Friday 22 February 2013

Ladder Training 2

M is playing with D's new video camera so whilst she was putting me through my paces again last night this is what she recorded...

 

Thursday 21 February 2013

Ladder Training

At the weekend M decided it was time for me to start ladder training!

She has been thinking about this for a while now as she thinks it would help when out walking for me to be able to climb stiles etc if necessary. I have been using the ladder for agility training already - walking/jogging in between the rungs whilst it has been laid flat on the floor - to improve my rear end awareness.

Instead of a flat ladder I was now facing an upright ladder. First M got me to put my front paws on the first rung - that was weird, but I got lots of treats and praise, so she moved on to the second rung - again lots of treats and praise. In short bursts we were quite quickly up to the fourth rung, which M thought was fantastic! The fifth rung took a little longer with treats and praise for just reaching for it, and then loads for when I actually got both paws up there - it is a stretch!!

I've loaded a video which was supposed to be the next step but D only recorded half of it!! M is trying to get me higher up the ladder - She's asked me to put on here that she's waiting for me to figure out by myself to lift a back leg ready to put it on the ladder - that's why even when I reach for the fifth rung I don't get a treat just loads of praise.


I am still working on this (no paw on the bottom rung yet) and M is also slowly working on me reversing down the ladder rung by rung instead of how I do it on the video. She says at some point she will need to put the ladder against a platform so I can learn to go back down it forwards but that's for later...

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Long Adventure

Sorry I've not posted in a while I have been on a long adventure with M & D...

On Wednesday night having had a great agility session on Tuesday M was home - as she was on holiday!! She had packed up my bowl, bed, food and cow so I knew something exciting was happening.

D got home with a different car to normal with a big trailer and car on the back.. D popped me in the back seat and off we went.

I snoozed for ages until we finally stopped and I was let out to do my "business" and guess where we were - M's parents house!! Yay!! I ran in for some fuss and food - it was well past dinner time!

M got my bed sorted and after a bit of a walk and a play, everyone went to bed...
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I was a very good boy and am getting used to staying here now so no noise in the morning..
Much to my surprise in the morning I was bundled back into the car and off we went again. 

Snoozing was definitely the activity of the day although we did stop several times for a leg stretch. Finally we pulled up and M & D started messing around with the car on the huge trailer - suddenly it disappeared off the back!

There was a very handsome black labrador there too but M would let me say hello as I'm not always friendly on first meeting.

We set off again and then stopped, and M & D disappeared for a while and returned with loads of clothes - very strange behaviour this! They stuffed them into the boot and we were off again.

Finally we reached a place I recognised!! The hotel for the night and time for dinner - I love sleeping in the same room as M & D but I'm not allowed at home...
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The final day of the adventure and we were back in the car again to pick up a trailer - thankfully it didnt take too long and we were soon heading home. Several "business" stops and leg stretches later, we arrived home and I could sleep properly in my bed!! Just a little snooze required!!

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Mixed bag

Snooowww - there wasn't meant to be any snow but look at this!!! Sooo glad agility was last night cause I was really well behaved and M was really pleased with me.

and M's been knitting..... she hasn't really done this before but the rescue she supports was asking for anyone to knit warm coats for the poor homeless pooches. How can anyone dump a puppydog?? 


Anyway M has knitted these 3.. as you can see they are not big enough for me!!
 

Tuesday 5 February 2013

3rd Place

So on Sunday I was off to another agility competition. M did rate my chances as training has been up and down lately with the weather!!

When we got there she took me for a run to try and run off the extra energy and some excitement I had... 

Well, it didn't work! I did a mad runny round thing in the ring and took the wrong jump and got disqualified. M was NOT happy!

Second round again M took me out before the run for a looong walk so that I could toilet and relax - I get all wound up waiting by the arena - and she hoped I would do better. I had other ideas though... half way through the round I realised I really really needed a No 2 - I'm sorry M! before I had chance to disgrace myself and actually perform the act M took me out the ring and we were disqualified.

That was it - M was furious - she sat me down at the side of the ring and gave me a good speaking too, reminding me who had the keys to the car etc.... and then she made me lie down and ignore everyone whilst she had lunch...

It must have done the trick cause 3rd round I got a CLEAR!! it wasnt awfully quick but it meant I came 3rd!! M really was pleased.

4th round came and although I was much calmer I was getting tired, we'd been there 5 1/2 hrs! I managed the round with 10 faults (2 poles down) - I almost took the wrong jump but listened to M really hard - so she was well chuffed and I even managed the tricky bits well. I came 10th place.