2014: what'd you learn, what'd you accomplish? And what are your dog goals for 2015?

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#1
I personally love threads like these so :) New Year's is tomorrow, time to reflect and (if you're into this, I know some people purposefully don't) make resolutions or stake out goals for next year.

For me, 2014 was the year of learning:

Rally and nosework basics. Took a few classes, and am eager to delve more into these two sports in 2015.

That Astro doesn't care for agility. He's not built for it, either, which probably plays a role in his dislike.

What type of dog I like: hounds and more hounds and did I mention hounds?, plus a small handful of giants and spitzes, with the odd sporter or terrier, and a smattering of "outliers" (Shar Pei, Chows). Anything else is a no-go, no matter what I try to convince myself or how many people tell me to get this or that dog and that I need XYZ if I want to do ABC...

Similarly, that I cannot live with frenetic, twitchy, barky, bitey, overly reactive dogs and not wind up wanting to kill them. Working with them at work is somehow entirely different and I enter a zen state where the dog doesn't bother me, I care only about modifying behavior:rofl1:

To reward more often, and care more about reward placement. I was so worried about huge things when I first got Astro (OMG this 9 week old puppy just slammed me down in a RG fit!!!!) that I sort of disengaged with mechanics, but now that Astro is a reformed RG and all-around ok dog, I got to go back and play around more with the clicker.

What I accomplished:

Astro's CGC

Two apprenticeships in dog fields

Taught my first ever classes

Went to ClickerExpo Europe and an Ian Dunbar seminar, did a full participation in a 5-day BAT seminar (aced the test but haven't had the opportunity to do much BAT since :().

Goals for 2015:

Get a title on Astro in something, will probably be NW1 or RN. I don't care what the sport is, just that we both have fun doing it :)

Get myself a whippet puppy! Then put the foundations on him or her. Would really like to do puppy agility stuff with the little sprite, I miss agility, though I know I'll have to wait to play around too much.

Go to at least 2 seminars

Apply for an animal behavior course in England - you know, nothing too crazy :p
 

monkeys23

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2014
- Made further progress on Scout's reactivity and managing her anxiety.
- Made progress with both on OB and tracking training and use of play rewards.
- Managed to keep taking classes at bronze level at FDSA despite a very tight budget.
- Did Recaller's 5.0 and made more progress at those games.
- I am getting more muscle memory with my mechanics of reward placement and play reward criteria which leads to better results with the ladies.
- I am getting better at keeping my training plan in mind and tweaking as I need to without bogging myself down in overthinking all that crap. Makes it MUCH easier to just go play with the dogs. ;)
- Got Lily's AKC Pals registration done finally!
- Volunteered at a tracking match and a test. Very good experience tracklaying, etc.
- Focus on keeping all this dog stuff FUN for us. Very important I think.


Goals for 2015:
- Volunteer at the April tracking test or, if I can afford it, enter Lily for her TD. Not sure I will be able to afford it, but we'll be involved one way or another. :)
- Keep taking some classes.
- I want to try some different medications to see if that adds to Scout's quality of life management plan.
- I want to keep furthering Lily's ob training and would like to get to trial for that. The complication of what to do with the other one while I work Lily affects this in a huge way, but I keep working on it. :)
- Take the girls (esp. Lily) bird hunting sometime when there is only us and Sagey instead of the whole family and menagerie. Want to see what they'll do, Lily has brought me things she's caught before.
- Have fun on our camping honeymoon with the dogs this summer. Yeah, thats' our idea of a good time.
 

Dogs6

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#3
2014.

I didn't really accomplish much with the dogs this year.
Fudge got his Gold CGC
Aura got her Bronze CGC
Scamp got Bronze and Silver ( I think ... )

And that was pretty much all I achieved with them. It seems so little but I think I had quite a good year with them. There were some great hikes, they went swimming, I took them horse-riding with me. They weren't neglected just training and trialing weren't my focus with them this year.

In 2015
I want to polish up Taz's gundog work. He needs to be retaught quite a bit because I've done very little work with him over the past few years.
Fudge needs to stay being awesome. I might try and take up agility again, I don't know. I would like to join an obedience club with him but I'm not sure about it yet.
I would like to take Aura and Scamp on to get their CGC Gold as well. I'm not sure if I'll have the time but I would like to try.

But my main goal is to just sit back and enjoy my dog, maintain the training they have now and just do as much as I can with them.


Apply for an animal behavior course in England - you know, nothing too crazy
What course are you applying for? I have applied for one in England as well. It actually where all my university choices are.
 

JacksonsMom

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2014 was pretty lame for us in general as far as dog-related things go LOL... he lived his life as *gasp*.... a normal pet. We didn't get "out" terribly much, but he did join us on a lot of summer trips and eating outside and vacations to the beach and RVing and the like as well as spending lots of time at my dad and uncles house who both have pools so lots of swimming.

But I had wanted to take more agility classes, possibly try out rally, or the new thing offered at our local training facility (Wag It games), as well as try out lure coursing and NONE of that happened. :rolleyes: We really didn't even do much training inside and we used to do trick training all the time but I don't know, he's 6 now so it's gotten easier to mellow out on some things that used to be a necessity for him.

So here's to hoping 2015 is a more dog centric year but I don't know, we still always have fun :D
 

Laurelin

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Summer got her TG1, TG2, TG3, TBAD, and TIAD in 2014. Also did USDAA and Qd a few times but of course never in the same thing. lol Sadly now retired from agility except a show here and there. She started having seizures and I'm just not sure what the future holds. Since quitting agility classes she's been doing really well. Hasn't had a seizure since november so I am hopeful! We'll probably dabble in teacup. MAYBE try another venue. I don't know.... she's had so many great days lately that I hope we can. No more classes though, just renting rings and being low key. I treasure every run with her.

Mia is my lap warmer and brat. As usual. Weirder than ever and still my heart. She quit agility last spring due to breathing problems. Mia and Summer have done some nosework classes and both passed their ORTs this year.

Got Hank, my little rescue boy. He started agility- last class of the session is this weekend, did a barn hunt, have a seminar this weekend. Not sure what will be upcoming with him either but hope it's fun! He's got me going to the dog park which I swore I'd never do but he loves it so much. He's also becoming my hiking and walking buddy. He's a great dog and everyone adores him. I'm glad I got him.

2015.... not sure. I hope we all have fun and all 3 dogs are healthy the whole year.

2016- would like a puppy from performance lines and to go full dog lady crazy and really start pushing myself as a trainer. I really would like my end goal to be becoming a dog trainer in some sort of fashion. I love it.
 

MrsBoats

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Lars:

- Get that UD that was sidelined by his shoulder soft tissue injury in 2014.
- Get his UDX and we'll see where the obedience path takes us.
- UKC CDX
- I would like to start Lars in CDSP Obedience too.

Ocean:

- AKC RAE
- UKC RO1 and maybe URO2
- APDT RL2
- AKC BN
- Be trialing in AKC Open agility by the end of 2015 and be in mostly P2 USDAA agility.
- ATTS Temperament Test
 

Elrohwen

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2014:
- Finished Watson's championship (and with limited showing before he was 2!)
- Attended two nosework trials. Still no NW1 title, because apparently Watson's brain shuts down after about 5 hours of waiting around, but it was a good experience. He loves nosework.
- Attended a great 3 day obedience seminar, and had a hard working dog all three days.
- Finally taught an actual heel, thanks to FDSA Precision Heeling. Still working on duration, but the mechanics are there now.

2015:
- Attend Welshie Nationals in April.
- Enter a Rally trial for the first time at Nationals. I'd like to enter a practice show first, but I can't find one nearby, so we may go down in flames in front of all the Welshie people :lol-sign:
- Maybe try for the NW1 title again.
- Finally teach a **** formal retrieve.
- Start agility classes again (hopefully private lessons)
- Get a baby Watson puppy!
 

Finkie_Mom

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2014:
-Kimma ended the year as the most accomplished Finnish Spitz in agility ever
-Went to Invitationals and did some nice stuff
-Just added more things towards Kimma's MACH
-Kimma became the first Finnish Spitz to title in Barn Hunt (got her RATN)
-Jari is running full Masters courses in class
-Jari got his CGC
-Bubbles is now totally ready to get her CGC, I've just been super lazy about it
-Pen got his ThD and TDIA title things

2015:
-More MACH things :)
-Get Kimma's MX/MXJ
-Start trialing with Jari
-Finish Kimma's RA
-Show Jari at Nationals (HAHAHAHAHAHA I am so bad at confo)
-Get Bubbles' CGC
-Keep having fun <3

ETA - In terms of what I learned? I learned to HAVE FUN. To not compare myself to others and their dogs. To just go out and have a blast in whatever venue we are competing at the time.
 
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Red.Apricot

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#9
In 2014, Elsie got her
RE
PCD
CGC
CD
CA
RAE
and her CDX!

We also went to Top Dog, where our team did pretty well, considering we didn't expect to be competitive!

We had a good year. I learned to loosen up at shows; it's okay to NQ. I made a lot of friends, and had a great time with my dog.

In 2014, Zobby started rally classes! He is rocking out loud!

In 2015, I hope to get Elsie's UD and CAA.

In 2015, I hope that my boyfriend gets Zobby's RN.
 

Paviche

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#10
2014

Riff had no medical emergencies in 2014. Hallelujah.

I started teaching training classes.

Discovered our love of lure coursing, entered our first ever trial and got Rowan's first title (first LC title and first title ever, period.)

Riff made more progress with his anxiety issues. It's not something we actively worked out, but regular exposure to slightly scary situations (going out to stores, having people to the house) helped him adjust more.

Finally found my next breed!

2015

MORE LC TRIALING. MORE TITLES.

Do more training, period. Really work with my dogs.

Try out Barn Hunt, maybe rally, maybe nose work, maybe dock diving.

Get Rowan's CGC.

Get my Silken puppy.

Really, really strive to improve myself as a trainer.
 

BostonBanker

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What I learned? How much I didn't know. It was seriously mind-blowing.

What I accomplished? Not much in the ring. Gusto finished his APD early in the year and moved into PIII. We barely trialed this year, due to finances, injury (Gusto) and my own stretch of down time recovering from losing Tristan.

But I did break away from all the training I was doing that wasn't working. I got myself and my dog into a fabulous training situation, and have seen improvement already. I managed to completely change my attitude about Gusto and training with him, and I am back to loving our time together. I drive home from lessons grinning the entire 3 hours, and he doesn't choose to disconnect with me from stress anymore. I understand so much more about him and what he needs from me to be successful and happy. And I convinced myself that it is completely worth my time and energy to learn how to work with him.

I have kept Meg sound and fit and happy as she has aged another year. I make a point to find things she loves to do, and we do them. We don't do things she doesn't enjoy. She's earned that.

My goals for next year?

To continue on the path we are on. To keep Meg sound and happy and fit. To let her continue to trial for as long as she wants, and to recognize the second she asks to be done. To keep learning with Gusto, and give him the confidence he needs to enjoy trialling as much as I do. I'd like to finish his MPD this summer, but we will see. So many things can get in the way of stuff like that. As long as our skills are improving and his confidence grows, the titles will come when they will.

To keep learning just how much I don't know, because that means I'm learning more and more.
 
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2014 has been a year of learning for both me and Fable. No fancy titles for us, just a lot of training and fun together.

2014:
-I adopted Fable!
-I learned what fostering is *really* about. I can't get too attached to dogs, and I'm supposed to be happy for them when they find new homes.
-Related to previous one, but Kaya, my foster of 6 months, was adopted. I never thought that super crazy and dog-reactive girl would find a forever home, but things happen in strange ways.
-I found out my dog is my best hiking buddy

In 2015:
-I'd love to try out agility with Fable. I think she would be great at it, so I'm going to take a class and see how it goes.
-I want to take Fable backpacking with me! It's one of my favorite things to do, but she hasn't gone with me yet.
-Try and convince Fable that water isn't actually *that* bad.
-Get her certified with Pet Partners as a therapy dog.
-Go on more hikes with her than I did this year.

Nothing too incredibly exciting going on for us, although I really hope agility works out for us. I've never participated in any dog sports before (mainly because I've never had a dog before Fable), and I think she and I both would enjoy it immensely.
 

PWCorgi

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#13
I learned a ton, accomplished little, and my goal for 2015 is to focus less on my dogs.

(lame, i know)
 

SpringerLover

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I learned that I can teach a dog a reliable heel the way I envisioned it. I almost gave up so many times but now it is so pretty!

Gabby earned her RLV and her RL1. We didn't get any award of excellence certificates and I'm okay with that.

2015 I want to start working on her ARCH. And we will probably do AKC rally as well as CDSP obedience. And I will continue to take private lessons so we lose less points we don't need to lose.
 

lancerandrara

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2014
- Lancer inadvertently learned some solid basics of nosework during our fetch sessions... he somehow guessed the meaning of "Where is it?" awhile ago just by me asking and he would immediately run around the house sniffing and digging through things in search of his ball. It's a very consistent command now LOL... now to teach him to find other things! :eek:
- Lancer overcame more of his anxiety and reactivity outdoors, as long as no dogs come running at him- 99% gone
- Rara learned how to close doors and cabinets on command. LOL
- Rara learned how to stack a toddler's stacking toy! (well, halfway there)
- both learned an actual very solid down-stay over the past week :hail::hail:
- I finally volunteered at a local rescue
- JOINED CHAZ AND MADE NEW PALS

2015
- with the recent finding of Lancer's nosework possibilities, hoping to solo train him in this sport just for the funsies. Can't do classes currently for the cost, but the possibility of titling sounds fun. Maybe it will get more serious- who knows?
- rewrite my dad's terrible (non-existent) training. Both dogs became terrible leash walkers now while I was away at school, because my dad lets them walk left and right and all around u_u
- hopefully no more ulcers in the eye and stomach for Rara.
- um hopefully adopt a GSD/mix by the end of the year (cough)
 

meepitsmeagan

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2014-
Nailed bikejoring and canicross.
Puppy!
3 point major on puppy!
First ever trials.
Learned a ton more about training.

2015-
Keep working to find the balance of impulse control and drive.
Possibly debut in rally.
Possibly debut in agility.
Earn another few points towards CH.
 

elegy

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2014: accomplished... not much. Too busy being mentally ill. Steve did get his ONYX in flyball in August and finally got his ribbon today.

Steve ONYX by pitbulljunkie, on Flickr

2015 goals:
get Hambone up and running in flyball. He's doing full runs and started working on passing tonight so he doesn't have too far to go.

Finish Steve's RE. He has the skills and one leg. I just need to pony up the cash and the courage for two more.
 

Beanie

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#18
I learned that Payton sucks.
And that Georgie is pretty good and would be pretty awesome if she actually had a trainer.


In 2015 I would like Payton to suck less. Or I will actually buy a shirt for agility that says PAYTON SUCKS. And then trade him in for a much cuter, less sucky puppy.
Also for Georgie to get both her excellent titles and then start chipping away at the MACH.


It would also be nice to put some novice titles on Pepper. But that means I have to successfully train her and it's not always easy. Poor girly.

At some point I also need to get the last Q needed for Auggie's RA but ughhh I really just don't care about rally. SO HARD TO BOTHER ENTERING.
 

DenoLo

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2014:

After almost a year off, Lo got her USDAA novice Jumpers title and Q'd in Standard. I'm learning how to keep her stamina and enthusiasm up for a whole day of agility--and we're having a ton of success with that.

Along the lines of building enthusiasm for a whole day, we tried out teacup for the first time and entered 3 runs in a day. She got First place and Q's in all 3 runs--first time doing 3 runs, and first time in a brand new environment with brand new people. I was proud of us both for that one, I almost got cold feet but I'm glad I didn't!

We also goofed around with doing a handstand, and that's coming along REALLY well- she can back up against a wall now.

2015

I'd love to get her novice standard USDAA title, and a Q in the next level. I'd also like to try out either CPE or AKC-- I liked how the teacup courses were more compact than USDAA, but I think they were maybe a bit TOO compact, so I'm looking for a happy medium there.

I'd also like to do a nosework class with her.
 

DJEtzel

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2014:
Recon -
Titles through level 2 and some of level 3 CPE
United Senior Jumper title for dock diving
UAD Ultimate Air Games invite
First disc events, debuted in freestyle
Made great strides in noise phobias/travel anxiety

Patton-
Conformation/obedience match, won best of breed and high in rally
First dock diving event won 1st place in his division @ the UKC premier
First disc event, won 3rd place in toss and fetch
Later disc events, won 3rd place in spot landing & first in four way play
Started IPO training

Went to CPE nationals, lots of trials, a PVybe seminar, and met a ton of awesome people. Hope 2015 is even better!

Goals for 2015-
A good freestyle routine with Recon. Lots of more disc seminars! We have a couple planned and we've already been to a fun match this past weekend. We came in first in freestyle and third in spot landing/bullseye sort of game, and I went to an Andrew Han throwing seminar that helped a lot, as well. Would like a few more agility titles and to get into a class again. Maybe some rally? Definitely lots of disc events.

I know this is a stretch, but a BH on Patton would be nice. A CGC for sure. Some disc placements and lots of fun are a must, maybe some obedience.

My personal goals related to dogs are being able to throw a disc 40 yards(I'm throwing about 25-30 yards right now), becoming a CGC evaluator, and doing more private agility training.

Pilot's goals are to not wash out of the program, have impeccable manners (so far, so good!) and play a lot of disc. :)
 

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