BlackSchutzhundShepherds

Zac Brown Band - "Colder Weather"

2011-04-05T20:23:00.000-04:00

"When I close my eyes I see you
No matter where I am
I can smell your perfume through these whispering pines
I'm with your ghost again
It's a shame about the weather
But I know soon we'll be together
And I can't wait till then
I can't wait till then"

Excerpt from Zac Brown Band's latest single, "Colder Weather". I absolutely love this song and this band. They have such a unique sound. For the full version of the song and the official video, please visit this link.

The Joy of Writing

2011-04-03T19:16:00.000-04:00

Writing I find very therapeutic at times, and I am thankful I have this place to do my writing. Its just a shame that so many of my posts are not meant for public viewing. So, they will remain hidden. And oh so helpful to me in their own little way.

2011-01-24T14:11:00.001-05:00

Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out. - John Wooden

Lost and Looking

2011-01-21T09:23:00.000-05:00

I am just not sure where to go from here. I am looking for the the way, but cannot find it. Feeling lost is one of the saddest feelings. When at a crossroad in one's life, with no one to lead you along the correct path, it can feel daunting and overwhelming. I know that I have to find the way on my own, as it will not be another who leads me along. Need to find the strength and courage to find the path that will lead me out of my deep sadness.

For now, I will keep looking.....

Permanently Broken

2011-01-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

I feel like an engine that is permanently missing an important part..... I am never going to run right.

Sad Day

2011-01-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

And, with this sad day, comes yet another reminder. The coincidence is striking, albeit obvious. What message is trying to be relayed to me I wonder. Or is it all just merely coincidence and nothing more? I wonder, endlessly.

Cruel Twist of Fate

2010-12-29T14:27:00.000-05:00

Why is it that I have to be reminded many times every day? So many things, sometimes seemingly random in nature, appear to remind me. I can be concentrating on something completely unrelated and then out of nowhere, something shows up to remind me.... endless suffering it is. Cruel twist of fate indeed.

Favorite Quote This Week...

2010-12-29T13:52:00.000-05:00

"You are bad, but in a good way"...

Love This

2010-12-24T13:59:00.001-05:00

"Oh! What a tangled web we weave. When first we practice to deceive!"
From the poem Marmion, Sir Walter Scott.

Sometimes...

2010-12-10T13:52:00.003-05:00

I feel like a part time source of entertainment.

Great Quote of the Week

2010-11-20T13:55:00.001-05:00

"Together we share synergy, at least I know I am better with you than without you"...

In the Pursuit of.....?

2010-07-15T18:31:00.002-04:00

I am quite sure that my recent efforts have been little more than futile... why is it that we want so badly what we cannot have? It almost seems to make us want that thing even more knowing that we simply cannot have it.... madness!

Even though I firmly believe that I will likely never get what I want, I will still try, and of course fail. Yet, that only seems to make me want to try harder, or try something different that may just work... after all, the definition of insanity is often stated as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So, of course I will try different tactics, strategies, plans of action. None of which, of course, will actually work. But I will likely keep trying. Or perhaps, one day I will come to my senses or wake up to reality and realize it is a dead end road.

Time will tell. Let's just hope I don't drive myself to the point of insanity in the meantime.
:-S

In The Face of Uncertainty

2010-07-05T21:23:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking about a lot lately, causing myself much mental anguish and torment. Faced with uncertainty and an inherent inability to make decisions for myself, I feel like the last few weeks have passed with me being in some sort of a daze or a trance. Some new things have cropped up that occupy a lot of my mind's time, sometimes interfering with day to day life. I even somehow missed a very important deadline, one that almost shocked me back into reality..... almost. Once the scare of that particular event diminished slightly (all because a very sympathetic post office worker took some pity on me), I somehow managed to block the potential consequences of my oversight out of my mind. I then allowed my mind to preoccupy itself with its previous distractions... trying desperately to block them out, but being ever so unsuccessful.

The human mind is a curious thing for sure. It makes me wonder why I can so easily block certain things out, yet others linger, sometimes to the point of making me close to miserable. I am an analytical person by nature, carefully contemplating all of my options ad nausem. Sometimes I cannot come to an answer that satisfies me. And so, the torment continues. Being indecisive can have its advantages... we almost never make a decision in haste or without careful thought. A major problem of mine is seemingly knowing exactly what I want, but not being able to see a clear path to get there.

AAC Nationals are just over 4 weeks away, and I must turn my focus onto practicing for this prestigious event. When I am fortunate enough to get to work with my dogs, I forget about everything else... I am able to focus in the moment, and be there 100% for my dog. This is a skill I have worked on over the years. It took some practice on my part.

And so, the distracted mind shall continue on I suppose, as I have no reliable skill for dealing with that. As I prepare to start a new chapter in my life this week, I hope that my decisions leading up to this were good ones.

Ready or Not, Regionals Are Almost Here...

2010-05-26T22:25:00.002-04:00

As I work on my last minute preparations for the Ontario AAC Agility Regional Championships this upcoming weekend, it is with a heavy heart I gather up all the things I will need. I received word this week that 2 of my friends, who are also fellow dog sport enthusiasts, have had their dogs pass away long before what should have been "their time". One of these friends was supposed to be competing along side me this weekend, the other was competing at her own regional championship just last weekend. Both dogs succumbed to an untimely death. It is with great sadness and sorrow that I now try and prepare to compete this weekend. I also have been thinking quite a bit lately about how really unprepared I am to compete. I have not been able to continue with my weekly lessons. This has been eating at the very pit of my soul for some time now. My new work schedule just does not seem amenable to private agility lessons, nor group lessons, nor once a month fun-match style training. I feel that missing out on expert coaching and advice really puts me at a disadvantage at the big competitions. I know we are capable of doing quite well, but without regular coaching and instruction, our skills can't help but falter. I feel like my dogs deserve far more than I have been able to give them these last 6 months, and I am hitting a wall I cannot get around. This has really been my focus... I am actually quite angry that my job has interfered with my agility life so much that I am unable to attend any of the training that I consider so valuable. How it will affect our performance this weekend remains to be seen.

On the other side of things, in light of the recent sad news of these poor dogs who were taken far too soon, I am extremely grateful that I still have my dog with me and that I am able to run with him in a regional championship. How lucky I feel to have my dog by my side. I shall never, ever take for granted any time I have with him. Our time with our canine companions is so short, and it hurts so much when that time is cut off long before it should be.

This weekend I will not focus on the fact that I have missed out on half a year's worth of expert instruction. I will not focus on the fact that I am angry and frustrated with my current job situation. I will simply enjoy the time I have with my dogs, and I will love every moment I have in the ring with them. I will enjoy every "dance" on every "dance floor" with every "partner". Simply because we just never know when it will be the last "dance"...

Blaze - Agility Trial Champion of Canada

2010-04-13T21:50:00.000-04:00

Neglectful Blog Owner

2010-04-10T20:17:00.003-04:00

I have really been neglecting by blog lately... A LOT.... Truth be known, I actually love blogging. It is so extremely satisfying to have a place where I can put my thoughts down where I don't have to think about who I have to please other than myself. Sound selfish? I don't think so... In so many instances in our lives where we are required to write something, quite often it is really for someone else, and we must constantly think about pleasing those parties in some way. Here of course I do want to please my readers, but honestly the number one reason I do this is to please myself. If others happen to get something out of it, then that is a "bonus". I do try to make my posts interesting, funny, and well written. But my true underlying desire is self satisfaction.

The main reason I have been so neglectful lately is that I find that I have little or no time for anything, and it is stressing me out quite a bit. My work schedule is quite demanding, something I am trying to change. I also suffer (immensely) with dial-up internet service, so uploading anything is painfully slow at best. I plan to put up a few back - posts here on the blog, as there have been some important events I wanted to document lately. Until then, I'll continue on, trying to find some balance in my life.

To Pexy or Not To Pexy?

2010-04-05T20:49:00.002-04:00

Right lateral abdominal radiograph taken of Cole shortly after arrival at the Huronia Veterinary Emergency Clinic.

On Easter Sunday, right around dinner time, Cole had an episode of "mild to moderate" gas distension of his stomach. A state of silent panic started inside me as soon as I saw this image. The DVM on duty was not overly concerned about it, but erred on the side of caution and recommended to keep Cole for observation and treatment if necessary. There was no torsion of his stomach, and the gas resolved on its own with only minimal treatment. Upon discharge, it was recommended that I discuss a prophylactic gastropexy with my regular DVM, although the ER vet would not necessarily recommend this himself.

This is where the dilemma begins.... There is much controversy right now in the veterinary community about whether preventative gastropexies should be performed. Some pet owners of high risk breeds are opting to have this procedure done while the pet is in for his / her spay or neuter. Cole's situation is a little bit different, as he has now had an episode of gas build up in his stomach, the precursor to bloat and GDV. Because I own one of the "high risk" breeds, I am always on high alert when it comes to GDV. Arlo's littermate, Mika, had a full blown GDV not long ago while in my care. I caught it immediately, and I knew what was going on. I got her in to my vet right away, and she was rushed into surgery. She survived with no complications. Not all do.

Based on Cole's history and the recent research I have done, I am leaning really heavily towards having the gastropexy done. There are many good reasons in my mind to have this procedure done now. He will be stable when he goes in for surgery rather than in a life threatening state of health. Post-op complications will likely be far less than if he'd had the procedure done post GDV. There is always a risk with any surgery. The risk would be far, far greater if I decided to "wait and see". Dogs that bloat once almost always will bloat again. It is usually just a matter of time... If Cole develops a GDV and I am not here to catch it right away, the outcome could be devastating. That is simply a risk I do not want to take.

Introducing Lexus

2010-01-24T16:09:00.008-05:00

Lexus, a black female German Shepherd, rescued from the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes.

I happened upon a story a few days ago, through the use of facebook, of a German Shepherd in special circumstances. She had been deemed "unadoptable", and was thus not being offered to the general public. Because I know the fate of some other GSD's that have found themselves in this situation, I contacted a staff member of this shelter right away to see if I could help. Her description sounded to me like a drivey dog, whose typical GSD traits were getting her in trouble in a shelter situation. Unfortunately for this breed (and some others), they often don't present themselves well in a shelter environment, and sometimes their behaviours appear to be something other than what they are. Sometimes it takes someone who has in depth knowledge of the breed, and years of experience working with these dogs to get involved and help out a dog who needs help. There are very few behaviour problems I have not had to personally deal with, and my deep love and admiration for these dogs has given me an ability to read them very well.

Lexus had been surrendered to the shelter by her original family. She was then adopted out to another family, but returned shortly after. Due to a number of issues, she was no longer being offered up for adoption to the general public. I made the decision to rescue her, certain that she was just not in the right environment.

The staff and volunteers at this shelter are amazing people. They loved this little girl, and did not want to see her destroyed, as they could see her potential. When I showed up to get her, one of the ladies working there told me that I was the "angel" they have been waiting for... The truth is however, that they are really the "angels". If not for them and their belief in this dog, I never would have known about her in the first place. I commend them for their big hearts and their desire to help Lexus find an appropriate home.

Lexus is now in my home, and is potentially up for adoption to the right home. She is 16 months old, spayed, and up to date on her vaccines. She is so far a very sweet girl, who has been very calm in my home. She has shown no signs of any aggression towards my males, and prefers to just observe the other dogs at a distance. She is very quiet, clean, and content in her crate. She loves to play fetch. I'm hoping once she gets to know me a little better, she will bond nicely. She is a smaller female, and very athletic in build. She is very fast when pursuing her ball. I'm hoping she will enjoy the sport of agility, and I will be introducing her to some agility training as soon as she is settled and comfortable here.
Lexus digging in the snow for a tiny stick she found.

Lexus and the Hol-ee Roller... a very popular and durable dog toy...

She loves to fetch!

The Hol-ee Roller...

Very pretty little girl.

Lexus... :-)

Lafontaine Beach Park

2009-11-11T16:22:00.000-05:00

Lafontaine Beach Park... It may not be beautiful in the traditional sense of how we may think of beaches... there are random weeds everywhere, there are different sized rocks scattered all around, the shoreline is irregular, and the sand is course, not fine. But, all I can tell you is that it is beautiful.... I loved it.

I was up in Lafontaine today, and since I was so close to the shores of Georgian Bay, I decided to drive down the winding, snaky road that hugs the shoreline. I was in Tiny Township, the site of much heated debates between land owners and public beach seekers. It would seem that much of the beautiful Georgian Bay shoreline in this township is privately owned. There are some public beaches there, but some of them are literally no wider than an in-town house lot... approximately 60 feet wide... with private land owners on both sides. Because these beaches have been in the news so much over the years, I had always wanted to see them for myself... see what all the fuss was about. I was lucky because it was a beautiful sunny day. The first beach I stopped at was Lafontaine Beach Park... a small public beach, but one of the "larger" ones in the area, much bigger than a single house lot. There were private homes on either side of the public beach, and once you walked out onto the shoreline, you could easily turn around and view some of the beautiful houses along the shore. Ah-h-h-h-h, to be the owner of a beach front property. There was no one else out there when I was there. It was early afternoon, and there was barely a breeze. The sun was bright, the sky blue, and the sun was sparkling off of the water. I could see almost the entire Georgian Bay shoreline off in the distance. It was utterly peaceful there, almost too beautiful and stunning for words. I was mesmerized by the calm, sparkling waters and the simple fact that no where along the shoreline was there any view of city buildings. This beach just gave me a sense of utter peace... I didn't want to leave! Unfortunately I did not have my good quality camera with me, but I did manage to get some decent photos with my cell phone. Although looking at these photos does take me back to that day, and reminds me of the feeling I got while standing on the shore... I'm not sure that they actually do the place justice to those who have not been there...

Looking out at the water from higher up the beach... you can see the other side of the shoreline off in the distance, albeit only faintly.

A piece of shoreline... here you can see the rocks... these rocks continue out into the water, so I'm not sure how nice this would be for swimming.

Urban Tracking 101

2009-11-07T19:34:00.002-05:00

Today I was lucky to be able to join some very experienced trackers for some urban tracking coaching. It was not that long ago that I thought of urban tracking as being too difficult and the titles seemed too far out of reach. Although after passing the preliminary CKC tracking title, the TD with both dogs this year, I do have my sights set on the more advanced CKC tracking titles. So when I had the opportunity to get some first hand coaching from some experience urban trackers, I jumped on it. We did a couple of very short grass to pavement tracks for Eros today, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well he took to the pavement. I did a very short one for Arlo too, and he also did well. Arlo has already had an introduction to hard surface tracking. I also had the opportunity to watch a few experienced dogs do an urban track, two of them were "blind" tracks. Very interesting indeed!

Later on in the day we moved over to some open fields, and did some field tracking. I was lucky to have a "stranger" track laid for Arlo through varied terrain. He did very well, and only missed one article. He did have some trouble on corners, but finished the track, and indicated all of the other articles (GREAT for Arlo!).

Overall it was a great day, with beautiful weather that was unseasonably warm for November in Ontario.

Vote For Len! TTL Photography

2009-11-05T09:56:00.005-05:00

The Globe and Mail has a contest on right now which will award one photographer and one writer a guest ticket to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics to be a guest journalist for the Globe and Mail complete with a new camera, event tickets, flight, accommodations, and spending money. It would be the trip and opportunity of a lifetime!

For many agility enthusiasts here in Ontario, our favourite action photographer has been Len Sylvester of TTL Photography. He has been in attendance to many of the regional and national championships, as well as some local trials. His photos are simply amazing, and offer the competitors a chance at some stunning action shots that they otherwise would not have access to.

Please go to the Globe and Mail website and cast for vote for Len... You can vote daily and a one lucky voter will win a new laptop computer and a new DSLR camera. One vote per day per user is allowed!

Let's help Len get to the 2010 Winter Olympics!

Here is Len's submission: http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/entry_photo.asp?id=686

Blaze in the weaves, as captured by TTL Photo.

And Just Like That, They Were Gone...

2009-11-04T11:29:00.003-05:00

Sunrise this morning.

View of some ominous looking clouds off of my front porch yesterday afternoon.

It was just last week that most of the trees still had most of their leaves. Then, with a powerful windstorm that rolled through here on the weekend, virtually all of the leaves are now off the trees. It was within a day or two that the majority of the leaves were blown off. Very dramatic transformation.

Daylight Savings Time Ends

2009-11-02T17:24:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we switched back to standard time. The darkness will now come much more quickly in the evening, reducing our daylight for outdoor training. As winter approaches here in Ontario, we must deal with much shorter days and very long nights. The lack of light along with the cold and miserable weather significantly reduces our ability to work on many aspects of our training. It is when much of our training gears down and we work on what we can. Some of us are lucky to have indoor facilities in which to work. Agility skills can often be kept up quite well over the winter months, as many excellent indoor facilities are available. For schutzhund enthusiasts, many aspects of our training are put on hold until spring.

As the long, cold, dark winter months approach, many of us are simply dreaming of spring with its warmer days and longer daylight hours.

It will be another long winter *sigh*.

Handler Errors = Point Losses

2009-11-02T15:48:00.003-05:00

Schutzhund trials are few and far between here in Ontario, so when one is being held, I always try and go out to watch. One can often learn a lot by watching trials, and I find the judges' critiques very helpful. I attended a trial this past weekend as a spectator. I have recently paid very close attention to the handlers in trials. I have found that there is a wide range of handling styles, but they can basically be broken down into 2 broad categories; Confident and Non-Confident handling. The handler's body language speaks volumes to the spectators, the judge, and of course, the dog. The handlers I admire the most are those with confident and smooth handling. Even when things start to fall apart on you out on the trial field, or when the unexpected happens, those who maintain their composure and smooth, confident handling present an overall excellent picture.

The other thing that I find astonishing is how many handlers make unnecessary handling errors that cost points. In this case, handlers are simply giving points away. It is a needless practice and, in my opinion, almost completely preventable. Certainly I will agree that trial nerves sometimes get the better of us as dog handlers, and due to nerves, we may forget things out there on the trial field. These mistakes should be rare occurrences, however, not frequent happenings. Perhaps it is my strong competitive agility background that is influencing me, but I simply feel that with just a little effort in trial preparation, handler mistakes can be minimal. In agility, handler errors are so extremely costly. It can cost you a clean run or a first place finish at a large competition. In agility the course is never the same. The handlers get 7 minutes to walk the course, choose their path, and decide on their handling strategy. In schutzhund, the obedience routine is always the same, it never changes. You know ahead of time what you must do at each level, which order you must perform the required exercises, and what commands to use. This should all be virtually automatic for the handlers. With having a solid, automatic handling system in place, it is one less thing the handler must think about while out on the trial field. And, because we all know ahead of time exactly what is expected, there is really no excuse for seemingly senseless handler errors. Except of course those that occur due to handler nerves or stress. What we should all be striving to achieve is what has long been common practice in the agility world; muscle memory. Many high level competitive sports require the participant to have muscle memory to be successful. Schutzhund should be no different. If you ever watch handlers at the world level in schutzhund, it is a very rare sight indeed to see a handler make an error. It would also be very counter productive to do so... when you are competing for a world championship, giving points away for things such as not taking enough steps in the buildup of your motion exercises or not assuming the basic position with your dog in between exercises will be catastrophic in term of your placement. I believe that all handlers can achieve this level of handling with some simple steps.

Because we all know the routine in advance, and it never changes, we should be out practicing the routine on the trial field without our dogs. Yes, that is correct, without the dog. Go out and walk the entire routine, and use all the commands you would use if your dog was there. Practice counting the paces in your head over and over again. The last thing you need on trial day is to try and remember how many paces are required for each part of the routine. This should be automatic. I also throw in there the exact moments when I plan to reward my dog with light praise, as it is allowed in the rules. This way it becomes automatic. I don't have to think about it. I practice throwing the dumbbell over the jumps, and all other aspects of the routine. If my rehearsed movements for each part of the routine are absolutely correct, the likelihood of me making handler errors out there is significantly diminished, as I have learned muscle memory for these required elements. This is a skill I have learned through many years of competitive agility. It is a skill that all of us can master with a little practice.

Below is the heeling pattern for all levels in schutzhund.

Serpentine Tracks - Everything That is Old is New Again

2009-10-29T11:30:00.005-04:00

Sod Farm where we often track.

The idea of running serpentine tracks is not new... many experienced trackers use this technique to their advantage. Serpentine tracks help the dog to understand that the track can go "anywhere", can slow the dog down, teach the dog to be more careful when searching, and can help with corners. I saw the value in using serpentine tracks quite some time ago, and I did try a few of them. The problem that quickly became apparent is that if I cannot see the track... I do not know where it is, and I have no way to assess how accurately my dog is working. Very frustrating indeed. Because of this, I stopped running serpentine tracks.

Recently I came across an experienced SchH competitor who routinely trains with world level competitors. He recommended serpentine tracks, and uses them more often than straight line tracks. He and his club members have had great success in competition with their dogs. I decided to pick his brain for more info.... How does one know where the track is? Well, his advice was helpful for sure. He does use a distance object (as if you were running a straight line track). This distance object then becomes your "centre line"... Meaning you walk your serps out to the right and left of this centre line, but always come back to this centre line. Then you use a natural landscape marker for knowing where your curves are, or use an artificial marker, such as a thin rod or dowel. Sounds easy enough.

In practice however, it has proven to be much more difficult. On the occasions when I could see my track, the dogs have done reasonably well. When I have not been able to see it, disaster has ensued. My dogs were casting and circling a lot, and despite there being a ton of food on the tracks, both dogs had considerable trouble. One night recently Arlo decided he was going to go in a straight line anyway, and because I did not know where the track was (except of course, for the centre line - track could easily be seen when laid... disappeared by the time I ran it), he proceeded along in his straight line, intersecting the serps along his way, finding food of course, and believing he is somehow "on the track"... how utterly frustrating. My dogs have been running straight line tracks for quite some time now (with corners of course), and seem to be so conditioned for this. When I see them having difficulty with the serp tracks despite a lot of food for bait on the track, it makes me wonder if they really "know" how to track? When I have a really bad tracking experience like this, it puts me in a really, really bad mood. Clearly more skill is needed on my part to somehow remember or know where the track is if I want to run serp tracks.

From now on we will only run a serp track when I can clearly see it (heavy dew, frost...). Until then, we will continue on in our normal fashion.

Arlo navigating a serpentine track.

ShowStopper Success Story

2009-10-17T11:28:00.001-04:00

For a few years now, Cole has suffered from seasonal itchy skin and usually gets a few hot spots in the summer months. These were previously managed the usual way... clip the hair, keep the area clean and dry, and keep the dog's mouth away from the hot spot using an Elizabethan collar if necessary. The bacteria in the mouth do not belong on the skin, and can make any skin condition worse. Cole would usually spend a few weeks of every summer wearing an Elizabethan collar. I experimented with different diets, and with Cole also suffering from SIBO, I had to be careful when trying out a new food. I found a diet that agreed with his digestive system, and also did not produce any itching - for most of the year he was comfortable. However, come summer and the hot humid weather that is so typical of Ontario, he would always suffer from hot spots.

On the advice of Richard from ANR-Specialties, I decided to give the ShowStopper supplement a try for Cole. This supplement is not specifically marketed for relief of hot spots, however he was aware that the product had provided relief for many dogs suffering from hot spots and itchy skin. With the alternative for Cole likely being a need for antibiotics +/- some steroid therapy to control his itching / hot spots, I decided that we had nothing to loose trying this supplement. Richard did warn me that the cost may be a factor, as the supplement is not cheap. This did not deter me. I thought that if the supplement did in fact work, and Cole was able to live E-collar and itch free, then it would be well worth the price. I also liked the idea that perhaps his itching could be managed drug-free.

Being from a scientific, western medicine, veterinary background, I would have been very skeptical to try something like this in the past. I have learned though over the years, that sometimes you just have to give things a try... as long as there is no potential to cause harm, then trying things that have not been "scientifically proven" may just prove to be worth your while. Such was the case with the ShowStopper. I didn't expect to see any improvement in Cole's skin for at least a month. Well, within 2 weeks of starting the supplement, Cole was no longer itchy and his hot spots had healed and was living without his E-collar. If I didn't see it for myself I never would have believed it. On the advice of Richard, once we saw relief, we decreased his dose of the supplement to the lowest effective dose. It does not have any claim like this on the label, it was simply Richard's advice from past experience. Although Cole's labeled dose is 3 scoops per day, and up to 6 scoops per day, Cole is easily maintained on 2 scoops per day. And he loves the taste. The one down side to this supplement is weight gain. It is so high in fat, that Cole quickly gained weight. And, with him not being able to exercise properly because of his ongoing SLO, he bulked up in no time. I had to experiment with the portions of his food, as he is also on an energy dense food. As a young dog, we had tremendous trouble trying to keep weight on him. So, we quickly stabilized his energy intake, and although he is still a bit heavy, he is doing well.

The biggest improvement I saw with Cole would be with his skin and his coat. He was no longer itchy and his coat was beautiful, shiny, and better than it has ever been. This product also significantly reduces shedding. Once again, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never, ever would've believed that claim. There are so many products out there that claim to reduce shedding..... I thought they were all just marketing claims..... after all, many dogs have a double coat... Dogs SHED!!!! Especially Cole. He has a very typical GSD coat, heavy, double coat, with a lot of undercoat, and he was always a heavy sheddder even though he is a house dog and never really develops a true winter coat. Well, it is like a dramatic transformation.... he barely sheds at all now. Even when I brush him, the hair that comes out is negligible, unlike before when I could get mounds and mounds of undercoat out of him, enough to seemingly make another GSD. Those of you with shepherds who have coats like that will know exactly what I am talking about. It's so unbelievable, that I won't truly believe it until spring comes. This is when the shedding is usually the heaviest. I'll be sure to report back at that time. In the meantime, I plan to keep Cole on this supplement indefinitely, and although it is a bit pricey, I feel it is well worth it.

Below, Cole with his new, shiny coat.

Olympic's Emeril - Schutzhund 2

2009-10-04T19:28:00.001-04:00

Arlo and me and his High SchH 2 trophy, 84, 77, 75. For full results, click Here

October 3rd & 4th 2009, the Durham Schutzhund Club hosted a fall trial with Judge Nikki Banfield, USA. I had entered Arlo in this trial just a week prior to the event, as although I had planned to enter a fall trial, Arlo had been ill the previous week due to ingesting large quantities of wood.... that's another story. Because of this, I was not sure he was feeling well enough to trial. It turned out he was feeling great, and our practice sessions at the Durham club really impressed me. It seemed that Arlo was finally able to transfer what he has learned to a new location much more easily now. Along with this and some great words of advice from training director Peter Lauder, I was feeling confident going into this trial. Overall, our performance was good. Leading up to the trial I struggled once again to overcome and control my nerves. My nerves got the better of me during the tracking phase, as for the first time that I can remember, the spectators were allowed to come down onto the tracking field. Every other trial I have attended or been entered in, the spectators were required to stay up on the road. They were very close to us, we were the last to track, there were many people there watching, some of whom have world level experience, and well..... this unsettled me. I'm sure my nervousness translated into Arlo's performance, as the conditions were outstanding, plush sod, lots of dew, no detectable wind, the track was visible.... he could have easily put in a 95+ point performance, but instead we ended up with 84. I am not going to complain about that, as he did very well considering my state of being. I had also lost some points due to a misunderstanding of the rules... once again, another story.

Leading up the obedience routine, I was feeling quite unwell... nausea, nervousness, panic! I really don't know why I get into this state of mind, Arlo is a very reliable OB dog, not a high scoring one, but quite predictable. Once we started working, I quickly settled into my "trial mind", "in the ring state", "in the zone".... I don't really know the correct term for this, but it happens almost always when I run agility, which is far more often than I enter a SchH trial. No matter what I am feeling or worried about waiting to go on the field, it all virtually disappears once my dog and I start working together as a team. All I see is my dog, me, and the judge. It's as if no one else is even there, I forget completely all about everyone else. It is a nice state of mind to be in. Arlo and I worked great together, and what a wonderful feeling being out there with my canine partner working as a team. We lost quite a few points on little things... things I admit, I have not worked on at all. I have since begun to work on those "little" things that turned into big point losses once added up, as I do intend to trial with Arlo again. Even though our score was quite low, I did get many comments from the spectators about how nice we looked out there together, including a "nice job in OB" from a 2-time WUSV competitor. But, my favourite comment was from the judge... in her critique, she said that it is obvious that the handler and the dog have an excellent working relationship together. :-)
Arlo did his best work for me, and that is all I can ever ask for.

The protection phase was the one I was most worried about. His bitework has progressively gotten less intense over the years, and this can certainly be attributed to his illness, however I just cannot be certain how much his illness contributes to his performance. However, he had worked great with the helper Jason at our practice sessions before the trial. He was actually more fired up than he has been in a while... a good sign. His protection routine in the trial was very flat, and I did loose a little bit of control a couple of times. I have been told that nervous handlers can have an adverse affect on a dog in trial, but it was difficult for me to tell how much this was an issue for him. We squeaked by with 75 points... a pass, but not enough to move on to a SchH 3 level. One must score minimum 80 points in the protection phase to be eligible to progress. So, we must try again if we want to move on. The following morning Arlo did have a fever of over 40 degrees Celsius, which could certainly have been a contributing factor to his level of intensity on the trial field. The day of the trial I saw no signs of him feeling ill, and I was very diligent to watch for these.

Overall, my experience was good, and I am happy I decided to enter. The judge Nikki Banfield was outstanding, super nice to the competitors, very fair, and very detailed in her critiques, which I found to be very helpful. I felt it was a privilege to have trialed under her. At the end of the trial, she told everyone that the dogs only know what we (the handlers) teach them, so if we are having training issues, then we are to go home and look in the mirror, as it is us and only us who are responsible for those. Then she told everyone to go home and hug their dogs. I think that message really hit home for a lot of people, as it is so true. Our dogs only know what we have taught them...

A big thanks to friends Graham and Josie for the great photos. My camera does not have a good zoom lens yet, but we will have one soon.

Heeling the "J" pattern.

Dumbbell throw over the jump

Retrieve over the frame

Long down

Waiting for our critique

Bark and hold, Jason Peter is the helper

Back transport

Setting up for the "out"

Judge Nikki Banfield after our protection routine critique congratulating Arlo and I on a successful SchH 2 title.

Fun shot after all the awards were handed out.... Josie caught this one of Arlo looking up at his trophy....

Mental Prep

2009-09-28T11:25:00.004-04:00

As I once again prepare to trial one of my dogs, my mind is focused not so much on the physical abilities of my dog (I know he knows how to do it), but more so on my mental preparation. Mental prep is such a big part of our success in dog sports. So much so that I have become consumed with thoughts of how to improve my mental abilities before I compete so that I can "keep it together", so to speak, for my dog. I have unfortunately had years of practice "doing it badly", meaning that I have allowed my mind to negatively affect my performance with my dog. I think that proper mental preparation leading up to and during competitions is seriously lacking in my dog training circles. Sure I have lots of help teaching my dog how to indicate articles, how to do a send out, how to do a hold and bark, how to do weave poles, how to do front crosses... but I find that there seems to be very little opportunity around to discuss the importance of positive mental prep before a trial. This whole idea is becoming more and more popular, as I feel that poor mental prep before a trial affects quite a few people, and they are recognizing it and want to improve their mind's ability to deal with stress related to dogs sports. Many have researched on their own and found valuable resources to help improve their mental performance. I still feel that I am in the novice or beginner stage when it comes to learning about good mental preparedness for competition. And I am even further behind that when it comes to "practicing" good mental control at a competition. I have just had too many years practicing "bad mental behavior, thoughts, and images" that it has become a very, very hard habit to break... at least for me. I often refer to Susan Garrett's training blog, as she has some good ideas and words of wisdom. I am amazed at her ability to keep mentally focused and also her ability to "recover" after an upset in performance.

Here is one of my favourite posts from her blog... "How many of you lose your concentration partway through a run you when you are otherwise acing it? Likely it is a really important run, say the last leg of a double Q or a big qualifier or perhaps even a “finals” class. Things are going along swimmingly and then you let your “conscious mind” know how good you think you are doing. I have done it myself many times. When you allow your conscious mind to play a role in your run it will immediately say things to you like “wow, don’t screw up now” or “if you can just not make any errors you can go clean.” Once thoughts like that enter your head, your focus has been taken away from your run and more often than not it is difficult to get it back without a “hiccup” in the run. That hiccup can be your downfall, that is when you are out of position or cue a turn incorrectly and disaster flows." from this page of her blog, http://susangarrett.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/wii-and-dog-agility/ .

I have done this particular thing to myself many times, and subsequently blew what was otherwise a clean run, usually near the end, with only 2 or 3 obstacles left on the course. Mental prep and performance is so important to our success in dog sports, I'm surprised that more attention is not paid to this critical aspect of success. Perhaps it comes more naturally to others and they are able to master it with little help? Perhaps they feel that experience alone will eventually correct the problems? I don't really know what the answer is, but being relatively new to the dog sports world I feel that I myself need some help and coaching in the mental prep department. Especially as my dogs progress in their respective disciplines and move on to higher levels of competition, I am finding it increasingly more difficult to harness and control my thoughts surrounding a competition.

More on this later... Now I move on to researching ways to improve my skills at mental control.

Wallace Payne & Pedro - 2007 North American FH Champion

2009-09-26T08:53:00.002-04:00

I am sure this video has been well watched by many in the Schutzhund world, but I came across it just recently in a round about way. I have heard of Wallace Payne, but I was really not that familiar with him. I was on a tracking blog, and his name was mentioned... The name rang a bell for me, but it was not immediately apparent who he is. With the beauty of the internet, he was just a few clicks away. Needless to say, this video speaks for itself. Pedro does an "off-leash" 99 point FH track. It is spectacular. For the untrained eye, it may just appear that the dog is merely... "tracking". To those of us who actively train and compete in the sport, we are awed by Pedro, and even more so that this entire track is done off leash, with no communication from Wallace. Even though when we trial, we are not allowed to "help" our dogs via the tracking line, there is still an element of communication that goes on there between dog and handler. Even subtle changes to the tension in the line can affect the dog. Here is the link for this amazing track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=YV7retd4WQU

And here is Wallace's website:

http://www.schhcompetition.com/index.html

This style of tracking is what we are all striving for in schutzhund...

Enjoy!

Olympic's Zorro, TD - CKC Tracking Dog Title

2009-09-20T15:13:00.006-04:00

Myself, CKC tracking judge Dawn Sanderson, and trial secretary Pando Stepanis at Tersha Kennels. I was accepting Eros' plaque, ribbon, and his tracking map from the judge after the test.

We were at Tersha Kennels in Thorndale, near London, Ontario today for a CKC tracking test. The test was hosted by the German Shepherd Dog Club of London. Tersha Kennels is the home of CKC judges Sharon Smith and the late Terry Smith. I was very pleased to be a part of this test, as those hosting the test are good friends. It was also that much more special, as it was a great way to honor Terry's memory by participating in a tracking trial at his home club. His presence could be felt all around, and I knew he would be proud.

After Arlo passed his TD test in June of this year, I decided to give it a try with Eros. Eros is not as confident in tracking yet as Arlo, but I had quite a few weeks to prepare, plus access to many different practice fields. Additionally, I had the help of my club members to help with laying "stranger" tracks and articles for Eros. I was feeling very confident about Eros' skills going in to this test. The other issue for us here in Ontario is that there are relatively few opportunities to enter tracking tests, and when one is offered, there are so few spaces available. One often has to try entering many times to actually get a chance to run their dog in a tracking test. I felt I had to take the opportunity when it was available.

There were 4 TD tracks today, with 3 of the 4 dogs passing. The tracks were laid on alfalfa. It was a sunny day, with moderate temperatures, and moderate winds. The field was dewy, but the track was not at all visible to the handlers. It was a great lesson in "trusting your dog"... I did not know where the track went, I could not see it, so I had to trust my dog. Eros did have a bit of trouble with the wind, and he circled at two of his corners, but after a bit of searching (which felt like an eternity when out there) he found the track again and carried on confidently. He found the article at the end without difficultly, and indicated clearly. I was very, very proud of him.

Now the option is available to us to train for the higher level tracking tests, and I do want to work towards these titles with both dogs. Happy Tracking Everyone!

Myself, Eros, and judge Dawn Sanderson after Eros passed his test. Dawn is holding Eros' plaque and ribbon, and Eros' glove is on the ground at his feet.

Doggie Fun in the Sun

2009-09-15T20:23:00.000-04:00

Blaze, having fun.

There is a river not far from our house that we occasionally take the dogs to for some water play. I had not been for a while, as the last time I went we were constantly dive bombed by large biting insects, and I came home with a leech on my toe..... a couple of really good reasons not to go back! I decided recently to check out the river at another location up stream a little bit. This part of the river has a very wide open bank with few large trees, and faster flowing water that was clear and clean. There were no blood thirsty insects, and so far, no leeches! It is not the same as a beautiful lake, but it does provide some water fun, and it is deep enough in places for the dogs to swim.

Blaze diving after his toy.
Blaze swimming with his toy, he loves to retrieve...
Two very wet German Shepherds... Blaze on the left looking up, and Tito on the right, both waiting for the "throw"...
Double retrieve... Tito on the left, Blaze on the right.
Double retrieve... love this photo.
Blaze splashing through the water.
Blaze with his toy.
Double splash. Tito on the left, Blaze on the right.
Blaze swimming.
Tito on the left, Blaze on the right.
Double retrieve... Tito at the back, Blaze at the front.
Blaze.
Blaze.
Blaze.
Blaze.
Blaze.
Blaze.
Tito. Tito is by far our most confident swimmer. You could easily say he may have had a little TOO much fun here. This was his first time swimming.
Tito.
Tito.
Tito.
Tito... big splash!
Tito going after his stick...
Tito.
Tito.
Tito splashing!
Tito with his very large stick.
Tito... no fear.
Tito.
Mika contemplating...
Mika going in the deep end.
Mika biting the water, she loves the water!
Mika.
Mika, the big shake!
Mika swimming.
Mika getting her stick, love the water flick from her tail.
Mika biting the water.
Mika.
Mika with her stick.
Cole going after the toy that is getting carried away by the current.
Cole splashing after his toy.
Cole retrieving.
Cole.
Cole.
Cole. You can see the clear water in this photo.

Tito - TEC, Temperament Evaluation Certified

2009-09-10T11:27:00.014-04:00

Today Tito passed his temperament evaluation, the TEC. This is awarded by the German Shepherd Dog Club of Canada. Tito's temperament was never in question, and I enter these tests merely for fun and to support the club. I feel temperament is extremely important in any breed, but especially for the German Shepherd Dog. This evaluation is similar to the TT, the American temperament test, and the temperament portion of the Bh evaluation. Tito is only 13 months old, and had little to no preparation (meaning training for the various exercises) for this test. This makes the evaluation even more genuine, as his reactions to the various stimuli are for the most part natural behaviours, not learned responses. Tito is handled by Sean.

The tattoo check. Sean is in the blue shirt, judges Pando (black shirt) and Sharon (shorts).

Greeting a friendly stranger who ignores the dog.

Greeting a friendly stranger who ignores the handler and interacts with the dog.

Reaction to unknown noise... Helper Josie has some stones in a metal bucket, she rattles the bucket and walks out perpendicular to the dog, ignores the dog, places the bucket on the ground and walks away... the dog should investigate the bucket.

Reaction to gunfire. Not in the photo is a helper hiding behind a blind, to the right of the dog. As the dog approaches the pylon, the gun is fired once, a pause, then the gun is fired 2 more times in short succession. The helper is approximately 15 feet away. Tito shows no reaction, relaxed body posture, does not startle or look concerned.

Umbrella... as the dog approaches, the helper opens an automatic umbrella. The dog is allowed to startle, but should recover quickly and should investigate the umbrella.

"Bad Guy"... Here a person comes out of hiding wearing a rain poncho and holding a riding crop. The person approaches the dog head on, yelling in an angry and convincing voice. The person makes eye contact with the dog, and hits the ground in front of himself with the riding crop three times. He then pauses briefly and then retreats away from the dog. Here dogs should at minimum stand their ground, or ideally, bark at the person. Any retreat behind the handler or attempt to bolt is an automatic fail. Tito is seen here barking at the helper.

Traffic portion. The dogs are walked in a line and a jogger, a cyclist, and various cars pass by. Tito is at the back.

Tie out isolation. The dog is tied up, and the handler moves out of sight. The judge passes by the dogs in a neutral way. The dogs should remain calm and self assured. Fear, panic, attempts to bolt or lunging at the judge are not allowed. Tito remained calm and relaxed.

Loud and Rowdy group... here the dog and handler approaches a loud and rowdy group. Tito looks quite happy.

Tito and Sean after passing their test, Congrats! Good Boy Tito!

Dentin Exposed

2009-09-08T11:30:00.009-04:00

Eros

Imagine my horror when I discovered that Eros' teeth had been damaged. I did not know how he had damaged his teeth, but I was very concerned about this. A dog doing protection sports needs his teeth. The most damage appeared to be on the upper canines, teeth # 104 and 204. Other teeth had visible damage, but none of them as bad as the canine teeth. I racked my brain trying to figure out how this occurred. He does not get bones, and to my knowledge is not a chewer. It took me a while to figure out what he had been doing. The behaviour never, ever happened in front of me.

Eros had been chewing on the bars of his wire crate and pulling the crate around. Eros is housed inside an 8' X 8' chain link dog kennel inside the house, and in this kennel is a wire crate with the door removed so he could go in and out of the crate as he pleased. Well, little did I know he was using this crate to vent his frustrations. I would often find the crate moved from it's position in the kennel, but attributed this to his bad spinning habit. He spins with quite some force, a bad habit that occurs usually during exciting moments, such as food preparation or when the dogs are being moved in and out of the house. This spinning behaviour was the original reason he was moved into the 8' X 8' kennel. When he would spin in his crate, he would always spin the same way, and he would whack his tail again and again, and the tip of his tail was taking quite a beating. I had no idea the crate was being moved around by his teeth! Unfortunately for him, it did take me a while to figure this out, and by then his teeth had suffered irreparable damage. He had actually worn away the enamel on the back of his upper canines. Once enamel is gone, it is gone. I was extremely worried about his future in Schutzhund. The crate was promptly removed from his kennel and an appointment was made with board certified Veterinary Dental Specialist, Dr. Fraser Hale, DVM, FAVD, Dip AVDC. I could not take any chances with his teeth. Protection sports put an immense amount of stress on a dog's teeth, and even healthy teeth are at risk. Allowing a dog to continue on in a bite work knowing his teeth are damaged is wrong and could lead to tooth loss. All bite work was ceased and I worried endlessly waiting for our appointment. All this time I was considering other activities for Eros should the recommendation be that he discontinue bite work permanently. I blamed myself entirely for not picking up on his behaviour sooner, and felt just sick when I thought that I may be the cause of him having to quit bite work. He loved it so much, it just wasn't fair.

At our appointment, the news actually was not that bad. As it turns out, the damage to Eros' teeth is relatively minor as far a bar biters go, and because he is almost 4 years old, the dentin in his teeth has fully matured, making the teeth quite strong. Dr. Hale did not actually recommend any further diagnostics or treatment at this time. He did say that we could do full mouth radiographs just to see if there is any pathology evident that is not seen via visual exam. The added benefit of this would be that the radiographs could be repeated in a years time to compare the condition of the teeth below the gum line. I felt that full mouth radiographs were an excellent idea, and I plan to have these done as soon as possible. In the meantime, Eros has been able to return to bite work, and he is very happy about that.

Upper canine tooth #204. There is some tartar visible in the lateral aspect of the tooth near the gum line. The back part of the tooth that is a brown colour is the dentin that is exposed after the enamel has been worn away from bar biting. You can also see the damage to tooth # 308, the lower premolar on the bottom jaw that is to the right of the photo.

Tooth # 104, the upper right canine. Again tartar is visible above the gum line. The exposed dentin is visible at the back of the tooth.

Close up view of tooth #204. Here you can also see the damage to tooth # 205, the tiny premolar behind the canine.

Close up of tooth #104. Tooth # 105 does not show the same damage as tooth # 205.

Frontal view of tooth # 208, the last premolar, also known as the carnassial tooth. The brown colour is the dentin.

Frontal / side view of tooth # 108, the right carnassial tooth. The brown colour is the dentin.

Eros doing bite work... one happy dog.

The Last Nail Hath Cometh Off...

2009-09-07T17:28:00.004-04:00

This is the very last nail of Cole's to come off. He is now free to do whatever he wants, with nothing holding him back. Only time will tell what will become of the new nails that have yet to grow back. So far, the few that are growing back are all deformed, but do not seem to be causing him any discomfort.

See my earlier post here for the full story.

Dream Tracking Fields Turned Into Nightmare...

2009-09-07T17:27:00.014-04:00

This was the scene last year at the Brayford sod farm, photo was taken in early fall 2008. It is 300 acres and only a 10 minute drive from us. I was able to get in a lot of practice time here, it is so huge I could go several times per week. The quality of the sod was excellent. It was pristine tracking conditions.

The excellent tracking conditions continued into the spring of this year.
Arlo tracking in April of this year. The grass is brown, but is short, well maintained, and uniform.

Later on in the early summer, we found the sod farm had been neglected, was full of weeds, overgrown, and had bare patches of ground spread throughout. It was a nightmare! I was so disappointed... sure enough I find myself an excellent field for tracking, one that is not used by any other trackers, is close by my home, and then shortly afterward it turned into a weed infested mess. To make matters worse, because of the neglect, it seemed that local ATV riders took advantage of this and would make it a habit of ripping around out there creating dozens upon dozens of unavoidable cross tracks. Ugh!
Virtually the same view of the sod farm as in the top photo, this one taken in the summer of 2009. Over grown madness with far from uniform vegetation.

I was initially quite disappointed at the time when I first discovered that the sod was not being maintained. I would drive by often, hoping each time that I would see that it had finally been cut. It was never cut the entire season. So, I decided to track there anyway. It turned out to be an excellent practice field for running tracks in "less than ideal" conditions. You could not lay a track that did not include some changes in terrain, be it from short to long grass, several different types of vegetation, bare patches of dirt, and cross tracks. The usual wild animal cross tracks were always there, but the ATV cross tracks were a sharp thorn in my side. Sometimes I would not come across the particularly bad ones until I was well into my track. Very frustrating! Well, as the saying goes... when you get lemons, you make lemonade. So, I used these fields to increase the dogs' confidence on terrain changes and navigating through cross tracks. It increased Arlo's confidence in particular in a short time.

Close up view of a typical patch of ground on the once pristine sod. You can see bare patches and several different lengths and types of vegetation.

Another typical patch of ground we would track through.

ATV cross tracks. They were unavoidable.

How many cross tracks can you see in this photo?

And this one?

Sometimes I would see this while half way through laying my track.

How many cross tracks do you see here? Arlo seemed to be able to navigate well through cross tracks like this. Eros had quite some difficulty.

We have since found other sod farms to track on that are well maintained, yet they are considerably farther away from us. Nonetheless, we are extremely grateful that the land owners are allowing us to use their fields.

Summer Play

2009-09-07T11:31:00.022-04:00

Mika and Tito

Mika and Tito

Tito in front, Cole at the back giving Tito a warning.

Mika behind, Tito in front. All 4 of Tito's feet are off the ground in this photo.

Mika and Tito in front, Cole in the back

Tito in front, with Cole in hot pursuit... Mika is behind Cole but hard to see because of the shadows.

Tito getting another warning from Cole, Mike watching

Tito and Mika

Tito and Mika

Cole giving Tito another warning.... I LOVE this photo... Tito looks crazy, and if you enlarge it by clicking on it, you can really see Tito's expression.... priceless! This is one of those photos you couldn't get if you tried too.... the beauty of digital SLR :-)

Tito and Cole

Mika and Tito

Eros

Eros, with Mika behind him.

Mika in front, Eros behind.

Arlo. Ah-h-h-h, Arlo, Arlo, Arlo.

Arlo in front, Mika behind.

Mika in front, Arlo behind. Again, LOVE this photo.

Mika on the left, and Arlo

Mika on the left and Arlo

Tamsu Pool Party

2009-09-06T17:25:00.010-04:00

We were invited to attend an end of summer celebration at Maple Lane Golden Retrievers, hosted by my agility training group, Tamsu Learning Centre. It was an absolute blast! The facility has just recently set up and opened a Dock Diving pool for canines where people can come and practice their dogs' dock diving skills, or simply just use the pool for their canine companions to cool off and have some "brainless entertainment"... A term coined by the head instructor at Tamsu, Sarah. We had sunny blue skies and warm summer temperatures. It was a great day. All of the dogs had their turn with the pool, and Sarah was there to help all of the dogs that needed help. She ended up spending approximately 5 to 6 hours in total in the pool! She donated her time and patience to help those dogs that needed encouragement to get into the pool. Some dogs did their very first dives off of the dock that day, and it was so nice to see the dogs having so much fun jumping and diving in after their favourite toys.... these dogs were excited and happy! The pool is an official dock diving pool, 40 feet long and 20 feet wide, with a 40 foot long dock.

None of my dogs are dock divers, but I thought I'd give this a go anyway, and they have a ramp where the dogs can just walk into the pool as opposed to jumping in. Blaze has been swimming before, but only twice and with a lot of help. Cole loves the water, and will willingly walk into a natural body of water and swim out and retrieve a toy with enthusiasm. He had never been in a pool before. Blaze actually took to the pool quicker and easier than Cole, I was surprised. I thought that once Cole realized that it was swimming, he would be all over it, but that was not the case. I think with some more work, Cole would eventually go into the pool on his own to retrieve. Introducing dogs to a pool can be tricky, as they can be very unsure when they cannot see or feel the bottom under their feet.

Blaze on the ramp leading into the pool, with me on the left and Sarah on the right, I am showing him his frisbee, trying to tempt him into the pool.

The s-t-r-e-t-c-h to try and reach the frisbee without getting into the water!

Contemplating....

Sarah, now in the pool, trying to encourage Blaze to come in and get the frisbee...

We borrowed a canine life jacket from Cassie, this can provide some confidence for dogs who are not yet confident swimmers...

Coming up the ramp after his first dip in the pool to get his frisbee...

Blaze now going out on his own off of the ramp to retrieve his frisbee, now he's getting it!

Blaze swimming confidently to get the frisbee.... he loves his frisbee!

The retrieve...

Help up the ramp... the life jacket seemed to impede his movement a bit.

Cole with Cassie's life jacket on, waiting on the sidelines for his turn.

Ah-h-h-h, the first look at the frisbee in the water.

Sarah trying to entice Cole down the ramp.

Cole wants none of this... I'm trying to encourage him.

Cole coming back up the ramp after a dunk in the pool... his head went under the water and he was not impressed with this!

Again, trying to entice him with the frisbee.... he is not going for it.

With a little stretch, he was able to retrieve it without leaving the ramp.

I hope we can go back sometime to this facility, as it is not far from our home. This has also got me thinking.... I want my own dock diving pool for my own dogs! Ah, dreams...

Beauty of Summer

2009-09-04T12:11:00.003-04:00

The first week in September brought us absolutely perfect weather. Sunny, clear, blue skies everyday with warm temperatures in the low to mid twenties, with very low humidity, and gentle summer breezes. The nights were cool and clear. It was perfect weather for just about anything you wanted to do. We had an entire week of weather like this. This is my favourite weather. If only I could live in a place where the weather was like this most of the time...

This was one of those perfect days... I couldn't resist a photo, if only to remind me of that wonderful feeling I got standing out on my deck with the warm sun on my face and the taking in of the summer air... Oh how I will miss days like this when, in a few months, the cold winds will blow, the skies will be grey, and the ground will be a blanket of white... how utterly depressing that will be...

Misty morning late summer sunrise.

Summer Bite Work - Tito

2009-08-31T19:30:00.012-04:00

Club helper George working with Tito and the bite pillow

Nice pulling.

Hard to tell who is having more fun in this photo, George or Tito :-)

The smoke from the fire gives a really nice effect.

The beginnings of the bark and hold.

The take off for the escape.

Club helper Rich.

Springtime Visitor

2009-08-31T19:18:00.004-04:00

I took these photos in May of this year of this visitor whom I found in my yard, and completely forgot about them until recently when searching for other photos. We often see Garter snakes in our yard.

Tracking Training - Remembering Your Track

2009-08-31T15:43:00.002-04:00

One of the most important skills a person must learn when teaching a tracking dog is remembering where your track is. This becomes essential as soon as you move on from basic straight line tracks and introduce corners and articles. You must know where your track is. If you do not know where the track is, you are of no use to your dog. Over the years I have heard many different methods people use to mark important points on the track. Everything from flags, to coloured chalk, to large bolts tied with bright ribbon, to picking natural landscape markers have all been used by tracklayers. Ask anyone who tracks regularly with their dog, and I'm sure you will hear a few other suggestions. Certainly, on a dewy morning while tracking on short grass, one can often clearly see the footprints of the track that has been laid. Especially if the track is run relatively soon after laying it. The trouble begins when you cannot see your track... how will you remember where it goes? Where exactly the corners are? Where exactly you dropped articles? These are all skills we must master as track layers if we are to be successful at teaching a tracking dog. Dogs are very observant creatures, and if we use artificial markers on the track, such as flags, it won't take long for your dog to become "flag smart", and quickly realize that a flag must mean something; a turn, an article. Also, when placing a flag or other object along the track as a marker, this flag will undoubtedly have your scent on it, something that will clearly draw the dog's attention to it. Dogs should never be faulted for "indicating" these objects, as we spend a considerable amount of time teaching our dogs that articles, any article, with human scent on it should be indicated along the track. So, what do we do about this? One of the best ways, albeit most challenging, to remember where our track lies is to teach ourselves to use natural landscape markers while laying a track. This is much, much easier said than done. It can be especially tricky on large fields that have mostly uniform vegetation coverage. Things get even more complicated if we are laying more than one track for more than one dog in a given training session. Imagine laying two or more tracks, with multiple corners and multiple articles along each track... that is a lot of pressure, especially of we are using trees off in the distance and random weeds out in the field for "natural" markers. It has been on more than one occasion that I have forgotton which weed was marking a corner, and which weed was marking an article... sometimes my dog does it correctly anyway, sometimes no. In the latter case, if I cannot remember what was supposed to be happening at that point on the track, I have failed my dog. This is definitely a skill that needs to be practiced and nearly perfected. I still use artificial markers on my training tracks when needed, as I believe it is still more important to know, really know, where your track is, than to risk losing the track or forgetting where corners or articles are on the track - the latter two being absolutely crucial.

Below you can clearly see the footsteps of the track on the short grass on this dewy morning.

This field below would be a difficult one to pick out natural landscape markers due to its mostly uniform vegetation. The trees off in the distance would be useful for distance markers, especially since they turning colour.

Agility Blessing

2009-08-28T19:48:00.004-04:00

Agility Blessing

May the tunnels not have too much suction,

May the course be fun and fast.

May your dog not stop to say "hello" to the photographers they pass!

May the table not be too slippery,

May the chute house no scary beasts,

May all the yellow parts be touched with one little toe, at least

May the wind be always at your back,

May no bars fall on the ground,

May the A-frame have no stop sign on the top,

May the judge's whistle never sound.

May your dog obey all correct commands,

And ignore the ones that are wrong.

May your heart be light, your feet be sure, and the bond with your dog grow strong.

At the finish line, may great joy abound, regardless of your score,

You have your dog, your dog has you, and who could ask for more?

Written by: PJ Hughes

Saw this on my friend Helen's blog, and I laughed out loud the first time I read it. It is very funny, and so very true.

The Horrors of SLO - Symmetrical Lupoid Onychodystrophy

2009-08-27T15:10:00.014-04:00

Cole...

Symmetrical Lupoid Onychodystrophy (SLO) is a disease affecting the nails on a dog's paws, which causes complete loss of the nails (Onychomadesis). I had not heard of this condition before, which is why I was unaware of what was really going on with Cole when his first nail lifted off back in April of this year. It was a warm April afternoon, just before the easter weekend, when the nail on the most lateral toe on his right hind foot lifted off. This was the result of a traumatic injury; he was running around in the yard, ran too close to my husband, clipped his shoe with his left hind foot, screamed and when we investigated, we saw a nail that had been ripped off right to the nail bed, quick exposed underneath. The nail was not loose enough to pull off (we tried), so I took Cole with me to work the next morning, and with the help of some topical anesthetic cream, the nail was sucessfully pulled off without the need for a sedative. I really thought nothing of this at the time. Since I've been working in the veterinary field for 14 years, I have seen many nail trauma injuries where the nail must be pulled off. We bandaged his foot for a couple of days, and waited for it to heal.

Not long after this initial incident, perhaps a couple of weeks, another nail lifted off right to the nail bed. This time I could not confidently say that a trauma had taken place. Shortly thereafter, a third nail lifted. Just picture the hood of a car lifting up, intact, and then staying up in the lifted position; this is exactly what was happening to Cole's nails. The entire nail, intact, would detach from the quick, and lift up, staying attached at the nail bed. Upon closer inspection, nothing else out of the ordinary was apparent.... no swelling, no infection, no oozing, no abnormal appearance of the nail or surrounding tissue, just a nail that lifted up, leaving the quick exposed and the dog in significant discomfort. None of these nails that detached in this way were loose enough to be pulled off. The only option was heavy sedation or general anesthetic, or wait for them to fall off. After the 3rd nail lifted, I began asking questions to my veterinary friends and colleges... One DVM had heard of this, and had treated a few dogs, all them GSDs or GSD mixes. Others had heard of it, but were not familiar with it, and others simply had not heard of it. I decided to put a post on my favourite GSD online forum. I would never recommend this in place of veterinary advice. But I do like these forums, as there is so much traffic on there, you are almost certain to get a response from someone who has either had a dog with a similar condition, or from someone who knows someone who had a dog with the condition. This then sets the ball in motion for you to get more info, what you were after in the first place. Also, having dogs with rare medical conditions myself, I find it very comforting to communicate with others who are actually living with and managing these dogs as part of their daily lives. This is invaluable to me. In short order, I got a response from a couple of members who referred me to some links on SLO, including a yahoo group dedicated to the disease. I also had the added benefit of having a friend who was just finishing vet school, who did some research on VIN for me. Being an RVT, I don't really have access to the GOOD part of VIN. After some reading and some discussion, we are pretty certain that Cole has SLO. The only way to a definitive diagnosis is through ampuation of P3 of one of the afftected nails, something that is not actually recommended.

Cole had to suspend all activity, including his much loved agility career, which was just starting to take off. He could not run, play, go for walks, or even play fetch, his absolute favourite activity. I did try a few times to keep his agility lessons up, but even if he was having a good week with no nails that were lifted at the time, often just the activity alone would be enough to cause one or two more to become lifted off. The nails that were lifted but still attached were the most painful periods for him. Once the nails finally fell off (anywhere from 7 to 10 days typically), he was so much more comfortable. I also found that if he did little or no activity, thus significantly decreasing the chances of the nails lifting off due to trauma, that the nails took much longer to actually lift off away from the quick. This meant that by the time they actually did lift off, the quick was already blackened and somewhat hardened, and less painful for him. The nails that were lifted prematurely from trauma (such as from playing fetch), left a very tender, pink, raw, painful quick exposed. Also, because they were lifting off over a period of months (he has one nail left to come off as this is written - remember it started in April), putting him under sedation or GA everytime a nail lifted to have it pulled off was not practical or a good idea.

I am trying conservative treatment for him first, as there is some evidence that some people have had success with this. If this does not help, there is the option of him going on long term medications that have been reported to have some success.

At this time, Cole seems confortable, and pain free. He has lost all 18 of his nails, except for one, which will be gone soon. Some of the nails appear to be growing back, albiet deformed. I will have to closely monitor the nails that are growing back, and keep them as short as possible. Soon he will be able to continue on in agility again, which will make him really happy.

I did not get any photos of the nails that were lifted off prematurely due to trauma, thus exposing the quick when it was red and raw.

Below is a lateral view of the left front paw. I am holding digit # 3, of which you can clearly see the entire intact nail has lifted away from the soft tissue underneath, yet still remains attached to the nail bed (Onycholysis). The quick has turned black, and has started to dry out.

Below is the same toe, from a head-on view. Digits 2 - 5 are all visible here. Digit #2 has already had the nail fall off, digits 4 & 5 still have the nails attached.

Below is a lateral view of the left hind paw. Digit #5 is clearly visible with the nail detached from the quick, completely lifted off, yet still attached at the nail bed. These nails are slightly movable, but cause considerable pain when touched.

Below is the same digit as the above photo, but looking at the toe from a head-on position.

Below is a medial view of digit #2 of the right hind paw. The nail has fallen off, and the underlying soft tissue has turned black and dried up. The nail is in the process of growing in, but it is deformed (Onychodystrophy).

Again, a medial view of the right hind paw. Here digits 2 -5 are visible. I am holding back some of the hair, and the new nails growing in that are deformed (Onychodystrophy) are seen here, especially on digits 2 & 3.

Below is a medial view of the left front paw with Cole in a sitting position. Here we see digits 2 & 3, with #2 missing the nail completely and a dried up quick, and another view of #3. Here it is easy to see what position the nail is in when the dog is weight bearing.

This is a lateral view of the right hind paw. I am holding digit #5. This was the very first nail to come off, as the result of the trauma described above in April. Here we can see a new nail growing in, but it is deformed (Onychodystrophy), and not really attached to the underlying tissues.

Dorsal view of the right front paw. Digits 2 - 5 are visible here. All the nails have come off. There is regrowth of nails, especially # 3 & 4, but they are deformed.

Lateral view of left hind paw with Cole standing. Digit 5 is seen here with the nail lifted up while Cole is weight bearing.

Lateral view of left front paw with Cole sitting. Digits 4 & 5 still have the nails in a normal position, yet they have become detached from the underlying tissue, and it is only a matter of time before they lift up. This is another view of digit 3's lifted nail, alongside the 2 that are still in normal position. It was much harder for Cole to walk without pain when nails on his front paws were in the lifted position, as opposed to the hind paws.

Palmar view of left front paw. Digit 3 is visible with its lifted nail. Digits 4 & 5 still have their nails in a normal position, but they have detached from the underlying tissue (Onycholysis). They appear as a loose sheath covering the quick.

Glossary of Terms:
Onychodystrophy - malformation of the nail
Onycholysis - loosening or separation of the nail from its bed
Onychomadesis - complete loss of the nails

Links:

Yahoo SLO Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SLOdogs/join.
Brief description of SLO, plus has a great link to a published study from the UK - http://www.bloodaxe.com/SLO.html

Head Shots

2009-08-13T17:56:00.008-04:00

Arlo

Mika

Cole

Eros

Blaze

2009 AAC Agility National Championships - Ottawa, Ontario July 30th - Aug 2nd 2009

2009-08-03T16:51:00.004-04:00

This years Agility Association of Canada's National Championships were held at the Napean National Equestrian Park in Ottawa, Ontario. Firstly, let's all remember that it is a privilege to compete at this event. One must qualify in order to attend, and there are no second chances in agility. This is Blaze's 4th time qualifying to compete at the national level, and our 3rd time actually competing at a National Championship. It is still certainly a great thrill to be able to participate in this event. There were a total of 581 dogs entered in the National Championship, divided into 16 different height/class categories. This year was the first year that the "Double Drop Veterans" height class was introduced. Blaze competed in the 16" Double Drop Veterans class, meaning he is a veteran dog jumping 2 heights lower than his regualation height. There were 51 dogs in our division, and we finished in 17th place. I had 3 small handling errors, which in essense cost us a top 10 finish at this years Nationals. Blaze was such a good boy, he did everything I asked him to, and when he wasn't sure what I wanted because my handling wasn't clear, he really tried to figure out what it was I wanted.... I am so lucky to have such a great canine partner! We are also lucky that our dogs don't care about placements, or ribbons, or improving on last year's performance. If that were the case, I might be traded in for a better handler! All they care about is having fun. Blaze loves agility, and someday I hope to be the handler that he deserves.

Blaze in the weaves during Steeplechase 2 on the Friday.

My friend Helen also managed to get our Steeplechase 1 run on video, and has kindly posted it on YouTube, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM8AST3EfDY

Blaze - Masters Gamble Dog of Canada

2009-07-25T20:53:00.004-04:00

We were at Tamsu Learning Centre for an agility trial this weekend, and Blaze earned his Masters Gamble Dog of Canada title today. Unfortunately we did not do so well otherwise, as I made some critical handling errors that cost us some "Q's". What a way to shake up my confidence with Nationals only a week away. We had some very challenging courses out there today, with some competitors feeling that judge Sue Miller's standard and jumpers courses had a bit of a "challenge" flair to them. Certainly I found them challenging, which is unusal. After training with Sarah, usually I find local trial courses not overly challenging. Sarah sets up some really challenging sequences for us in training. The side effect of this is that regular courses seem very do-able for us. I have also found recently that after having attended the Dave Munnings seminar, that I have trouble deciding how best to handle courses with the new information I have. I have not really practiced the new techniques to the point where I could use them with confidence in a trial, but they are still there in my head, influencing my decisions.... Very strange indeed!

Congrats to Blaze on his new title, and we are now only 2 Q's away from.... well, I won't say it. Don't want to jinx us.

Happy trialing everyone!

Olympic's Zorro - Ausdauerprüfung (AD)

2009-07-19T18:22:00.001-04:00

Eros completed his endurance test today, the AD, under Judge Johannes Grewe. This was our second attempt at it, having failed the last one in November in Buffalo due to cut pads. This time it was run at our home club, and I was able to keep him trotting on the grassy shoulder of the dirt road almost all of the time. There were 5 of us running it, and all of the dogs passed.

This is me checking his paws on one of our breaks.

Another break.

The five of us and our dogs peddling off down the road.

At the end, with his medal for completing the test.

Twilight - By Stephanie Meyer

2009-07-11T17:58:00.000-04:00

OK, so yes, this is mainly a dog training blog. So, what does Stephanie Meyer's debut novel have to do with dog training????? Well, nothing, in the literal sense. However, there are very few things that can actually pull me away from wanting to do some type of training or fun activity with my dogs. Actually, most of the things that fall into that category are things that I must do... such as working, chores, shopping, family obligations, etc.. There are actually very few things that I want to do that aren't related in someway to the dogs... This book, and the 3 that followed in the series, is definitely one of those things that was able to pull me away from my addiction. Stephanie Meyer is such a brilliant writer, I was captivated by her book, I literally could not put the book down.

It did not start out this way. The fascination with the Twilight story started at work, with some clients and co-workers discussing the book and the movie. I really had no interest at all in reading such a book, after all, it wasn't a dog training book! And really, vampires?????? I'm not really into that kind of stuff, if you know what I mean. So, it wasn't until a client of ours actually brought me my very own copy of the book that I felt obligated to read it. Yes, that is right, obligated. Because she had brought it for me, I felt that I now had to read this book, as she would soon ask me how I liked it, and it would be very rude to not have read it. I was so very busy at the time, getting Blaze ready for the AAC Regionals, and attending agility trials, I really didn't have time to read this book. I actually started the book on at least 3 separate occasions and stopped after only a few pages, wondering truthfully in my head, "Ok, when does it actually get GOOD?". So many people were raving about this book, and after reading the beginning of the book, I really didn't see what all the fuss was about. Then, one fatefull night in June, I decided to pick up the book again, and continue reading. I still felt obligated to finish it. Then, like some spell was cast upon me, I was hooked, drawn in so deep that I could not, did not want to, put this book down...... I was reading in bed, and my back, my neck, my arms were all sore, but I did not want to stop. I kept telling myself, just one more chapter, just one more. The time was ticking by, midnight, 1 a.m., 2 a.m., I was supposed to get up at 5 a.m. for a dog show that morning, but I did not want to put this book down. I eventually had to force myself, and I do mean force myself, to put the book away and try and get some sleep. The following morning we were late for the dog show, and of course, the book came with me. Thank goodness my husband was driving so I could read in the vehicle on the way there! Now, I never, ever read in a moving vehicle, it is not a good idea. But I tell you, I did not have a choice. I barely looked up the whole ride there. Once there, all I could really think about was when could I get a chance to get the book out and continue reading????? I considered getting it out at the show, but thought that was probably a bad idea. Then, while there, I was discussing it with one of my friends, and she said that she has the other 3 books in the series and that I was welcome to borrow them when I was finished the first book! Wow! Yippee! No break in the story. I continued to read with similar enthusiam, although I think I have to honestly say that the first book is the best one in the series. Soon after I was able to watch the movie. The book is by far better, but I still do like the movie, as it brings the characters to life. The movie does not do the best job at portraying Edward's emotions, and I think that if you have not read the book, that you may not 100% "get" the movie. Nonetheless, I really can't remember the last time a story has captivated me so much. Stephanie is nothing short of brilliant and does a fantastic job of bringing the characters' emotions alive.

Sure, it is said that this book was written for teenagers, but it seems to communicate to so many more of us on a deeper level. The only sad part is when the story ends and I have turned the last page.

Sehr Gut - Olympic's Zorro, TEC, BH, AD

2009-06-14T17:58:00.007-04:00

I was finally able to get myself organized and get Eros entered into a conformation show to get his first show rating. This rating is necessary if you are to move on to complete a breed survey. Eros will be completing a breed survey once he is titled. I entered Eros into the Ontario Regional schutzhund championships conformation show, hosted by the Niagara Hundesport Training Club. I have never had a dog in a dog show before, and after discussing it with some show friends, I decided to have him professionally handled in the show. My good friend Denis Rzan agreed to handle him for me. He finished with an SG-6 rating, as there were only 6 dogs in his group, and all of the others were show dogs. There is no way a working dog would ever be placed ahead of a show dog... I was expecting this, so no big surprise there. An SG (Sehr Gut = Very Good) rating is the highest rating any dog can receive that does not have a working title. I was hoping for an SG, and that is what he was given. Phew!

Below is Denis with Eros in the show ring getting him to stack...

Here Denis is showing Eros' teeth

Another look at the teeth

We did not get any pictures of Eros running around the show ring, as both me and my husband had to run around the outside of the ring and call Eros when directed by Denis to encourage him to trot quicker... This is sometimes referred to as "double handling", and is allowed in the German shows. It can become a crazy atmosphere, with owners running around the ring calling their dogs' names, squeaking toys, whirling toys around while they run, blowing whistles,... the list goes on!

Arlo - TD, Tracking Dog

2009-06-06T20:42:00.005-04:00

All of the dogs passed their TD test today, Ben & Joanne, Lianne & Brody, Myself & Arlo, Judge Sharon Smith, and Sandra with Murphy.

Myself & Arlo with Judge Sharon Smith, and Arlo's plaque, ribbon, and glove.

Me accepting our award, the plaque, ribbon, and a copy of our Tracking score sheet, with Judge Sharon Smith.

Today Arlo passed his CKC tracking test, the TD. The test requires the dog to navigate a track that is at least 45 minutes old, approximately 400 meters in length, with 4 to 5 corners, and one article at the end. Arlo has been training in tracking for 4 years, and I was very happy to have this opportunity to participate in this test. The test was held in memory of Terry Smith, a CKC tracking judge who was supposed to be the judge at this event. Terry passed away in May of this year of pancreatic cancer. His battle was long and hard, and he will be sadly missed by all who knew him. I will always remeber Terry as being happy, having a great sense of humour, and being very helpful at our training sessions and at trials. He was always willing to answer questions or explain things to those of us who were new to the sport. Tracking was his passion, and I am happy to be able to honour his memory today by by participating in this tracking test and making him proud by helping Arlo be successful.

This one's for you Terry. We know that you are at peace now, yet we cannot help but wish that you were still with us.

Blaze 2nd Place Finish AAC Ontario Regional Championships

2009-05-31T19:40:00.004-04:00

Blaze and I with his Ontario Regional 2nd place ribbon, his Masters Steeplechase ribbon, and his National Qualifier ribbon. Thanks Helen for the photo!

May 29th to 31st was the Ontario Regional Championsips for the AAC. Blaze and I competed again this year, and finished in 2nd place in the 16" Double Drop Veterans class. We ran great, and had 5 clean runs, all well under the standard course time. In the Gamble event on Saturday, I made a critical handling error that caused Blaze to fault before completing the final gamble... He went on to complete the gamble successfully, after a brilliant opening of 55 points, but we did not get the 35 points for the main gamble because of my error. This error actually cost Blaze 1st place, the chance to be a regional champion. I was heartbroken, and so very angry at myself for doing that one split-second move that sent him the wrong way around a jump. I actually really couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that Blaze had the opportunity to be in first place at a regional event... and then, I was in even more disbelief that I actually messed this up! And, we were not in first place because of default, i.e., not because every other handler had bad runs that weekend, we were in first place because we were actually faster and clean.... WOW! So, he received two first place ribbons for his jumpers and standard runs on Saturday, an amazing accomplishment, and three 2nd place ribbons for all of his runs on Sunday. In addition to that, he earned 2 Steeplechase qualifying scores on Friday, one of which gave him his Masters Steeplechase Dog of Canada title, Way To Go Blaze! Overall, it was a great weekend. I somehow managed to keep my head together on Sunday to help him do 3 clean runs. I was so angry at myself for my handling error on Saturday, I was really struggling Sunday morning to keep my head "clear" for the day. All I needed was to be a mess going into the ring and subsequently messing Blaze up in his runs.... I'm not really sure how I managed to overcome that and have a great day on Sunday. Must partially be do to trial experience. You cannot teach experience.... words to live by.

In less than 2 months time, we are off to the Natioanal Championships in Ottawa. It is a great honour to have qualified again this year to be a national competitor. This year's theme for the Ontario Regionals was "Enjoy the Ride".... Well, that we certainly did.

Royackers Kennels Agility Trial

2009-03-28T16:18:00.002-04:00

Blaze, with his ribbons from the trial; two firsts, a second, and a third, and 4 qualifying scores.

Saturday March 28th, 2009, Blaze and I were at Royackers Kennels for an agility trial. This was our second time there. This is a beautiful facility, very competitor friendly, with a wonderful indoor building for hosting trials. Blaze did excellent, and I was very proud of him. We did 5 runs, 2 Master Standards, 2 Master Gambles, and a Steeplechase. Blaze got 4 Q's out of 5. He Q'd both standard runs, the steeplechase, and one of the gambles. He actually completed both gamble runs successfully, with great opening points in both runs, but on the second run he was 0.74 seconds over time. On our approach to the main gamble in this run, he had to go straight out past the weave poles to a jump that was positioned slightly past the entry to the poles and jump the jump going left, and there was another jump that was positioned off to the right of the starting jump (it was actually the last obtacle of the main gamble). I must have been just slightly off in my signalling, as he took the jump that was off to the right... I then was able to direct him to the correct jump, and then he went on to finish the main gamble (jump, frame, weaves, jump), but was 0.74 seconds over time, so no Q for us there. Had I not directed him to take that incorrect jump at the beginning, he would have had a Q for that run too. Once again, "Smack the Handler!". I was just thrilled that he actually did another main gamble with 12 weaves in it.... truly a massive accomplishment for us. He also worked great in all of our runs. He did all his weave entries, again one of our main challenges over the years. I have to say that our standard runs were a bit choppy, but this was all due to my handling... I clearly need more practice. I am also happy to say that Blaze is more than capable of doing everything I ask him to do, he just needs the right information from me so that he can actually do it out there. It is trials like this that leave me thinking, "When can we do it again?"... it was so much fun.

Royackers Agility Trial

2009-02-28T17:11:00.002-05:00

This was our first time out at Royackers Kennels, a great facility in Ariss, near Guelph, Ontario.

Blaze did 5 runs today, 2 standard, 2 gamble, and a steeplechase. He got 3 Q's, but would have had 5 if I hadn't messed him up, again. I messed him up on his second standard run, we were about 3 or 4 obstacles from finishing... and I did something I haven't done in a long, long time. He had just completed the weaves, and did them great... I was so happy, as this has been our challenge for a long time. Then from the weaves we had a 180 degree turn to a tunnel, did that no problem. From the tunnel we had to go straight ahead to another tunnel, there was a jump off to the right that was pretty close, and to the left of the tunnel opening was the frame, with the ramp right beside the tunnel opening. Well, I was so damn happy he got those weaves, and the end of the course was so close (tunnel, tunnel, jump, jump), I did a "pre-celebration" in my head, thinking that, "yes, we are going to get this one!", I lost my focus, and was totally in the wrong spot to direct him to the tunnel opening that was beside the frame, and he went up the frame.... Smack the Handler! That kind of tunnel opening is usually no problem for him, and I could tell he was confused, as he didn't immediately go up the frame, but paused, and when he did go up the frame, it was with hesitation, not confidence, so I knew that he was not sure what I wanted. I always feel bad when I mess him up like that, as I know he has the ability to be clean, and he is not clean because of me! His steeplechase run was great. I love steeplechase, as I use those as "fun runs", I go out there and I run him really fast, as he likes that, and I can practice my handling at a fast speed, which I don't normally do in my other runs. There were two sets of 6 weaves, which meant two entries.... again, he did these great, no hesitation, and I did not baby any of our weave entries at all, just kept my pace, said "weave", and let him go. He ran that course in 39 seconds, one of our fastest runs ever I think. The SCT was 51 seconds, so for Blaze that was excellent. Then came the gambles. The first gamble was tricky, but certainly do-able for Blaze. He had a great opening, getting the mini gamble twice. Then, the closing was straight out to a tunnel, then a 180 turn to go up the frame. Then, the handler had to cross the gamble line, as the rest of the gamble was on the other side of the line, and it was a jump, straight out to the dog walk, and then a final jump. Because I was near the end of the running order, I got to see a lot of runs before we ran. A lot of people were getting the gamble, but running out of time, so I thought that time must be really tight on this one, so no time to waste! When the buzzer went for us, I was a bit frazzled, worried about wasting time. So, I did not take my normal time that I take to set Blaze up for his gambles.... This is something I have tried to always be careful to do for him, as when I take an extra second to really set him up correctly for his approach to the gamble, it always goes better, and because we are in veterans now, I always think to myself.... "we have lots of time!".... Well, I was rushing, did not take that extra second to set him up, sent him out to the tunnel incorrectly, he was unsure what I wanted, took the jump (no big deal really), went out towards the tunnel, came back to me, at this point I knew we would run out of time for sure, and that Blaze was not sure what the heck I wanted anyway... he did then go out to the tunnel, and started up the frame, but then jumped off. I was mad at myself for ruining Blaze's chances at a Q. He certainly could have done that gamble. Our final run, another gamble, was the highlight of the weekend. When I first got there in the morning and saw that the last run we were doing was a gamble that had 12 weaves in it, I just wrote off that run, as although he is certainly capable of doing weaves at a distance, weaves have been our problem for a while, and for him to go out away from me to do weaves.... well, forget it. Also, he has typically been good for one or two weave entries per day, and by then he had already done 4 weave entries... so I thought there is just no way he is going to do those weaves... Anyway, the mini gamble in this one was a bit tricky, but I always try them anyway, and if there is any hint of a problem, I step in right away. This is what happened, he did not get the mini, my fault I am sure, so I stepped in, and ran him really, really fast through the obstacles, just basically hitting whatever was in front of us, I abandoned my original plan. He loves this type of running, so it really pumped him up. When the buzzer went, I talked to myself in my head.... I said to myself... "set up your dog, set up your dog...." I took that extra second to set up Blaze, then just went for it. The gamble was a jump, out to the weaves, then two more jumps, with a distraction jump closer to the handler. He went out there, did those weaves, but I did not lose my focus, and he did the last two jumps no problem, BAM!, a successful gamble with those dreaded weaves!!!!!!! Whew, I was so happy it was great. But, because I abandoned my original opening plan, which included two mini gambles, I was not sure if we had enough opening points. Not that I really cared, as I was so happy he did that main gamble, I was trying to count the points in my head afterward, but I couldn't remember exactly when the buzzer went, and because I was just doing random obstacles, I couldn't really remember exactly what I did..... I waited anxiously for the results, and sure enough... 28 opening points, yippee!!!! One more gamble Q. I was just elated that Blaze did so well, and that his only errors were my errors. This certainly gives me more incentive to improve my handling for him. And oh-so happy about all those weaves he did! It was a blast.

February Training Weekend

2009-02-13T10:53:00.022-05:00

Mike Bauer, giving some instruction and tips to Me with Eros.

February 7th & 8th 2009, the Capital City Schutzhund Club hosted their annual February training weekend. This was my first opportunity to attend. This year they invited Mike Bauer, a 5 time WUSV competitor to come out and share some of his training insights with the group. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend on the Sunday, and missed all of Saturday along with Saturday evening's dinner and socializing. I had never met Mike before, and was very pleased with his easy going manner, and his willingness to help and point out where he thought the handlers could improve. It is always so refreshing to hear another opinion of your work with your dog, especially from someone who has had world level experience.

Mike offered me some great tips, and I was very happy to get his advice. I had been really re-thinking my whole training philosophies since our disastrous showing at the Buffalo trial, and his tips were welcome. Eros was worked in obedience and protection, and much to my surprise, Eros showed great nerve and fight in the bitework phase. Eros has never been worked in defense drive, only strictly in prey. He also has very limited experience on new and strange helpers (my fault = bad handler!). I informed Mike right at the beginning of the protection session that Eros has been, up to that point, trained only in prey drive. I was lucky to have Mike work him in the bitework phase. Mike pushed Eros more than he has ever been pushed, and that was also the first time Eros had ever seen Mike. Eros took everything Mike through at him in stride, and showed no evidence of fear, unsuredness, or lack of courage. I have to admit, I was a little surprised at Eros' performance, as I had always viewed him as somewhat of a softer kind of dog whose great drive made him look so good in bitework. This one little session proves that not to be the case at all. In fact, I was elated when Mike said more than once while working Eros in the bitework session that, "This is a nice dog!". He said it in a real genuine tone, and with enthusiasm. For this to come from a 5 time world competitor who's standards for "nice dogs" are quite high, I feel it really means something... Now, on to some serious training!

For many reasons, I did not work Arlo in the seminar. In hindsight, I wish I would've had given Mike the chance to see Arlo's bitework. I would've liked to hear his opinion, as this is what I've been struggling with for some time.

A big thanks to my friend Trish for snapping a whole bunch of great photos for me.

Mike working on a distraction exercise by swinging a ball around. Eros has nice focus, and only needed to be corrected once for looking away, and then he did not look away again.

Mike now throwing the ball past Eros... nice focus again.

Getting ready to start heeling.

Mike giving me some tips, must be important, he is very intense!

Some nice attentive heeling, not Eros' best work, he was stressed (so was I)

Nice attention.

Waiting for protection to begin.
Nice barking.

Nice bite.
Little run with the sleeve.

Hold and bark.
Hold and bark after the out, no re-gripping this time.

The bite.

Me walking around Eros during the guarding phase, normally he'll look away from the helper at me, not this time.

Eros getting pushed into the crowd a little bit. He's got some sleeve goober on his nose...
Mike adding some physical distraction...

At the end, love this photo, we are all smiling. Not sure who was speaking or what was said.

Introducing Tito

2008-12-30T21:58:00.005-05:00

Tito is my husband's new pup, one that was selected as a schutzhund prospect. He is a beautiful Sable male, from great working lines. He has a very sweet disposition and so far is showing great drive. It is fun having a puppy around the house again!

Schutzhund Club of Buffalo - Trial ~ Eros - Begleithunde (BH)~

2008-11-24T17:56:00.003-05:00

I entered Arlo and Eros in the Schutzhund Club of Buffalo's fall trial November 22 / 23 2008, under American Judge Willie Pope Jr.. Arlo was entered for his SchH 2 title, and Eros for his BH & AD. The decision to take the boys to Buffalo to trial was one made after much thought and consideration. Both dogs had been entered at the Capital City Schuzhund Club's trial for October 25th, 2008, but this trail was cancelled literally last minute. The judge's late night flight was cancelled, and there was nothing anyone could do. It was a tragedy on many levels for many people. This Capital City club trial was the last local trial for the year in Ontario. I had worked very hard for a long time, putting in countless hours of practice time for the previous 8 weeks leading up to the October trial date. The dogs were both working great, and thanks to my friends and the gracious members of the Capital City club, I was able to spend a considerable amount of time at their club preparing for that trial. I had never trained or trialed on a different field before, so I wanted to make sure I was really confident going in to this trial. The members of the Capital group really went out of their way to help me achieve this confidence. The week before the trial date, both dogs were working well, and I was really confident going in. So, when the trial was cancelled, I was very sad, and in disbelief. I had worked so very hard, and then I didn't even get the chance to try. Also weighing heavy on my mind was Arlo's health. I know he has a serious liver disease, and I know that his time with me is limited, and I honestly could not say for sure whether or not he would be feeling well enough to compete come spring 2009. I thought that this may be my last opportunity to compete with him. And he had been working so great for me, he was really ready to compete. It was with these thoughts in mind that I decided to see what was available state side. The closest option was Buffalo. I was lucky to get in to this trial.

Because of the distance to travel, I only had 3 separate opportunities to go and practice on their field. They have a nice field, and super nice members there. They all were so welcoming to me and took the time to help me out when needed, just stepping in to offer advice. I felt like I was being treated like one of their own members. What a nice feeling for a novice competitor. I did not feel anywhere near as confident going into this trial as I did at the Capital club. On the trial weekend, we woke up to a light blanket of snow on the ground, and temperatures around Zero degrees celcius. Not really all that cold, but it felt very cold. I was panicking a bit, as I had not tracked Arlo in the snow since the year prior, and although we had snow at home for at least a couple weeks before the trial, I had not bothered to track him in the snow, as the weather forcast for Buffalo was not calling for snow! Arlo tracked great, getting 97 points. A "V" rating in tracking, awesome! His OB was a bit of a disaster. The only things he did well were his heeling (the judge loved his heeling), and his sit in motion. Everything else was either done poorly, or not really done at all. He broke his long down, not something I expected at all! We had to go and do the long down first, something I almost never practice. This is bad preparation on my part. There was snow on the ground, and I know he hates the cold, so this certainly could have played a role. For his down in motion, he did a sit. Again, unexpected. He stand in motion was completely missed by the judge, as he forgot I was doing a SchH 2, thought it was a SchH 1, and had his head turned away from me. Arlo broke out of his stand anyway, so we got to try it again. He broke the stand again, so it didn't really matter. His retrieves were not so good. He was not really focused, and he actually came around the frame on his way back instead of going over it.... completely unexpected, he has never done that before. I was thinking it must have been a bad throw, but I couldn't see it. His send out was a disaster, he went out nice and fast, but would not down. Then, I was waiting for the judge's signal to give my second command.... the signal from the judge never came, and Arlo ended up running right past me and out into the crowd, presumably looking for my husband who was hiding inside a building. In hindsight, I should have just given that second command to get him down, but I was trying to be proper and wait for the judge. I did manage to get Arlo back onto the field, but of course by this point it was all over. We ended up with 57 points in OB, and I think the judge was generous! His protection routine was not too bad. The running of the blinds did not go so smoothly, but he did manage to run all of them. We made it through almost all of the routine, then came the courage test. Now, the field at this club is really LONG, and I had to heel all the way up field. Was not expecting this. So, when Arlo went in for his last bite, he went in nice and strong, then he would not "out" off the helper. This time I did get signals from the judge... 2nd command, no out. 3rd command, I took a deep breath and gave it everything I had... "O-O-O-U-U-U-T!!!!"... no out. Arlo just hung on, front paws up on the helper, and he kept pulling, and pulling. No chewing, no re-gripping, just pulling intensely on the sleeve. I was flagged in to come and pick him up. I put the leash on, and then leaned over him, and it took at least two more out commands to get him off. Disqualified! Well, I'd rather get disqualifed for no "out" than having my dog run off the field, which I was most worried about, as he had run off the field looking for my husband in more than one practice session. Thankfully this did not happen! I was disappointed, yes, but took the whole thing as a great learning experience. I have absolutely no pictures of Arlo and me at this trial, as my husband had to hide during Arlo's time on the field. Arlo had been running off the field in several practice sessions to go and see Sean, and I did not have time to fix this problem before trialling. Another training issue!

Eros' BH routine was also a disaster! I had been working on his BH for two years, he was more than ready. He was working great for me in our practice sessions, and I was expecting to go out on that field and do a near perfect BH routine. This did not happen, not even close. He held his long down, so that was good. It took two commands to get him back up, not good. Our on leash heeling started out ok, but it quickly turned ugly, with Eros sniffing the ground, and casually walking out to the end of the leash, it looked like we were going for a walk in the park, I was in disbelief. For the group, he decided to go and say "hello" to most of the group members, stretching out to the end of the leash. When the off leash heeling came, it was just as bad as the on leash work. It looked like we were not prepared, and that we should not have been out there. I was so disappointed and confused... why was this happening? He did his sit in motion, but for the down in motion, he sat again, very weird for him! His front and finish were sloppy. We passed, but it was not pretty and I was really disappointed in our work out there. It left me wondering why it went so badly when he is capable of such nice work? I thought that there must be some fundamental flaws in my training and reward systems. He passed his temperament portion with no problems, even when the "neutral" dog that walked by him while he was tied up barked aggressively at him. If he had've reacted to that, I would have complained for sure, because there was no way that was a "neutral" dog. So, yes we had our BH, but it certainly was not what I was expecting. Eros did not pass his AD, he was about 1 lap from finishing when he had a severe limp in his left front limb, a nastly slice on his metacarpal pad was bleeding, as were some of the digital pads. He was pulled. Was a huge disappointment! This AD was run on pavement, and I knew going in that there was a good chance he would not be able to finish. I had been conditioning him at home for weeks prior to this, and he had problems running on the pavement. His pads are too soft to withstand that kind of surface. So, now we have to do the AD again sometime, I will wait until I can find a club that will run it on a grassy surface.

All in all, this was a big disappointment for me. But, I took it as a great learning experience. It exposed some flaws in my training methods that may have taken many more months to become apparent to me. I also got the chance to travel with the dogs, stay in a hotel, and prepare for a trial in a strange place, without having the comfort of home or our regular routine. I got the chance to do all of this at a trial that wasn't really a big deal. It wasn't a critical regional or a national event. I'm glad I have this experience behind me, so that when the time comes for me to travel and compete at a crucial competition, I won't be so stressed about being away from home and having to prepare to compete in a hotel setting. I was glad that I had the courage to do this, to take the dogs to a new club, have minimal practice time, and then just go out there and do it. Even though we were not so successful from a title standpoint, I feel I was successful at taking a chance and just going for what I wanted. Shortly after my experience there, I came across a quote that just seem so fitting for my situation. It was posted on my friends facebook page, and here it is;

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." --Theodore Roosevelt, April 23, 1910

We were able to get some pictures of Eros working;

Reporting in: Eros is on the right, next to me in the pink jacket... there were quite a few black GSDs there!

Heeling over to do the long down, notice the snow covered ground.

The pick up after the down.

Setting up, getting ready to start heeling.

Heeling starts off nice....

Then quickly turns ugly!

In the group.

WUSV 2008 Florence Kentucky, USA

2008-10-13T17:32:00.000-04:00

My trip to the WUSV world competition in Florence Kentucky was the opportunity of a lifetime. This competition is almost always in Europe somewhere. So when we found out it was being held in the USA, a large group of schutzhund enthusiasts from Ontario decided to make the trip south and watch this world class event. It is hard to describe in words what it was like having the opportunity to watch so many dogs who are at the world level compete. It was breath taking, incredible, amazing, almost unbelievable. There may not be another opportunity in my lifetime to be a spectator at the worlds. And the chances of me getting the chance to actually compete at this level are far less indeed!

I did manage to get some photos of the Canadian team. They are not the greatest, but neither is my camera. One of my favourite moments was when the Canadian team member Darryl's dog Alon v. Alder Tal hit the helper so hard during the escape that he was able to knock the sleeve right off of his arm and prance back to Darryl quite proud of himself sleeve in mouth... the crowd went absolutely crazy at this point, as dogs that over power the helper in any way at a trial is always followed by clapping, cheering, and praise. It was a magical moment. My camera was not fast enough to capture this moment, but pictures of this are available. No other dog as far as I know was able to over power either of the helpers. Way to go Canada! It's hard to really describe the feeling in the stadium at that moment... And, to see the helper after the routine on his way back to the dugout with a huge smile on his face was just priceless.

Our hotel was filled with Canadian schutzhund people, and a few Americans. We also had the entire Belgian team staying in our hotel and ran into them frequently. We were lucky as our hotel was literally across the highway from the host stadium.

Our days were filled with morning to late afternoon competition watching. We observed a large portion of the competitors perform their obedience and protection routines. None of us ventured out to watch the tracking portion.

My favourite team to watch out of all the dogs I was fortunate to see was the German champion, Javir vom Talka Marda with handler Michaela Knoche. This team placed 3rd overall at the worlds, but their performance was unforgettable. The obedience routine was comparable to a well trained dressage horse and was breathtaking. It left me wanting to see more and more. Javir's protection routine was a crowd favourite, as his super close jumping up at the helper's face during his hold and barks resulted in much cheering from the crowds. What an amazing dog.

I had many good conversations with some good friends and met some new friends. It was 4 days of competition and talk with like minded dog people. We also got some great deals on some dog equipment. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, perhaps a bit too warm for some of the dogs. It was an experience that will not be forgotten, nor equalled. It left many of us wanting to make the trip to Germany in 2009 to watch next year's worlds. Something to dream about!

Gabi & Yoschy

Ralph & Billie

Darryl & Alon

William & Greta (I did not get pictures of Greta's Protection - forgot my camera!)

Ken & Chevy

Beauty of Fall

2008-10-01T16:34:00.000-04:00

One could easily argue that fall has some of the most beautiful displays of colour.

Baxter Central Public School Doggie Demo

2008-09-19T12:54:00.010-04:00

I was lucky to be invited to join my agility training group, Tamsu Learning Centre, to participate in an elementary school Doggie Demo. This is one of the benefits of being part of such an active and dynamic training group. I was really looking forward to it! I had never been part of such an event before, and was excited to "show off" my well trained and well behaved dogs.

The children in the school were grades 1 to 8, so a wide range of ages. I brought Blaze, my little agility star, and I brought Arlo. Although Arlo is technically my schutzhund dog, and not an official Tamsu student, Arlo is what I describe as my "all purpose dog".... I can take him anywhere and ask him to do anything, and he's all for it! And, he is a super social German shepherd dog, loves saying "hello" to all people, and he is such a great ambassador for his breed.

The demo started out with a talk to the students about dog safety, and how to properly approach a strange dog. Our head agility instructor, Sarah Mairs-Heaslip, was doing the talk, and Arlo and Cassie's male Rottweiler, Ely, were the dogs being used for the demo... There was a little bit of laughter just before we started... Sarah thought is was kind of funny that we were using the schutzhund trained German Shepherd and a Rottweiler as our dog safety dogs.

Next we did a heeling demo... well, what can schutzhund dogs do extremely well???? Yes, that's right, heeling! Arlo strutted his stuff, both on leash and off leash for the crowd along with some of the other dogs. He did great. Then we did some "barrel racing"... Yep, barrel racing. What fun. Neither of my dogs had ever done this before, so I was going to sit this one out, but I decided to try to get Arlo to run around the barrels just a few moments before the demo started. He already knew a command to run around things, namely "revier", the command we use to get the dogs to run around the blinds on the schutzhund field. I decided to give it a go. Well, it only took Arlo one try around the barrel to figure out what I wanted, and with the promise of a reward afterwards, he was all for it! So, when our turn came to run the barrels, I went up there, and used my "revier" command, and he ran the barrels as if he had done it a hundred times... Great! What fun... who knew that the "revier" command would come in so handy someday!

Next we did some doggy tricks for the kids. This is always a crowd favourite. Unfortunately, I did sit this one out... I haven't bothered over the years to teach my dogs any crowd pleasing tricks... I was too focused on teaching them the behaviours needed for their respective sport careers. The crowd loved the tricks the dogs performed. I was a bit sad I could not participate.

Then came our agility demo, what fun we had. Blaze came out for this one, this is where he shines. I am always amazed at how he can focus and have fun in almost any environment I put him in.

We also did a flyball demo, and I was the box loader for one of the teams. It was my first time box loading, ever! I must say, those dogs are so fast and I was a bit slow more than once.

At the end of the demo, which seemed to go way too fast, the kids wanted to say hello to the dogs. I brought Arlo over, and he was swarmed by kids. I put him in a "platz", and he was being petting, hugged, and kissed by many of the children. He loves being social. And, it gives me a great feeling inside knowing that my schutzhund titled German shepherd dog can also be a stable, social, well behaved canine in the community. One of the little girls said she had never petted a dog before, and was quite happy that she was able to do so. Part of this is training for sure, but a large part of it is simply Arlo's innate nature and his super stable temperament. I'm very proud of him.

I was not able to get great photos, mainly because I don't have that great of a camera (we're working on that!). Here are some of the better photos that I was able to get... Arlo at the end.

Sarah's border collie, Jiggy, during the agility demo.

Cassie's Rottweiler, Ely.

Blaze in the weave poles.

Blaze coming out of the tunnel turning for the dog walk.

Blaze on the teeter.

Cassie and Rottweiler Emma on the teeter.

Sarah and her Golden retriever Cutter barrel racing.

Arlo barrel racing.

Arlo barrel racing.

Eros, TEC (Temperament Evaluation Certified)

2008-09-11T20:15:00.003-04:00

Eros and I did his TEC today at the German Shepherd Dog Club of Canada National Specialty Show in Kitchener. The TEC is a temperament test, given under the German Shepherd Dog Club of Canada, specifically for German shepherd dogs. This temperament test has only recently been developed. It is similar to the other temperament test, the TT, but not exactly the same.

There are several stations that you progress through with your dog. The first test is the judge verifying the identity of the dog, either by tatoo or microchip. Then you move on to greet a friendly stranger who ignores your dog and engages you in a conversation. Next is a friendly stranger who ignores the handler and greets and touches your dog. Then you walk towards a group of people who mull around and ignore your dog. After this you move on to a person who is out of sight and as you walk along, who then appears with a metal bucket that has stones in it. The person shakes the bucket to create a noise and then places it on the ground. The dog should show curiosity and investigate the bucket. The next station again has someone out of sight who, as you walk by, fires a gun once then there is a slight pause, then two more gunshots in rapid succession. Then you approach a person seated in a chair holding an automatic umbrella. As you come close, the umbrella is opened. Again, the dog should show curiousity to the umbrella. The final station in the first part of the test is the "bad guy" scene. A person is out of sight and as you approach, appears wearing a rain poncho and holding a riding crop. This person must act threatening to you, yelling and hitting the ground with the riding crop. Dogs must either stand their ground or bark at the "bad guy". Any fear or attempt to flee is an automatic fail.

The next part of the test involves the dog being exposed to vehicles driving by, a jogger, and of course the other dogs and handlers participating in the test. Then all the dogs are tethered to a fence and left alone while all the handlers move away either into a large group or out of sight. The judge will walk by all of the dogs while tethered. The dogs must then enter a rowdy group of people, similiar to what you may see in a busy downtown street. The dog's reaction and behaviour is evaluated at each part of the test. Dogs that show unwarrented agresssion or fear will fail. Dogs that startle at the gunshots, bucket, and umbrella sections must recover within a reasonable amount of time and settle again. Dogs that are too fearful to investigate the bucket or the umbrella also may not pass.

Eros did excellent at all sections, and I was very proud of him. He was so undisturbed at the gunshot station, he attempted to pick up the pylon that was the marker for that station and play with it. It was one of those "really cute dog" moments for me. I was also very happy he did not attempt to jump up on anyone, something I have been working on lately. He is so friendly, he loves to jump up to say hello to people. He has learned to sit nicely and calmly while greeting people.

I love doing things with my dogs, especially things that demonstrate my dogs' good temperament and behaviour. I think this is important for the breed and the sport of schutzhund. A schutzhund dog can be a balanced, stable canine companion, capable of interacting with the public in a variety of situations.

Here we are, right after the test....

AAC Nationals, Sussex New Brunswick, Aug 7th - 10th, 2008

2008-08-29T13:19:00.008-04:00

The Tamsu group at the end of the nationals after the ribbon ceremony. Blaze moved when the photo was snapped, and he is very hard to see...

My trip out east was definitely a learning experience... Long distance driving is not for me! Wow, I couldn't believe how long and oh so boring this drive was. Once finally in Sussex, we were there quite early on the Wednesday, a full day before any of the activities began, so we had time to get proper sleep, set up our shade tents, check out the venue, and just relax.

On the Thursday, the warm up games began. I never bothered to do warm up games with Blaze before, as I figured since he is a seasoned competitor, he does not need them. Well, little did I know the handlers could take toys into the rings with them during the warm up runs...... What an absolutely brilliant idea! Take my dog into the nationals competitor rings, and reward him with toys and play.... a great warm up in my opinion. This was my first experience participating in warm up games, and what a disappointment it was! They set it up as a first come, first serve event, which meant handlers and dogs ended up waiting in line up to one hour for their chance in the ring... something Blaze would never be able to do. I only got two out of four warm up runs in, and I was so disappointed at not getting a chance to do what I had planned for Blaze that day, it really put me in a foul mood. At the end of the day, while chatting to a fellow competitor, who is also a masters level judge, he brought me back to reality when he said, "Do you really think your dog cares?" (in reference to me not being able to accomplish what I had planned for him).... And to answer honestly, "no", my dog did not care, nor did he have any idea that we didn't get to do what I had planned to do that day. All he knew was that he got two fun runs in, both of them with great rewards involved... he had no idea my plans for him were not carried out.... So, with this little statement from my fellow competitor, I was transformed back into a better mood.

Overall, Blaze did quite well. He even made it to round two of the Steeplechase event, something I never would have expected. It was a nice surprise for sure. We had only 3 errors in the whole event; Blaze refused he weave entry in both our standard runs, and he missed the final gamble in the first gamble event. Otherwise, he went clean and under time in both jumpers runs, and he had an amazing opening in the second gamble along with completing the final gamble. We had awesome times in both our standard runs, but because of the refusals, no bonus points for us. Also, the main gamble in the first gamble event was something he certainly could have done, but not enough practice or incorrect placement of myself during the final gamble could be to blame. Anyway, he never shut down, which has been our major challenge in the gamble event. In the end, we finished 19th overall, in a class of 62 dogs. Had we not made those 3 small errors, we would have been 4th overall. WOW!!!!!! That is amazing, I had no idea we could've placed fourth. I had no idea we were top ten material. One could easily argue that we are not top 10 material, as we finished 19th. However, the errors we made.... I know that Blaze is fully capable of not making those errors, so a fourth place finish was certainly within our reach. This is both exciting and disappointing at the same time. Exciting because I know he has the skill to accomplish this ---- Disappointing because these errors have been our long time training issues that have been holding us back.

In hindsight, placing in the top ten was never, ever my goal. We are in a very competitive class, with a lot of dogs. We are not a fast team, nor will we ever be a lot faster than we are right now. I realize this, and accept it. I will never try to push Blaze to be something he is not.... My only goal is that we go out and be the absolute best we can be.... If our absolute best places us 4th at a National event, then that is amazing, truly amazing that he would place in the top 5 dogs in all of Canada, something I never would have dreamed possible. If our absolute best places us in 19th place, then I would be equally as happy, as I would know in my heart that we went out and performed to the best of our ability. If we are working at our personal best, then wherever we place will make me happy. We did not perform at what I consider to be a personal best. Weave pole refusals are something we need to work on, as well as tricky gamble sequences. These are my training goals for next year, along with continuing to work on consistent handling cues.

The picture at the top is the only one I have of us at Nationals.... the environment is a little bit stressful, with everyone I know focusing on getting their dogs ready to run, it was really not appropriate to ask any of them to stop and take pictures of us.... Too bad!

All in all, it was a good experience and I am glad I went. It was all worth it to see our Coach, Sarah Mairs-Heaslip, win the 16 in Veterans Class with her world level competition dog, Gabby. What a sheer moment of joy for her, her family, and all her students. And, she initially did not want to attend this year's nationals..... Look what she could have missed out on!

And, once again, I am also reminded of all those unfortunate people who cannot compete with their canine parters anymore. Some dogs have illnesses, injuries, or some have passed on prematurely. I do feel lucky and truly thankful that I am simply able to go out and have fun with a phenomenal dog who is so willing to learn the wonderful sport of agility.

Thank you Blaze.

Killdeer Nest

2008-07-11T19:15:00.009-04:00

In May, a Killdeer pair decided to lay eggs in the middle of my back yard. It was right in the middle of where I have my agility equipment set up. On the day I first discovered the eggs, there were two, and one had already been crushed by either me or the dogs that were running around. Killdeer lay their eggs in a shallowed-out patch of ground, usually near some rocks or gravel to camouflage the eggs, often in a wide open area. Well, it worked, so well in fact that one of us must have stepped on one of the eggs. The parent birds' calling and fluttering around alerted me that there must be eggs nearby. At first I paid little mind to the eggs, as I knew they had little hope in the middle of a yard with six dogs. However, my love for wildlife got the better of me, and I decided to at least mark the area where the eggs were so I would not step on them. I put two flat pieces of wood on either side of the eggs, which would let me know where they were and discourage the dogs from walking in that spot. I continued to train in agility, as regionals were coming up. As soon as all of us would go in the house, one of the little birds would promptly go back to the eggs and sit on them. After about a day, I decided that the two pieces of wood simply would not be enough protection for the eggs. I had some thinking to do..... There was really no other good spot on my property to move my agility equipment, and we had to practice.

So, my solution was to place my teeter base on top of the eggs... This would allow the birds free access to the eggs, and completely prevent anyone from stepping on them, and allow me to still train. I could easily move all the other equipment around the teeter to set up the sequences I wanted, so leaving the teeter in place for a long time was not an issue. Again, once we were inside the house, the birds promptly returned to their eggs, seemingly not bothered by their new accommodations.

Every time the dogs were let out, the birds quickly left the eggs, and cried out, flied around, and did their famous injured bird routine to lure the dogs away from the eggs. The dogs did not bother with the eggs for the majority of the time they were there. They were much more interested in the complaining parents. I was quite shocked at how close the birds actually let the dogs come to them... They would not let me get anywhere near as close... for picture taking purposes of course.

When the dogs started showing too much interest in the eggs, I had another dilemma...

My solution was to take the dividers that came with my dog crates, and use them as a little fence to block the dogs' access to underneath the teeter base. This worked great. The parent birds had two open "doorways" to get in and out from under the teeter, and it only took them less than one hour to figure out which was was "in" and "out". They used the "doors" as if this little set up was just meant for them. The dogs could not access the eggs at all. Then, one day, everything from under the teeter was gone. No sign that birds or eggs were ever even there. Did they get eaten by predators, or did the babies hatch and make a clean get away? I"ll never know, but I"m glad that the parents nor the eggs were harmed by my dogs.

The following day after I first discovered the eggs... the birds had laid another one to replace the crushed one, and there were once again, two eggs.

Not long after that, there were three eggs.

Picture of the eggs under the teeter base. Difficult to see them!

Picture of the two parent birds... very hard to see unless you enlarge the photo. I laid on the ground completely still for over half an hour trying to get a nice shot of them... clearly I need a better camera! The bird close to the middle of the photo is quite close to where the eggs are before my intervention.

Picture of the teeter on top of the eggs... Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the teeter with my homemade little "fence" around the base.

SUSSEX BOUND!!!!!

2008-05-26T10:29:00.002-04:00

A picture of the 2008 Regionals at the Ilderton Fairgrounds. This is the Standard course on the Sunday.

Blaze, with his Steeplechase "Q" ribbon, and his 9th place Jumpers ribbon. Blaze competed in the Steeplechase run on the Friday and qualified and placed 10th out of 24 dogs. He placed 9th in the Jumpers run on the Saturday, out of a group of 48 dogs.

Blaze, and I, and his 2008 Nationals Qualifier ribbon.

AAC 2008 ONTARIO REGIONAL AGILITY CHAMPIONSHIP
ILDERTON FAIRGROUNDS, MAY 23RD TO 25TH

Blaze competed at the Ontario Regionals this past weekend. We competed in the Steeplechase run on the Friday. I use the Steeplechase as an opportunity to warm up and set the tone for the weekend's events. Blaze ran fast, clean, and was motivated. It was a great run.

At regionals, you must complete 6 runs, 2 Standard, 2 Jumpers, and 2 Gamblers. You participate in 3 runs per day. This was our third regional event, and these were the most challenging regionals courses I have seen. Blaze did great in both Jumpers events, running clean and under time. The Jumpers course on the Sunday was particularly challenging, with many seasoned competitors getting lost on course. Our first Standard run had a minor error, with Blaze running wide around a jump, giving us a refusal. We had an incident with a couple other dogs just seconds before we were due to set up on the start line, so I was not sure how much this affected his ability to focus. Normally he does not miss cues from me to take a jump. The rest of the run was good, with Blaze getting his weave entry with no difficulty. That made me very happy! Our course time was great for that run, but because of the refusal, no bonus points for us. Our second Standard run was just awesome, with Blaze running 27 seconds under the standard course time. Unfortunately, I messed up his approach to the weaves (it was an ugly weave entry, no matter how you did it!), and caused him to get a refusal. This was a disappointment, as the error was not his, but mine. So, once again, no bonus points for that run.

Now, what happened in the Gamble rings is a bit of a mystery to me! It was as if someone replaced my happy, driven, motivated dog with another one who did not know what agility equipment is... During our Saturday run, Blaze actually left the ring, to go and get his toy... there was no getting him back at that point. I was devastated. He has never, ever done that before. What a sad thing to happen... I really couldn't explain it. On Sunday, he would not stay with me, and acted as though I was speaking another language and he did not understand one single word or body movement from me.. What a stark contrast to how he ran in the Jumpers and Standard rings!!! After many conversations with fellow competitors, it is now clear to me that there is something I am doing in the Gamble event that Blaze does not like, and hence he does not want to work for me. The challenge I face now, is to try and figure out what I am doing, and to stop doing it! We have some work to do. I know he is capable of fast, confident runs, so I must try and keep that consistent.

We will soon be off to Sussex, New Brunswick for the 2008 AAC Agility National Championships in August. This will be a fun time for all, and a chance to compete along side the best agility handlers and dogs in Canada. I was not certain that Blaze would qualify this year for Nationals, as the number of points needed to qualify was increased, and we had 8 months off in the fall and winter due to my demanding school schedule. Even once we were at the event, I was not certain until we ran our last run that we were going to Sussex. I always keep the words of one of my fellow Schutzhund club mates in my head... "Anything can happen in trial..". And it is true, it is so true.

I am thrilled that Blaze qualified and that we are going to Sussex. I am so happy and thankful that I have a great dog who wants to play agility with me. Congrats Blaze, you did an awesome job!

Agile Canines Regional Fun Match

2008-05-17T18:03:00.003-04:00

Blaze and I had one more chance to practice handling outdoors in a trial-like setting before regionals next week. We went to a fun match in Barrie today, and got a chance to do 2 standard runs and one jumpers run. I always use fun matches as trial practice sessions, so I do everything just as I would in a trail. Today I had a plan to reward any correct weave entry, which is different than any other time I've been to a fun match. At previous fun matches, I would act just like I do in trial, go back and fix the mistake, and then move on. I also wanted to try a different approach to the weaves today. I decided I would give Blaze more space, and that I would not micro-manage the entry at all. I would just say "weave" on our approach, and then trust he would get the entry. Both standard runs had weave poles set up as two sets of six, at different points on the course. This meant two entries per run. Our first run, Blaze missed the entry on both sets... we continued on, and because we have 2 minutes in the ring (if we want to use it), I went back and re-attempted the weaves. I rewarded him for each correct entry. Otherwise, he ran great, and we are "back on track" as far as working as a team goes. Good news.

There was a separate ring set up with practice gambles. I went in this ring, and again practiced weaves, rewarding each correct entry. I also got out a squeaky ball, along with Blaze's usual tug toy. Although he loves his tug toy, it had been such a long time since I played ball with him, and he loves balls. Well, squeaky ball was a huge hit, and it seemed to really improve his drive for the weave entry. In our next standard run, I took squeaky ball in the ring with me, but did not let Blaze know I had it. My plan was to whip the ball out if he got his entry to the weaves, and really surprise him. He got his first weave entry, and out came the ball. He got the second weave entry, and again, out came the ball. There were parts on this course where my handling went to hell because of stopping to reward the weaves... it messed up my flow, but that was no big deal. Blaze getting the weave entry and getting rewarded unexpectedly on course was a great motivator for him.

We then did our jumpers run (Blaze's favourite event), which was clean. Then, back to the gamble ring to practice some of the gambles. We worked on the rear cross at a distance, "get out" to a far jump, and again, on rewarding weave entries.

We now have a week to practice our crosses, weave entries, and some distance work. I feel a lot better about going to regionals now, but I have resolved myself to being content with whatever happens there. Stressing about our lack of skill in certain aspects of agility because of not being able to train for 8 months will do nothing to enhance our enjoyment of the event. I should simply be thankful that I am able to attend this event and spend some quality time with a dear friend who is only in the sport for the sheer joy of running a course with me.

And I am. I truly, truly am.

Tamsu Trial...Weave Pole Woes

2008-05-11T19:22:00.003-04:00

Blaze and I were at the Tamsu agility trial today, with high hopes of having another amazing day of agility trialling. Well, when things go wrong, they go very, very wrong. It is amazing how much my mood can affect my ability to focus. I am unfortunately extremely sleep deprived due to working long hours coupled with a long commute. And, I had an extremely horrible day at work yesterday, which put me in quite a foul mood. I tried my best this morning to re-focus, and to be the clear-headed handler my dog needs me to be, but I could not pull it together. Our first three runs went from bad to worse, with Blaze not responding to my cues. There was a feeling of complete lack of chemistry, although some of my agility friends could not tell from the sidelines, as Blaze appeared to be working nicely except for the weave issues. A comment at the end of the day from our current coach made it clear to me that she could tell I was off... very observant... Blaze got his first weave entry today, and then refused all the rest. I did manage to get him into the weaves in our very last run of the day, but I had to micro-manage the entry. This is not how I like to run a course. On one of our breaks, I got out some treats, went to the practice jump, and did some drills similar to what we have been doing in class, with lots of reward. I did some flatwork as well, hoping that Blaze and I could "regroup", and once again capture the chemistry we have been able to achieve recently. In our jumpers run, we did great. We were on, working great again together, it appeared I was able to refocus, and get myself back on track. There are no weaves in jumpers, so I'm sure this was a factor. This was our only Q for the day. Next came our gamble... we had a brilliant opening, but did not get the gamble, as there were weaves in the closing sequence, and Blaze refused the entry. I was happy though that we seemed to be back on track. Finally, came our team run. It wasn't my best work, but it was clean. We were 1.4 seconds over time. We lost at least 3 seconds at the exchange due to some poor communication.

This is a huge confidence buster for me, and regionals are only two weeks away. I somehow need to find some balance in my life. Having a challenging job just doesn't seem worth it if it interferes significantly with my training goals.

Box Classes Extraordinaire!

2008-05-06T11:51:00.002-04:00

Blaze and I had our second Box Class last Thursday. I am simply amazed and extremely impressed at the level of thought and care that goes into these classes. The lessons are pre-planned, with several stations set up so the students can work on separate things simultaneously. Everything we do is thoroughly discussed using proven theories, and we are encouraged to analyze the sequences and the reasons behind why we would choose a certain path for our dog. Several options are usually discussed, and everyone has a clear understanding of why certain crosses will work best at particular points on course. I am learning new ways to analyze courses. Also, I continue to be impressed by how great Blaze does when my signals are clear to him. We all get individual attention, and it feels like we are getting so much accomplished in just one session! I feel so lucky to have gotten a spot in the class....
Now we must practice, practice, practice!

Big Dog, Little Dog...

2008-05-06T11:30:00.002-04:00

Yesterday while leaving work in downtown Toronto, I was walking along the city streets with Arlo to my van. We had two separate incidents of small breed dogs barking furiously at the end of their leash at Arlo. One was a toy poodle, the other a Yorkshire terrier. The Yorkie's owner even continued to come closer to us. Arlo paid little, if any, attention to these dogs, as he knows he must behave while on leash. Left to his own devices, I don't know how much of that he would have put up with before he decided it was enough. My mind was boggled as to why these owners allowed their 5 to 10 lb dogs to behave this way, especially since a 92 lb dog could have easily been within their reach. Working in the veterinary business, I have seen many incidents of small breed dogs having been bitten by larger, more powerful dogs. I now wonder how many of these incidents were instigated by the small breed dog harassing the larger breed? I do know of a few incidents where for sure the small breed dog was the instigator. The large breed could have simply been giving a doggie version of a "correction" to the small breed, one that if it had been given to another large breed would have not caused injury. However, a correction from a large, powerful breed to a toy breed could easily result in serious injury or death. How many times have small breed dogs been inadvertently "corrected" by larger breeds for being irritating little pests because their owners refused to stop the behaviour? In hindsight, it is not the small breed dog at fault, but the owner who was oblivious to the danger of allowing their dog to behave in a way that could easily irritate other dogs. These two owners I encountered were lucky I am in control of my dog. Small breed dog owners should be more diligent about their dogs' behaviour, as some small breeds are known to behave as if they were large breeds. This behaviour has landed many small breeds in the emergency veterinary clinic for serious injuries.

The Cost of Responsible Dog Ownership

2008-04-30T18:08:00.003-04:00

Today I heard a story that made my heart break. A fellow agility competitor told me the story of her young, medium sized dog who, while being walked on a leash, was viciously attacked by a roaming, large breed, guarding type dog, unattended by any human. The hair on the back of my neck stands up when I imagine the terror she and her dog went through during this attack. How she managed to get this dog off of her dog, I'll never know. She herself is not sure what made the dog give up the attack. How she managed to not get bitten herself is also somewhat of a mystery. She had no one to help her during the attack. Her dog was a budding young sport dog, trained in multiple disciplines. She herself is an expert handler, easily considered one of the most responsible dog owners society could ask for. Her dog survived the attack, yet suffered a broken leg and permanent damage to the affected limb. The psychological effects of the attack on her dog may never be fully known.

The sad fact of this story is that because no human was bitten by this dog, no one appears to be taking the attack seriously. This dog is known by the community to roam freely in the park where the attack occurred. The owners refuse to take responsibility for their negligence and continue to let the dog roam free.

So, what is the cost of responsible dog ownership? Well, the cost of irresponsible dog ownership in this case is physical and emotional trauma to another dog who did nothing to precipitate this attack. The cost is this dog's career in dogs sports, and perhaps normal function of the affected limb. The cost is large veterinary bills which may never be compensated for by the party responsible. All this simply because of an extremely negligent dog owner who was ignorant enough to allow a dangerous dog to roam free. This innocent dog's happy life has been changed forever all due to the fact that another dog owner refused to contain their dog to their own property. The cost of responsible dog ownership? It could have been the cost of a fence, a suitable tie out, a dog run, or a little bit of education on their part to know enough that letting any dog roam free is dangerous for many reasons. The cost of responsible dog ownership is quite minimal when you consider the cost to others of irresponsible dog ownership.

Agility Lessons 2008

2008-04-30T17:17:00.003-04:00

Above, Cole and Blaze.

Today Blaze, Cole, and I had our first private lesson since summer of 2007. My school schedule in the fall and winter prevented me from pursuing ongoing lessons throughout the fall of 2007 and winter 2008. Also, because I have become quite particular about the style of coaching I prefer, I was extremely hesitant about switching coaches and decided to wait until my instructor of choice was available. I think when you have found a good match, then it's best to stick with it.

I found myself lacking a bit of confidence while walking the tricky sequences today. I had been out of practice and not in the agility mindset for quite some time. It's also hard when your instrutor is watching your every move waiting to see if you can see the light and figure out the best path for your dog. I felt like a beginner again! Blaze, however, was once again flawless. His only errors were my errors, and when I was clear in my handling, Blaze performed like a pro. I found myself wondering if Blaze would trade me in for a better handler if he could...... It seems I am the only thing holding him back. It was amazing and also comforting to me to see that when my handling was clear, Blaze was perfect. What an eye opener and a definite motivator to improve my skills.

With Cole, it becomes so obvious that I have done so little work with him in any discipline. Had it not been for his elbow surgery at 10 months of age, he would have been in agility lessons as a young adult. It wasn't until after a few years of observing his behaviour on our 1 acre property that I considered teaching him agility. He is able to get into a full speed run, and will stop dead and turn on a dime. He wrestles with Blaze, jumps down the steps from the porch instead of walking all the way down, and charges full speed at my neighbors cattle behind the fence. All of these activities put far more pressure on his elbow than agility ever will. So, once we started agility, we never looked back. He absolutely LOVES agility. It is clear though that we have some important foundation work to focus on. Time to get training!

Blaze - Masters Agility Dog of Canada

2008-04-25T19:26:00.007-04:00

Blaze went 4 for 4 today at the Rat Pack trial in Orangeville. This was our first competition since AAC Nationals last August. Also, we were not able to secure agility lessons in the fall and winter due to my extremely busy school schedule. Because of this, I figured that our first time out in 8 months with no practice time in between would have been a bit ugly... Nothing could be further from the truth! Blaze was happy, driven, motivated, and he had so much fun. What a joy to run with a dog who is truly loving what he is doing and staying with me on course. We've had so many training issues along with my own bad handling maneuvers, I had gotten used to having disappointing results at agility trials. Knowing all along that Blaze was capable of doing so much better made it all the more frustrating for me. Now, it finally feels like we are working as a team, and he is "on his game" all of the time, instead of a few moments here and there that get lost. It's hard to describe in words really, the feeling of being out in the ring, on course, with a dog that is working in unison with it's handler. I'm literally on cloud nine.

Blaze received his VMAD title today, his Veteran Masters Agility Dog of Canada title. What an accomplishment for us. I'm so proud of him. He received qualifying scores in Steeplechase, 2 Master Standard runs, and a Master Gamble. We have been struggling with the Gamble event for some time now, so to finally get a Q in Gamble was so exciting for us. And, I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked at the score sheet and saw that Blaze placed first in Master Gamble today!!!!!! This is an amazing accomplishment. We are now competing in the very competitive 16 inch veterans class, and Blaze beat 8 other qualifying dogs in this division to take first place. He also received a first place in one of our Master Standard runs.... again, an accomplishment I never would have even dreamed could be possible.

At the end of the day, it is not the titles or ribbons that matter. What matters is the bond you have with your dog, and the incredible working relationship you have developed over the years. What matters is the joy and happiness in your dog's eyes when he sees you are taking him to the agility ring, where he knows he will have fun with you, where he knows good times will happen. What matters is that you have taken the time to teach your canine friend skills that are truly amazing. What matters is that you are spending time with your dog, his greatest joy, and that he loves you enough to want to be with you. At the end of the day, he is just my dog, my little buddy, my companion, my best friend. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. Here's to Blaze, the little puppy that was abandoned on the streets of Toronto..... if those people only knew what they were missing.

Myself, Blaze with his VMAD ribbon, and AAC Judge Francine Lalonde.

All of Blaze's ribbons from the Trial today.

Blaze with his ribbons.

Sleepy boy on the way home.

Even the daffodils were happy for us.

Box Classes

2008-04-24T21:46:00.002-04:00

Blaze and I had fun tonight at our first Box Class. What is Box Class? Well, it is an agility class designed to focus on the all important crosses..... front crosses, rear crosses, and the handler's successful execution of these crosses. Are we being clear to our dog? The theory is quite simple... but perhaps not so simple for handlers who may have been handling a course to compensate for training weaknesses. We learned some very important foundation work, dissected a sequence with front crosses, and then moved on to some rear crosses.
How shocked I was when I moved to the "rear cross" section, and drew a complete blank..... Wait a minute.... I had been using rear crosses as my cross of choice in the past, so it should have been easy for me, right? Well, as it turns out, my current coaching had given me such a strong background in using front crosses and serpentines that I simply couldn't figure out how to do the rear crosses! I felt so silly!!! So, when I got myself in the correct position, Blaze did the rear crosses flawlessly (He didn't forget!!).
It was a great night, and Blaze worked with enthusiasm and drive. Now we have some homework to do before next week...

SpringTime Agility!

2008-04-15T17:42:00.002-04:00

Furry Fashion Show... Fun for All

2008-04-03T21:15:00.004-04:00

In April, at school, our class decided to have a "Furry Fashion Show" to raise money for the shelters that support our program by allowing us to treat their shelter animals. At first, I had no interest in participating in this fashion show, as I am not known for dressing up my dogs...

Well, after a little thought, I began to see how much fun it could actually be... So, I decided to go for it! I offered up Arlo, as he is what I call my "All Purpose Dog" ----- I can take him anywhere and ask him to do anything, and he is all for it, calm, confident, and cool in all situations. I was not too sure how he'd feel about being dressed up, but we'd find out!

My outfit of choice for him, after much thought and consideration, was a police dog vest. He is a German shepherd after all, from German working bloodlines. He sire was an active duty police dog, along with many of his close relatives. And, what are German shepherds most known for? That they excel at police work. My classmates organizing the event also had some outfits picked out for him, namely a doctor's outfit, a hockey outfit, and a Georgian college vet tech outfit.

This event was really well organized, I have nothing but praise for my classmates. The "Change room" was a classroom they booked. There were a whole bunch of people and a lot more dogs in there, some loose, some on leash, all getting dressed and undressed for their chance on the "stage". Arlo did great of course, no issues. And I was surprised at how well he took to being dressed up. It did not phase him one bit, even when he had the stethoscope around his neck, bouncing to and fro. What a great sport he was, I was so proud of him.

The "stage" they set up was a bit of a challenge for us... They wanted the dog to walk on the handler's right side... Arlo is a competitive Schutzhund dog, always working on the handler's left side. No matter how many times I tried to get him to walk on my right, he would correct himself and move to the left side. Getting him up on the "stage" was another thing..... it was a bunch of tables pushed together covered in a "red carpet". Arlo is never expected to walk "up" on things that move slightly.... My solution? I got up on the tables myself, and he followed. Then, he was rewarded with his ball. After that, he was dragging me to get up on those tables. The power of positive training and reinforcement can pay off in ways you wouldn't expect. I allowed him to walk on my left, but then stopped him while he was up there and asked him to sit, down, or stand so the audience could see him. Later on, I heard some of the audience members were amazed that he actually "stayed".... Hm-m-m-m-m....... If they only knew all he was capable of and that a simple "stay" was really nothing for him.

It was so much fun, and I was glad I participated. Arlo had fun, and was such a good sport and once again, a great ambassador for the breed. In his down time before his appearances on stage, we would hang out in the hallway, and all sorts of people would pat him, feed him, even little kids were paying attention to him. Nothing phases this dog. If these same people would have seen him work on a SchH field before this event, I can bet that many people would have been afraid to approach him. This is part of the misunderstanding of the sport that only aggressive dogs participate. This once again proves that not all SchH dogs are "aggressive", and that a SchH titled dog can be a stable, friendly, approachable canine living in the community.

Way to go Arlo, I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful dog!

Below, Arlo in his Georgian College Vet Tech T-shirt posing before he goes on stage...
Below, Arlo on stage in his Dr.'s outfit, stopping for a small bite of cheese...

Below, hanging out in the hallway in between appearances...

Below, Arlo on stage in his Police Dog vest doing a down-stay... unfortunately the picture is blurry and it's the only one I have...

Below, at the end of the show, all the dogs and handlers were together, posing for pictures... Arlo is hard to see, his black head is against my black shirt... he's the one in the yellow t-shirt.

Some other dogs at the show:

Below, here is border collie Schooner, one of the faculty member's dogs... One of my absolute favourite of the staff dogs...

Below, classmate Veronica's dog Tito, a chihuahua what a cutie!!!!

Below, classmate Laura's border collie Molson...

Classmate Christine's Dogo Argentino, Malek. Malek is a young dog, and he absolutely would not get up on that stage!

Faculty member's dog, Golden retriever, Ruby. Ruby is also a valued teaching assistant and is so extremely patient with all of the students.

"Aftermath" Documentary - Don't Miss It!

2008-03-31T19:53:00.002-04:00

This is a documentary you don't want to miss. One of the members of my Schutzhund club is the producer of this film, and many of the club members' dogs got to participate in the filming of this documentary. I was unfortunate, and missed out on it, but I did get to see many great photos of the dogs in action. It looked like everyone was having a fantastic time.

It is airing here in Canada on History Television:

April 1st @ 8:00 pm

Apirl 6th @ 7:00 pm

History Television

Just A Dog...

2008-03-10T15:50:00.002-04:00

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog."

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog."

In the darkest of days, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome.

If you think there's no such thing as "just a dog," then you, too, won't quite be able to understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a dog", I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of hopes and dreams of the future, of fond memories of the past, and of the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday everyone can understand that there is no such thing as "just a dog," but rather a living gift that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man or just a woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog" just smile... because they "just don't understand."

Written by an unknown Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Office Dogs, Office Cats, ........Office Pig????

2008-03-07T17:52:00.003-05:00

Today I had to get the famous Emissions Test done on my van in order to renew my license plate sticker. I stopped in at an E-testing facility near my home. The facility is well run, the staff are friendly, and they have a somewhat unusual office inhabitant..... Daisy, the pot bellied pig.

I have to admit, a pig is not the usual office animal you encounter when you come across those who like to bring their pets to work with them. But Daisy, who has been going to work with her owners for many years, is right at home in the office.

There is a nice big comfy couch in the waiting area for those of us waiting for the results of our E-test. I was seated on this couch, when Daisy walked by, grunting to herself. She banged on the door that opens up to behind the service counter several times so someone would let her behind the counter. Sure enough, the door was opened swiftly. She walked around, grunted, then came back out into the waiting area. She sniffed my shoes and pants, had a good look at the vacant spots on the couch, then effortlessly jumped up onto the couch. Based on Daisy's conformation, I would have bet money that there was no way this round bodied, short legged pig would have ever been able to jump up on that couch. She made it up there like she was a light footed poodle! She sniffed around on the couch, presumably for stray bits of food, then snuggled up beside me and laid down. How sweet! This totally made my day.

So, if you are looking for a E-test that promises to bring a bright moment to your day, please visit Fleetwood Auto, just outside of Barrie, and say Hi! to Daisy the pot bellied pig. They offer many other auto related services, so check out their site.

Schutzhund Bashing

2008-02-23T11:14:00.006-05:00

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a veterinary conference in Toronto. I attended the lecture of one of the speakers whose topic was canine behaviour. This person, who is an active member of the GSD community here in Ontario, and has been for many years, had many good points about canine behvaiour. She spoke about positive training methods, understanding your dog's behaviour and motivation, responsible pet ownership, and emphasized responsible breeding and temperament testing for all pet dogs. This person is extremely knowledgeable, has an obvious passion for the GSD, and appears to be well educated in many aspects of current dog affairs, positive training techniques, and behaviour modification in all breeds of dogs. She is what I would consider to be quite an asset to the GSD community, and the community as a whole.

Imagine my shock and disappointment when she openly bashed the sport of schutzhund in front of a room full of conference delegates. From her comments, it was quite clear to me she has a deep misunderstanding of the sport. How this could happen to someone who has been involved in the GSD breed for almost 30 years is astonishing. The sport has a hard enough time trying to change the negative public image it has incurred without someone such as this openly making false statements about it. The public's gross misunderstanding of this challenging and dynamic sport fuels negative feelings about it. I find it shocking and disheartening to learn that someone who has such a passion and love for the GSD, someone who goes to great pains to ensure the breed is viewed in a positive way, would not take the time to learn about schutzhund and the inherent goals and motivations behind the sport. The GSD and schutzhund evolved together. The breed's ability to work was the first and foremost concern of the breed founder. Discrediting this desire and functionality of the breed is a direct insult to the founder.

I will be the first to admit that there are many schutzhund trainers out there who use what could be called "old school" methods of training, relying heavily on compulsion and dominance styles. This could be the root of all the negative images of the sport. People that use force, compulsion, deprivation, and fear and call it "dog training" should not even be permitted to own any animals in my opinion. Had I had my first introduction to the sport with people such as this, I definitely would not be involved in it today!!!! Perhaps this is the speaker's only observation of the sport, and hence the reason for such negative statements.

Fortunately for dogs, many schutzhund clubs have adopted more modern and more kind training methods, much like what was discussed by the speaker in the lecture at the conference. Many clubs train using purely motivational techniques, and many top trainers who give seminars world wide demonstrate their use of motivational training styles. In essence, these dogs are having fun! These dogs work for many reasons. For the dog, there is ALWAYS a reward of some kind for doing what we want him to do. This is the heart and soul of schutzhund training as I know it and live it. I cannot speak for other clubs or trainers.

I would encourage the speaker to attend to some training sessions that use motivational methods. I would wish for her to attend to a seminar of a world class trainer who consistently demonstrates that motivational training works using dogs that are for the most part, unfamiliar to him or her.

Finally, I must discuss the issue of aggression. To my horror, this speaker said something even more damaging to the sport than the issue of training styles. She insisted that schutzhund people want aggressive dogs. She said that schutzhund trained dogs are a menace to society, a danger to the public, little children, and other animals. This is where she is MOST wrong. The one main consistency in the sport is the emphasis of control and temperament. Dogs must be under control, and must not display faulty temperament. At each and every trial, a dog's temperament is tested. The judges are continuously looking for faulty temperament, and dogs displaying outward aggression are disqualified immediately. The sport tests a dog's temperament in so many ways, a dog with faulty temperament would not be successful, save for only in the hands of an extremely skillful trainer. One could easily argue that this same dog at some point in it's career will fold under the pressure.

I will be the first to point out that my schutzhund dogs are not aggressive in any way, nor do I do ANYTHING that promotes aggression. My German working bloodline GSDs display the most stable temperament I have ever seen in any GSDs. Schutzhund dogs are so skillfully trained that many of them WILL NOT bite a person who does not have the bite sleeve on. These dogs are social, friendly, stable in temperament, and are no way a danger to the community or other animals. This same thing can be said for the MAJORITY of schutzhund dogs. The majority of schutzhund trainers that I have met are also some of the most responsible dog owners in the community. They have their dogs under control when out in public, do not allow their dogs to run around off leash harassing other dogs, are careful about who they allow to approach their dogs, and generally know a lot more about dog behaviour than the pet owing public. Many, many of these dogs are family dogs, living in the house with small children, and other pets. Schutzhund dogs are not a danger to the community. The real danger is from the pet owning population who do not understand dog behviour or what motivates their dogs. These people often have a false sense of control of their dogs, hence the reason for so many bite wounds to other dogs and people. Schutzhund trainers are unlikely to have a false sense of control, as their control over their dog in many different situations is tested again and again at every training session. These people often know exactly what type of control they have, and take precautionary measures (such as the simple thing of walking the dog on a leash!!!) to ensure safety. Schutzhund trainers know their dog's temperament far better than most of the pet owning population, and thus would not put their dogs in situations that could end in someone getting bitten.

Dogs with aggression issues have either been raised inappropriately, or have faulty temperament. Neither belongs in the sport of schutzhund. Schutzhund trainers DO NOT want aggressive dogs. These dogs are difficult to work with, and eventually will get washed out. They do not work for the sheer love of it.

Yesterday was a dark day for the sport of schutzhund. If we could get people like this speaker to truly understand our sport and promote it in a positive way, it would go a long way to dispelling some of the popular myths that cloud the image of a "happy, willing worker" ---- the ultimate schutzhund dog.

Snakes as Pets

2008-02-08T17:54:00.000-05:00

Corn Snakes, one of the best species for the pet snake enthusiast.

Until I was educated on keeping snakes as pets, I never would have considered it. Little did I know, the right species of snakes make excellent pets! I always simply thought they were unhappy wild animals living in captivity. Not so! Only captive bred snakes should be kept as pets, and strict attention to proper husbandry of these reptiles will ensure a happy, healthy snake. Snakes have little in the way of personality, and do not "bond" to people the way companion animals do. They are fascinating creatures however, and sharing our lives with them could go a long way to convincing others not to persecute them. Only certain species are appropriate to keep as pets. Contrary to popular belief, captive snakes should not be fed live prey. There are many readily available places to purchase frozen dead rodents for pet snakes.

For more information about why snakes can make great pets, view the following website:

Sciensational Ssssnakes!

A corn snake as a pet is definitely in my future!

My Super Snake Adventure

2008-02-08T16:53:00.000-05:00

January 11th, I was lucky enough to see a presentation on reptiles by Sciensational Ssssnakes. This organization's focus is education, and they do their informal, hands on lectures across Canada. If you ever get the opportunity to join in on one, don't miss it!

Due to some commitments at school, I was a little late for this class that day, and could not get my usual seat at the front of the class. I was hugely disappointed at this, as I wanted a close up view of the animals. I knew we would have chance later on to handle the animals, and I literally couldn't wait to hold one of the snakes! I have always liked snakes, and have never been afraid of them.

The presenters were incredibly knowledgeable about the different species, and were true advocates for respect and conservation of Ontario's native species. They taught us about proper housing and husbandry of the different species commonly kept as pets. They were upfront and honest about which species make appropriate pets, and which do not. You may be surprised! Check out their website for more info.

Me, and the ball python.

Just look at that face, isn't it exquisite and irresistible? (The snake's, not mine!)

Me and the albino Burmese python.

Earthlings Documentary

2008-01-28T18:41:00.001-05:00

Every once in a while, something comes along that impacts us like nothing else has. Earthlings, the documentary on how aspects of human society are completely financially dependent on animals, is one such thing. This is not a radical or a fanatical production by any means. Some of you may be suspicious, as you may have seen productions in the past whose aim it was to disgust and shock you. Earthlings' aim is only to educate. Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, he tells the story in a matter of fact, monotone drill that seems inappropriate for the footage being viewed. It is innately effective however, as the footage demonstrates the everyday lives of thousands of animals on our planet. Although certain parts of the film may indeed disgust and shock you, this is all part of the educational feature of the film. The information is there, for those who care to know about it.

Now, the goal here is not to turn everyone into vegans. This is not only impossible, but irrational. No one is suggesting this. What the essential point is, that if more people were actually aware of how animals were treated and supposedly "humanely killed", then perhaps the situation for these animals could change. How many people actually really know? Some people think they know, but unless they have seen this film, or worked in a slaughter house, they do not know. Some people choose not to know. This, I will argue, is inherently wrong. If you choose to eat other animals ( and yes, it IS a choice), then at minimum, you need to be aware of what the animals you are eating have gone through to be on your plate. You are responsible for what happens to them, whether you choose to admit it or not.

Finally, other aspects of animals and humans are detailed, including pets, clothing, entertainment, and science. Some things in this film are extremely difficult to watch. I will not lie about this. It is something everyone needs to see.

For more information, please see the following websites;

Earthlings

Nation Earth

Book Update

2008-01-03T15:33:00.001-05:00

Here is the book I made for my diseases course at school. It took a phenomenal amount of time, yet it could be viewed as a labour of love. And now I have a great memento of my very special black GSD, Arlo.

Book Update Con't

2008-01-03T15:27:00.001-05:00

Book Update Con't

2008-01-03T14:59:00.001-05:00

Black and White Photos

2007-12-17T15:56:00.001-05:00

Black dogs and white snow.... it's so hard to get a good picture in these conditions. You can see the falling snowflakes as they sparkle against the flash of the camera.

Eros, cutie with snow on his face.

Cole..... is that a black shepherd or a white shepherd?

Ah, yes, it's the elusive Panda Shepherd...

Arlo and his frozen whiskers.
Eros, shoulder deep in snow.