Had A Little Snow

We got some snow last night! 

It's pretty deep, but Tibby can walk on top of it, because it is so wet and packs down easily.  Last night I got up at 4 am and let Tibby outside to potty.  She just walked out and it looked like only a couple inches of snow.  Um...yeah it was a lot more than that!  When I tried to go to work at 6:30am I couldn't get out of my driveway.  I called my Dad and he gave me a ride.  Otherwise I would have been very late.  Only a few of the roads were plowed.  Where the plow had passed through was actually worse, because they left huge drifts on the street.  The sand truck got stuck, in one of the plow drifts, in front of my house while I was waiting for my Dad!!! 

GIANT snowball (pawball)

Tibby washed the kitchen floor for me :)

Yo, ho, ho Weaving In the Snow

The weaves are getting closer and closer to closed.  I think Tibby is understanding how to get the entrance much better. 

These videos were taken a couple hours apart.  The 2nd one  - when I was getting set up Tibby stole 2 hot dogs and ate 1 1/2 of them before I could catch her.  So she pre-warded herself.  After we got done Tibby wouldn't come inside, she did loops around the yard.  Burning off those hot dog calories??



These weave poles are kind of wimpy, but I don't want to haul the good poles outside and get them all snowy.  I think it must be kind of hard to see white poles on white snow - when you are a dog - but Tibby seems to be able to see them just fine. 



We were just playing around and having some fun.  Trying different things.  Some times she doesn't notice me and other times she does and pulls out.  BUT mostly she stays in.  Good puppy!  I really love to see her thinking about the entrances.  I think (hope) once we do this with the good, sturdy poles she will be zooming through.  Also without the snow.  It was slippery.

Fun day!  After her zoomies around the yard - NOTICE the zoomies happened AFTER we were done training!!! -  she was tired.  Well, she was tired after her zoomies plus wrestling with Catty.  So she has mostly slept the entire evening. 

Very quiet, snowy evening.

Tib-Cicle

"What do you mean beard-cicle?"

"I don't see anything."

Terriers and Toys

First of all:  Tibby is NOT a terrier.  As the slogan of the TT Club of America says "We are not terriers, but we are from Tibet".

Zoe is a terrier - oh man is she ever a terrier!

Proof that Tibby got the toy once.  :D

It was the only time.  She tried, but Zoe has sharpy teeth.  And drive....

"Can you throw it!?!?!"

This picture shows the difference between Tibby and Zoe.

Tibby thinks this is a game.

Zoe thinks this is a serious matter of life or death.

Tibby asking Zoe to play.

Terriers like toys.  Not that Tibby doesn't like toys, but she likes them in a different way.  Zoe likes toys in a my-life-depends-on-getting-this-toy-and-I-will-run-you-over-with-my-teeth-if-you-get-in-the-way.

"Whatcha got there?  A toy?  Wanna play with me?"

"Dude....I'm pretty sure that toy is dead now."

What!  Zoe got the toy for the 5 millionth time?!?  How?!?

"Woo hoo!  I got the toy!  Wait?  Where did Zoe go?  Hello?  Anyone?  Why are you all inside?  The snow is GREAT!"

I thought this was cute.  Tibby looks sooo tiny.  She rolled herself into a little ball.

16" Is Too Hard? Daisy Peel Foundation Class

This last week for our Daisy Peel foundations course we started one jump exercises - from Linda Mecklenburg's book. 
Our first try at the exercise was Ok.  Then our 2nd one we had TROUBLE and it was BAD.  And I felt sad for Tibby and frustrated.  Daisy told another student to let their dog work through the higher height and let the bar fall on their head, so they will figure out that going under the bar doesn't get them a click/treat.  She said to just be patient and let them work it out.  So I followed that advice.

I would really, really appreciate it if you all would watch the video below  - I know it's way long -  you don't have to watch the whole thing!  Our session goes waaaaay downhill at 2:20.  So skip to there.

I think 16" is too hard for Tibby?  She wouldn't even jump for roast beef.




Our 2nd try at the one jump exercise.



Video One - Our first try at one jump exercises.

Daisy told me our session was too long and I should try the exercise in new places.

Okay.

Fluffy Flakes

I thought I should post these pictures from last Monday's snow flurries, before we get our big snow storm on Tuesday.  There haven't been very many snow pictures this year.  Last year the snow was deeper than Tibby was tall, but this year we've only had a little bit of snow.

And I'm NOT complaining!

Best winter EVER.

Sugar and Spice

I have been trying to catch Tibby when she is 'smiling'. 

I haven't quite caught it yet, but I'll keep trying. 

Also, I tried out some pink clips in Tibby's hair.  She's having a harder time seeing.  I use hair bands on Tues. for agility, but I don't want to leave them in for very long, because they would cause a big tangle.  The clips weren't in for very long.....apparently they are annoying to some fluff n' puff!

Tibetan Terrier Mona Lisa

Spaghetti

"Yum!"

Little wiggle.

Little slurp.

GIANT bite!!

Running Contact Training - Up Ramp Is On

This running contact thing just keeps getting more and more complicated!  But I like it!  And so does Tibby :)  She LoVeS it!
So we raised the board up to 8 inches.  Then I was supposed to look for and jackpot only the deeper hits.  BUT all the hits looked the same to me.  I was very confused.  Best thing to do when you are confused?  Ask for help.


So I taped a session and sent it to Silvia.  She explained, "Now that she is jumping so high, jumping on it determines her stride, that’s why they look the same… It’s also starting to get a bit dangerous jumping on a narrow plank like that… I think a table would make it safer + would give you deeper hits."

Oooooo I can see it now.  That's why all the hits looked the same.  Tibby can only jump on to the board one way, so duh' her striding will be the same every time.



I do not have a table.  I know I should make one, but I haven't gotten around to it in the last 8 months.  I do have this handy rocker board - that we have used only once when Tibby was a little bitty baby.  It was one of the first (agility) things I bought - before we had ever taken a class or I knew what I was doing.  Next time I would just make a wobble board. 
BUT it works for this step of RC!!

 Silvia said, "I like that you’re getting a nicer variety now, some high hits, some deep hits (those that you marked with jackpot? are all nice and deep yes) and some leaps. I think that’s a good learning situation, better as just getting the same stride pattern every time. However, as you raise it some more, that up ramp will get a bit too short/steep, so if you have another somewhat longer (not 12′, just somewhat longer as that one) plank, maybe switch to that next."

And guess what? I have a baby teeter that we don't use too.  Guess we will try that for the next step!  Pretty soon I'll have to move this all outside.....hurry up spring!!!

Is She OK?

Catalina's verdict?  "Yeah, she'll live to chase me another day."

Turtle Agility

This is so cute!  I love the teeter part the best.  He really isn't that slow, considering that he's a turtle.  Luring at it's best?? or worst??  LOL!!

Tuesday Agility Class Now With Added Friends

Another fun agility night. I was pretty wiped out from a very busy stressful work day, but I think we still did pretty good. I saw plenty of things to work on and plenty of good things.

I think it's funny that we take 20 seconds to run a course and then the next team takes 5+ mins. I know this because I taped some of their runs. So it would be more fun if we got to run more, but it's all part of the process.

Zoe's Mom went with us and ran Zoe. It was their first agility class ever. I have tried for the last almost 2 years (since I got Tibby) to share what I was learning about dog training with Zoe's Mom. It hasn't gotten me any where, so I just leave it alone. Everyone has to figure things out for themselves. If she wants to pull Zoe over jumps and push her into tunnels - after I explained that that was a bad idea - that is her own choice. I'm gonna guess that Zoe will eventually get it. Of course, I want more.....but like I said everyone makes their own choice.

It is nice to have someone to ride along to class with. I wasn't planning on continuing to go to classes after this one ended, but I guess if Zoe's Mom wants to keep going - it won't hurt us to go to class once a week. I find the 'advice' given in the class - odd and almost funny. For ex. :run like you are a one winged plane, keep your arm out pointing at each jump and don't say go, go, go, because your dog will think you are saying no, no, no. I said, "Tibby has never heard the word No." hee hee hee

Daisy Peel Foundation Class - 4 Turns

We are taking Daisy Peel's online Foundation class.  The first week we worked on the 4 basic turns of agility - Pull, Front Cross, Rear Cross and Push.
It's really hard to do these with out a jump!  Well, at least I'm not the only one having trouble with it - the rest of the class is too.  I think the pull is the easiest one.  It sure would be nice to be able to pull Tibby.....
The rear cross took me forever to see in the assignment video and the front cross is hard too.  It's harder than it looks!  I think I finally got the push - having tape on the floor really helped me see where the 90 degree corners were.


First Try


Second Try

Good Morning, Good Night

"Good morning Tibby.  Time to get up for the 2nd day of the seminar!"

I was very tempted to skip the 2nd day.  Really, really tired when my alarm went off at 5:45am.

I'm glad I didn't.  Today was much better than yesterday.  For starters, we all slept through the night.  Not a peep out of Tibby.  She woke up when the alarm went off, rolled over and went back to sleep.  Ah!  So tempting to follow her example!

I crated Tibby out of the car and it was much, much better for both of us.  She went to sleep in the crate and was behaving more like herself - i.e. doing a visiting loop (not quite a zoomie) around the room during our working spot.

I'll write up a full post soon, but I thought the session (Attention As A Behavior) this morning was better than yesterday.  I'm actually a little confused about why today's session wasn't yesterday, because having focus/attention seems to be the basic 1st step to do yesterday's heeling exercises.  I wanted to ask Jane about that, but I forgot.

Anyway, we made it home.  Tibby was happy to see her couch and she is crashed out there now.  First she had to chase Catty around the back yard and then she fell asleep.

I think the most interesting thing at the seminar was the people.  I met Crystal and Laura - it was fun to finally meet them.  And I got to pet Vito!!  :)

The other people were interesting.

Hopefully none of those other non-blogfriend people read this blog, because I'm going to talk about them!!

After our first working spot on Sat. two women came up to me and we had an odd conversation.  Maybe I was just tired and it was totally normal.  "Is she spayed?" 'yeah'  "Oh, too bad!"  Other woman to 1st woman, "Is she what you're looking for?"  1st woman, "Oh, yes.  Exactly."

1st woman to me, "She can really move.  She has excellent structure.  You know in a performance dog you want the whole package and I hope you know she is the whole package."

Me, "Well, I think she is :)"

I also made a new friend (Kirsten?) who had a working spot in the afternoon on Sat.  Her dog was a Brittaney Spaniel (Sparkles) puppy that did a nice big zoomie loop when it was supposed to be heeling.  Kirsten (well, I think that was her name) was crying outside the seminar room after the first rotation through the working spots.  Tibby and I were waiting to go back into the seminar room and I was able to give her a little support/I've been there/it gets better/don't give up pep talk.  She was nice.  I did feel bad for her, because I've been there and it sucks.  Like NO ONE understands until they have been there.

So to the people who were sitting next to me!!! - No, she doesn't need to get a herding breed, "because you can train one of them in half the time".  Really?  That's the point of dog training?  'cause that sure isn't why I do it.  I heard a lot of breed-ism this week-end, which was kind of odd considering the seminar material.  Lot's of, "Well, you might need to do that with a terrier, but not with my sheltie/BC/ect."  I guess I don't get it.  A dog is a dog.  They have good traits and difficult traits, but they are all dogs.  I wouldn't trade Tibby for any dog.  I have never seen another dog that I thought, "Ooo, I wish I had that dog instead of Tibby."  Why do I love Tibby?  Because we have learned together!  Everything is part of the journey.  Sometimes the journey is bumpy, like Sparkles Mom was experiencing or Tibby in the crate-dungeon-of-doom, but each part is an important step.

Every day your dog is with you you're training it.

SO

  Why would anyone be in a hurry to get to the end of the road?

Exhausted

We didn't get a lot of sleep last night.  Tibby was restless most of the night.  I took her out to potty at 4:30.  She slept a little after that, but we had to get up in an hour and I couldn't fall back asleep after going out in the cold.  So very tired.

Tibby was playing with my socks this morning.

This is Tibby's dungeon of doom.  Yeaaah crating did NOT go very well. 

 First of all we got lost on our way to the seminar - stupid 35W turning into 94.  So we were late, BUT the seminar started late, so it wasn't that big a deal.  Tibby barked from 8am to 10am.  Straight.  Without stopping.  I could hear her from the seminar room and I checked her a couple times and yep it was Tibby barking.  She was really stressed, so I took her into the seminar room - even thought that wasn't allowed, unless she was crated.  I tried crating her in the seminar room, but she barked there too.  So my 3rd option was to crate her in the car.  That worked a lot better.  She actually slept. 

The whole crate thing stressed me out too. 

I'll write a post about the seminar after I see the video from it.   I'm tired and I want to think about it.

See, this is how tired we are.

Tibby mugging my Mom for popcorn.

Cute right?

Awww, I love her feeties.

First Hotel Stay!

Tibby was very, very nervous when we first got to the hotel.  It lasted for about an hour.  Pacing and panting.

We are on the 8th floor and I think seeing the cars and people out of the patio door started it.

Or maybe hearing doors opening and stuff in the hallway.

Overall it's an extremely quiet hotel.  Which is nice!

I just let her relax.  Or decide when she wanted to relax.

She doesn't look too stressed now LOL!!

They have all the dogs on the same floor.  I saw a grey mini poodle across the hall and there was also a big yellow dog when we were getting off the elevator.  Tibby is still not too sure about the elevator.  It's a very fast elevator and made me dizzy the first time too.

  I started carrying her into and out of the elevator - which helped - now she can go into it and be calm.  We just came in from a potty break and she went into the elevator and sat down in the corner.  Even dogs face the door in an elevator!   

One more thing she had to get used to - wheel suitcases!  Why didn't I think of practicing that!  Everyone has one and Tibby was not too sure of them at first.  Now she's fine.  She just can't understand why there are SO many people every where.  And why they all want to say hi to her - "Oooo, look a cute puppy!"

We're ignoring them until Tibby feels confident enough to say hi back.

RC - The Beat Goes On

So Tibby is doing really, really well with the RC.  We were having a ton of misses, so I took a few days off.  Then the Tibb-ster started begging to do the plank (she really likes it), so we tried again.  I did a couple thinking that we would have the same old problem - but she was perfect!  So I grabbed the camera and filmed our session.  ALL JACKPOTS!!! Plus Full Speed!

Ok on to the nity-grity.  Silvia said the LAST one was the best.  So I had to have her explain a little, because I didn't understand why???

She said, "the best tries are “safe” tries. That last try was safe because if her stride was somewhat longer, she would still hit with front feet and if it was somewhat shorter, she would hit with hind feet. In most other tries, if her stride was somewhat shorter, she would miss it (especially on a shorter contact – I think yours is AKC length?). From the same reason, very low front foot only hits are not so good: a little longer stride and it’s a miss."

I can understand this. 

However, then couldn't I just change the length of the board to get perfect hits every time?  I asked this question.....just waiting for Silvia's response.  Shouldn't take too long - she responds really fast.

Oh yeah and the board is at 6 inches.  I think the hardest part for Tibby to get was: run full speed, but now (I think/hope) she gets it.  Also, she has learned to fetch!  Thank you running contacts for teaching my dog to fetch. 
(sometimes Tibby wants to see if she really has to bring the ball all the way back - yes, yes you do)

EDITED TO ADD: Silvia said, "actually, if your board was shorter, she would have deeper hits… And longer board would give you misses. The striding gets very predictable once you raise the board as raising it creates a kind of a stride regulator (the dog has to hit it with front feet first, always), so yes, using a shorter or a longer board can produce you hits, but of course, at that point or another, they need to be able to hit it no matter what, so after the helping phase, there must come challenges too."

I was (am?) confused about the stride thing.  Also, we were rewarding for front feet hits AND rear feet hits, so the dogs would realized that sometimes they can use front feet too - if it works better.  I think that confused me. 

Brush Your Teeth!

Tibby likes the toothbrush, but really she's a big girl and she can do it herself ;)

The Week-end Is Coming

I'm so excited for the week-end!  We are going to the When Pigs Fly seminar with Jane Killion.  It will be our very first seminar and Tibby's first time staying in a hotel.

I think the seminar will be great.  Jane had us fill out a questionnaire about our dog and what we want to learn from the seminar.  Maybe everyone does this for seminars?  She also sent us homework to read. 

 I have her book - do you think she will sign it???

After last night, I KNOW Tibby will be noisy in her crate.  BUT the seminar information said there will be a separate crating area for dogs that can't be quiet in their crate. 

The part I'm debating is cover Tibby's crate?  Or only cover part of it?  No cover?  I think she would like part of it covered.  Last night when she was in the crate, and couldn't see the other dogs, she was a lot calmer.  But I don't want her to freak out either, so....

Oh yeah and it will be the wire crate NOT the travel crate :P

She escaped from Loretta's expen at our last lesson - oh, boy!

Can't wait for the week-end!  Adventure!