First Flyball Practice!

I am so unbelievably happy with how Sport and I did today at our very first flyball practice/lesson.

I'll start with Sport: He was a champ. He was very nervous at first but didn't bark at all!!! He woofed under his breath when someone got locked out and had to knock on the door, but that is excused... because he only did it once and it wasn't directed at anyone. He approached a bunch of people, though he did back away when they tried to pet him. But with a few treats, he was practically in their laps. We practiced jumps and some dead ball retrieves. He focused beautifully and within an hour he was WAGGING HIS TAIL! I am still beaming from ear to ear.

And not to be arrogant, but I am pretty pleased with how I was doing too. I brought Sport's crate and crated him if I ever felt like he was getting too nervous or stressed. As soon as we got there, I did some focus exercises before we entered the building. Then we went in and socialized a bit and worked on some jumps while it was still relatively quiet. He got a little concerned about the barking once more people showed up and I crated him for a half an hour. Then whenever everyone was busy, I would pull him out and work on focus exercises and "look at that!" I was shoving treats down his throat at first, but by the second time, he only had eyes for me. We were working on jumps again when the head of our club showed up. She said she was surprised that it was our very first practice because he was doing so well and he was so focused on me.

It was kinda an unusual practice as there were three or four clubs there and around twentyish dogs. Three lanes and pretty chaotic and loud. But the club that we are joining were all so nice to us and even let me run a couple dogs! They all seem much more relaxed and nicer than the other couple clubs that were there so I am very glad. Sport seems to really like them as well (even though he did snap at a pap when she stuck her head into his treat bag...)

He did shake, tuck his tail, and yawn a bit at first, but by the end he was all wiggle butt and very relaxed. I honestly just wanted to expose him to the noise and work on desensitization.... I didn't expect him to have that much fun, but he blew me away and actually enjoyed it! I am so proud of my boy!!!

The innocence of dogs

As I sit watching Sport blow bubbles in his water bowl for no apparent reason, the thought hits me: Dogs will be dogs, and to expect more than that would be unfair.

Sometimes I catch myself expecting so much out of my dogs that I lose sight of their very doggyness. Leo is a baby. He just doesn't know better and I shouldn't expect him to. Sport has only been here for six months, he's not perfect nor will he ever be. We have a lot to overcome and change doesn't happen overnight.

All I want is for my guys to be happy and that is all I should be worried about. I don't want my dogs to only do what I tell them to; I want them to enjoy life and explore and be mischievous. I don't want robots, I want dogs. And my two are extremely doggy.

So I throw Leo and Sport some ice cubes and marvel in their doggy innocence. Who needs a reason to blow bubbles in the water bowl?

Flyball update

So apparently the flyball club sent an email out to everyone saying that practice was cancelled, but it wasn't sent to me! But I talked to a member and she said that she felt badly about, though it really was no big deal.

This Saturday is the first practice that we are going to. It has been pretty wet here and this weekend is the first time that they could get the indoor facilities to practice in. Normally they do outdoor practices, I guess.

So I am going to go and help them set up and just get Sport acclimatized to the noise and activity of it all. I don't think that he will be ready for any sort of lesson yet, but hopefully I can do some desensitization training and focus exercises.

I am really nervous and excited at the same time. I hope Sport isn't too freaked out by all the noise and activity. I just need to remember to stay focused on him and know when to say enough is enough.

Boo. Flyball.

So after finally hearing back from the flyball club in Loveland, Sport and I loaded up and drove a half an hour to go to our first "class" which is actually just a practice for the other dogs.

We get to the parking lot about fifteen minutes early and no one is there, so we walked around for a bit. At one, still no one was there so we went and sat in the car and listened to music.

We waited until 1:30 and no one showed up. We drove around and walked around and I only saw one other dog, but they didn't seem to be part of the flyball club.

So we got back into the car and drove another half an hour home. :(

I was really excited to meet the club and to introduce Sport to everyone. I don't know why no one was there, but at least Sport and I got a good walk out of it. I hope that we can attend another practice soon, but with finals week coming up and the holidays, it looks like we will have to wait until the new year. Poor Sport.

Like Cats and Dogs

Sport and Tiramisu hate each other. It makes me sad. Tira grew up with dogs, and Sport generally likes cats, but the two of them together is just crazy. They act like they are going to get along, and them one of them gets hurt.

Don't get too close there...

Seconds before Sport gets a facefull of claws

Mom! She hurt me!!!!

Who me? I didn't do anything!

Thanksgiving Terror

My dad always likes taking Sport on his morning walks with him. They leave at seven in the morning, while I am still asleep.

Yesterday morning, about a mile away from our home, two off leash dobermans spotted and chased after my dad and dog. Sport panicked and slipped his collar, running for his life towards the main road. My dad didn't chase after because he was afraid that the dobies would come after them. Finally, once the two dogs went back to their owner, my dad ran towards the road but Sport was already gone.

My father searched for fifteen minutes along the road before heading home to get me and a car. He felt so bad.

Imagine his surprise upon returning home and finding Sport sitting in our front yard! My little man had run across two main roads and over a mile to get home. Sport was ridiculously happy to see my dad and was jumping around like a madman.

I am so glad that it was a holiday and no one was on the roads. I gotta say, I am surprised that Sport knew how to get home. He curled up at my feet all morning and slept like a baby.

My Christmas Wishlist:

-Flyball lessons for Sport
-Antler chews for Sport
-Bully sticks for Sport
-A chest freezer for Sport's food
-Exotic meats to fill the chest freezer for Sport
-More dog toys for Sport
-A digital camera to take more pics of Sport
-Money to pay rent

Of course, I will get none of these. Instead I will get yet more clothing that I don't need because that is what my mother does.

Frustration boils over....

Gah. It is totally my fault, but I just wish that my house was calm for once...

I took Leo for a walk today. I was working on his leash manners. Sport was giving me sad puppy eyes so I threw him a PB Kong and left him out of his crate. What's twenty minutes? He'll be fine.

Leo is a very hard puppy to train. He is clumsy so he doesn't really realize what his body is doing at any given moment. So when I am clicking him for walking by my left side, loose leash, he is like, "Great! Food is falling out of the sky!" instead of thinking about why he got clicked in the first place. Towards the end of the walk he was doing really well though and it was like he had caught on... but then the neighbor's dogs started barking and he just kept pulling and pulling and pulling. I hate ending the walk on a bad note, but my hands were sore from his hard mouth and I was dizzy from all the back and forth walking that we did.

Not pleased with the walk, but not upset, I enter my house to find two doughnut containers that my roommate had left on the kitchen table, on the ground. My bear claw was already gone and the three long johns were all half eaten. Sport! I was picking up the pieces when Leo sticks his head in the trash and devours what I think was a mango skin.

AHHHHH!

Both dogs are locked in their crates for the moment. I can't deal with them right now. Not until I am less angry and tired of their antics. Sport is definitely not getting dinner tonight. He will have a tummy ache and nothing more. I love these two, but I cannot wait for someone to take Leo off my hands.

:x

Sometimes, I can't really post what is on my mind. That is why the blog has been slow as of late. Job security and all that...

In other news... nah, I got nothing. I can't wait until my manager gets back.

Until I have something interesting to write about, here is a video of Sport and Leo playing:

Puppies...

I almost forgot why I try to not foster puppies. Don't get me wrong, puppies are the cutest things ever, but my new foster dog Leo, a 6-7 month old puppy, is CRAZY!

As soon as I brought him home, Sport and Leo were hellbent on destroying my home. Sport realized that he was faster and more agile than Leo, so he would run under the glass coffee table, through chair legs, behind the tv and over the couches to play "chase." Leo, who I am convinced is part puppy/part horse, would clod around behind Sport crashing into the glass coffee table, knocking over chairs, through the wires behind the tv, and over all of us on the couches. I sent them outside and Sport quickly taught Leo how to dig and then they munched on grass in between crazy chase sessions.

Leo gets into everything. I am apparently horrible at puppy-proofing and every time I turn my back he has something else in his mouth. Shoes, blankets, dog beds, trash, tablecloths, couches... I can not let my guard down for a second(currently he and Sport are in the yard running around like fools).

He and Sport are getting along fairly well. Sport likes to play with him a lot. I think the weirdest thing is what is going on with Sport. With his other doggy friends, he likes to play chase or play with toys and tug. With Leo, he wrestles. At first I was scared that he was hurting Leo because Leo is quiet, but Sport sounds like a Tasmanian Devil. However, they just continue to wrestle until I chase them outside. It is odd though, becase Leo always puts himself on the bottom so it looks like Sport is a big tough dog.

It's a good thing puppies are so darn cute. I can't imagine putting up with this otherwise. People who want dogs that stay puppies forever are crazy. But at the same time, I think someone should take Leo home soon cuz he really is funny and adorable.

Things the Leo is still learning about:
-Screen doors (he's crashed into it more than once...)
-Oven doors (There's a dog in the oven!!!!BARKBARKBARK)
-Stairs (his horse part doesn't like it)
-Dachshunds

Little Leo

Sport is a mean foster brother... haha