I'm Back

Wow, I haven't been here since July. Lots has happened. My mom is the pet training instructor at a new store, well it's new for her. She has better hours, so she can enter shows again. Racer and Belle (and Beth) have come to live with us, so now there are eight canines all in one house. Not good for me because now we are on the "Doggie Rotation Plan."

I hope all my fans are well. Please keep in touch with me

July Fourth weekend

It's July Third, and all our neighbors are blowing off fireworks. I don't mind, but Moe, Barney, Tubbs, and Belle won't come out of their crate. Happens every year. The neighbors will be blowing those things off until after Labor Day. Just love it!

Notice, I said Belle. Yes, that's right Beth moved back home, after being on her own for almost nine years. She brought Belle and Racer home with her. That leaves us with eight, count them, eight dogs in our house. Not to mention two Cockatiels, and a rabbit, and two parakeets. Yes, our house is now a flippin' zoo. Thank goodness my mom works at Petsmart!

Sorry I haven't blogged lately. Lots of busy stuff going on at my house.

I am a Big Blue Raspberry

Well, I went to the groomers. I was shedding a lot and getting hair everywhere. I spent the whole day at the grooming salon while my mom was at work. They brushed me before my bath. They brushed me again after my bath. They cleaned my ears. The brushed my teeth. They ground my nails down into saydust. THEN they did it. The dreaded moment where they sprayed me with that stuff. They called it colonge. I call it YUK. It made me sneeze. Now I smell like a big raspberry. I am so embarrased.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

What a boring, dreary, week! Mud, rain, more mud, and more rain. I have been in the house and not able to do agility or even play ball because everything is wet and muddy in our yard. We can't play with the sheep either because of all the mud. What a waste of a perfectly good week! Well, gotta go. It's naptime again

Spring has Sprung

well, here it is, April again. I have been lax in my posting because my mom is very lazy about blogging. We have been playing in the yard and having fun.

I got my Canine Good Citizen certificate last month. I was a very good boy. So good in face that now Mom wants to enter me in an Obedience trial. Can you imagine that? Me, doing Obedience. We'll have to see about that.

Rookie got his Novice Standard and Novice Jumpers titles last weekend. He is starting to be a very good agility dog. Sometimes he even looks better than me, if that's possible. Watch! He will get his Excellent titles way before me. I don't seem to be able to qualify, even if I am a good boy.

Anyway, I would like to hear from my friends, if I still have any.

Positive Reinforcement

It's almost Spring and people are getting out with their dogs. It's time for training, playing, and socializing.

I was clicker trained. So were my friends, Tubbs, Rookie, Iggy and Moe(she's sound sensitive, so her clicker is a ball point pen). Barney has never been trained, nor has he needed to be. Positive Reinforcement training in a nutshell is rewarding the stuff that is right, and redirecting or ignoring the behavior that is not right. You show the dog what you want, but do not punish the incorrect behavior. No prong collar ever for me, and I am a great leash walker. I also know how to heel for Obedience (I personally hate Obedience). I have never had aversive corrections, no shake cans, no throw chains, no squirt bottles. That doesn't mean there are no rules at my house. No, my mom works on the NILIF (nothing in life is free) plan. I have to work for what I want. I know who is in charge of all the food and all the toys (not me, darn it).

There are many good websites about Positive Reinforcement training. Google it and check them out. Your dogs will be better for it.

It's been a While

So, my mom teaches this agility class on Monday mornings. It's a nice little class, kinda of like a club. Well, there's this lady in the class with a German Shepherd. She has some issues, like she thinks the Shepherd is wonderful, and a perfect angel. He's NOT. He hates other dogs and is aggressive toward people. They have been making progress and we have had no problems in our class. She started another class on another morning today and guess what! Her dog bit someone. Yes, bit, right in the stomach, blood and everything.

I'm so tired of hearing stuff like this.

People, please train your dogs in a positive way, you will avoid many problems

It's 2009

I haven't posted for a while. I've been too bored to write. Nothing much going on right now. Yesterday, Rookie, Racer, and I went to an agility trial at McCook, IL. I did OK. Nothing to brag about, but no qualifying scores. Rookie got a Second Place in Novice FAST, and Racer qualified, too. I was in Open FAST. I didn't get enough points, even though I did the send. My other runs weren't bad, but you know, I have this thing about yellow. I also knock bars when I get excited. That's OK. One of these days...

I hope all my friends have a wonderful 2009.