set up was a little hard. There were a lot of different ways that I (the handler) could run the course. This was one of the best ways to run it with Tilda, but might be the worst way with another dog. Different dogs and handlers all work different. Just remember the handler has a lot to do with it too.

Pumpkin Dog Treats

I have been using these pumpkin treats for agility class. They are the new special treat.
Tilda likes these treats and I know Gracie also likes these. So, I hope your dog also likes them. Pumpkin is very good for dogs, so this is a great treat.

Small pumpkin treats.

Large pumpkin treat.

Please note: Like my other treats I’m not sure how long these treats will last. So, please keep an eye on these treats too. I freeze mine and pull them out when I want to use them.
1 cup pumpkin
5 TBS water
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup flour
1 TBS shortening

Put pumpkin in a bowl and add shortening. Warm up pumpkin and shortening in a microwave for about 30 seconds. After warmed up, mix and mash the pumpkin and shortening together. Next, add water and salt; mix. Last of all, add the flour and mix it all together.
Note: I put parchment paper on the pans before I spoon the pumpkin mixture on the pans.
For small pieces spoon on a pan in small sizes.
For large pieces put pumpkin mixture on the pan and spread it to the size you want.
Bake at 275 degrees
20 minutes for small treats
20 minutes per side  for large treats

Boot Camp

Tilda is still in boot camp. With being out of town she had some days off. But yesterday we started back up.

Tilda is warming up to the vacuum. Most of the time she follows me around while I’m vacuuming. Of course she gets treats while I vacuum. That’s how she learned to like the vac, all because of treats. We started by putting peanut butter on the vacuum. :)

Yesterday and today we worked on the tongs. Yes, she’s scared of those too. Those really scare her. But I have to give her some time, yesterday was the first day we started working with her on those. The tongs also include getting peanut butter. And yes, I do wash them after she is done. :)

That’s it for right now. I took a break working with Tilda on the drawer under the stove.

Agility Class Results #9

We were out of town for the past few days, so that is why I haven’t updated lately. We took Tilda along and went for lots of walks. It was great for Tilda to be in all those different places.

 

Okay, now for the agility class results.

Tilda seemed a little nervous, but she wasn’t scared to pieces. She was a little slower than I would like, but she still did okay. Tilda saw a double bar jump last night too. The first time she saw it she wasn’t sure about it, but she did go over it. After the first time she had no problem with it.

One spot she had a little trouble with was that the tunnel was by the a-frame. Instead of taking the tunnel she would sometimes take the a-frame.

Sometimes she took the teeter when she wasn’t supposed to. After a little while at class she didn’t want to go over one of the jumps. She might have not liked it because she had to jump it going towards the other dogs.

Another thing that happened is that Tilda did her contact/touch on the dog walk and then had to do a tunnel. Well, I didn’t treat her on this contact. Because I didn’t treat her, she kept doing the contact seeing if she would get a treat. :)

Busy Day

Today we went to Buddy and Gracie’s house with Tilda. We went to a groomers so that Buddy could get a bath (there are pictures below) and both Buddy and Gracie got a nail clipping. We took Tilda along to the groomer, which was good for her. Different noises and just being in a new place is all good.

Then after the groomers we went for a walk. Tilda did pretty good. She didn’t walk at my side the whole time, but she still did good.

Tilda got scared by Buddy after we got back from the walk. I’m not sure if Buddy did a little something to her or what happened, but something scared her. She kind of got over it later in the day.

We worked with Gracie on touching/contacts on the teeter and dog walk. Also we worked on a jump sequence. I think she will get the idea of touching the yellow (contact) on the teeter and dog walk.

I did do some agility with Tilda too. She did okay. She was a little slow, but she had been at the groomers, gone for a walk, and played with Buddy and Gracie.

 

We are now home and have already done some “boot camp” with Tilda. She was already hiding when I brought out the vacuum. But she actually came out from her hiding place after I brought out the vacuum!! Maybe boot camp will pay off. Also worked on by the stove. She does not like the drawer under the stove. There are other things too that she is scared of, but this is a start.

 

 

 

 

 

Agility Results #8

Tilda really didn’t do that good at agility class last night. The problem was that she got scared again. She was slow and didn’t want to do some of the equipment. It is kind of hard because I know she can do better than she did last night. It is just that she gets scared.

First off, Buddy came inside, just at the beginning, and he didn’t get along with another dog. That maybe scared Tilda a little.

Then, not real long after, a dog came over and sniffed Tilda. It was a Bichon Frise, so it wasn’t a very big dog. She still didn’t like that; she was trying to hide under a chair. This dog also had a high pitched bark that might have scared her. I know, she shouldn’t get scared by another dog barking because she is a dog. :)

That Bichon really did scare her though because we started right by him and Tilda couldn’t wait to get through that tunnel at the beginning. But, she also didn’t want to go through the tunnel the other way because she knew she would end up by the bichon. Smart dog. :)

When Tilda was going up the a-frame the bichon barked and of course that scared Tilda too. So, with all these things that happened with the Bichon, that makes me think it was him who scared Tilda the most.

Tilda saw the broad jump for the first time last night. She did good with it, but the one time because she was scared, she walked over it. Also we had twelve weave poles. Tilda did pretty good with those, she just wasn’t as fast as three seconds. :) She had a little trouble with the tire too. Oh well, I guess there is next time.

 

So, because Tilda is a dog that scares easily, we are going to work with her. She has already start “boot camp” today. I know these noises are different then a dog barking, but she can still learn and get over some of her fears.

This is a new challenge and we will see how she does. As I said in an earlier post, the training kind of never ends. :)

Signed Up

All right, I put the paper work in the mail for an up coming agility trial. This trial isn't until July, so we have some practice time. She is signed up for novice A jumps with weaves and standard agility. I really don't know how she is going to do. I guess for every dog there is always that first trial. The only way to find out is to do one.


Tilda has class tonight. Maybe she won't get scared. :)

Agility Trial

Yesterday Buddy was at another agility trial. It was his first time running open standard. He also ran in novice jumps with weaves. He did not qualify in either. Nice try Buddy.

Date: 6/12/2010
Type of event: AKC Standard Agility 
Dog: Buddy
Dog breed: Shetland Sheepdog
Dog age: 2 years
Class: Open Standard agility
Jump height: 20"
Number of dogs in jump height class: N/A
Qualified/not qualified: Not qualified (N.Q.)
Points: 78
Points deducted: 22
Place: N.Q. (no placement)
Sit/down on table: N/A
Number of obstacles: N/A
Run time: 66.16 seconds
Time course had to be run in: 64 seconds
Yard of course: 167
Number of trials for dog: 7th AKC/ 8th in all
Notes: 





Date: 6/12/2010
Type of event: AKC Jumps w/ weaves
Dog: Buddy
Dog breed: Shetland Sheepdog 
Dog age: 2 years
Class: Novice B JWW
Jump height: 20"
Number of dogs in jump height class: N/A
Qualified/not qualified: Not qualified (N.Q.)
Points: 82
Points deducted: 18 
Place: N.Q. no placement
Sit/down on table: N/A (no table in jww)
Number of obstacles: N/A
Run time: 39.82 seconds
Time course had to be run in: 36 seconds
Yard of course: 104
Number of trials for dog: 7th AKC/8th in all
Notes:

Is This Toy Tilda Proof? – Mr. R

Okay, Tilda just got this raccoon toy today.

 

 

This is what the toy looks like now.

Is this toy Tilda proof? We will have to find out. My guess is that this toy is not Tilda proof.

Check back soon to find out. 

Is This Toy Tilda Proof? – The Rope Ball

This is a toy Tilda got as a puppy.

 

This ball only has some chewing makes, it isn’t ripped to pieces.

Is this toy Tilda proof? Yes, this toy is Tilda proof. Lately Tilda hasn’t done a whole lot with this ball. I think she likes tennis balls better. :) 

Wormy

Remember those puppies I was talking about the other day? Charlie and Phoebe. Well, this is what happened today. After taking them outside to go potty for the second time and then taking them for a walk we went inside. They were kind of hanging out together. I thought maybe they were eating crumbs or doing something like that. Charlie wanted what Phoebe wanted and Phoebe wanted what Charlie had. After a little while I checked to see what they had or to make sure they weren’t chewing on the rug. I noticed they were chewing on a worm! It was gross. Even though it was a dried out worm it was still gross. I’m thinking one of them brought it inside.

So, I grabbed them, but as I was moving the one pup he kind of slid over it and I didn’t know where the worm went. As I’m looking for it, the other pup picks it up. I grabbed her collar and had her drop it. I don’t now if she knows the command or not, but she dropped it. I didn’t want to put my hand in her month and pull that thing out. :)

After she dropped it I grabbed both of their collars and took them over to their crates. Phoebe went in her crate and Charlie laid down between the two crates. I grabbed a napkin, picked up that gross worm and threw it away!!

The things puppies do. :)  Kind of gross. :)

Agility Class Result #7

Tilda had her first class in a new session last night. We are actually going to change to a more advanced class next week on Monday nights. Tilda did okay, something scared her so that kind of made her not do as good. I’m not sure what scared her, but it was something. She slipped off the teeter, so maybe that made her scared. She also wouldn’t go through the tire one time. She kept going between the tire and the frame. When it was time to do the full course Tilda wasn’t doing that great. But after I grabbed a treat and started over she did better.

Also, Gracie is in this class too and will be moving up into the Monday night class too. Buddy was also there, not in the class but he ran at the end of the class. Because Buddy ran, the jumps were set at 20 inches. So for the fun of it I had Tilda jump one jump at 20 inches and she cleared it!

Pups

All right, maybe you are wondering what puppies I was talking about yesterday. Well do you remember awhile ago (I think in March) I said the neighbors got two puppies and Tilda had met them? Well, I have been taking care of those puppies for awhile; over two months. And now I am almost done watching them. I only watch them for about 45 minutes. They are both Cavachons (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise mix) and the time sure flies; they are already five months old. They had there first training class last night. In the note they left me it said that they learned to heel and sit. So that is the info on the puppies.

Bathy

Well today Tilda got a bath. All because she got sick. Well, actually we had to make her get sick because she got into chocolate candy. Oh, and this all happened when I was gone. I was taking care of some puppies (I might write about them tomorrow; maybe). Anyways Tilda got sick and had diarrhea. By the way, that’s a good thing. :) She wasn’t too messy, I probably could have cleaned up her back end and her chin wasn’t too bad (it had already been cleaned off). But I still gave her a bath. The last time she had a bath was about six months ago. She stays pretty clean.

Here are pictures of Tilda in the bath/sink.

 

 

 

Here are some pictures of her out of the bath.

 

 

 

She seems to be doing better now and is all fluffy. :)

Picture

Just a simple picture for today. :)

Wait

Here is a video of Tilda waiting for some treats.

One Year

Today we have had Tilda for one year! We saw Tilda on a Tuesday and brought her home on a Thursday. Having Tilda as a puppy was fun, but I do have to say it is nice she is potty trained and we don’t have to watch her all the time. :) Tilda has been a fun dog to train and there is still more training I can do with her. I guess the training kind of never ends. With all the things you can teach your dog you can train for a long time.

Some of the things Tilda has learned:

Sit

Down

Stay

Roll over

Spin

Shake (both paws)

High five

There is more to the list, this is just some of the things she has learned.

Oh, and fetch. We had to teach her how to play fetch. And now she loves it. Fetch actually did take a little while for her to learn. It wasn’t one of those things she got the hang of in a few days. I was wondering if she would ever get the hang of it. But we wanted a dog that would play fetch so we kept up with it. I guess never give up on the training. Some things might be harder for some dogs. Such as fetching a ball might be easier for a retriever than some other breed.

Another thing I wasn’t sure if Tilda would get the hang of was ringing a bell to go outside and go potty. We didn’t start training her to use the bell until she was older, but sometime she learned how to use the thing. She also learned that maybe if she stepped outside and then came back in she can have a treat; no treat for that. :)

There is also all the agility training I have done with Tilda. Training pays off. So keep on training.

Happy dog training! :)

Grooming

Yesterday I groomed Tilda. It took me over two hours. I maybe still could have done more. Here are some before and after pictures.

 

 

The top picture is before Tilda was groomed and the lower picture is after grooming.

 

 

And this is a picture of all the hair.

Under the Bed

This is how Tilda sometimes goes under the bed.

 

 

 

Yep, head under, feet and legs out. She does go all the way under. Just sometimes her feet and legs hang out. :)