Fun joins our blog!

Another Food Bowl Retriever!

Introducing: Kvarkin Eowyn "Fun"

Fun with her food bowl too!

Having a blog is really turning out to be fun. The picture of this beautiful Finnish black-face girl to the left is one of the reasons why! I'd like you to meet Bungee's big sister Fun. Bungee & Fun are actually half-sisters on their mamma Aino's side.

After reading about Bungee learning to pick up her food bowl, Fun's mom sent me this great picture along with a lovely greeting all the way from Vantaa, Finland!

Isn't she a lovely girl? Smart & beautiful, I not only had the pleasure of meeting Fun on my trip to Finland, but she was also my roommate at the annual kennel reunion. That was really a treat. So, it was a special surprise to wake up to this great email greeting complete with picture & story!

Fun is ahead of Bungee on this one, as she learned to pick up her bowl at only 6 months of age and has been helping her mom after meals ever since. Bungee is a fast learner too. She is now bringing her bowl to me at a different place in the house everyday.

I shall try to get a picture of Bungee sitting the same way as Fun while holding her bowl, and put the two pictures up together. I think you will be surprised how similar they look! At least with bowls covering half their faces . :-)) You can read more about Fun by clicking on her name at top.

Thank you Pirjo & Fun for this great picture!!!

It's About Love

Love...
Training, this blog, life, it's all about love isn't it? Well I hope it is for you, it certainly is for us.

Our Training
It's a labor of love, where only the best will do. For the record we raise and train our dogs purely positively, 100% correction-free. We live with and train our dogs without the use of force, punishment, fear, coercion or intimidation. As they say in the movie world, there are no "out-takes". We don't have one method in public and a different method in private. What you see us do out & about, at training or at trial, is exactly what we do at home. We will tell you lots more about that as we go along.

This Blog
What started as Bungee's Space, (the 1st girl to inspire a blog!), is evolving daily as a way to share not only about Bungee, but also how we train, why we do things the way we do, and encourage others that they can achieve great things with purely-positive methods too.

Eventually we'll be adding a section to the blog for each of our dogs. Stay tuned for: "Guinndom - The Kingdom of Guinness", and a space in memory of Ketch, for our two brilliant dogs, who first inspired us to the Heart of Gold name.

Life
"All You Need Is Love", "Love, Love, Love", and "Love Is All You Need" pretty much sums up my philosophy on the matter. Oh yes, and: Life, always better with a dog!

Coming Soon in this department: "Bloughts" I made it up! Blog + Thoughts (coming just as soon as I learn to format my blog a little bit better - that could be awhile!!).

Heart of Gold
Dogs are sent to us as gifts from God. I believe they are sent to show us how much God loves us. They certainly love us in a way no human ever could. They do more for us than we often deserve and they give us everything they have to give and then some.

They are always there for us, waiting and ready for us when we're ready for them, no matter how long they waited. They have more than big hearts, they have hearts of pure gold.

We dedicate this space to our great dogs, Bungee, Guinness, and Ketch, and to great dogs everywhere, that Bless each of our lives with their presence, Love, and great, big Hearts of Gold.

Happy Training! Always remember... It's About Love!

New Stuff - New Pictures!

Bungee & her food bowl, continued... (new "how-to" info added Tuesday, May 6!)

Bungee is now picking up and giving me her food bowl after every meal. She still eats like the Princesse she is however, slowly and carefully, taking bite by bite, and chewing each piece thoroughly in between. She has (finally) become a good eater though...HOORAH! She had us worried for awhile that she was going to be forever anorexic or something.

Note, I wanted to add: I transitioned Bungee from picking up the bowl on the floor to trying her skill out in her crate, later that same day. After success on the floor in the morning, we ended the session with a play session, like all shaping sessions. Later in the day, after she ate her evening meal in her crate, I opened her door, sat on the floor in front of her crate with clicker & treats in hand, and clicked/fed her for putting the bowl in my hand after picking it up. I did not back up and re-shape her for looking at, sniffing, mouthing and then picking up the bowl in baby steps, even though we were in a new location. I simply waited her out for the behavior we had already achieved on the living room floor. We had a few unrewarded responses for picking it up an inch or so and dropping it. But within a minute she was picking up the bowl and holding it for me to take. She has been giving me her food bowl twice a day, (after each meal), ever since. The skill is growing stronger and stronger.

Eventually I will have her hold the bowl while she waits for a release from her crate, and bring it to me across the room.

Sorry that I did not include that last bit of info earlier, if any of you were wondering about how to make this transition from the introduction to working in the crate.

Just For Fun

Bungee
A little photo collection from a recent holiday to the state of South Carolina, USA.


Bungee & Guinness hanging out at camp.

On the beach

This was a great beach, the dogs could run for miles, we had great, long walks together. Some days we had jellyfish to avoid but with good recalls and reliable abilities to walk close it was easy to help the dogs avoid inspecting them or get stung. Bungee & Guinness each had a few really fun games of Frisbee, here are some shots of Bungee playing on the beach.


Bungee, Guinness & I in the park at the beach.


This photo below could have many titles such as, my favorite position, can I drive, I need a hug, you look like you need a hug, can't we just hug all day, what are you doing, can I see too, I love you mom, did I mention this is my favorite position, - I'm sure there are more... I believe it is "all of the above" depending on the day & time!


Bungee in the driver's seat, time to head home.


Ooops - looks like she's leaving the driving to somebody else.
A Princesse needs her beauty sleep you know!