Charley the Basset is feeling himself today 💗
Moose, doing his best moves, very politely attempting to entice Ziggy to play with him while Charley ignores them both.
A little of Moose's Fetch Test practice with some "find heel" work as well.
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Moose (2) is a natural retriever, but we have just started working on his Retrieve to Hand skills with household objects, so his prep for the the AKC Fetch Novice is starting at the very basic level.
He doesn't get many opportunities to play fetch with toys because he is usually outside with Jeter and, if there is a ball in play, Jeter is all over it.
Because Moose is small (20.5" tall & 35#) & he also enjoys popping tennis balls, I am also starting him with the Chuck-It Tumble Bumper.
Here's how he progressed during his 5 minutes session this morning...
Torre (9) is the all-around Retrieve to Hand champ. One of her jobs is to pick up things that I drop or cannot reach—for which she is generously rewarded—so she loves to bring me things. She also enjoys doing formal retrieves with an obedience dumbbell—which is not allowed for the Fetch titles. But she has never been interested in playing fetch as a game with balls or toys.
She had osteosarcoma & underwent a mandibulectomy in February, so she is missing the right side of her lower jaw, so I didn't want to use a heavier retrieving bumper with her for the AKC Fetch title training.
Since I have either misplaced or given away the lightweight plastic bumper I bought ages ago, I am starting her with the Chuck-It Tumble Bumper.
This short clip nicely sums up Torre's 5-minute session this morning...
In case you are concerned, Torre's hesitance here is not indicative of a general reluctance to retrieve.
She regularly brings me heavier items from farther than I am throwing the bumper & she still happily retrieves her obedience dumbbell.
It's just that this particular bumper is neither Work nor Obedience & fetching it falls into that "fun" category that her little Type A, working 🐝 heart isn't fond of.
This morning, I started training with my dogs for the AKC Fetch Novice title. When it comes to retrieving, they are starting at VERY different skill levels & styles.
Jeter (5) is ball-obsessed & loves to play fetch. He thoroughly enjoys parading around in triumphant circles with his prize before surrendering it for the next throw. His favorites are the giant plastic balls with soft spikes all over them.
He loves to pop tennis balls as soon as he gets them in his mouth, but doesn't like the rubber Chuck-It style balls. With an eye toward the upper level Fetch titles, I decided to start him with a traditional bumper.
Here's how things went with Jeter over the course of 5 minutes this morning...
Happy 5th birthday, Jeter Superfly Longlegs Bouvacuda ♥️🥳♥️🥳♥️ You've gone from crazy puppy to reliable partner & I couldn't be more pleased with you♥️♥️♥️
Here's part 2 of Iggy & the furniture ramp 🩷
Iggy is boarding with me & he is a little too small to get on & off of the furniture by himself. I got out the dog ramp, but he was a little afraid of it, so I am starting from step one to teach him that, not only is it not a scary thing, but also that it is his key to being able to get on & off the futon in the sitting room without asking for help.
The baby spider monkey is learning to control his urge to fling himself at oncoming people in joyful abandon 🧡🧡🧡
Jeter is learning to pivot (rotate counter-clockwise) & to spin (rotate clockwise) using platforms. To keep a particular platform from becoming the essential cue for the behaviors, I vary the type we use. In this video, we are using a mobility step I found on Amazon.
Pivoting is useful when teaching heeling skills, especially for Rally Obedience, & I have found it a helpful tool for moving my SD out of the way in public. I am also planning to use it in teaching the dogs to pose for pictures.
I’m working with Torre on her backing up skill. Since she has a tendency to move crookedly, I’m using the cones & poles to help her learn to go straight back.
She is pretty space sensitive, so I started with a wider “lane” that I’ve made progressively narrower as she becomes better at staying straight.
Why teach a dog to back up? On a practical note, backing up is an easy way to move dogs out from underfoot without having to manhandle them.
This is a good exercise to help dogs learn rear end awareness & it helps maintain muscle mass in aging dogs.
Teaching new skills to dogs throughout their lives keeps them engaged & may slow down or lessen the loss of cognitive function.
Not to mention that Torre is just a training junkie & really enjoys using her brain 💜
Not bad for his 3rd session. More enthusiasm than skill. I love his willingness to try whatever silly thing I ask him to do.
Anita Ambani, here’s the video from yesterday of the circus Poodle 🎪♥️🤡
Figment has finally figured out that Jeter does not, in fact, want to eat him 😂
Pending AKC verification, Jeter is now Bluegrass OH Captain My Captain at SummerWind DCAT CGC TKI VHMA FITS ♥️
Torre earned her TKA (AKC’s Trick Dog Advanced) this morning ♥️ It is her 9th title 😃 I love this girl so very much 🥰
Torre, doing one of her favorite things: putting away toys ♥️
Taking my mind off my worries about Torre with a little trick training for Moose 🥰
