Makin & Tessa

Long, Long Hiatus

2010-06-11T15:17:00.001-07:00

Needless to say it has been a while. The reason being:

Makin and Tessa have a new sister! We have had to do a ton of work on the house in order to prep. As a result we have taken a break from agility for financial reasons. Hoping to start back up again soon. The girls have not and will not be neglected with the addition of their sister (Livia). This you can be certain of! I do believe I will be making more posts now as well.

NYC and the Eye Exam

2008-12-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

We recently took a trip to NYC. My third time there and the most enjoyable. We went down on Sat morning and promptly headed to Katz' deli where we partook of some pastrami sandwiches and pickles. We then walked north to Union Square where we did some shopping and had warm apple cider. We then continued to walk and shop for the remainder of the afternoon. Dinner was at the Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay) where we had an amazing meal. Lots of southwestern flavors and spices. We had tamales with garlic and shrimp for an app. Lael had a honey glazed salmon and I had a spice encrusted pork tenderloin which was the best I have ever had. Nice and spicy. As sides we had another tamale with sage butter sauce, cilantro pesto mashed potatoes and a chile releno. The releno was very spicy and Lael couldn't handle it but I thought it was actually the highlight of the meal. You just don't get those at many restaurants. In the past I was never keen on visiting NYC as I found it overwhelming. We did the city at our pace and I am looking forward to our next trip. The hardest part will be to find another dining experience to match the Mesa Grill.

Makin's ojos (spanish for eyes)

Today I took Makin to the Animal eye specialists because her left eye has had a bit of cloudiness that I wanted looked at. I am still trying to digest all of the information and am thankful that Lael can understand the biology. It also doesn't hurt that Lael's dad is an optometrist!

Information from the visit is as follows:

Makin has intraocular inflammation (anterior uveitis) in both eyes which causes both pressures to be lower than the normal reference range and her internal health will be evaluated with blood and urine evaluations including evaluation for the three most common tick related diseases. With previous history of lyme is is possible that she has experienced the ultrastructural changes in the endothelial lining of the blood vessels in her eyes. Those changes can possibly cause leakage of proteins normally found in the blood stream to leak into her eyes even if the initial insult has been resolved. It is also possible that, based on epidemiology, that she has a current active infection that can cause of the bilateral anterior uveeitis.

The cloudiness in her left eye is the result of corneal endothelial degeneration. Essentially there has been a degeneration in the corneal endothelial cellualr anatomy which is causing a decreased surface area to volume ration of the endothelial cells causing increased corneal thickness which is causing increased refraction of light in the corneal tissues which appears blueish. There is no way to affect change of the damages cells as they are nerve related but we may be able to influence the physiology of the cells by altering the biochemistry of the fluid inside the eye with the combined use of Predisone Acetate and Flurbiprofen (apririn like med) as well as AK-NACL (ointment) to osmotically draw fluid from the surface cell layers of her cornea. If there is sufficient fluid accumulation it is possible for corneal ulcerations to occur.

Needless to say all of that information was tough to process. Makin is on four different meds, the three mentioned above and doxy. I am glad we made the visit although the check book isn't. Makin was great during the exam. When we had her on the table I thought she was squirming because she was uncomfortable but it turns out that all she wanted was to roll onto her side becasue there was an opportunity for three sets of hands to rub her belly! Silly, silly dog.

Makin will be on the meds for three weeks with a lot of attention spent on looking at her eyes to see if we are causing problems or discomfort. We then have a recheck scheduled to determine how she is dong. I feel a little bad for not being more on top of things but feel we are on the right track now. It is also a funny thing that both of the girls have more medical attention than Lael or I combined since we have gotten them. I think this is the normal case with our devotion to our pets. I wouldn't change a thing and only hope that we can do the best we can for them. They are definitely my buddies.

Again, a gratuitous picture. I think Tessa is smiling because she is snuggling Makin!

Busy, Busy

2008-12-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

Well we have been busy, clearly. House renovations, classes and Lael's ability to keep the schedule full have contributed to a lack of posting.

We went hunting with Makin about a month ago. I thought she did great. She is not steady on the point and does not hold when the shot is made but for a dog that has not worked a retrieve for me she sure does it pretty darn well. She also has a one track mind when we get out where there is a scent. I am sure working on that even a little could improve. Two birds were planted for us. She found them and one other. We ended up with two birds one of which was a beautiful rooster. It was a great time made even better by the fact that we finally met the Regal Vizsla team which includes one of Makin's offspring, Momo. Andrew's take on the the adventure can be found here. The event was run by the VCCNE and as always it was a great event run by a great group of people who are fun to be around.

We also have just completed our fall classes with both of the girls and will have a bit of a break for December. We resume next session with Makin while Tessa takes a break from class and then Tessa will have her weave pole class.

Tessa has been doing great. She is a very literal dog though and reads you like a book. Give her body language and she will use it, even if its wrong. Different dog, different challenges. Keeps you on your toes.

Makin has also been doing great and I think that I am finally starting to get the switch thing. FINALLY. Now we can practice that without me worrying about totally screwing her up. Lets just hope the snow stays away so we can work in the back yard.

The only bummer recently has been that our new morning romping grounds have been off limits for a while. There was a coyote sighting. Not just a wandering but this little devil was hanging out in a field eating a neighborhood pet. Just not worth the risk. I understand that they are probably in many of the places we go but when they are out mid-day and not worried about the people around them it makes me nervous that there is something other than them just being hungry. So I will have to scout the place out before we go back.

On a completely different note, Lael and I are heading to NYC this weekend. We have a food crazy tour where we plan on visiting a famous delli for lunch followed by the highlight of eating at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. So excited! I love to cook and must admit the Food network gets a fair amount of viewing in our house. In particular I enjoy Bobby Flay's shows and am a big fan of the spices he uses even though they are quite difficult to obtain. I will be sure to post about our weekend adventure even though it will have nothing to do with the girls as they are spending the weekend with my folks.

And just because I can, a gratuitous puppy shot. They sure are silly.

Makin's Agility Debut

2008-10-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a very exciting day. Makin entered her first agility trial! We did a jumpers and a tunnelers run at the Act-Up Trial in Wrentham. Registration was at 7:30am, so Neil went early to scope the scene while I stayed at home to do some housework. At 9:30, I got a call telling me to jump in the car, we'd be up soon. So, I arrived at ~10:15... and we had our turn at 2:30. I have a new appreciation for my mom's attendance at my swimmeets growing up....

I got to run Makin in the jumpers, which basically consisted of 14 jumps, with only 1 rear cross. I nervously awaited my turn, trying to keep Makin and me warm by trotting around. We thought it would be best if Neil was out of site, but Makin kept searching for him- and for Tessa. There were two other Vizslas there (who did a great job)- and Makin also kept looking over at them- I'm guessing looking for Tessa. When it was our turn, the starter women said something to us- honestly, I thought I was in Nicaragua again and someone was speaking spanish to me- I wanted to understand, but I had no idea what she meant. She understood my blank stare as a lack of understanding and translated her agility speak: "go thru the starter gate and wait for the current jumper to finish"... duh- can you tell I was nervous? Makin certainly sensed my anxiety; when I took her up to the first jump and took off the leash, she turned her back on the jump and tucked her tail bigtime. Oh boy. After a little coaxing, she went over the jumps- not quite like I had envisioned, or like she was capable, but she did it. We got to the rear cross and I thought- this was my small goal, something we'd be practicing. But... didn't quite get it right, so as we continued through the next jumps I remembered what my actual goal was: to just complete the run, which she did. So I was very happy. Not the best run, but a start! And to make us feel better, Makin won a second place ribbon :)

Then, Neil and Makin did the tunnelers course. What a difference! She was on fire! They worked very well together. Neil said his trick was keeping Makin distracted until right up to the when they had to start, then he jumped out on the course. There was only one time when Makin started to jump the tunnel, but after she put her front paws up, she remember to run through the tunnel, not on top of it. She did fabulously and seemed to have fun. Very proud of her!

Looking forward to working more in class and entering another trial soon!

Crisis Averted

2008-10-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

As I write I have two snuggling V's next to me. Tessa has had a very long 24 hours. She is zonked. We will never know what she got into but we do know that she was in rough shape yesterday, underwent a battery of procedures and could have been in real trouble. Thanks to the doctors at Tufts she is now home safe but still very tired. We can only gather that she got into something at the park by the BC law school which is now off our list of places to go in the morning. She was on a drip all last night and under close watch as they thought she may have a seizure. Lots of rest and care allowed her to decontaminate. When I picked her up she was acting like herself, lot of kisses and excitement. So good to see. She chowed dinner and her motor skills appear fine, walking fine and not "drunk" looking. We are so happy to have her home. Thanks to everyone for their good thoughts and wishes. As I sit and write I wonder if I was a little dramatic, but I don't think so. She was in a bad way and things could have been real bad had I not come home at lunch. Knowing where a facility was located was also critical. I will do a dry run to Angel Memorial hospital in the next couple of days as I think it is a little closer, but the Tufts folks were great, again. We need to keep her calm for the next couple of days. Happily Lael is home during the day tomorrow.

On a happy note, Makin will be going hunting in November. We last took her two years ago where we able to see her birdiness. She caught one that was missed by the gunner. She tracked it down, brought it to me and let it run away. The second she retrieved for us. Below is her bringing the bird back for me. This should be a fun event where we get to finally meet the squad from the "Regal Vizsla".

Makin is also entered in her first agility trial this weekend. Should be fun but I am nervous. We probably could have used the work last night at class. Our goal will be to have fun. No pressure this weekend, not worried about q's, just trying to get our feet wet and enjoy this experience. In the trials to follow we will have more concrete goals but I think having fun will be just fine.

A Rough Day for Tessa: and still not out of the woods

2008-10-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Today started like any other day. Makin, Tessa and I went to the park. We went to run the trails by the BC law school, a place we USED to frequent often. We came home, had breakfast crated up and and I went to work. I came home at lunch to find Tessa out of sorts. It can be best described as a drunk sort of look. She wasn't walking correctly and for a girl who likes to give kisses, she was not giving any. Totally out of sorts. We immediateley hopped in the car and headed for the emergency vet. Her heart rate was low and her temperature was down. I am fairly certain she didn't eat anything funny at home so my best guess is she got into something at the park. Her symptoms closeley resembled symptoms that Joszi had a while ago. She has since improved. Her heart rate is back up and she is warm again. Anti freeze has been ruled out and pictures show nothing evident in her belly. She is more active and seems more alert and doesn't look like she is gonna pass out at any moment. She is on a drip and will not recieve food tonight. She is on a close watch at the hospital.

Needless to say I have been a wreck al day long. The drive to the ER was nothing short of scary. The forester has not and probably will never go that fast again. Thankfully there was no traffic. Lael works in the ER tonight but we are going to visit when she gets off of work. The hospital, Tufts, seems very accomodating. We have had good experiences there in the past. I am certainly going to do a dry run to Angel in the next couple of days. I had directions but didn't want to risk getting lost so we shot out to Walpole. A ride that would normally take me 30 minutes took less than 20. Yikes.

I know we are not out of the woods yet and the morning could bring something new. But I am more optimistic now than I was this afternoon. Please throw some good thoughts out there for little Tessa. She needs them and she needs to come home and take advantage of the new fence that will be in full effect tomorrow. Makin is defineteley wondering where her buddy is and wondering why we are not at agility tonight. I figured it would be safest to keep Makin away from other dogs even though she has no symptoms or issues. Better to be safe than sorry.

You may be wondering why I post now. Bottom line is I just don't know what else to do and I can't stop thinking about our little girl. The house seems kinda quiet right now.

Agility 10/07/2008

2008-10-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

Two awesome classes tonight!

Tessa is quick. I know there is a Mr Enthusiasm out there but I think we may have found Miss Enthusiasm during Tessa's class. She was having a blast working. During her class I was impressed with how much distance we can get between us and her. This is something that she just seems to get. We worked the teeter and the A frame a bit. Tessa is doing great on the teeter and does a great wait for us so that she hits her contacts. The A frame was also good until something spooked her. That is the funny thing about Tessa. She spooks easily and can shut down but she is also getting better with breaking the funk. She is loving working in the barn and seems to be having a lot of fun.

So, we have Miss Enthusiasm but tonight we had Mrs Enthusiasm as well. I know, I know Makin isn't married but she has had offspring which will allow me to give her the Mrs title. Makin was full of "piss and vinegar" tonight. It was the first time we have seen her get so stoked to run a course that she picked a line and went ahead doing obstacles in the order she wanted. Was I upset by this; hek no. I was so pleased to see that joy and excitement in running and working the course. The courses in Makin's class are definitely getting harder and are challenging. They require a lot of forethought and planning in order to handle things well. I must remember to relax and breath and trust Makin. She is fun.

So we were also issued a little challenge. We were told that we should try a trial out...soon. Well, in reality we have been at this for less than a year so this is a little scary. We are still weak on the weaves so we would do a run that does not require us to do them. (I know, bad handlers for not practicing them more) I am going to look into this a little more. It could be very fun. The first event is the hardest and will come with all the nerves and jitters. Breathing will help!

Back Yards...They are FUN

2008-09-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

In the past Makin has never been one to play with other dogs. It is clear though that she and Tessa have formed a bond. Tessa is the only dog Makin will play with and they love doing so in the back yard. I think the reason they have not played like this a lot is because when we go to the park there are a lot of things that Makin is more interested in (e.g. birds). Below are a few shots mid tug-o-war and wrestling for the squirrel. The chase game didn't photograph very well with the phone. In the chase game Tessa dominates with speed but Makin can turn on a dime and would make a heck of a fullback with the way she avoids pursuit.

We have also been doing a bit of yard work but have taken a bit of time off as we are waiting to install the new fence and don't want to have things undone during installation. Makin decided that we were slacking and started to tear up some roots for herself.

On another note we had a great agility class with Makin last night. I am actually going to wait to discuss it more once I can "pirate" Blue's drawing of the course (she has been putting them on her blog)! Suffice it to say Makin did well but we need to do more work on switch. Tessa came in and did some jumps and the tunnel and shows much promise. Her foundation course for obstacles begins soon.

Hello again!

2008-09-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! See that picture below, the one from the last blog about 60 days ago- that has turned our worlds a little upside down. Packing, moving, turning off internet, then holding off a while before turning the internet back on (lael's scheme at saving money to help pay the mortgage....ha!)- all of this is why we have not posted a blog in a while. But now school's back in session, and although none of us are in school and we are only affected by longer commuting times due to bus traffic, we still have a sense of re-organization and motivation. So stay tuned for Makey & Tessa's (mis) adventures!

Today for example, we had a ~good~ agility class with Makin. Actually, it wasn't good in the sense that we did well, but it we learned a bunch. Now that we have a yard, we have to actually start using it for practice!

And, our beloved roomate, Kelly, moved out today, which we are all very sad about. We knew it would happen someday; she's moving onto bigger & better things. Makin & Tessa will miss snuggling in her lap (usually both at the same time), Lael will miss her fashion advice and chit-chat and Neil will miss her cooking camaraderie. But, really she's not too far & better come visit often!

Crazy Weeks

2008-07-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

We haven't had much time to make a post in the last couple of weeks. Time has been precious, work busy and keeping the girls active instead of taking time to post has been a priority over posting. So sad. We have some good news though; for us and the girls. We found a house made an offer and it was accepted. We have had the the inspection and are continuing on with the purchase. The only thing remaining is the commitment by the lender but all seems to be in order. The house has a great back yard (which will need a little additional fencing) but will be great. The yard is flat and we will be able to set up some agility equipment. Although I will still be going to the park with the girls a lot we will be able to let them loosen their legs in the new yard. The house is small but perfect for us and it fits all of our needs. I actually can get to work in less than five minutes and Lael's commute will remain almost the same. I will be able to shoot home at lunch and let the girls have a mid day break on most days.

We have had a few communications classes with Tessa. The first class was great but the second can only be considered a disaster. She is a very touchy little thing and sometimes it is hard to determine what shuts her down. The last class she was completely spooked and we could not get her to shake her funk at all. I feel very bad for her and hate to see her so stressed. We need to somehow figure out how to help her.

Makin has had two five directions classes, one of which we missed because we were on vacation. She is doing great though.

Our vacation was awesome. We went to a friends house in Chatham and the girls were able to swim quite a bit which was nice. They do love to swim and the ocean on Cape Cod was quite warm. Again we were on a private beach where we were able to let the girls swim without being worried about getting in trouble.

The Beach

2008-06-10T19:16:00.001-07:00

We took the girls to the beach this weekend to beat some of the heat. This crazy heat has made exercise difficult and the quantities of water consumed in the last couple of days has been absurd. Right now we are all basking in that glorious invention...Air Conditioning!

The water was very cold and Makin wasn't interested in a long swim. Tessa loved chasing the ball though. She has a lot of enthusiasm for retrieving and is quite good at leaving the ball for me when she brings it back.

On another note, Makin has been having a bit of the reverse sneezes. Not sure if its allergies or if she caught a bug. She has improved over the last couple of days. We may have to take another trip to the vet though. We can be nervous nellies when it comes to the ladies.

Not sure if anyone will notice but Tessa has put on some weight and muscle. We have her on a higher protein diet and she looks great. I wish we had switched over a little sooner. The weight is making her look less like a puppy.

Below are some beach pictures and hopefully a video. The whining is Kiley the aussie who can't figure out why she isn't allowed to play.

Last Weave Pole Class & VCCNE Fun Day

2008-06-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

We had our last weave pole class this week. We struggled a bit unfortunately. All week when we had practiced we had trouble with entrances and the difficulty continued during class. As I had mentioned in a previous post the weave poles will always be something we have to work on but I am happy with our progress. The most valuable thing we learned is one of the techniques for teaching the poles. Makin's next class will be "the Five Directions". This class will teach us to be better handlers and learn things such as front and back crosses as well as a variety of other things. Should be a good one.

Tessa is slated to start her agility work as well. She will be in a class called "Communications". This class will be one of two parts of what is the base for the agility training. Within this class we will work on Tessa's attention and focus on us and our communication with her. Hopefully Tessa will have a little head start as Makin has been through this class and we worked on Makin's homework with Tessa here and there.

We also attended the Vizsla Club of Central New England's (VCCNE) fun day this weekend. The event is a chance to get together with a bunch of different Vizsla owners, view some different activities to keep your V busy and support a club that has a number of very devoted folks who are responsible owners and sometimes breeders. The event is good fun every year. Kim from Forest King Vizslas organized and planned the event and I must say she did a fabulous job. There were a variety of different seminars that you could participate in. Seminars included first aid, intro to birds, agility, flyball, rally and obedience.

We actually ended up running Makin through the agility course which included a dog walk, A frame (we did hit our contacts), tunnel, A frame, pinwheel of jumps and weave poles that Makin actually got through on the first run . We didn't push our luck on the weave poles after that though.

We then had the opportunity to let the girls out in a field with some quail. Tessa was all speed when she hit the field and although she caught the scent of one bird I am not sure she knew what to do so she did a bit of running and very little hunting. Makin, on the other hand, had been reved up for the three hours we had been at the event. The minute we walked up the driveway she figured out there were birds and stared at their location the entire time we were there. She forgot about them only when we were doing agility. Makin was let off the leash and she was off. About two minuted later she found me and handed me bird 1. She took off and brought me bird 2. Before I knew it she was gone again and arriving with bird 3 which laid an egg as it was set at my feet. Crazy! Now I feel guilty that this bird crazy machine is doing agility instead of her dad being good to her and having her hunt. This may have to be another hobby to start into!

A bunch of crazy V folk.

During on quick bursts of rain everyone, including the dogs, tried to get under the tent.

A Great Weekend! Tessa = Canine Good Citizen

2008-05-25T16:28:00.001-07:00

We have been a bit quiet on the blog front lately. Things have been busy and I will save the most exciting news for the end of this post!

We had an excellent weave pole class on Thursday. Makin was great and although Lael and I have a long way to go in terms of being considered decent handlers I think we did a good job with Makin this week. I think we both did a better job at being upbeat and keeping her happy. We have to work a bit this week on not having the cages on the poles at the end of the set. Makin has an easier time with the beginning without the cages than the finish. Because the week had been very busy we had not practiced the poles as much as we would have liked. We will continue to practice the poles. We have one week left in the weave pole class but practicing them will be ongoing! Makin's next class is called "the five directions" in which Lael and I will hopefully learn to be better handlers.

On Saturday we went for a wonderful walk in the woods with a bunch of other v's and a lab that thinks she is a v! Tessa loves these walks but Makin is a little more hesitant with all of the craziness. We were out for almost 2 hours and the girls were zonked for the rest of the day.

The v with orange collar is a wonderfully sweet 72 pound v who is 11 months old. YIKES!

Makin looking sedate!

A bumper stuck in a tree with a sad v trying to free it. Only a bumper with quail scent would get that kind of attention!

The freeing of the bumper!

Tessa checking in!

And finally the all exciting news. Tessa passed her Canine Good Citizen test today. She is such a good little girl. Next step, her agility career!

Busy Times

2008-05-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

A Good Day

2008-05-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

There are many things the girls love. Today, they got to do a few of them- it was a good day.

First, they got to go to their favorite park. Neil got up extra early because he's so good to his girls. They ran like mad- and they got to go for a swim (another favorite!). Tessa loves to do belly flops- we'll have to get some pictures next time. And it's a nice small sized pond so you don't have to worry about Makin chasing the bird and never coming back. (At the beach is the only place were we have to keep Makin on a leash.)

Then, in the afternoon, I was able to take them to a nearby field where Tessa chased her favorite toy (see above) and Makin chased her favorite toy (Tessa). It is totally comical. Makin usually walks around the field totally chill, then out of nowhere she'll dive bomb Tessa. They love it. I'm sure Makin was this playful up at Widdershins, but she's generally pretty mellow around other dogs, so it makes me so happy to see her romping with her little sis.

So, a good day- and a few favorites for the girls!

Ohhh, the crazy dogs...

2008-05-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Neil's only been at his new job about one week and Makin & Tessa are wondering what's going on! Neil (sometimes with me) has been able to take them to some local trails in the morning for some good off lease romping, but then lunch time is just a potty-break in our teeny back yard & maybe a short leased walk, instead of the sprints around Mimi & Papa's yard- and Tessa & Makin are having none of it!

So, I took them for a longer off-leash walk after work- thought it would be a good chance to practice Tessa's Canine Good Citizen loose-leash walking... not so great. It was a "who's walking who" sort of day.

Then, after we came back to the house, I thought I'd practice some weave poles with Makin... another struggle. She loves it and wants those treats so bad, but we've regressed to luring her- not sure why.

And Tessa's got a case of the barks. Very bizarre- and I'm not sure if this is the best way to address it, but I find the only cure is distraction with positive rewards for whatever new thing she does. Probably she needs more exercise too. Still, I hope this is just a phase!

On a positive note, here is a picture of Neil: the way life should be- two snuggling puppies as he works on the blog.

CGC and Agility

2008-05-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

We had CGC yesterday; actually Lael had CGC yesterday. I was feeling a little under the weather. Norm Peterson from the TV show Cheers would have said I had the flu. Regardless, class happened. We have a lot of work to do on the loose leash walking and I think reacting to the loud noise could present some problems. We would like to pass the test but the class is mostly about us learning how to teach the girls better. I think the change in jobs is actually going to help us with training. I am closer to home and have more time in the evening to do the fun work.

We have been having a blast with the weave poles. Makin has slowly started adding some speed. For the class we received a handout with days listed and when we should be moving cages. We have not fallen behind yet! We had a fun class last week. We had one run with a number of different obstacles. It was definitely a week were the handler learned more than the dog. I was a little stressed but learned a lot and I think that it has helped a great deal with working in the yard this week. I think I need to focus on my speed to not getting to amped up. I need to slow down and think about Makin and what she needs from me.

Tomorrow we have our second class on canine stretching and massage. We enjoyed the first week and look forward to the second class. More updates to come after Thursday's weave pole class!

Thumb-sucking, Massages and Work Spaces

2008-04-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

I've heard of kids sucking their thumbs, but dogs sucking their tails???
Yesterday we had a stretching/massage class for Makin, which was very fun. She was very tense in class- possibly due to the cold (we forgot a jacket) or the dirt floor (she prefers 400 thread count sheets) or the other people/dogs (although that's unlikely since she knows that everyone there is wonderful) or maybe it was the barn smell. Yeah, it was probably the barn smell- she had her hunt on. Anyway, it is so great to learn how to take care of Makin best we can. Sadly she's getting old- or middle aged- and we want her to have the best life for as long as she can have it. So, keeping her limber is very important to us & her. When we practiced the stretching at home, she was much more appreciative, which was nice. If only she could reciprocate....

And lastly, here's a picture of our Agility work space at home. Sad, we know, but not bad for city-living! The weave poles are so fun- we love practicing. And Makin loves it too! We sneak Tessa out there on occasion too, although her joints are probably to young for continual impact. Surprisingly (or maybe not!) she does so well! She was a little nervous at first, but now she loves it too. Can't wait to sign her up for Katrin's "Five Directions!".
And no, that's not our house in the background! That would be the garage...

Makin and Tessa have received an Award!

2008-04-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Regal Vizsla and the Royal Majesties of that blog have been kind enough to honor Makin and Tessa with an award. The girls are both proud and humbled! Makin is especially proud as Momo, her son, has graced her with an award!

The spirit of the award is such that you are able to pass along the award to others.

We will honor just a few as we unfortunately do not spend as much time viewing as we would like. Kudos to all of those bloggers out there!

1) Monty's Training Diary Monty's person, has been kind enough to let us be part of her training classes. She has some great blogs and pooches on those blogs. She makes classes fun! She also has some great blogs that we enjoy very much.

2) Molasses Ain't Got Nothin on Us A great blog with terrific insight into the agility world, the training of two great mini-schnauzers and a variety of helpful dog related topics.

3) The View from Kololo Our inspiration to blog! A friends blog about adventures and life in Uganda.

Quiet on the Blog-Front

2008-04-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

We have been blog silent for a bit now. That is not to say we have been up to nothing, or no good for that matter. Life has been a little crazy lately. I found a new job and will be starting with a new company in just a few days. Crazy, scary, exciting and rewarding can sum up my feelings on the job search and reasons for finding a new job. Hopefully all works out.

On the V front we have been a little quiet as well. Agility ABC's has ended but we have a new class starting tomorrow. Makin starts a 6 week weave pole course which will be challenging. We are now the proud owners of two sets of six weave poles. They were not cheap but are an investment in both of the girls. Although Makin is the only one formally training we plan on getting Tessa started this summer.

Tessa has started her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) class. We have had one class where we worked on loose leash walking and being greeted by a person with manners. I must admit that I have failed Tessa a little and will therefore have to work with her quite a bit if we want to have a shot at passing the test. I typically have the girls off leash and do not spend as much time with the leash. I also allow jumping on me a little to much. She is gentle and not pushy but it is still bad manners. The other challenge we have is that everyone we know tends to let her jump on them. It is our responsibility to prevent this but the messages sent to her are not consistent as we are asking her to get off while they are rubbing her ears or head. Again, training people, especially people who consider themselves well versed in training or handling dogs can be a challenge. In no way am I saying that I know it all or even a fair amount but asking people to respect what you want to happen can be frustrating.

Both Lael and I had the day off today (although Lael is at work for the evening) and we spent a wonderful today together. We went to the park in the morning where the girls were able to run the trails and even did a bit of swimming. It was a great day out but I was happy to have had them run before the heat kicked in. Lael and I then purchased new running shoes and went for a nice run. I am hoping to get in a few races this summer and in particular a few triathlons.

Tomorrow should be another great day. We plan on going to the park in the morning and then hopefully get in a quick nine holes of golf before we we head to weave pole class in the evening. Hopefully golf won't be too frustrating, but as Mark Twain once said, golf can be "a good walk spoiled"!

Hopefully we can get some pictures tomorrow and do an update on the day, weave poles and our loose leash walking and other CGC work.

Last Agility ABC Class / More Ducks/ Meeting the Moose

2008-03-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Makin had her final agility class this week She picked a good evening to have a relaxed night. She didn't tense up on us like she had in the last couple of weeks and seemed to be excited. I was a little surprised by this because she typically gets nerved up by other dogs and there was a person from the other ABC class there with her huge black lab that had a booming bark. No response from Makin on this. Awesome.

A little side-bar on this lab. I am guessing he weighed about 100 pounds and was interested in seeing him do the obstacles. He was excited, fast, and seemed to be having a blast. I wish I could get Makin to be that excited.

This week we worked a chute where we had multiple jumps with the tire mixed in, the A frame, the teeter followed by a jump, and then the tunnel with our first attempt at the weave poles. Makin did great on the chute and exhibited her speediness as she was able to get out ahead of and finish the jumps without us by her side. We then worked the A frame. Makin does well on this obstacle as long as the silly human thinks about their body language. Lael worked Makin great while I had another brain fart! Right now we are using a "wait" on the contacts and as I got to the back side I slammed on the breaks instead of having a smooth transition. Frustrating! Next up was the teeter. Makin seems to enjoy anything that she has to run up/on. Finally we ended with a tunnel and the weave poles (set of six). As this was our first introduction to weaves we had the guides (x-pens) to help the dogs through. I was happy that Makin was not spooked running through as we start a weave pole class in a few weeks and will be spending time working this obstacle every day. We are looking forward to it.

Well there were more ducks at the park this week. While Makin must have remembered how cold the water was; a little goof ball named Tessa did not. That is her below swimming in the hopes of scoring a mallard! The other picture below is of Tessa on one of the trails we use. I liked it because she looks pretty strong for a wee lass.

Today, Saturday, we met our new friend Moose. This little guy is a 16 week old black lab. He is bigger and heavier than either of our girls and I think he is going to be a big boy. We met Moose and his parents (Lauren and Chris) at the park this morning. We normally like the park that we went to. Not today. Some crummy owners. Upon entering the field one of the dogs immediately went after Tessa. That was the end of the field for the day. I don't think the owner of this obnoxious little guy enjoyed how I broke up the little melee! Nobody got hurt though so I suppose you can say there was some success. The rest of the walk was fun and it was good to meet Moose as I am sure he will be playing with Tessa quite bit in the future. He is one sweet little pooch.

The other day Tessa got spooked by some loud noises. She ended up falling asleep on the couch in the awkward position below. Silly goose!

Now That, is a good "Wait"!

2008-03-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Lael took the ladies to the park this morning. She asked them to wait and this is what she got! Is that a point? Someone should have told Tessa to put her foot down and then wait!

Happy Birthday to Tessa. She is 1 year old today!

2008-03-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a resident's hours can have its perks. Today, I had the morning/afternoon off so I was able to hang out with the girls. We snuggled on the couch, although I made the mistake of leaving my phone in the other room so I when it rang I lost valuable ground.

Then we headed to the park for some romping around. Tessa did her usual introduction to other dogs followed by the taunting sprint away- the other dogs always fall for it and the chase begins. One of the most valuable lessons I learned in Tessa's Good Manners class was the subtle nuances of recall. Timing your recall is key. I could stand there yelling, "Tessa Come!!" over and over again as she's sprinting away, like I used to, but that just puts me in a bad mood. Instead, I waited till she was sort of running towards me anyway, then I called for her, and like magic she came! And I looked like a calm, in-control person and Tessa looked like the best dog ever and we had everyone fooled! It was great!

And Good ole Makin did her usual thing of sitting on the other people's laps as they leaned down to pet her, hoping no dogs would mistake her for Tessa and start to playing with her.

It's a good day, too bad I have to go to work now.

On a completely different note, yesterday was The Match, which is one of the most exciting days in a medical student's life; it's the day you find out where you'll be spending the next 3-5 years of your life. I found out some great friends of mine are coming to my program, so I'm super excited!

Hunting Ducks

2008-03-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

It was 40 degrees at the park this morning. There were ducks at the park swimming in the water hole created by the spring thaw. Makin heard the ducks from about 100 yards away. She took off, and as she hit the edge of the water she took a leap, landing deep in the water. Tessa then realized what was going on and and ran around the hole to where the ducks were trying to exit. Makin swam across the hole and Tessa tries to intercept the ducks. She came within a few inches of catching one. The hunt was then on for the rest of the morning. Towards the end of the walk Makin found the ducks swimming in a smaller water hole. This time she stalked and pointed. The ducks were a little smarter this time and took off as soon as they saw her. It is funny that Makin hates going out in the rain and will not swim unless there is something to go after. She loves birds but bugs swimming in the water are just as exciting! Momo, one of Makin's puppies apparently hates the water. I guess this is one trait Makin failed to pass along!

Dissapointment, Ugh!

2008-03-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

The house search continued this past weekend. Things were looking bleak; again. We then walked into this house that looked great. I must mention here that I do not have the handy man skills that others in my family have. Anyway, we loved this house, great layout, good space not too big, fenced, flat back yard, newer kitchen. We made an offer! The offer was accepted! We had a home inspection! We are now back to the search. It has been a tough couple of days. The offer process is scary. We were exchanging e-mails with our agent till about 4:00 am on Sunday night. Lael and I are both drained.

During the process the girls did not get as much exercises as usual. They have been crazy. Today at the park was full out mayhem. Makin was actually chasing Tessa! That never happens. And during the home inspection one of the little buggers snuck to the front of the car and helped themselves to a jelly doughnut. I didn't realize until today that there were actually two in the bag. Either the doughnuts were not very good or the second was too far down in the bag. I am voting on the latter because whoever did it wasn't thinking, "hey, I will save this one for those fools inside the house"!

On a positive note, I was playing the touch plate game with Tessa last night and was amazed at how much fun she thinks it is. Run to the plate, slam it with her foot and sprint back! She was having a blast. I am not sure if its ok to be touching it with feet or if I need to wait for her to hit it with her nose? I must remember to ask. She is great with hand touches and if I actually hold the plate she goes for it with her nose. I can also get her to weave through my legs using the plate. She is a fun little girl!

Not sure if anyone would like to throw a response out to this question. Tessa has not been eating with her normal tenacity. She will sometimes leave food in her bowl! That is a new one for us. She has been regular and acting normal in all other ways. It may be that the growing process has slowed and she is not as hungry? She can't resist a cookie so I am not alarmed. Is now an appropriate time to reduce food. We are still feeding puppy food and almost 3/4 of a cup more per day than what Makin gets. Thoughts?

We also need to watch Makin's intake a bit. She has added a bit of weight since the beginning of agility. This is a tough one due to the fact that she is famous for skipping meals. The bad part is that when she skips a meal she tends to get sick in the middle of the night. Probably a little bile build up. When she does skip, we give her a few cookies before bed hoping that they will absorb some of the fluids in her belly.

Thank goodness for Lael and the ladies, the last few days would have been impossible without them. I will steal a quote here. I am a lucky, lucky man!

Breakfast in bed

2008-03-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Is anybody else's dog this lazy? She's a smart dog, I suppose! If only I could convince somebody that I will only eat breakfast if it's brought to me in bed...

Our Visitor, Makin's ABC's Class and Our Kids/Dogs

2008-03-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

This week we had a visitor; Kiley the aussie. I must admit I was a little nervous about how much more work it was going to be adding another pooch to my daily routine. Things went well however. Lael had a few easy days this week so she had the the girls for two days while I only had them for three. Our typical day consists of getting up, feeding and getting the girls to go out then taking off for the park. After a minimum of 30 minutes at the park we are off to day care (my parents house) where the girls are lucky enough to hang out while I am at work. I typically go home at lunch for a break and a little run and then back to work. I then pick the ladies up and head home. Our routine was not altered at all and Kiley was a pleasure. She did herd Tessa quite a bit and Tessa is now exhausted and sleeping on my lap as I type. Makin, well, she was herself and kept to herself as usual. The picture above is from this summer when Tessa was still a wee little thing.

Makin has only two agility classes remaining. She had a bit of tough week this week though. She was not as happy as she normally is in the barn. I am not sure if it was noises or if there was a different energy in the barn. When we tried to work a pinwheel (set of three jumps) we were trying to be very upbeat, to get her excited, but were not successful. Katrin suggested that we tone it down a bit and that seemed to help. Toward the end of class Makin started to perk up though. We did the dog walk well with a good wait at the contact. Makin was quick and confident on the walk almost as though she had done this before. We also did a sequence of four jumps in a chute and worked the teeter ending with a jump.

On a different note The Regal Vizsla had an interesting post regarding the humanization of our beloved creatures. I must admit that I often do see the girls as my kids and they are frequently the center of my world. They are my companions but at the same time we try to ensure that they have structure and boundaries. Yes, sometimes this is a difficult task when you live with dogs that are extremely content at being your 40 lb blanket. We do training and agility because it is fun but also because these dogs want to work and seem to be happier when they have something to do. I can run them for hours at the park but the relationship we have is strengthened through working together. The author, John Katz, is referenced in the post. I have read a few of his books and a number of his articles and enjoy his perspective. He is practical regarding his relationships with his animals. I am not sure if I can be as practical as he is but a lot of what he says makes sense. I think that I am better at not putting my feelings on the girls now and I am happier as a result. I don't think they ever exhibited the emotions I was feeling for them. Tessa does not mind spending hours in her crate, if she did she probably would not go there when she feels nervous or stressed. I guess the long and short of it is that we need to treat our dogs like they are our dogs. They are our responsibility and it is our task to give them what they need as dogs.

Rookie Blogger

2008-03-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

As a new person in blog land I have run into a few problems. Formatting for one. Monitoring posts is something I have difficulties with as well. Initially I allowed all posts to go right to the site and as a result got some "spammy" posts. I didn't know how to delete them. So, I now moderate and have accidentally rejected a few posts, by accident, because I have tried to moderate via my phone and have "fat fingered" the buttons! If anyone has recommendations on how to deal with this, I am all ears!

My other big problem is my reliance on spell check. At work I can type things and not even think about spelling because I know it will be fixed automatically. I just need to slow down. Everything does not have to be done quickly!

Makin's Class 3/6/08

2008-03-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

Makin was awesome last night. We worked many of the same things as last week but also introduced the chute and the tire jump. She did both of these new obstacles well. The best part of the night however was Makin's performance on the table. We did tunnel, jump, and table with a down. In prior weeks we had trouble with the down on the table. Makin was much quicker on the down and held her position, elbows on the table for the count of five. She was great! Very pleased with her performance all around. We also worked the contact board a lot. Last week Makin's butt would slide off the board when she waited because she was trying to face us. This week we started with a gate to keep her from doing that. It worked great. When we moved away from the board to get her to do the obstacle with us a few feet away she still started to slide off. We will have to work with the gate in place a little more. We also practiced our outs, and the teeter. Makin did great.

I have been thinking about the class a lot and started to figure out what I like about it so much. Agility is a sport just like any other. Like other sports there are three parts to the game. There is the before game part when you think about what you will do and try to visualize it to prepare so that when you actually have to perform you already have an idea of what you want to do. The second part of the game is the performance where you actually have to do the things you had practiced and thought about. The third part of the game is the post game wrap up where you have to evaluate your performance and think about the things you did well and what you need to work on. Practice is the best part of the sport. Working together and figuring things out. With other sports I have played you have to concentrate on your performance. Yes it is important to have the whole team working in sync but with agility you really have to focus on what the dog is thinking. You have to realize when they are eager to work, when they have had enough and need a break and what they need from you to be successful. This is the best part because it strengthens the relationship you have with your dog. I just hope Makin enjoys the work as much as Lael and I do. She is awesome!

Tessa is doing great also. Although she is not in a class right now we are working a lot with her. She is crazy for balls and chases them with reckless abandon. I am working on "waits" with her when we play with the ball. She really wants to take off when I throw it, but I am making her wait until I release her. I think this will pay dividends in a variety of ways in the future, whether it is in agility or keeping her from entering a dangerous situation. I am excited to start Canine Good Citizen class with her. Maybe some day she can be a therapy dog?!

I must say again that I am so happy we have found great people to work with. Katrin and Julie are so knowledgeable and positive they make all this so enjoyable. The people in class are also a lot of fun. It is great to be able to be with people who are as crazy about their dogs as we are!

Spring is still in the air - and the darn ticks are back too!

2008-03-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying the lovely weather in the morning this week. I have not been enjoying the ticks. I picked no fewer than 15 off of the girls this morning! I tried spraying them with apple cider vinegar this morning and that didn't do a thing. It was not organic, so I will buy some of that and see if it makes a difference. I will be going to a new park in the mornings though. I really hate putting the chemicals on them but if that is what needs to happen, then so be it. Hopefully a switch in venue will do the trick!

Spring is in the Air

2008-03-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

It was a nice warm, muddy, sloppy morning at the park. Makin's second joy in life, with her first being pheasants and similar birds, is clearing a field of Canadian Geese. We saw some at the park this morning. When spotted they were approximately 200 yards away. To reach them required splashing through a chest deep stream, or at least I thought Makin would have to touch the water. Nope, Makin cleared the stream and the field of birds in just a few minutes. These are the days I wish I had a little more of the "hunter" in me. I know for some, Makin is probably not the ideal hunting dog but she certainly does love to work the fields and woods looking for them. Tessa is starting to look for them a lot more often although she is just as likely to point the snow man as she is to point a bird!

Flyball is something that I read about on the Regal Vizsla. We had seen a demo on this at a VCCNE fun day but had not considered it because Makin is not into chasing balls a whole lot. I do think that Tessa may be good at this. She loves tennis balls, soccer balls, basketballs...etc. She is also very good with the touch plate. Last evening after a little work on the touch plate I had them follow me into the bedroom. Tessa disappeared and then reappeared 30 seconds later with the plate. (I stupidly didn't pick it up) Seems like she decided that if I wasn't going to watch her touch it, then she was going to bring it to me so she could get her cookie. Silly girl!

Brave Little Tessa

2008-03-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

Tessa completely surprised me today. We were at the park this morning. Near the entrance to the park the temporary fence made of chicken wire had fallen down. As Makin ran in she did everything in her power to avoid touching it. I assumed there was no way Tessa was going to make it past this obstacle. Well, she certainly proved me wrong. She didn't try to jump it, she ran over it while it made all sorts of noise and actually ran back to me as I stood staring in amazement. I know that it seems like a small accomplishment but little things have spooked Tessa in the house and she has completely shut down. I am very happy with her bravery.

We also bumped into another V at the park and the three dogs and two people went for a nice hour + run. Tessa is definitely aware of the birds these days. Not sure if she is following Makin's lead but she is looking for them.

Tessa was also introduced to dogs best friend, the cat. Tessa can be very social and I have been wary of this at the park because we are often there early in the morning when the coyotes are more likely than not finishing up their rounds. I wasn't sure if Tessa would try to play with one if she saw it. Tessa's reaction to the cat made me think that she is smart enough to realize when someone does not want to play. She just stared in amazement at this black furball that hissed at her. She heeded my request to leave it, and off we went. Good girl!

We also did a bit of house shopping today. The thought of making this investment is totally overwhelming. Deciding on a size is also very difficult. How much house is too much? Do we want to do some work or do we want to move in and be all set. I don't know the answers to these questions but wish I did. Its challenging enough to keep my impulsive nature at bay and be realistic about what I am actually seeing. We had seen a place last week that we thought we loved. We went back this week and discovered it was not all that it appeared. Aesthetically it was nice, but it was lacking in a variety of different ways. I think it is going to be a difficult sale for this family. Very sad.

The Invisible Wall

2008-03-01T05:17:00.000-08:00

Until I read Julie's post I had totally forgotten about the invisible wall. Both Lael and I had difficulties. On the tunnel, jump, box sequence Katrin had drawn a "line in the sand" that we were not supposed to go past. We were trying to get the pooch to go to the box without us. Lael went first and she was funny. I will give her a pass though because she had been working the night before and was a little sleepy! So, props to her for even making the effort to come to class. She hit that line and it was as though someone had anchored her feet. We had a nice laugh about that last night. Well, I had read Julie's blog that day so had forewarning about transitioning, but still acted like an idiot. I ran with Makin and then slammed on the breaks. What did I think was going to happen? I got what I asked for, Makin totally confused on what to do. Jeesh.

We have decided that Makin will be doing the weave pole class next. Now I just have to buy some. I looked quickly at prices last night and they are certainly not cheap. But, I have spent a lot more on stupid, whimsical things and this is a commitment to train the girls. Worth every red cent in my opinion.

I had posted a comment to Katrin yesterday with a number of questions. Let me just say that I did get a response via e-mail and that it was thoughtful, informative, and made me think a lot about my behaviors with Makin and Tessa. I have read the note a number of times to make sure I get what Katrin was saying. I have some work to do.

It's snowing again today. I am so tired of winter and ready for spring and some longer days. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the winter, but am ready to be able to spend more time outside. My bike is loneley and I miss it and I think I want to lie in the grass and soak in some warm sun. But I think the ladies and I are going to take advantage of the weather and go do some x-country skiing with Caera and Adam. Lael is working: bummer.

Agility Class 2/28

2008-02-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

First off Lael and I need to make a decision on which class Makin will do next. We will either be doing Continuing On or a 6 week weave pole course. I think we are leaning toward the weave poles though. With spring around the corner it may be nice to buy the poles and get working on this very challenging piece of equipment. As we are currently in an apartment, we will have to set the poles up in my folks yard and practice after work every day.

Yes the girls are extremeley spoiled, they go to the park ever morning with me and then I am able to drop them off with my parents for the day. We save a ton of money on walkers and I get to spend an hour in the woods running, mountain biking, snow shoeing, or just enjoying a nice walk. I digress.

Makin did great tonight. I was very happy with her wait on the contact board. We are now trying to distance orselves from the board. As we moved away we did notice Makin's butt slid of the board a bit. Not sure how to handle that. I will need to remember to ask next week. We also worked on a small sequence which consisted of tunnel, jump, and table with a down. Makin did great and even though it is a slow down on the box, it was still a down. She seems to enjoy the tunnel. We also worked briefly on the teeter. Makin has no fear which is nice. The teeter is definetely something that would cause Tessa to have a melt-down right now. I am glad we are waiting on agility with her. Hopefully we can start her this summer!

As always the biggest challenge is the silly human stuff. Inconsistent body language can so easily cause confusion for the dog.

Oh yeah, Shaya and Tom impressed me again today. Shaya has taught Tom to pick things up and hand them to her. Very cool! Sounds like Tom has a lot of cool tricks!

What a Day! : Lael, Kelly and Neil do some x-Country Skiing and Snow Shoeing with the Girls

2008-02-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

When it is sunny and a warm 33F degrees out with little to no wind you go and take advantage of it. We went out to Adams Farm for a little exercise. There was approximately six inches of snow on the ground so conditions were perfect for both skiing and shoeing. The girls had a grand time as well. The snow had not frozen over so Makin was more than happy to run in it. For Tessa the woods could be filled with thumb tacks and she would still want to run through it. Silly dog!

Tessa

Makin

It had been a while since any of us had been on x-country skis and we should have checked our gear before heading out but unfortunately Kelly's skis had gotten a little rusty making it impossible to clip boots to bindings. As a result Kelly used my skis for the first half the trip while I snow shooed. We then switched half way through.

Lael and Kelly

Makin is a Celebrity: She's on You Tube!

2008-02-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

Go Over

Contact Board

As you can see we have a long way to go!

ABC's 2/22/08

2008-02-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Class last night was a blast. We worked on multiple jumps going to the touch plate, a curved tunnel, downs on the box, and intro to the board and contacts on the board.

Makin did well on the jumps. I think that Lael and I need to get a little more excited so that she is excited and will be a little quicker. I did notice that Makin picks up speed once she is beyond us and realizes she is supposed to go to the plate. As always the first lesson is to teach the human to communicate so the dog doesn't have to guess at what is going on/where to go. We also don't have to keep up with Makin as long as we are clear on what she is to do with what we say verbally and with our body language. I also noticed that I need to relax. If I am tense then I am not going to have as much fun and odds are I am going to act like a goof!

We then went to the curved tunnel. The funniest part of the night! Katrin was holding Makin and Lael was to call her through the tunnel and back up to get Makin to shoot out with some speed. I must say here that Lael had a bad shoe choice for the evening. Well, Makin hit the tunnel and Lael started backing up caught her heel and actually caught some air on the way to the ground. I knew she was going to be fine which is why I threw out a hearty laugh. I also laughed because it is common knowledge that Lael has zero "ups" and she actually caught some nice air! The nice thing is the first wipe out has occurred and nobody else has to worry about being "that guy"! (Sorry Lael, it was hilarious) We definitely need some work in this department.

We also did some work on box downs. Last week there was no way Makin was going down on the box. We worked a lot on downs this week as a result. Makin was not quick at hitting the deck last night but she was doing it for us. I was very pleased.

Finally we worked on the board and contacts, getting Makin to run down the board with a wait on the end. Unclear messages from the people at the beginning made things a little more difficult. Towards the end we started to get it, as did Makey. We will need some work here on keeping the rear end on the board. I am not sure if her but goes off the board because she is trying to face us when we say wait. I think it may be the case so we will need to figure out a way to tell her to keep those back feet on the board.

It was a fun class. Can't wait to work on this stuff this week. Can you say addictive?

There may be some video of last night’s class that I can look at later which will help me see what I could improve on. Also, I will try to remember the camera next week for some action shots.

Manner 2/18/08: Last Class

2008-02-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

Tessa had her last class yesterday. She did very well and is getting much better paying attention when there are distractions. The humans were dorks again though. Lael and I both go to class and we were confusing Tessa when we would switch who was working with her. This was pointed out to us and we will work on having structured ends or a command that will allow Tessa to know that it is ok to go and work with the other person. These are the types of things I find very valuable in the classes. Tare a lot of things that we can do as people that can be very confusing to the dog. These things get pointed out in class and reccomendations are given. Body language is so important and for a dog it can mean different things than what we as people think it means. Figuring this out is the rewarding/challenging part.

Tessa is still being very sensitive. She spooks easily. We pulled out jump poles in the house and that totally freaked her out. I didn't ask her to do anything with them or even walk over them. I just put them on the floor when she was not in the room, got her and walked to the couch over them to sit down. She ran to the entrance of the living room, looked at them, tucked her ears back, squished into a ball, and went to her bed in the kitchen. Silly dog. I then went outside and spread these things out where the girls go to the bathroom. When we went outside for a break she thought the poles were great, smelled good, and could care less about walking over and around them. Jeesh! In talking with Katrin and Julie at class they think it may be possible that there is something in the house that we are unaware of that is spooking her. Another example of this weird behavior was when we brough the bike up and put it on the stationary rider. Complete shut down! She wouldn't even go in the same rooom. We then started to feed her near it and she started to get over it, but if you touch the bike, meltdown! We were out yesterday and saw a couple of kids on bikes. No problem at all! Very confusing. I am happy though because that means that we can still go mountain biking with them.

Now it is time to decide what is next. I need to sign us up for a clicker class in March. A three week class which I think we will bring both girls to. We will then, possibly, start Tessa in Agility ABC's during the summer. Hopefully she chills out a little. I do have concerns though. Lael and I had met someone at a Vizsla Fun Day that had been working on agility and was doing well. They went to a trial at an indoor facility where there was a loud air conditioning unit. The dog had a meltdown and would not even go near equipment for a long time. I don't want to run into that problem, but it may be unavoidable and just something we will always have to work at.

Favorite Pictures

2008-02-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

Playing!

Smooches!

At the park. Yes, jackets. Again the people putting their feelings on the dogs and thinking they will be cold!

The beach. Someone got tired from romping in the water. Someone else is still looking for birds!

The ride home at 8 weeks!

Please let us in, and while your at it get rid of this little guy!

Snoozing with mom!

Chillin on the deck!

Looking for birds at the beach!

I hate baths!

Agility ABC's 2/14/08

2008-02-15T06:01:00.000-08:00

Great class last night! For the last bunch of weeks we had been working on things where it wasn't as easy for me to be a stupid human. Well last night we finally got to the point where I could be a total dork. First, as Katrin said and I agree with, I run like a mushroom when I am bringing Makin through obstacles. Second, I need to remember to use all of my command. If I "wait" Makin I have to always remember to use the proper release word instead of just encouraging her to go. This way I can increase the effectiveness of the command and make it more reliable. Third, I have been so focused on behavior when we go to the park and in the house and have not been working on "down" enough (I think I just made and excuse for myself, this blog thing may keep me honest). Makin knows down but that does not mean she is good at it. She is deliberate and slow, not just in the cold, but even at home on a rug. We will have to work hard on this because the box will be a killer without a quick reliable down. Fourth, flailing my arms and hands is not going to get Makin to do something. Looking like a mushroom and flailing is even worse, never mind the fact that I look stupid.

Now, you may ask why I would I do this is if I am going to be hard on myself. Well, the answer is that I have a blast doing it. When I was writing the above section I was actually smiling at my silliness. I like the agility class because not only does Makin have to learn but I do as well and if I don't do things well I only make it harder on her. It’s a challenge and it is fun when we do something new.

Last night Makin did great on the touch plate. She went over a bar, over a six inch jump, touched the plate and came back. The way out was a little slow but she picked it up on the way back because she had cheese on the brain. Six weeks ago I did not think we would be able to do that. Again, not giving the goofball enough credit. She also did well on the outs. We were able to consistently go around the cone and the two gates. Now I just need to be able to stay away from the cone (entry) and still get her to do the out (remembering not to be a flailing mushroom).

Lael had to work last night which is why there are so many "I's in this post. We will see if she looks like a flailing mushroom or if she has some other silly human thing she does. We missed her though. I was tired because I had no relief. I think that means I need to start running again. Pathetic.

Nicaragua

2008-02-13T18:43:00.000-08:00

Finally, we don't have people over for dinner tonight so I am able to add some pictures from Nicaragua. It was a great trip. Now, I guess its time to plan the next adventure. I think we are heading to Acadia with Caera and Adam during the summer and then I am looking into another mountain biking trip because last years trip to Moab UT was so much fun. I am having trouble deciding between Oregon, Colorado, or back to the desert. I added a link to the tour company. They have great trips and some cool videos as well. Makes me hate the winter a little bit.

Without further ado, Nicaragua...

Lael on a zip line. I believe this one was 400 meters long and about 50 feet off of the ground. Sorry about having two different systems of measurement. I am forced to use the facts I am given!

Petroglyph (approximately 1200 years old) on the island of Ometepe. What was interesting was that we saw them on someone's private property. They charge a fee for you to see them. Historical, yes, but I was not all that exited about the carved rocks.

A Howler Monkey. We saw five or so of them. One was a momma and had the baby on her back. The funny thing is that apparently we were lucky they were in a good mood because sometimes they throw stuff at people, sometimes feces, yuck!

The beach in the town of San Juan Del Sur. One day when we went there was a full soccer game under way. I have played soccer before but these kids would have made me look silly!

The pool. In the distance is the town of San Juan Del Sur.

The villa that our Aunt and Uncle were nice enough to let us use.

Does this look comfortable?

2008-02-13T18:38:00.002-08:00

Let's just say Tessa has an odd, although exuberant way of showing her affection...

Last Day of Vacation

2008-02-12T09:58:00.001-08:00

Today is my (Lael's) last day of vacation, so I decided to take the dogs for a good romp at the park. And I didn't take them out yesterday as it was ~17 degrees and they (I) would be too cold! But it became obvious that Tessa's pent up energy needed to be released. She is actually remarkably good in the house, but she the fact that she would sprint to and from her bathroom breaks made me realize that she had some running that needed to be done. Now of course Makey & Tessa are all tuckered out and snuggling in the sun on the couch- doesn't sound too bad.
Here are some pictures of the fun at the park.
We missed Neil- poor sucker had to work. :)

Vacation and The Post Vacation Reconciliation

2008-02-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

Lael and I went on a glorious trip to Nicaragua. I must admit I was more than a little apprehensive. After having spent a week in the town of San Juan Del Sure I must say that I would go again, and hope to. The people were great, the food was delicious and there is more than enough to keep you occupied. We did our fair share of enjoying the pool but we also enjoyed the town, the beach, a trip to Ometepe Island, a canopy tour, and most importantly, a week enjoying each others company. Often times you get stuck in your day to day routines and it is little vacations like these that make you realize how great it is to just hang out together without the rat race taking hold of everything. There was no opportunity to “overbook” our time either which was nice.

As far as the girls are concerned, Makin stayed with Steve and Joanne and then with Caera and Adam. Tessa went to Katrin (our trainer) for the week. They both sound as though they did well. Tessa did shed a few pounds, how, I do not know. So we have been feeding a little extra. They were both excited to see us and have been a little needy. Yesterday, Sunday, they had a nice long run at the park and then they both had training in the afternoon.

Tessa’s training went well. She is coming along and we were able to maintain some control when the other dogs started to go crazy. We also had a bit of luck with distracted recall. I am not sure if she just wanted to listen or if her stay with Katrin came with a little training. Regardless she is doing well. We have one more manners class with her and then I think it will be time for an Agility ABC’s class. We practice Makin’s homework with her a bit so hopefully that will give us a head start.

Makin’s class yesterday was awesome. We worked on “outs”, which we will need to work on a lot because Makin will definitely want to stick to you like glue. Katrin tried to use Makin as a demo. Now I thought this was a wonderful idea because Makin kind of gets it, but Katrin asked her to get out and Makin sure did get out, out and back to Lael and I. Kind of bad, but makes me feel good that we are her people. We also worked on touch plates. Makin did pretty well with this as well. Basically there is a point on the ground, marked by a plate, and Makin has to go to it and touch it with her nose. Slow at first but she started to get it. For next week she needs to be able to go to the plate from a distance of about 15 feet and over a couple of poles on the ground. We are teaching her to not only go to the plate but to go over things whenever she sees them, Very fun!

Well we will be sure to post some pictures of Nicaragua soon. Maybe next week we will even bring a camera to training and post some pictures from there.

Training

2008-01-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

Well, Tessa is now in Manners 2 and Makin has her first class of agility this week. Tessa is doing well in class but we are still having a little trouble with distracted recall. Working on it though. I must remember to bring high quality treats to the park.

Makin's class will be a challenge. Agility ABC's run my Maplewood Dog Care and Training. The same folks that teach Tessa. I am very excited about both classes. The instructors are awesome. Katrin, the head trainer, is very knowledgeable and I think she will demanding, especially for ABC class. Julie is the other instructor who we have worked with. She has a great attitude and always has good recommendations. There is a lot of homework. I am excited though because Makin will have a job, other than trying to find birds at the park every morning! We do a lot of work with Tessa at home also. So this will be the real start of the blog. Lots of updates on training.

Oh yeah, Tessa is getting big. She is now 35 lbs and is the same height as Makin but a little thinner. Not that Makin is fat, she is just a little thicker and has quite a bit more muscle.

More to come.....

The girls love the sun!

2008-01-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

Always ready to take a snooze in the sun!

More Christmas

2008-01-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

The girls had a merry christmas. There were even some stockings for them. Tessa was dressed in a little something that was a gift a year ago for Makin. She tolerated it quite niceley!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-17T06:21:00.000-08:00

Trash Day

2007-08-09T06:05:00.001-07:00

This is how Tessa spends most of Trash Day. To you and me, we recognize that clanging, crunching, vrooming as the waste management truck. But to those who might not be aware, I could understand how it sounds like the world is coming to an end or that a monstrous mechanical coyote is after them.

What a cute little puppy!

2007-08-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

I just started my pediatrics residency a few weeks ago and my first rotation was in the newborn nursery. Imagine you're a new mother, brimming with excitement yet anxious about every movement or noise that the baby makes. The pediatric intern comes in for the first official exam of this bundle of joy, picks the baby up and says "What a cute little puppy!". Can you blame me? Tessa IS a cute little puppy, which flows so easily off your lips, and I say it often hence "cute" is always followed by "puppy" in my brain. And Tessa loves to be held like a baby:

Another time I told a new mom I'd put her baby back in her crate. Oops...

Smile!

2007-07-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Tessa is currently in the process of losing her teeth, which is something we've actually been looking forward to. Those pearly white can be deceptively sharp. Although Tessa's teeth aren't as sharp as other puppies I've met (I still have a scar on my arm from another puppy's tooth). Here's Tessa's original puppy smile:

Then her favorite chew toy came along, Kiley. After one tumultuous afternoon, here's what we saw:

And here's what's coming in. She's the teenager who hasn't yet grown into her teeth. We'll keep you updated as to whether she'll need braces.

Lets get started!

2007-07-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first attempt at blogging. I was inspired by a friend's blog as well as the fact that I have more couch time as schedules within our house are beginning to change! You may ask, how can you have free time when you have two crazy Vizslas but I assure you that they are quite the couch potatoes come dusk!

Makin is 6 and Tessa is almost 18 weeks. We are having a great time learning how a household with two dogs works. Always a learning process and being consistent and very patient is extremeley helpful. Lael was able to spend almost three weeks with Tessa when she first came to us and therefore we had quite a head start. Lael did an amazing job with house training as well as with a variety of different commands.

The girls started out very different in size and Makin was, at first, very apprehensive of Tessa. They are now best friends!

Stay tuned for more on our girls, it should be fun, as Tessa just completed Puppy Kindergarten and Makin is about to complete Beginner Agility!