Life Adventures

Logan went in for bloodwork Oct 2017.  I was concerned because we had seen a slow-down.  Still, mother's intuition told me that something else was off.  Even though he had his blood tested 3 months prior, I asked again for the tick test.  He's always been Ehrlichiosis positive. When the vet, Dr. Gottshalk came in, he told the technician not to run the tick panel (not realizing that I had asked for it).  The technician had already done it.  Luckily she did. Logan came back positive for Lyme's.  The vet was ecstatic.  Not because Logan had Lyme's per say, but because, as he said, "This is something I can treat." We started Logan on doxy and he showed increased energy and improvement.   But he started to stink.  Patti said that the antibiotics cause dampness, and especially with dogs in Logan's condition.  So, we gave him an herbal to take to reduce the dampness once he was done with the doxy. We also started him on a new liver formula to help stop the met

It is a long drive to the Trial in Clemson, but once we get there, the stay is so pleasant.  My favorite thing to do is take a walk in the botanical gardens.  The dogs love it because there are plenty of squirrels. The other positive is that Logan can walk the wooded paths and then I️ can stroll him on the paved loop around the park. This time, I️ made a list of some of the favorite plants I️ saw.  Perhaps we can plant some of those in the yard this year. Things to remember - Logan running up to me to get treats.  And also poor Logan trying to run up the stone stairs and his back legs gave out and he got stuck.  Cadia and Braddock pulling to a squirrel in the tree, the squirrel started to come down and they went crazy for it.  I️ will remember how nice the weather felt in the afternoon and the way the sun looked coming through the red leaves in the garden. My favorite section of the garden is the walk on the stone path that goes to this overlook spot: I️ also really enjoyed walk

Well, I have learned that Braddock still needs training time.  I've been giving it all to Frye. While normally Braddock and I look very polished, I realize that when the course requires him to think a bit, he's not doing it.  He makes quick and easy decisions without considering all information, and this I believe is because I haven' t been working him as much.  Also, when I do work him, we are doing the same pattern of exercises, which allows him to follow on autopilot and not have to use his brain that much.  So, for the next 2 weeks before Invitational I need to get his mind back focused. On Day 1, he blew the dogwalk contact, and I have been working that at home.  But he shut his brain off, and missed it. In JWW, Braddock misread my pull as a rear cross at jump 15 (because I was facing into him).  I saved it, but then he knocked a bar.  Frye on the other hand, in her first Excellent JWW debut, ran the course flawlessly, and the only reason she didn't qualify i

Normally we head down to the Clemson Trial Thanksgiving day, but this year since mom and dad were in town, we decided to wait and leave for the Trial on Friday.  We all enjoyed a nice lunch together and watched Hacksaw Ridge as we digested the meal. It was the best turkey we had ever eaten. turkey dry brine turkey preparation For the turkey, follow dry brine instructions and put turkey in fridge overnight.  Then follow instructions for preparation, including mixing the butter and spices to coat outside of turkey.  For the inside cavity, put in the aromatics from the second link “good eats recipe”, and followed that instruction for the cooking. Of the sides to repeat, get a bag of small buttery potatoes for the fried potatoes.  Include my southern living corn spoonbread recipe and sweet potato soufflé recipe.  The two sweet breads were eggnog bread ( Eggnog bread recipe ) and pumpkin bread (southern living).  The white rolls (from King Arthur recipe)   king Arthur rolls.  . I used t

Frye continues to improve, and she did an amazing job in Concord.  Her first run she was a little wild.  We were having a rough trip (RV power issues). We had a freezing cold night.  Given we were out of sorts, we didn’t do her usual sprint back and forth routine. That said, after we got through the teeter, she really got it together. Many dogs struggled to get to the weaves, but I️ did a reverse spin and she read it very well. In JWW, she was fabulous and the only mistake was my fault.  I️ cut in behind for a rear cross which she actually read very well.  Unfortunately, I️ had to do it a jump too soon given how fast she was and I️ couldn’t make it into position for the next jump.  She felt me come in and didn’t move out to pick up the out jump. On Day 2, Frye had a better STD run, but missed the up contact of the teeter.  Otherwise she would have Q’d. In JWW, Frye got her Open JWW title.  She had a wide turn before the weaves taking her around an off course jump. It was am

We came to practice for the Invitational.  On Standard Day 1, he had a phenomenal run, but I️ stepped out after the table and he pushed to the off course.  In general, I️ need to work him going past an obstacle without taking it. Day 2 Standard run was incredible and he took 1st place, beating Baille the Greyhound by 1 sec.  Braddock was 28 seconds under time, which is impressive on that type of footing. Finally, in JWW Day 2, there was an opportunity.  I️ sweated the backside push, which he got just fine.  The challenge was that after the weaves, the next jump felt awfully close and required a hard turn after it as well.  With Frye I️ was positioned onside of the weaves and could do a reverse spin at that jump.  With Braddock I️ tried to blind cross after the weaves but my timing was off as I️ had to wait on him given the tight space, and then I️ darted, and thus he pulled out of the weaves. Although it is his job to stay in, if I️ were to run it over I️ would have rear crossed

Mom wanted us to come up to put the fire pit together for her.  On the way we stopped at York River State Park to walk the trail around the marsh. The trail starts across the street from the guard shack, and offers some pretty views. It took us about an hour and 20 minutes to walk it Logan pace.  Normally it would take about an hour.  Logan did well, and at the end, on one of his shortcuts at a switchback, he headed into a ravine of mud.  Russ ran to stop him but he hopped a log and kept right on going to catch up to me. Fortunately only his paws got covered. When we reached Sandbridge, we decided to hit the beach before reaching my parents.  Logan was tired from the earlier walk so we didn’t go far.  It was also pretty windy out.  It was worth the stop just to get these few moments of him running on video.  Logan Nov Sandbridge video

In yesterday's post I said that Frye was not ready for Open STD, but that I was moving her up anyway. Well, I guess I was wrong.  Although it wasn't a perfect 100, she did pull off a Q.  I think there are 2 things that's have helped improved her training.  1) modification of warmup routine.  I used to do recalls but with a lot of distance so she would run wild rush past me.  So we shortened the distance so she could collect as she approached each of us.  I found this to improve her focus.  2) she gets muffins as a reward.  It's the only time she gets muffins and she loves them.  When I give her a taste before she enters the ring her legs start to quiver.  I have to be careful though, because if I give her too much she runs too high. The challenge in STD is needing to babysit the contacts.  I think she thought the #2 teeter was the dogwalk, so when she got to the dogwalk she was careful.  I loved her response on the reverse spin before the walk. I was so excited she nai

I will say that I feel more in the flow with Frye in JWW.  This is the opposite of  Braddock, where I felt we always had an easier time on STD courses.  The issue with Frye and STD is that I don't feel confident on her contacts.  In hindsight, I wish I had just trained a "bottom" on the Aframe from the beginning.  I think having one set of criteria for the teeter and dogwalk, and another for the Aframe just wasn't working.  So, I am now teaching a "bottom" on the Aframe. Also, in trials, I think she has learned quickly that she is not reinforced for the "bottom" and therefore has not been committed to it.  And finally, I find that she's not focusing on the criteria, but rather focusing on me (as I'm the one the reinforcement comes from at home).  Thus, I am having to adjust my training and make sure the target is in place and the reward is not coming from my hand.  Another concern I have is that she doesn't have the confidence in STD

Braddock finished the day with a strong double Q, and he placed 1st in JWW.  In STD, there were 2 parts to really work. The first, was the exit off the Aframe.  The 3# broad jump pretty much took out the option of a front cross before the Aframe.  It was a timing issue - meaning that starting the turn at takeoff would likely be before the handler got into position on the other side of the frame. Also, big dog handlers had to watch any forward motion cues at the broad jump because dogs were taking the off course table.  Therefore, a cross needed to happen at the exit of the Aframe.  Most handlers chose a rear cross, but the rear could not be done too shallow.  I drew a line in my mind from the corner of the Aframe exit to the left standard of #5.  I ran that line, shaping the rear cross so that Braddock would slice the #5 bar.  This lined him up for the table.  Otherwise, a rear cross in which the dog didn't slice as sharply could potentially line up for the off course jump towards