My Wild Child Does It!
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Congratulations on her CGC.  She looks very proud of herself and how cute is she with that red bow in her hair. |
| whoo hoo on the cgc!!!! she is such a pretty girly girl!! |
Her red bows are for celebrations. She is a girly girl - in appearance. She's all energy after that  |
| congrats! And I love her girlie red bows too! |
| congrats! |
| Fantastic, Dee!
Proud of both of you 
Kristine |
She is so beautiful! Oliver is smitten... Congrats! |
Now that's beautiful!
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Congrats!  |
| Question for you "obedience" people. What the next natural progression from CGC, should I enroll in rally classes or novice classes if my ultimate goal is a CD? (Abi is 10 mths old) |
| I myself would suggest a novice class. Rally is good too but it is my impression that it was designed to get people more interested in obedience. Make it more fun (sort of a cross between obedience & agility)& maybe more people who never considered anything beyond a basic good citizen obedience class may see how much fun it is to work & bond with thier dog & then would go on to training in regular obedience. You seem to already know you like training with your dog. Just remember that at 10 months they still have short attention spans so don't expect great things right off the bat. And look for a trainer who uses a praise & reward method (positive approach). You will move along much faster that way & your dog will enjoy it more also. My first OES that I trained in obedience LOVED to train & learn new things. She was a joy to work with once I convinced her there was a good reason for doing all this (lots of praise during practice when she did well & an ice cream cone each time she qualified at a trial!) She advanced at a very nice pace. Now I am training another girl. I have to keep reminding myself that each dog is different & learns at different speeds. Mariah is doing better but there's no doubt her forte is "the beauty queen" scene (conformation) rather than performance. She hasn't seen a good enough reason yet to expend all the energy & mental thought process necessary. But we keep working at it! |
Congrats Dee and naturally Abi  |
| Yup - I agree with Marilyn: just fnd a good obedience class, but one that is geared towards competitive obedience, not a manners class or something like that.
Then you can always take a rally class down the line to learn the signs. If you've done your homework for obedience class and are one of those people who can actually walk and read at the same time  rally will be a breeze.
Just don't let her becomoe too dependant on all the additional help you're permitted to give the dog in rally or competitive obedience may be a rude awakening for her. And, echoing Marilyn again, don't push her too fast. These guys need time to mature. You want to maintain that playfulness. It's hard to put it back into them later and you're going to need it for agility, right? 
Marilyn: the Pooh-Bear dogs had some of the most extraordinary biddability. It's no co-incidence two of the breeds most titled performance dogs came from that line. I'm so sorry she isn't breeding any more. Kristine |
| I've been driving two hours to an obedience club for the lessons. The local "obedience person" in town does not like sheepies.
(She had told me to wait until Abi is 6 mths maybe 8 mths before any obedience. On the first Tues of next month we will have a kennel club meeting and I will "brag" about Abi's accomplishment while I'm looking at her! And, I will add that's its quite natural for sheepies to be of exceptional temperment and intelligence.) They absolutely love Abi and are of the same opinion- she's young, go slow, lots of praise, make it a lot of fun. In fact, since the class is 50 mins they remind me to take her aside a couple of times during class and play with her. Sometimes THEY'RE the ones playing with her.
The club does not offer Rally they progress their CGC guys into novice. That's why I wasn't sure given Abi's age. I guess I could enroll her with the notion of repeating it a few times and making it fun along the way. Thanks guys (gals). |
| Yes, Kristine, you are correct about the Pooh-Bear line being biddable. Melody is a 1/2 sister to Murphy (same mother different sires). Once I got inside Melody's head, there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for me. I never saw a dog love obedience as much as she did. She even surprised the trainers quite a bit in how fast she leared to retrieve the dumb bell & her healing was her strongest point. 2 areas that seem to be the weaker areas in a lot of dogs. |
And she was also a half sister of the breed's only agility champion, Sacha, by yet another sire. It seems like it doesn't matter who you bred Pooh-Bear's Victoria Secret to, the result was smart and biddable. Her sire in turn produced another great obedience/agility bitch for Marnie. Are you paying attention, Mandy? Suzi's maternal grandmother was a full sister of the aforementioned Murphy. 
And, back to you, Dee - sorry. Yes, some of us do pay attention to these things so we'll be watching you and Abi. No pressure
Kristine |
| Congratulations on the CGC! |
Mad Dog wrote: . Are you paying attention, Mandy? Suzi's maternal grandmother was a full sister of the aforementioned Murphy.
Oh I hear you. Somebody needs to convince Suzi that there's a world outside of conformation that can be fun. She doesn't believe me! Good work Dee and Abi!!! Let her work the red bows for as long as she wants. |
| Congratulations!
We know how hard you worked! |
| Way to go Abi. WOO HOO. |
| Well, from the looks of her grooming today, Abi will never be a show girl. She needs a different mommy for the "beautification" (maybe Mandy will adopt her for that).
You all may continue to hear from her in the agility and obedience rings, but, I'm not so sure about conformation. My hats off to those of you that keep your dogs in show coat.
The good news is she loves me even on a bad hair day (which I caused!). |
DandAbi wrote: The good news is she loves me even on a bad hair day (which I caused!).
If love was contingent upon being able to produce good hair days for my dogs, they'd all have left home in an uproar a long time ago
I was just admiring Abi's doo (your avatar). Love that grin and that beautiful face. Kristine |
| Suck it up and brush her!!!! |
Maxmm wrote: Suck it up and brush her!!!!
Mandy - you really have to cease and desist with the common sense, logical approach. It's just no fun
Dee- how bad could she be? Oh, wait, she's about a year old? Bwaahaahaa. (Sorry). Yeah, we're on our second hair change nightmare here. If that's the issue, and since she looks to be a real hair factory, as long as your liquor cabinet is well stocked, you can get whatever is going on with her brushed out and no one will be the wiser except your aching back
Surely you didn't do anything drastic involving scissors? Sunny has experience dealing with covering up unplanned holes in the coat from picky breeders (don't ask  ). Perhaps Mandy does as well? We can send them both down there on an emergency trip to fix her back up.
Lizzie looks like a wooly mammoth right now. She'll be happy to be a hair donar as needed. Let us know. Kristine |
Mad Dog wrote: Maxmm wrote: Suck it up and brush her!!!! As you know, I'm trying. At least that's what the wine is telling me. Maybe more wine...or it's getting warm... maybe I have to switch to Mojitos. Dee- how bad could she be? Oh, wait, she's about a year old? Bwaahaahaa. (Sorry). She'll be 11 mths next week. She looks bad. Let's just say that she won't be making her show debut for another 6 mths or so. I HAVE to figure out what I did so that I NEVER do it again. No breeder would ever let me have their show dog again if they saw her now I'm glad her breeder is a plan ride away.I guess loving them isn't enough for the show ring. 
Surely you didn't do anything drastic involving scissors? No scissors, but, I was seconds from shaving her down. BTW, Mandy handles emergencies with great calmness. In an emergency she's not the drill sergeant you see and hear on the video. She is very supportive and extremely helpful. Thank goodness. |
| Dee back to your question about the obedience class - Morgan did advanced basic obedience after his CGC and did fine - I found it a tad boring. I get bored easily.
I also worked with Marley outside of class and she went right into advanced obedience after puppy obedience - believe it or not she is quite easily trained. I am going to a drop in obedience class tonight with mr Newfie puppy tonight - we'll see how that goes did I mention I find obedience boring - how do I do these things to myself? this isn't even my dog!
reminds me I need to review those rally signs before I leave friday. think if I print them out and post them in the back of the car the dogs will absorb them on our 17 hour drive? |
| What a gorgeous doggie! I noticed your new avatar right away in another thread and wanted to comment! Congrats! |
DandAbi wrote: I HAVE to figure out what I did so that I NEVER do it again. No breeder would ever let me have their show dog again if they saw her now
I'm glad her breeder is a plan ride away.I guess loving them isn't enough for the show ring. Oh, you sweet, naive person you
You didn't do anything. Nothing can stop the force of the dreaded coat change short of brushing them every ten minutes, and then they'll be bald anyway. There isn't a breeder alive, including my girls' (who IS a drill sergeant and doesn't know the meaning of the word calm, trust me on this) who doesn't KNOW how this goes. At some point the hair just revolts - some worse than others - and you deal with it. Or shave it. Or tell breeder if she wants perfection she can fly down every week and groom her herself. Abi'd still be "a mess", btw. Only difference would be you wouldn't be blaming yourself.
Two more to demat before St Louis. Mojitos sound like a fine and dandy approach to me. It'll be OK. The darn stuff grows like crazy, in case you hadn't noticed. 
Kristine |
| [quote="kerry"]Dee back to your question about the obedience class - Morgan did advanced basic obedience after his CGC and did fine - I found it a tad boring. I get bored easily.
I guess all clubs name the classes differently. In Tallahassee, after the CGC is passed you may enroll in Novice (which is their class for preparing for competition that leads to the CD title). Is your advanced basic the class that prepares you for the CD? They do not offer Rally at all, but, most instructors I've seen compete with their pups in Rally as well. They close all classes until Sept. I was hoping to find a book that would keep us trying until then. I believe we will need to know how to heel on and off lead, good recall, finish, and figure 8's -but I don't know what else. I just don't want to waste time. She could learn a lot between now and Sept. They are now offering Agility locally but you all warned me about the jumps until she's older. Maybe they'd let her do everything but the jumps. hmmm. And thank you Jo for the compliment on the new Avatar. |
DandAbi wrote: I guess all clubs name the classes differently. In Tallahassee, after the CGC is passed you may enroll in Novice (which is their class for preparing for competition that leads to the CD title). Is your advanced basic the class that prepares you for the CD? They do not offer Rally at all, but, most instructors I've seen compete with their pups in Rally as well. They close all classes until Sept. I was hoping to find a book that would keep us trying until then. I believe we will need to know how to heel on and off lead, good recall, finish, and figure 8's -but I don't know what else. I just don't want to waste time. She could learn a lot between now and Sept. They are now offering Agility locally but you all warned me about the jumps until she's older. Maybe they'd let her do everything but the jumps. hmmm..
That's the class you want. And you listed all the exercises sans the stand for exam and sit and down stays. Also start teaching some basic open prep work now, because good heeling takes a while to teach, and playing with dumbbells and teaching her to drop, just not on recall yet, and even teach her signals (utility) and some low jumping helps keep things fun and fresh while you get her ready for novice. You may want to consider this book: COMPETITION OBEDIENCE: A BALANCING ACT by Judy Byron & Adele Yunck My main obed instructor recommended it. She tweaks how she teaches things all the time - methods are always evolving - but this is an excellent book in many ways, very thorough. Adele judged rally at the national in Michigan last year btw. Wonderful person. Maybe others have other suggestions? If you can find an indoor/ A/C agility class and they understand her physical limitations due to her age, sign her up! There's a lot of foundation work you can be working on now. You could have her table and her basic understanding of contacts rock solid by the time she's ready to start jumping full height and all that. Also a lot of basic handling. You DO like to be busy, don't you?
Kristine |
| she can go to agility at 11 months and do low jumps - she'll enjoy it too. You just don't let her jump anything near her height until like 18 months. except occassionally. agility and obedience go hand in hand. the dog really has to listen to you. its all about buildinga relationship (says she who's dogs will make her look like a fool this weekend when they go eeek more sheepies who wants to work!!!!!! |
kerry wrote: (says she who's dogs will make her look like a fool this weekend when they go eeek more sheepies who wants to work!!!!!!
Don't worry, they'll be in good company. Sybil's obedience instructor says her own springer child didn't get a brain till age 3, which is roughly when she expects Sybil's to make its appearance, and it arrived in a Fedex package one day. I keep checking out my window, just in case it comes a year early, but no delivery yet. All our hopes for at least one agility demo dog may be pinned on our fearless leader's very own Harrington. I gave her the same "the-brain-will-come" speech when she debated entering agility at the national last year so he may be pushing three now
Don't sweat it - it's supposed to be for fun and I'm sure they can all handle that requirement just fine
KB |
| who me worry? If I was overly concerned about those things I may not be coming out this weekend at all!
Lets hope I get there before Saturday night! And I still have to bath Miss Marley who had diarrhea this week and who found herself at the vets the same day since so we can drive alll day Friday  |
| dumbbells
I've looked for these in the past, but couldn't find the right ones. Where could I find some? You may want to consider this book: COMPETITION OBEDIENCE: A BALANCING ACT by Judy Byron & Adele Yunck Ordered it! Thanks. If you can find an indoor/ A/C agility class I thought I'd won the lottery when they offered an agility class locally. An AC'd one would be more like heaven. There is an abandoned movie theatre that would be great. If only I could convince our local parks and rec to use it for dog stuff...new project . |
| Dumbells:
Two most common sources: http://www.jandjdog.com/ (J and J dog supply) http://www.max200.com/storefront/default.asp (Max 200) Kerry - the Max 200 HQ is just west of Syracuse (Port Byron?) - not far off the thruway - and they have a store there. Directions on web site. I usually go there to drool when I'm visiting my parents. Dee - you need someone to help you fit the dumbell so before you hop online and order one, find someone locally who can help you try out several with Abi till you have a good fit. At her age, her head may still be growing, so do not invest a fortune in equipment!!! You can choose between plastic and wood. Some dogs have a definite preference. All of mine have preferred wood, but mostly, I think, because they are more fun to eat Do not leave it around!!!
Advantage plastic: won't break The wooden ones will break when tossed occasionally. I try to teach my dogs to retrieve either, and buy them one of each (and once competition ready - always have an extra wooden one on hand just in case) and use the one most appropriate to the surface I'm throwing on. The one piece wooden ones are a bit sturdier in the breakage department, but also as I recall more expensive. Worth it though. But please don't go crazy yet. You just need a starter dumbell that has a comfortable diameter for her to grip, an appropriate width for her mouth (too short, she can't fit it; too wide, it will slide back and forth in her mouth encouraging her to play with it and costing you points later) and enough height off the ground that she can get her underjaw under it. Oh, and the bell part shouldn't be so high as to impair her vision. An experienced obed person will show you all of this so that it will make sense. I inherited my breeder's dumbells. Must have been bigger was better back then. I don't think Great Danes use anything this big even anymore She also gave me her three bar scent article set. Lots of people use single bar now. Do not run out and buy this either (!!) A set is quite expensive, you want help fitting this too and determine which type works best for her.
And NOT to send you on a shopping spree, but Diane Bauman's books are also excellent. But hold off and talk to people locally and see what they recommend. I.e. don't drive yourself crazy trying to read and make sense of things you haven't seen in practice yet. She's a year old - you have lots of time. I do know one person who showed her OES, Andre, to a UDX (rare in our breed = the UDX that is) out of a book. But this is also the person (Sylvia Calcano) who put the only MACH (2) on an OES (though she had great instructors to help her with that), so, and I say this in the nicest possible way: she's not normal!!! Most of us mere mortals need to see this stuff in action first.
Colleen should thank her lucky stars one of her puppies went to someone like you. Love your enthusiasm. Kristine |
| hmm google says my trip is 17 hours already , add in a stop at the Max 200 HQ and I should have left yesterday!
SYracuse is only about two hours from here so maybe another time - like when you are visiting:) |
kerry wrote: SYracuse is only about two hours from here so maybe another time - like when you are visiting:)
Actually, I didn't mean this time. Kind of figured you needed to haul on through But, yes! Definitely when I'm home! We can probably even find some local trials to enter when we both get that far.
I just got off the phone with Judi and informed her that we elected Harrington the official "should have a brain by now" agility dog in her electronic absence. Her response was interesting...
KB |
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