Bo & Tip's Most Excellent Weekend

Last weekend, Paul had his first full-scale regatta and John's mom was due to arrive for a long-anticipated visit.  So naturally I was up in Boonsboro Maryland at an obedience trial with Bo & Tip.  It was the Mason & Dixon Kennel Club trial, held at the Washington County Rural Heritage Museum (http://www.ruralheritagemuseum.org/).  They have an impressive collection of very nicely maintained log cabins, donated from various sources.  I know the history of them all, because I got a personal tour from a very kind guide (after the easter egg hunt had cleared out).  An energetic greybeard in his 60s, he confessed to being the youngster amongst the volunteers.  

But that is not the main point, but it is important.  It was an absolutely lovely setting for a trial.  Lovely indoor buildings (one ring per room), with sufficient crating, paved parking, running toilets, and seemingly endless lovely vistas to walk your dog.

Bo, being small, was first dog in Utility both days.  Another lovely feature: the trial started at 9AM.  So I could leave home at 7, and still have a whole hour to let the dogs settle in and get them ready to work!

Bo Q'ed in Utility saturday moring.  I was stunned.  We had had such a long streak of NQs.  I don't know where to put the reason for the Q, but it must be (in part) because I told myself VERY FIRMLY that the goal was to have dogs that WANTED TO BE IN THE RING WORKING WITH ME.  That was my goal.  Not a Q.  So Bo Qed.  Then he Qed in Open B, and we got our third UDX leg! Whoo hoo!!!!  In Utility I thought he worked fabulously, but it was a strict judge so we score din the 180s.

Then came Tip.  The dog I should not have entered in Novice because he was so not trained or ready for it.  Heel on lead was a bit ugly.  Heel off lead was even uglier.  I had to give him a second command on off lead heeling.  Entertainingly I rapped out "Tip! HEEL!!!", which was effective at getting him back with me.  Even though he has never heard that command before in his life.  His heel command is "let's go!"  And I did much of the heeling with no idea where he was, because I could not see him.  Then I decided that was a good thing, as it meant he must be trailing along after me, because if he were anywhere else in the ring I would have seen him.

The kind kind judge in Novice B (who had just an hour earlier judged Bo and commented that he was obviously a Border Collie based on how he worked) determined that Tip had put in a qualifying performance in the individual exercises.  

Then we had to survive the novice stays.  Luckily Tip was between two small and very solid dogs.  Not next to the flatcoat who vibrated and flirted (but held position) throughout the entire stays.  Novice stays are awful, you just stand there and are a silent witness to the entire ten-million-year-long torturous ordeal.  But Tip (king of doing nothing) held his stays like a champ!  And he Q'ed and earned his first CD leg!! With a big 3 points to spare!!!!  lost a dozen points on each of the heeling exercises and did everything else essentially perfectly.  well except on the recall did not sit front and did not really finish.  (details, details...).

I was so pleased with life and Gloria was here, I almost didn't go back on Sunday.  Then I thought "they are all just going to sleep in sunday morning anyhow", so took only Bo off to the trial.  Tip rested on his laurels (more about him in a moment).  Bo was again first in the Utility ring again.  He put in an OK performance, but there were a lot of off fronts and finishes.  However he Q'ed (YEAH!!!!!!), and the judge made a comment about how he made it look easy.  Didn't seem like it to me, so I thought he was joking. 

Then came Sunday's Open B.  the way the trial was organized, Bo had maybe 30 minutes downtime between Utility and his open performance.  Broad jump was first, and he seemed a bit tired.  Let's be honest -- I am used to him vibrating with energy.  I told him to jump and he walked up to the jump and I foresaw him walking through the broad jump.  But no, he jumped over it and gave me a perfect front.  He Q'ed on all the individual exercises, and was so tired did not even pounce on the dumbbell on the retrieve on flat.

Then the stays.  He was next to a big hairy dog who was having a bad day.  Then on the stays it almost didn't go down, and when it did, there was barely a foot away from Bo.  This was a dog that the previous day Bo had made sure he was facing away from during the stays.  I look in unhappy desperation at the judge, and we lave our dogs.  During the stays, I abjectly beg the nice lady with the big hairy dog to walk really carefully around Bo when she returns (there is so little space), and I don't want him to NQ in the final seconds of the stays.  Happily, as the follow owner of a hairy dog, she understands and sympathizes.  And Bo Qs and earns his FOURTH UDX leg.

But -- saving the best for last.  Ribbons for the Utility B class.  The previous day all ribbons were earned by 3 brilliant black & white border collies and a brilliant Keeshond.  On sunday, the judge pinned first through third, then called fourth place.  My lead was firmly tucked in my pocket so I could applaud everyone.  But no one moved.  and then I started to think that #305 sounded sort of familiar.  So I glanced at my arm and realized that Bo had won 4th place!!!  Go Little Dog Go!!!!

Summary: Tip Q's first time in the Novice B ring.  Bo earns two UDX legs and a Utility B placement in competition.  I Q every time I go into the ring.  Yeah, I'd say that was a good weekend!

What Bo & Tip & I need to work on

Bo and Tip and I had an obedience lesson with Diane.  And my handling has gotten quite messy, which was also causing all sorts of problems for the dogs.  So the things we will be working on.

Figure 8:  I need to drive harder on the inside circle and make sure that my lines across the middle are straight and my turns around the posts are more consistent.  Better handling on my part means my dogs can actually perform this correctly!

Tip

Heel position and sit at halt: I need to require consistently and only reward close in straight sits.  And work to reward the head and body not turning in to me.  I also need to work footwork on about turns and work him driving around and staying close -- in part by throwing food so he drives on the about turns.

Come close on recalls:  Play the cheerio game (go out, through legs, and come front.  Only reward when he drives right between my feet. 

Where is my hind end?  Teach Tip to stand on a small (pack of cards) sized object.  Then teach him to pivot left and right.  First with me in front of him, then with me beside him.

Bo

Kick my left heel with his right hind foot: Yeah, this one sounds weird, but he was under-rotating on the finishes.  Teach Bo to touch my left heel with his right hind foot -- to teach him how to swing his butt all the way in on the finishes. Do this first by touching his foot to my heel and C/T.

Reteach signals as not moving front feet from the card box.  To prevent him from moving forward on the signals.  First teach him to stand on the small object, then that he must keep his feet touching the object while he downs.  This will absolutely prevent any forward movement on the signals.  Then the whole point of signals is keeping the feet in position.  Also, if I want to go reward him, walk around behind him, then straddle him and reach down with food -- so it comes from behind.

 

Beauty Beau Tay

I went a bit mad and ordered photos from two different obedience trials recently.  Because they were such lovely photos of Bo working, and I have no equivalently lovely photos of Tycho working.  So under the theory that one should not make the same mistake twice, I supported my local dog sports photographers.  (I also supported the local videographers at local agility trials, but that is something else entirely)

Like wow.  Carl Gernazio caught this moment at trials at Catoctin.  I thought it was so lovely, because that is how I see Bo, gazing up at me. Nice ears. PLease note he is sitting on my novel so I could not read.

Also at Catoctin, a scenic glove retrieve.  I recently moved up to larger gloves, after a judge raised her eyebrows at our little gloves.

 Jim Poor's photos from the sheltie trial at CTA. 

In case you were wondering ... yes as far as I can tell Bo does in fact go out of his way to look as flashy as possible. 

Here is a nice sequence.  Yes -- me and Bo setting up for the directed retrieve.  

 

 Yes indeedy do.  That is my dog cheating and peering over his shoulder. Please note that his front is still straight.  He does the same thing when the judge goes to put out the scent articles.  Wants to make sure the judge does not run off with his article, perhaps???

My personal favorite:  in case you were thinking it was physically impossible for a 10" dog to do wrapped heeling, think again! 

Looking at these photos, I am simply thankful I have cut my hair since then!  ugh!

The puppy tells you who the dog will be

What a puppy is like tells you a lot what the basic tendencies of the dog will be.  Yes, you can modify and change it through training, but the basic temperament and tendencies will always be there.  Its like a river, it wants to follow its path.  You can make it jump its bank and take a new course, but that is a lot of work!

Tycho as a puppy at about 8 weeks old.

Tycho as a puppy: Tycho arrived on a plane, in the kennel next to his litter sister Mini.  Tycho was excited about all the exciting new things going on and was trying to figure out how to kiss and play with all these new people:  luggage handlers, airport employees, crazy blond ladies, dark-haired guys...  He was really cautious around other dogs.  A friend's gentle yellow lab had to lie down and be still before Tycho could get up the courage to sneak up and sniff the end of her tail.  (Once that was accomplished, he was quite eager to play!).

Tycho as an adult:  he adored people.  His idea of a good time was meeting people and getting petted.  He was perfectly happy to go new places, to meet new people.  He liked some dogs, dogs he knew, and got uncomfortable around dogs he didn't know.  

So what about Bo and Tip?

Bo as a puppy, about 15 weeks old.

Puppy Bo: Even as a little puppy, Bo watched his breeder.  That is what he did.  She was the center of his world and his eyes were on her all the time.  He would play and gambol, with an eye on her.  If running through a tunnel made her laugh then BOOM,  he was going through that tunnel again!  And he had endless energy.

Adult Bo: Bo spends his life watching me and figuring out what I want so he can do it.  again and again and better and better.  I have managed to work Bo so hard he gets overheated, but I am not entirely sure if we have ever actually exhausted him.  He will keep going and going, and pay later.

Young Tip, about 15 months.

Puppy Tip:  OK, all I can say is his breeder's daughter actually thought he was autistic or retarded or something.  seriously.  He didn't play or interact or bumble about like the other dogs.  He would just sit there and watch.  Sort of like a vegetable.

Adult Tip:  It took a year of living and training by Bo, but Tip will now play and fetch balls.  He suffers through innumerable play attacks and mounting sessions by Bo.   Though suffers is the wrong word because it often seems like he doesn't even know Bo is latched on to his other end.  And Tip watches and thinks.  I am hoping that is what he was doing as a puppy:  watching and thinking.  Because the other option is he was just sitting there like a little fluffy white vegetable...  Like a hairy mangel-wurzel.

Having read that, it makes Tip sound like a horrible little lump.  Nothing could be further than the truth.  He is very sweet, entirely charming and truly earns his nickname "the little gentleman".  Tip truly does not wish to do things wrong, has excellent manners, and is universally loved by all that meet him.   When we take the smalls for walks, Tip charms everyone we meet, while Bo stands by me, watching me, avoiding the strangers and waiting for a cue that we will start doing something again.  Yes, Bo comes off as unfriendly because the rest of the world simply does not matter to him (only I do).  The rest of the world matters to Tip, because it is more people that can admire him...

Bo's fabulous weekend

Bo finished his 16th title this past weekend, earning his MXJ at the Oriole Trial.  He ran fabulously: Qed in 4/6 runs and should've been 5!  He also placed in each run (in a very large and competitive 8" class), and earned 75-80 MACH points from those 4 Qs.  On top of that, he picked up a double Q (QQ).  He came very tired, very dirty, and with a rosette bigger than he is!

We're gonna party like its ...

Tip did it!!! He opened his mouth and took the dumbbell!!!!!

So maybe this seems silly but... I am so proud of Tip and so happy!!!!

I have been working for weeks to get Tip to take and hold the dumbbell. Started trying to just open his mouth and put it in, and that was met with fearsome resistance. Just a couple tries and I had a pissed off little dog who clenched his mouth shut, and shoved the dumbbell out as hard as he could, and who was clearly not pleased.  He would avoid the dumbbell and look away.

oops.

So then I went to do clicker training for a week or so.  That got him to the point where he would open his mouth and grab the dumbbell and immediately release.  I could not get him to extend the hold.  So he had a grab, but not a hold.  But at least he was now feeling positively towards the dumbbell.

So then I went back to a more correct implementation of the inducive retrieve.  The first week or so I got it so I could open his mouth, put the dumbbell in, and have him hold it very briefly.  No longer trying his best to shove it out of his mouth! About a week ago I came home and decided he could certainly learn to hold it for a short period of time.  Lo and behold, 5 minutes later he was doing so!  All this training depended heavily on the amazing powers of liverwurst, and a small amount of "cut the crap and keep holding that, its not going to kill you."

Today, I decided that the next step I wanted him to take was I wanted him to open his mouth and take the dumbbell, rather than having me open his mouth and put it in there.  aka: I wanted him to take ownership of the behavior and not be a passive participant.

For this I used chunks of fresh beef roast (from the deli, cut very thick) and Bo.  And as I was grabbing lunch at home today, I decided to take 5 minutes and work the retrieve with the dogs.  I did 3 repetitions of "put in Tip's mouth praise, take, and feed hunks of beef". Then I let Bo take and hold it a couple times and get treats.  Then I decided that if Tip was going to get the chunks of roast beef, he was going to open his mouth himself.

He sat there for ~30 seconds, then I offered it to Bo, who got chunks of beef. I offered it again to Tip.

Poor little guy was so stressed that he was literally shaking like a leaf.  All I was doing was holding it in front of his nose and I said "take it" once.  I am not exactly sure what was so difficult, but clearly this was REALLY HARD for him to take the initiative.  Finally he opened his mouth and took it, though it came out quickly.  For this he got 2 pieces of beef and gobs of praise.  We did that a couple more times, then took a break (and Bo got to take it and get treats).  Then went back to Tip, who started consistently opening his mouth and holding it, and now I had him hold it for a few seconds each time before taking it.  And each time he got HEAPED with praise and several pieces of beef.  And by the end of the session the shaking had mostly subsided.

I am very proud of Tip.  This was clearly VERY VERY hard for him, and he worked through it!  But seeing him sit there shaking like a leaf while he was working it out -- wow.  And I was working this in a very non pushy and low-stress way, just waiting for him to take the initiative.

If I can just teach him sits in heeling and fronts and not try to take on every big dog he sees...  he could be going places!

Tip's first obedience title

This past weekend, Tip finished his Beginner Novice (BN) obedience title.  So he is now CH. Waytogo's Walk This Way BN NJP.

I am rather divided how I feel about this achievement. In one sense, I brought a dog who was scarcely trained at all into the ring and earned three qualifying scores (with decent scores) without hardly trying.  All I really did was to teach him to gait next to me (only slightly changing his breed ring behavior) and teaching him how to hold a sit stay.  He did not give a single sit in heeling, figure 8s, or recalls.  This lack earned me (well-deserved) steely looks from the judges.

So in one sense, it feels like a cheat.

On the other hand, my little Dipper earned his first obedience title in three straight shots, with really decent scores and is showing great promise!  Yeah Tip!!!!

This I will say, however: on both days, I went right from the BN ring with Tip to the Open B ring with Bo.  To work a dog who could heel so perfectly!  Is delighted to work and give perfect attention!  Knows what to do and tried so hard!  Yeah to BO!!!!!!