The dog musing/vent thread

It was such a nice day today we decided to take both the dogs for a walk, which we really don't do. Well, we don't take them just to walk around, it's usually for a purpose like going to the park.

Anyways, first thing I got down the stairs of our apartment and there's a small child running around screaming with a small dog barking on a flexi leash the kid is holding. This would usually be too much for Talon (children, dogs, noise, and fast movement are all triggers for him), but he didn't react at all! In fact, he didn't even get antsy or stare. He looked, then looked at me and sat down calmly, only glancing at them once or twice and it was a very loose glance. :hail:

Than he saw a husky running alongside a bike. The people with the husky had to stop biking because the husky was pulling way too hard towards us, but Talon was so good. A glance and than back to me and kept walking ^_^

He did so good with all of the cars on the entire walk as well. He saw/heard car and would look at me immediately. ^_^ Only problem he had was a bike that went zooming by us, but we really haven't worked on those (we don't see them as often), and we went to the school and there was a huge group of people. I think it was a fraternity event, but Talon was fine with all the noise and people, but the random shouting in unison unnerved him slightly.

Art also did really well with the people. He'd look at a person passing and than back to David.

Yay for nice walks! I think we may be going for more walks while it's still nice and not too hot.

I just had to remove a tick from Zora's butthole. And she farted. While I was removing a tick from her butthole.
Anyone want an 11month old Beauceron that can't shut up?

Hmmm I do like me a nice Beauceron...buuut :rofl1:



Also great job with Talon and Art!! It's always so rewarding when they show such progress

Paris is so awesome! And each day Seamus comes around more and more. It will take some time but we will be there one day. Right now he's mostly indifferent, doesn't really pay her any attention. It took Sally some time to adjust to Seamus, but when she did, she LOVED him. So I'm hopeful.

We've already free-shaped sit and nose touches. She knows her name most of the time, but it's still a work in progress. Oh and she knows to go to the bathroom outside! I'm so amazed at how great she is at that. The only accidents she's had in the house have been my fault for not letting her out often enough. As soon as she's outside she knows to go. My smart girl.

Why don't you think he'll never be a champion? In the US the ease of finishing a dog depends a lot on the breed and how competitive they are (GSPs seem pretty competitive). I don't know exactly how the UK system works, but from what I've read it sounds like it's harder to get a championship than in the US.

I'm fairly certain Watson will finish someday. He's a pretty nice dog and I've had a few people tell me he should be easy to finish. My challenge is finding shows with enough other Welshies that are close (because I don't really want to travel to anything I need to stay in a hotel for), and being willing to go multiple days. There are some shows where we might have picked up a major if we had done all 3 days.

So what I'm saying is it's my own laziness, and lack of properly training my dog that hold us back :rofl1:

I'm also sick of the small indoor rings! His best feature is probably his side gait, and I struggle to get him moving fast and smooth enough in tiny rings. We beat a dog one day outdoors, and lost to him next day inside, and my husband said he thought it was because Watson didn't gait as well. I'm excited for outdoor shows to start again (and I know I'll take that back when I'm showing outside in 90 degree weather).

Do you ever do the one in Stormville? I always want to go to that one because it's close, but never like to go alone.

Have camera, will travel (just not far)

Well.... Because I'm just learning!! He's nice, but he has his faults, he's not the best dog they've produced. His sister is prob the best of the bunch! So I'm not great at displaying him in a good light I don't think... Plus he had an shoulder problem at 6 months, and was crated for months and months, which has made him lazy, so he can pace. Drive me mad!!! He looks great when he gets moving, but you have to jazz him up and have the space to move. Plus he finds shows boring lol!!!

The breeder has offered to handle him at a few shows to see how he goes for them, so going to take them up on it. I don't doubt they could do well with him! I don't think I'd expect to make my first dog a champion, not many people do!!

I think I've lost confidence in him, but I have found a new ringcraft so going to try to pop along twice a month maybe (it's an hour away after work... Takes me an hour to get home as it is!!). I think I need to just view him as my project dog and try and not get to disheartened! Deffo learnt tons!! It's all the little things you don't even consider!

Taken from kennel club: A dog is awarded the title Champion if it has won 3 Challenge Certificates at championship shows where CCs were on offer, under 3 different judges and one of the Challenge Certificates was awarded when the dog was more then 12 months of age.

The CC is awarded to the unbeaten dog (ie, best bitch or best dog).

No idea how it works over there!!!!

If it's rare for a first timer to finish a dog, then it sounds way harder than here, at least in my breed. A nice Welsh will eventually finish with a potato sack on the other end of the lead. There are definitely breeds where it's very hard to finish if you don't have a professional handler showing the dog, so it varies a lot. I can get by with being a mediocre handler and still expect to finish him without a lot of trouble, but I would flop at handling a GSD, Golden, or dobe, for example.

And I'm lucky that Watson shows well! He's thrilled to be just about anywhere, especially if there are other dogs, so he always looks up up up and happy. It's not uncommon for Welshies to shut down in the show ring and look bored or nervous, so his attitude gives me an advantage. I have no problems getting him to move out while gaiting (half the time I'm holding him back), though standing still in bigger classes is hard for him. Luckily it's a rare breed and we're typically in the ring with only a couple dogs at a time, so it moves too quickly for him to get bored.

Hopefully Fred's breeder has some luck with him. I've seen professional handlers do amazing things with dogs who looked lackluster with their owners, so maybe he just needs a professional touch to get the hang of it. And I hope you continue to show him because I like hearing the stories Maybe he'll surprise you and be a star at some other event, like agility, and the show ring won't matter so much.

I missed it last year because I was on vacation, but I definitely plan to go this year. You should definitely come down and join us.

I gave Mia a bone at 4:30 She's still working on it at 7:20. That's pretty awesome.

We were getting ready to go out to dinner with friends, so I got Snitch a kong ready. I put it in the middle of the top of the 42" crate for safekeeping until it was time to leave. I turned around for less than thirty seconds, and when I turned back around Snitch was on top of the crate happily working on the kong.

Nothing in my house will ever be safe again.

Hubby: "Good God, dog! Why are you always so happy? Why can't you understand that not everything is good?" [bops Abrams on the head as he was nosing a glass, while Abrams assumes he's playing and comes back for more]

Clearly he doesn't understand the essence of a Retriever.

I keep thinking about next dog....... Think I might start planning for 2015....

Will be a bitch. Plans are to show her and train her in hpr (plus whatever else takes our fancy now we've found a trainer we like!!!). I wouldn't hunt as I don't like it... But I own gundog breed and want it to have work ability, so may consider working trials if we get any good at it... As a compromise. I deffo chose the wrong breed for me. Docked and hunting LOL!!!!!!!

Fingers crossed I can find an undocked bitch who meets all my requirements

Yay! First Novice leg



And I'm also an idiot and can't read. I entered Instinct in the morning and Novice in the afternoon. I COULD HAVE entered Instinct AND Novice in the morning, Novice in the afternoon since they were two different trials. But I didn't because I don't even know. I got to spend many an hour doing nothing LOL.

Love her expression!
It's like "Of course these are mine. You may look...but only look"

Congratulations!

One of my best friends put in an application to a local golden retriever rescue. She mentioned in the app that the dog would be "on lead in the yard until he learned not to jump the fence" (fence isn't SUPER low but low enough for a determined dog.) She was denied and the woman told her that could lead to "suffocation and strangling." Cassie explained that she didn't mean a tie out, she meant that she would physically be outside with the dog on a leash. Then she was told she was STILL denied because a dog "shouldn't be left unattended"... um, yeah, she said she'd BE THERE when the dog is outside?

She got an email back saying something about "hope you will re-think training your new dog to not jump the fence by always being outside with the dog until you know they will not jump the fence and not need a lead attached." ...?! That's EXACTLY what she said. Kaylee, her current dog, IS trained not the jump the fence. That's the goal with the new dog too.

The woman didn't ask for any clarification on anything, just outright denied her app, and continued denying it when Cassie told her that she plans on doing... exactly what the woman wants?

Rescues can be so frustrating.

This is exactly the type of stuff that runs rescues into the ground. Sights too intensely set on finding their definition of a "perfect" home for every dog, when in reality those are few and far between.
Also the exact same thing that turns people away from rescues.

Your friend sounds like she's trying to do everything right. And for whatever reason they are choosing ignore what she's saying. Can she maybe try contacting the head of the rescue program and stating her case to them?

Hopefully something turns around for her and she ends up with a great rescue dog.

So, I was just browsing the pet section on craigslist, & found this a "Teacup Border Siberpoo". :wall:

http://madison.craigslist.org/pet/4376900354.html

Dear god.

Please excuse me whilst I vomit :cry: