Bungee - Master Jumpers FEO

Here's Bungee running in her 2nd AAC trial. The class is Master Jumpers. She was entered as "FEO" (for exhibition only), as she has not qualified through all the necessary levels to run in Masters, the highest level, for points yet.






This past month of March, I have kept Bungee & Guinness very busy in training and classes, and at long last, starting to work on our own field at home! Hoorah!!! The snow left a bit early this year! The ground is not really ready for us to run on yet, so we are still a bit careful about where we work and how much equipment is left out.

Meanwhile we're due for some rain now, which perhaps will thaw the ground, and cause us to stay off a bit this week as we don't want to damage the turf. But, after being away with the dogs trialing, performing & working the last 5 days, including working 38 of the last 48 hours, and coming down with a chest cold as of yesterday, I have not been out on the field yet this a.m. to see where it's at. But I still see no snow and that's a beautiful thing for a trainer, even if the grass is still brown! Today is rest & relaxation for all of us, and maybe tomorrow too!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Obedience by sister Mia

Bungee's sister Mia and Mona Kjernholm competing in Level II Obedience at Malmo 2009. Mia won her class with 187p. While "mom", Mona, says they still have a lot of fine details to work on, it is clear that this little 19 month old girl is already doing an impressive and excellent job, and all positive training too! What a gorgeous attitude this little girl has!





WoW! Beautiful work!

Thanks to Mona Kjernholm for putting these videos up on YouTube and sharing them with all of us, and also for showing us another example of positive & "Happy Training" at it's finest!!!

I have added Mona's new YouTube site to our list of favorite YouTube links (lower right). Click on the link above or at the side to check out some great training and sister Mia too!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Welcome March

OK, so I'm like the happiest person in the world that Feb. is over. It definitely wasn't "our month". First I did something to myself to destroy my back for 11 -12 days, but then Bungee badly tore a toenail on her front foot, which kept her from training, which was followed by her coming down with some really bad intestinal problems. 3 trips to the vet in 2 weeks - ugh, poor Bungee, not to mention the bank account!

We finished Feb. off with all of us feeling back to normal, and Bungee in great need of a bath. So a trip to our friend Cynthia's Grooming Salon this weekend was a nice treat. Bungee got the full spa treatment, coming out beautiful, fluffy and sweet smelling. Guinness did some training in a different environment while Bungee endured the bath :-)) (not her favorite) and then Guinness strutted around like he owned the joint in between doing his tricks at a distance, as Bungee got dried. When it was done Bungee was still eager friends with her adopted Auntie Cynthia, so it was all good.

Poor Guinness just had a partially boring Feb. with me laid up, but stayed well. I hand-stripped him last Friday. He always looks so beautiful freshly-stripped in his "underwear". I love the feel of his velvety undercoat when his wire coat is off, it's really thick too. Not that he doesn't look great with his gorgeous double coat in tact too!

Guinness had an audition for a TV commercial last week, and fingers crossed, the early word is they want him. That said, knowing they are subject to changing their minds a lot. Keep you posted. During the audition he had 48 different things they asked him to do and it went great, he did all but one, which shocked me as it was "rolling over", which was one of the 1st tricks he ever learned. Since then we're working on a few things that were weak spots and they're all responding to the skills tune-up nicely, especially "roll over", sheesh... Wouldn't you like to know what they're thinking some time. I am going to get him checked at the chiropractor just to make sure all is well. Though it's probably a case of not having done it in a long, long time.

Bungee literally turned a corner March 1, waking up ready and raring to go, and looking beautiful & happy too. I felt the same way too!

The end of Feb. brought us melting snow followed by drastic low temperatures and then a lot of ice everywhere. YUCK. Thank goodness for lots of tricks & body awareness exercises and a basement in which to work!

The snow is down to just a few inches now and I was able to find some crunchy but not slippery spots in the yard today, so we actually got a little weaving in. Bungee was thrilled and wonderful as ever! :-))

Both dogs are entered in a trial later this month, so after just about a full month off, we'll see if we can't tune up their agility skills too! Back to class tonight.

Happy Training, It's About Love!

A Better Day

Thought I better get some snow pictures up before it's all gone! (dream on lady... :-)

Guinness after a romp in a warm day's snow.


Guinness & Bungee, so why are we stopping for this?


My Progress
Happy to report I've made good progress today. Was able to sit up & walk as soon as I woke up, still a bit slow but big progress. Actually got dressed in real clothes, (not lounge clothes), and walk around the house without any extreme pain or problems. Got brave enough to try some training from the floor. Guinness & Bungee being so thankful for that! I was able to get down to the floor voluntarily and up with a bit of help from nearby chairs & tables. Fed the dogs on my own, they don't take their bowls when they're full but for this very reason, they bring them when they're empty! Next I actually got so brave I took them outside, donning my snow boots with "Wintertrax" attached (springy things that fit the bottom of your shoe and that grip in ice), as I could see some ice in the lowest spots where water pooled up, and slowly but surely, did a decent poop clean up, necessary after a BIG melt like this past weekend - still +8 today :-) Forecast the same for the most of the week ~ WoW!

Poor Bored Doggies & A Good Chew
Right now Bungee is discovering a "Himalayan Dog Chew", for the 1st time. Click on the link to check them out (pictures & story). So far she seems to handle the occasional dairy products very well. These chews are sold as being from an ancient recipe used in Nepal to provide locals with a long-lasting snack they can gnaw on and keep pieces in their mouths while they labor. The information reports a Peace Corp worker in Nepal adopted an abandoned, teething puppy. With no "pet supplies" available locally, the adopter had to improvise for this puppy, and tried one of these traditional chews. It worked out so well he went on to found this company that makes them.

So it's like a 5 - 6 inch long hard stick, that I thought smelled more like beef than cheese but really it's quite a different smell than either and not at all objectionable. Apparently the dog will have to gnaw on it a long time to soften it enough to chew small bits off the edge. Eager to find snacks like this that could provide Bungee with some good calories & a bit of preoccupation at long day's trials, I decided to try one of these at home and see how she does.

I'd love to hear comments about what some of you give your dogs at trials (if anything) in this regard.

In the 1st 15 minutes Bungee has tried to push it under her bedding on 3 different sides of her crate, but either curiosity or aroma has convinced her to hold it in her mouth while she lays down in every different position she can think of. I'm hearing some chewing noises... I'll let you know how she does with it.

Guinness, on the other hand, is in his crate with the tried & true "Tartar Busters" we get at most any local pet supply. Both of the dogs love these, but I only had one and Guinness cannot handle dairy products at all. They produce congestion and diarrhea quickly with him.

What the dogs have most often is simple marrow bones that we get free or very low price at some of our local butchers shops or any grocery. We also have a huge supply of guaranteed all-natural, organic, (guaranteed chemical & poison-free), rawhide. One big order is plain, rolled, and the other is every manner of shape & size meats made in rawhide or dried, from the states. We brought the natural rawhide back with us from Florida last year. We've been hoarding it for the the dogs and handing it out in small doses on those rare occasions when we're out of bones.

Training
A disappointing subject the last few days with me laid up! I did a little shaping with each dog today, putting a new spin on an old trick. Bungee also discovered she can put her rings on her ring toss game 2 at a time - pretty cute. She's going for distance on that game now. She's very cute the way she pounces around excitedly while she does it. Going to give contacts from the slanted travel plank a try at supper-time, but just off the living room floor.

Classes & Entries are on hold for the moment. Dangit anyway.

Goals for the week
Now I'm trying to let all the meds wear off to evaluate just where I stand. That's not to say I won't take them again this week if it's still really bad, but I need to know we're at and hopefully convince my Dr. I'm ready for a prolo treatment sooner than later. I so want to get it going and get back to my regular life!

Right now the Dr. is considering letting me have a treatment as soon as Saturday, which is also the only day my husband can take me and since I will definitely need a driver, have to live with that. The Dr. 1st started out talking about a date week's away. ACK! I want to be fixed now! On the other hand... How romantic...a prolotherapy treatment for Valentine's Day :-)) Show me the love :-)

Well I'll leave you with that (not so) love-ly thought :-))

Happy Training...It's About Love!