Tibby gets a lot of exercise. I do it for her, but mostly I do it for myself. So I can enjoy moments like this one.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Vet Visit
Tibby had a visit with the Vet today. Every time we go to the clinic we get a different Vet. Today we had a nice older woman with grey hair. She seemed a little nervous. I'm not sure why because, Tibby was the perfect patient. Tibby either stood perfectly still or buried her head under my arm.
While we were waiting for our appt. there was a woman with a Boxer and a man with a Pointer (in heat) in the waiting room. The lady asked me about Tibby, "What kind of mix is that?"
There is absolutely nothing wrong with mixed breed dogs, but the way she asked it made me so mad! Like her dog was so much better than my 'mixed' dog. Well lady, just because you don't know the breed doesn't mean Tibby isn't a purebred dog.
She also thought Tibby was a boy. Tibby was wearing a PINK collar and leash. 'nuff said.
While we were waiting I could hear the staff talking behind the desk. One of the vet tech's dog ran away this afternoon. She didn't seem too worried. She said her kids left the gate open when they came home from school and it ran away. She said it would either get hit by a car or come home. Really? I don't know what to think about that.
They took Tibby's blood for the first time ever. Tibby was a good girl. She held still and let them pick up her paw. She didn't move at all while they tried to find a vein - it took a couple tries.
Tibby's lyme test was negative. They'll call tomorrow with the heartworm and fecal test results. The vet tech didn't hold Tibby's paw long enough, to let it clot, and she bled on the exam table a little bit.
They almost gave her some vaccines, but I told them that she isn't due until August for some and Oct. for some other ones.
I also got the official weight and height measurements for The Guess Tibby's Size contest. The prizes are SO cute. I can't wait to show you!
Jump! Run!
We went to the park again today. Played around on the playground equipment.
Tibby loved jumping over this seesaw.
I tried to get a pic of her in full jump from the side, but she was too fast and I was too slow.
Crazy! Tibby was really excited jumping and got the zoomies.
Tibby is a big fan of sand. Mmmmm tasty.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Not This Type
"No, no, no Catty. Silly. You go through this type of tunnel. Not under." *sigh*
"Do you need a dog to show you how it's done?"
Sunday, April 17, 2011
6 Mile Walk
Tibby and I went for a walk today. It ended up being a 6 mile walk. 3 miles out and 3 miles back. I always forget that we have to walk back as far as we walk out. Tired.
I blame the road. It stretches out so nice and flat. I keep thinking just a little farther and just a little farther turns into a mile.
This is a state trail. It goes for miles and miles - like 120 miles and connects a bunch of towns. The whole thing isn't paved, but a lot of it is. This part goes through farmland.
I like the tree tunnels.
What do you see Tibby?
Ah ha! A pair of ducks. It's hard to see with my p/s camera, but they are right in the middle of the pic.
Now the male is walking into the field and his mate is right behind.
"Let's get going!"
"Onward!"
Mile one.
Tibby wasn't happy about posing for this picture. She wanted to sniff and not be interrupted.
I like this pic. Tibby is smiling! And I like the windmill in the background.
"Sniff. Sniff!"
Is that green I spy?
There was something very smelly here, because Tibby really wanted to smell every blade of grass.....very carefully.
Pond.
Time for a swim?
Nah it's too cold.
"Yes, I will sit on the bench, but I will not look at you. So. There."
What do you see?
A goose.
I thought this goose was a decoy, because it didn't move at all, but when we walked past, on the way home, it was gone.
Geocache Spring Cleaning
It's that time of year again......geocache time!
If you have never heard of geocaching - it's a scavenger hunt game using GPS. People hide caches, post the coordinates online at geocaching.com and then other people download the coordinates and find the caches. When a player finds the cache they sign a log inside the container and then post their find online in their profile.
Some caches have swag (toys, unique items, ect.) inside the caches. For example, I have one cache with only pink items inside it. I've had a lot of good feedback about it :) One of my other caches is a 'scary' cache which involves a rubber brain, spiders and the finders have the option of taking a photo of themselves with a camera in the cache. When the camera is full I develop the photos and post them under the cache listing.
My job as a cache hider involves making sure the cache stays in place, dry and topping up the swag periodically.
I think it's fun. Tibby also likes geocaching, because we get to go hiking and look around in the woods a lot.
Today was my big spring cleaning cache day. I went around, checked on all my caches and topped up the swag. I also cleaned out the junk from the caches. When a finder takes a piece of swag from the cache they are supposed to leave something in exchange. I have a policy on all of my caches that people can just take something - they don't have to leave something in exchange, because it seems like most people leave junk. I don't want to be checking all the time and throwing away junk, so it's easier for me if they just take something.
For example, I found a used candle, broken wooden toy, cotton ball, single playing card, broken plastic ring.
Junk.
It's supposed to snow again tomorrow, but today is beautiful. We are going out again as soon as I recharge the GPS.
This is a traveler we found in one of my caches. Travelers are items that people move from cache to cache. The travelers collect miles and it's fun to see how far they have traveled. I think this one is gross and creepy. It's a little soft boy baby. Tibby thought it was awesome.....all those different smells. Surprisingly, it has been traveling since 2004 and started out in Missouri
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Neighborhood Watch
The house across the street is for sale. There is an open house today.
Tibby is making sure we get good new neighbors.
"Who's that!?"
"Do they have a dog? No? Next."
"Ho hum, just waiting for the next family."
"Don't worry I'll make sure axe murders don't move in. Unless they have a dog....."
Two is better than one. Four eyes can watch ends of the road.
"Do you see anyone?"
"Nope."
Friday, April 15, 2011
2nd Lesson 1st Week Silvia Trkman Puppy Class
PuppyII lesson2
As you did so good with your first homework, you’re getting some more this time No worries if you don’t manage to do everything in 2 weeks, you can always come back to those tricks. Post wherever you end up, we learn the most through problems, so you want to post those too!
1. experiment with different toys and ways to play with your dog. Tape his favourite game to give some new ideas to other participants (and me!!!)
2. instead of a plate, find something a little higher this time to give them a better feeling of where to keep their front legs, click first for front feet on an object (should be easy, you want the same thing as on a plate) and then observe hind legs and click for ANY movement (even just a weight shift) and then shape from there to more&more steps around the object. I first click both directions and once I get a quarter of a circle, start clicking one direction only and reward with a head away from me in order to get a full circle. The final goal is full circle in both directions, with you static (don’t help the dog to circle with your movement!) – I think those that have my heeling video can already do that exercise, though
3. take the plate and hold it in different positions to see if the dog understands it’s the same thing even when you hold it higher, under angle, to his left/right etc. Try when he is standing, sitting and lying down. If you didn’t name touching an object with a paw, it’s time to do it now! Also, try to change objects for this exercise, sometimes also use a hand as a paw target. Once he can do all that, you’re ready for next two tricks we will get out of the paw touch:
- crossing paws: tell the puppy to down (or shape it if he doesn’t know it yet), then hold the plate (or, you can use another, smaller and more convenient object, like a plastic lid or a piece of paper) close to left paw and only reward touching it with left paw. Then hold it closer and closer to right paw, still only reward left paw touches, then hold it on right paw and eventually on the other side, jackpoting the touches of left paw on a right paw now in order to eventually get rid of a target.
- sit up: tell the puppy to sit (or shape it if he doesn’t know it yet), then put the plate (or just use the hand if he will recognize that as a target) low enough first that he can reach it with a paw, but then every next time, hold it a little higher – not that high that he would stand up, but high enough that the other leg leaves the ground a little bit too. Jackpot.
4. observe your puppy and try to find situations when he would back up – it usually happens when they’re moving out of your way – or sometimes when you’re working on ignoring the food in the hand. You can try to sit down on the floor with treats in your hand and click first step back with hind foot. Don’t wait for more than one as they usually sit down then. Click&reward the first one and reward by throwing a treat towards the dog. Rewarding at distance will help you add more&more steps and more&more distance from you. At one point, switch to rewarding with a toy, it’s easier to throw.
5. 2on2off – find an object big enough for the dog to go on with all 4 feet easily – maybe just put your first 4in object upside down? – Click for 2-3 legs on and then don’t click the fourth one, you don’t want any duration standing there! Only click again when the dog is leaving the object, try to catch him with 2 front feet on the ground and deliver the treat while he is still in this position. You want them go on an object and off immediately, stopping with front feet on the ground. Click&reward several times for a position, then say “go”/”o.k.”/”free”/whatever your release word will be and throw a treat away so that he needs to leave the position to get it. Do this enough times that the dog starts to expect the thrown treat after “go”, so that then you don’t need to throw it in advance, but only after he leaves the position on “go”. Do not help with body language that you want him to leave after “go” – if he doesn’t know it yet, go back to throwing a treat and progress more slowly.
Another note: I’ll be able to answer your questions this coming week with no problem, but then the week after I have seminars here, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep up. If not, we’ll just add another week to this class.
This is what I said: "We didn’t have space on the video for back up or our game. I will put it on the next one. I hope we did 2on2off right, because I am SUPER proud of how Tibby did with it. On the video it shows her very, very first time ever doing 2on2off. I think she did really well. I would like to eventually be at her side and have her offer 2on2off -- not right in front of her.
Beg is still being a stinker for us. I guess you will see in the video…..
Paw cross is moving along. I started doing left across right, because I got my left and right mixed up! oops!
Perch is fun! During our last session I started to only click for movement to the right, because Tibby was just going back and forth and never around.
*Love watching everyone’s videos!!! I learn so much from watching other people play with their dogs* This is a fun class!
LOL! I mean right paw across left! I got it mixed up again!"
Silvia said: "Wow, that’s really A LOT of a progress! She is really offering now! That straight into 2on2off was amazing (just make sure you use your release word every time you want her to leave – and you can click the leaving on “go” too!), you’re also almost there with paw crossing and the last sit ups were GREAT! Perch is going well too, she even offered a really nice pivot on your 2on2off plank (at 1:21)! She is definitely thinking now!"
Classmates said:
Kristin "Oh my goodness! That is awesome and Tibby is darling!"
Sara "Tibby is SO cute and I think her sits are getting straighter… good job!"
I am so proud and happy!!!
As you did so good with your first homework, you’re getting some more this time No worries if you don’t manage to do everything in 2 weeks, you can always come back to those tricks. Post wherever you end up, we learn the most through problems, so you want to post those too!
1. experiment with different toys and ways to play with your dog. Tape his favourite game to give some new ideas to other participants (and me!!!)
2. instead of a plate, find something a little higher this time to give them a better feeling of where to keep their front legs, click first for front feet on an object (should be easy, you want the same thing as on a plate) and then observe hind legs and click for ANY movement (even just a weight shift) and then shape from there to more&more steps around the object. I first click both directions and once I get a quarter of a circle, start clicking one direction only and reward with a head away from me in order to get a full circle. The final goal is full circle in both directions, with you static (don’t help the dog to circle with your movement!) – I think those that have my heeling video can already do that exercise, though
3. take the plate and hold it in different positions to see if the dog understands it’s the same thing even when you hold it higher, under angle, to his left/right etc. Try when he is standing, sitting and lying down. If you didn’t name touching an object with a paw, it’s time to do it now! Also, try to change objects for this exercise, sometimes also use a hand as a paw target. Once he can do all that, you’re ready for next two tricks we will get out of the paw touch:
- crossing paws: tell the puppy to down (or shape it if he doesn’t know it yet), then hold the plate (or, you can use another, smaller and more convenient object, like a plastic lid or a piece of paper) close to left paw and only reward touching it with left paw. Then hold it closer and closer to right paw, still only reward left paw touches, then hold it on right paw and eventually on the other side, jackpoting the touches of left paw on a right paw now in order to eventually get rid of a target.
- sit up: tell the puppy to sit (or shape it if he doesn’t know it yet), then put the plate (or just use the hand if he will recognize that as a target) low enough first that he can reach it with a paw, but then every next time, hold it a little higher – not that high that he would stand up, but high enough that the other leg leaves the ground a little bit too. Jackpot.
4. observe your puppy and try to find situations when he would back up – it usually happens when they’re moving out of your way – or sometimes when you’re working on ignoring the food in the hand. You can try to sit down on the floor with treats in your hand and click first step back with hind foot. Don’t wait for more than one as they usually sit down then. Click&reward the first one and reward by throwing a treat towards the dog. Rewarding at distance will help you add more&more steps and more&more distance from you. At one point, switch to rewarding with a toy, it’s easier to throw.
5. 2on2off – find an object big enough for the dog to go on with all 4 feet easily – maybe just put your first 4in object upside down? – Click for 2-3 legs on and then don’t click the fourth one, you don’t want any duration standing there! Only click again when the dog is leaving the object, try to catch him with 2 front feet on the ground and deliver the treat while he is still in this position. You want them go on an object and off immediately, stopping with front feet on the ground. Click&reward several times for a position, then say “go”/”o.k.”/”free”/whatever your release word will be and throw a treat away so that he needs to leave the position to get it. Do this enough times that the dog starts to expect the thrown treat after “go”, so that then you don’t need to throw it in advance, but only after he leaves the position on “go”. Do not help with body language that you want him to leave after “go” – if he doesn’t know it yet, go back to throwing a treat and progress more slowly.
Another note: I’ll be able to answer your questions this coming week with no problem, but then the week after I have seminars here, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep up. If not, we’ll just add another week to this class.
This is what I said: "We didn’t have space on the video for back up or our game. I will put it on the next one. I hope we did 2on2off right, because I am SUPER proud of how Tibby did with it. On the video it shows her very, very first time ever doing 2on2off. I think she did really well. I would like to eventually be at her side and have her offer 2on2off -- not right in front of her.
Beg is still being a stinker for us. I guess you will see in the video…..
Paw cross is moving along. I started doing left across right, because I got my left and right mixed up! oops!
Perch is fun! During our last session I started to only click for movement to the right, because Tibby was just going back and forth and never around.
*Love watching everyone’s videos!!! I learn so much from watching other people play with their dogs* This is a fun class!
LOL! I mean right paw across left! I got it mixed up again!"
Silvia said: "Wow, that’s really A LOT of a progress! She is really offering now! That straight into 2on2off was amazing (just make sure you use your release word every time you want her to leave – and you can click the leaving on “go” too!), you’re also almost there with paw crossing and the last sit ups were GREAT! Perch is going well too, she even offered a really nice pivot on your 2on2off plank (at 1:21)! She is definitely thinking now!"
Classmates said:
Kristin "Oh my goodness! That is awesome and Tibby is darling!"
Sara "Tibby is SO cute and I think her sits are getting straighter… good job!"
I am so proud and happy!!!
Basket Hat
This is from Tibby's spring collection. It may be worn with a variety of collars of any color.
It also doubles as a chew and tug toy.
Coming to a fine retailer near you!
Training Bloopers Or What We Don't Show Silvia
When I'm making our little 5 min videos for class there are a lot of things I cut out - Tibby running to eat her treat, me dropping the treats all over the floor, Tibby stopping for a butt itch - you get the idea :P
This little video shows a few of the other things that don't make it into the final video.......I have such a well behaved dog ha ha ha!
This little video shows a few of the other things that don't make it into the final video.......I have such a well behaved dog ha ha ha!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Weird Stats
These are searches that people have used and then found Tibby's blog. The first 2 I get, but the rest are weird.
puppies class get tibetan terrier pup overexcited
tibetan terrier stubborn
raising gaaaa
pictures taken at just the right time
barefoot contessa
can am
frances bean cobain
puppies class get tibetan terrier pup overexcited
tibetan terrier stubborn
raising gaaaa
pictures taken at just the right time
barefoot contessa
can am
frances bean cobain
Tibby's 2on2off - So Proud!
Part of our homework this week for the Silvia Trkman puppy class is 2on2off. I want to train Tibby to do stopped contacts anyway. This is Tibby's very first time doing 2on2off. We tried one time on our steps at home, but I didn't understand what was going on, so it didn't really work. At our lesson Michelle showed me one way to teach 2on2off (plunk dog in position), but I like this method better. My dog is so smart!!! Sorry! Tibby just makes me so proud! (sometimes hee hee)
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