Long-Dangerous Tails

So Bailey started her first week of puppy class and she did really well. This week Brittany and I have been working on our puppy class “homework”, trying to dodge Bailey’s teeth, and have a good time in the fall weather.

Working on recall…..Bad Cuz helped with this fun game…..

Working the “sit”…. Notice the combination of green ear and rabid, food motivated look in her eyes…..

First time working the stack….her tail would not cooperate….(any suggestions on improvement welcome)

Time for some organic pumpkin fun…..she loved the “built in stick”….

OK…..so she reached the end of the “stick”….what does she do with it now….??

…she becomes a professional pumpkin carver, flips it over, and attacks it’s weak spot!!!!

“Look what a good job I did Mom!”

After such an eventful knawing afternoon we spent the late afternoon learning about…..SNOW. Here is what Bailey thought about SNOW….maybe she will be impressed when we get more for her to play in….

Here is her Dad…..whom she hasn’t met yet…..can’t wait til June……

Nikon had his first class yestderday!  We really want to do Julie and Nick’s puppy class but it’s so far and we are so busy, maybe the next round.  But I wanted him in a puppy class ASAP so we joined the one at the club where I train in Lowell.  There’s a 6 month GSD that is mainly there to learn some manners and work on reactivity, he and Nikon had some words (ie, barks) back and forth for a while.  Other than that, Nikon is the best puppy, and I’m not saying that just b/c he’s mine!  First we started working on not being grabby with the treats, by holding the treat in a closed hand and as soon as the pup leans back and stops trying to bite at the hand we mark and give the treat.  He figured it out after about 3 tries.  He was great at the recall game.  Then when we did the restraint (their version of Rub-A-Dog), he was calm.  It was obvious I’d been doing that and no one else had tried it before, all the other pups were howling and flailing around.  Then we practiced walking around and getting treats at our knee and Nikon was superb.  He was so focused he almost knocked into another pup without seeing him.  Then during Coke’s class, I put Nikon in a crate and practiced rewarding him for “quiet” while I moved farther and farther away.  He was calm in the crate watching the other dogs, only whined a few times. Our class assignment was to meet three new people.  Well last night we went to the pet shop for a new crate and Nikon literally bolted through the door and into the arms of three cashiers, then today I took him to my grandpas and he met over 10 relatives so I guess we are covered.

Here are some pics, I didn’t get any of the puppies b/c I was too busy with Nikon

Riggs - rescued GSD

Justin (Malagolds)

My friend Liz and Justin - obviously no problems with the touch/restraint exercises!

Daisy

In other news, I’ve figured out why Nikon was looking a little tubby lately…

So, the new setup is a 42″ crate, 42″ crate and 36″ crate (whereas in the pic there’s a 42″, 36″, and 26″).  Oh and I moved the food!

Last night we made a little video and took some 10 week pics.  It’s kinda hard to see the vid b/c the light was bad and I had to hold the camera so he wouldn’t attack it, but he can to sit, down, and speak.

See video in post above

This is why we keep having to re-hang the curtains

My teefs are bigger than your teefs!

Squiiiiiiiiish!

Sit

Down

Speak

Not sure what this trick is called!

Open this gate!

Will you open it if I’m cute?

Tattoo

Letting himself out (by the time I get my boots on he’s whining to come back in)

Swimming in the water pail and throwing the water

“Helping” with the dishes

Stacking

Learning “kennel” (once he figured out he was getting a treat for going in and staying in, he would not come out!)

Sleeping on the bed

And other random pics….

“Mom, why are you meowing?”

Coke, the wannabe shepherd, feeling left out.  He may be a mutt with some quirks, but he is a really special dog.  Our relationship is almost the opposite than that of Chopper and I.  She and I are really in sync as far as training, performing, her always picking up on what I want and trying so hard to please…whereas Coke marches to the beat of his own drum, but when I am feeling down or least expect it, he comes to me licks my face, sits on my lap, gives me the look only he can give….he has not always had a good life, but he seems to have forgotten that.  I got Coke a year ago this week but it feels like forever.

Here I am at the Kalamazoo airport while Julie does the paperwork for my flight to Washington state to go live with my new Mom.  When I wasn’t being hugged and kissed I had lots of fun running around the airport.  I jumped on the scale and ran behind the counter making sure the agents were doing their job.  I even helped the TSA security check bags.  People standing in line had shoes that needed untying so I helped them untie them by pulling on their shoelaces.  Did you know suitcases come with built in tug toys?  They do!  There was a man with a white stick and I bit it.  Julie was embarrassed but the man thought it was funny.


Goodbye Michigan….

Some pics with Bronson…

Front right

I think this is Bronson’s butt

Bronson on the rag

I think this is Bronson tackling someone with Inja (left) and Nikon on the rag

Big boy Bronson and a sister (at NASS)

Bronson in the back (at NASS)

Bronson having sweet dreams with his face in the kibble

Duke, Nikon, Bronson (I think)