Blog Action Day - Backyard Training

So Dog Agility Blog Event for 2012 or Action Day?  

is Backyard Training.

With Tibby's issues I have been doing most of her training in the basement.  Although there was a period of time when she didn't like the basement any more either.  So I just trained Dhali!  Outside, inside - he doesn't care.  Now Tibby will go downstairs, but she still isn't interested in doing much training (hope the meds. will work eventually!), but she is surprisingly interested in playing with the teeter.  I think she has always liked contacts because, 1 - I put a ton of time into them and 2 - they are always the same, which Tibby likes. 

So where and why do we train at home?  Where: backyard 50x30 bumpy grass/dirt/weeds.  When I first brought Tibby home my yard looked like this and this and this and this - then Tibby arrived and I did this, but it still looked like this.  Can you imagine me as your neighbor LOL!  

So I had Tibby and we started doing agility and the yard moved on to this .  But I still had my pond that I had hand dug 14 times.  YES 14 TIMES.  It was 5 feet deep too - *sigh*.  I liked my pond a lot.

Now my yard looks like this:

Sooooo boring.  And it's not flat.  I try and try to get it flat and nope, bumpy.  ARGH!  I hate grass.  And it's muddy.  I would love to cover it all with artificial turf, but that would cost like $25,000.   Well, that's not gonna happen!  It's good training for the pups (and me) to run on it though.  Very difficult to run on and you get a good work out.  Especially in the dark - might break an ankle in one of Dhali's freshly dug holes too.

So now why: We train at home, because it is the only option.  1- Because of Tibby's anxiety issues and 2 - Because I live in the middle of an agility black hole (not just agility - ALL dog training).  1 hour drive/65 miles to take a class.  2+ hours/120+ miles to take an actually good class.  Ring rental?  Nope.  I could drive for hours and still not find a ring rental, because I'm not a club member or taking a weekly class.  Stupid rules!  It would actually be cheaper for me to buy all my own equipment - gas isn't cheap!  Plus when I have taken a class: I drive for 2 hours/leave work early/brave snowy, icy roads and my dog gets 2 mins. of attention and working time in the class.  2 hours = 2 mins?  Not worth it.

Plus at home I can stop training if it isn't working and I don't feel like it was wasted time.  We'll try again tomorrow.  In a class, after all the effort I put into getting there, I want magic things to happen!  

Does that stop me from dreaming about the perfect house with the perfect agility yard?  No, I have been known to creepily check out nice houses with big yards.  And fenced in yards?  Whoo hoo!  The trifecta of perfection!

I also drive slowly past all large flat pieces of land and imagine fencing them in.  Is it wrong to have a dream? Remember I'm the person who re-dug a pond 14 times by hand. :P

Now the basement was created just for agility training - just for Tibby and now Dhali too!  I have my big teeter down there and the channel weave poles.  Those 2 things stay downstairs, because the teeter is too nice to take outside LOL! - it was expensive! and the weave poles don't sit on the ground right.  Like I said the ground is bumpy - grrrr bumpy grass >:(

Also there is a long plank for dog walk training.

I also have the 'inside' tunnel that stays in the basement.  It's all nice and clean. 

I have carpet on the floor and extra thick padding underneath the carpet.  

Outside I have 5 jumps,  2 tunnels and some versa weave poles plus a plank for dog walk training.

The jumps and travel teeter go both inside and outside.  I just have to wash them off a lot if they are coming inside, which takes a long time, so usually if something comes inside it might not go back outside for a looong time.  Until I forget about how long it took me to clean all the yard dust off of it!

I don't know if it is possible to train a dog with just a handful of equipment in a backyard/basement, but I'm trying my best!

The other Blog Action Day posts are here 

Dhali wants to be a MAX200 model.

Tibby is tired.  Drugs kicking in?  or just tired from the stressful appointment?

The BIG Teeter and Weaves!!!

I'm soooooo happy with Tibby! She is just amazing! My new relaxed training philosophy seems to be working. I know it's not for everyone, but I think it makes Tibby happy. And that makes me happy! WE ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN!!!!

The Epic Basement Project

It all began November 11th 2011 - 11-11-11....A red letter day. 

My Dad left to deer hunt.  My Mom and I looked around for a project.  Hmmmm.  How about the basement?  YES!!  Let's take a wall (or two) down.  Girl Power!

Before we started - the basement looked like this:

I've lived here for almost 7 years and I always wanted to do 'something' with the basement.  But after remodeling the whole upstairs, I ran out of steam.  Finally, it was time to tackle the basement!

During the demo stage I realized that I can take on a wall of 2x4 studs with only a hammer and destroy it.  It was.....fun.  hee, hee, hee. 

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12-11-11  ONE MONTH LATER.  Yeah, it wasn't a fast project, but there was a lot of work to do.

At this point in the project I realize that I can do electrical work.  It's not as complicated or difficult as people make it look.  My Dad showed me how to install one ceiling light and then I did all the rest.  We also did a whole bunch of other electrical stuff - it was really messed up from the previous people that lived here.  But it's all straighten out now!  So all these things took time, but didn't change the look of the room very much.

My Mom came over one night and helped paint the ceiling.  Hmm?  Pink ceiling?  I had a minor freak out and my Mom kept stringing me along, "Didn't you say you wanted a pink ceiling?  But it will look so nice!"

It dried white.  Thank goodness.

My Dad worked one day by himself (without my help) and one of his friends helped him.  They managed to install the pocket door into the bathroom upside down.  LOL!!!  I came down to work the next day and I was like, "Um Dad?  This door is upside down."  He was like, "What?!? No it's not!"  Um, yeah it was.  Seeeeee women READ directions.  Very important.

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12-29-11  IT'S DONE!!!!!  FINALLY!!!  SO WORTH IT!!!  Ok well it's not all finished.  The poles still need to be wrapped with carpet and a few more little touches. 

I learned a lot about construction:  I used a hammer drill and put all the tack strip down.  I also glued all the pad.  I painted all the walls and trim.  I cut pieces of wood.  I drilled.  

  It wasn't fun, but it was worth it!!

Now to add agility equipment!

Need Saw'm Help?

Tibby is a big help with the basement remodel.

Mostly she watches from behind the ex pen gate, but sometimes she sneaks past that and later I find squares of cut wood in the living room up stairs.

She must be cutting wood while I'm at work!  I guess I'll have to start unplugging all the tools.

I'm guessing Tibby would blame Catty for letting her into the basement.  Sneaky, sneaky.

I hope we will be done by the end of next week and I can show you all the before and after pictures.

  It looks like a totally new place!  I'm really happy with it and I have learned SO many things about construction.  When you have to do it yourself it is slower, but you REALLY appreciate how much work it is!!!

Weaves Weeks Ago

I haven't posted any agility stuff for weeks and weeks!  Sorry.  Our ST class is on a 3 week break, but it will be back up and running next week.



I made this video of Tibby weaving on Nov. 9th.  Aaaaand that's the last time we worked on the weaves.  I'm hoping for some latent learning.  Actually I have been very busy with an agility related project.  In the video you can see my basement OR what it used to look like.  I ripped out three walls (2 were little walls).  The flooring is gone, the lights are gone.  It's a big empty space.  Starting tomorrow, things are going in - new lights, new floor, new walls and paint.

In the end I will have 65 sq yards (1 sq yd = 9 sq feet)of working space.    Speaking of which....when did carpet get SO expensive?!?!  It's ridiculous!  Good thing I know a guy.  However, shopping helped me realize what a great deal I'm getting.