Meanderings and Appreciation

Last weekend was AAC Regionals in Medicine Hat. We didn't go. On one hand with all the excitement about Regionals I feel kind of sad, since other people also new to the sport went, but on the other I felt that we just weren't ready yet.

We haven't even been trialing for a year yet, and this is my first dog to ever do any dog sport with. I'm still struggling with walking a masters course with the huge crowd of people and figuring out my handling. Baxter isn't a super fast, drivey dog and sometimes it's hard to remember that we "belong" out there on course too. So, next year hopefully if things work out. I'll plan for it anyway, barring any major catastrophes we'll be going and we'll be ready for it!

Instead, I headed out to the Crows Nest Pass (Coleman) with family to spend the weekend camping before my new job switches my shift and I don't get Sat and Sun off anymore. Weather was interesting, but it was a good time and the dogs love it. I also gained a new appreciation for my naughty dogs.

1) Name recognition and value. You call their names and they look. They also come back. You do not spend 10 mins looking for your parents dog that wandered off (because they weren't watching her) and will not come back out from under the neighbors RV.

2) Door manners. Mine have none. They go bonkers saying hi when I walk in the door. BUT they do not bolt out the tiny little ray of freedom offered by the open door, unlike your parents dog. (However, by this time I had been working a little bit on value for the human saying her name, so she did come back once I caught up to her.)

3) Dogs that have value for their humans are fun to play with. The boys had a blast playing ball every time the sun came out. Even Penny joined in the fun playing chase the human (she doesn't do fetch so much.) Dad got in trouble for coming out to play fetch with us instead of attempting to play with their dog who does not play.

Action!

It's not that Sidney's behavior is her fault. It is what she has been taught by her humans. But there is only so much I can do to try to change it when her humans don't want to make time to change it.

Human behavior has a direct impact on dogs.  Your dogs and other people's dogs too.

Please don't complain that reactive Spencer with his issues with strangers loses his mind and is barking his head off when you have to bend over the ex-pen putting your face into biting range and making direct eye contact to "say hi" to dogs that don't know you.

Yes, he is barking. No, I'd rather he not bark either but hey, since you disregarded my "please just ignore them for a minute Uncle, he's not friendly" I don't think you have any right to complain. Especially when I then have to drop all the stuff I am unloading from the car to come rescue my puppy. He would not be so far over threshold that I cannot get his attention back if you had listened in the first place. It's not just his behavior that is an issue here ...

Now that that rant is over! I had planned on getting some really cute, good pictures of the dogs playing in the back yard. That didn't quite happen either. Penny lives to play keep away with Spencer. It's super cute as she whips around obstacles so he can't catch her like he can on straight aways. However, it seems that the video camera is a cue to not do this. Same thing with Baxter. He lays in the shade and rolls on his back to play with his ball, unless I have a camera in my hand, then nada. Alas, I'll have to be happy with these:

Neener

Hah, not fast enough

It's too hot out to be running