The "Leave it" command

This morning on our walk I learned how wonderful the "leave it" command can make me feel and how consistent training is so important. We can teach our dog anything, call any behavior anything we wish but if it is not reinforced consistently and rewarded well it will do us no good.

I had the day off today so our walkie was a bit later than normal. We were heading toward home when I saw the "bad dogs" of the neighborhood on their front porch getting ready for a walk. Three women, three dogs; a Am Eskimo, a Beagle, and a Daschund. We would pass within 10 feet of them soon. Before we were spotted I told Oz and Happy to "leave it". Immediately the two goofs started to look for what they were to leave alone and spotted the Bad news dogs who saw them at the same time. All 3 of the Bad News dogs started barking, spinning and flinging against the end of their leash, total chaos. 9:00 in the morning and these three yahoos were making enough noise to wake the dead and the humans at the end of their leads did nothing. I told my Boyz "Leave it" and "close" and locked the Flexi and we continued on. As we pass the 3 wild ones, barking, lunging and spinning, Oz and Happy just looked at them and happily trotted past. I could tell Oz wanted so desperately to pee on their lawn but he never once pulled on the lead, Happy either. Once we were at the end of the block I stopped and hugged them both. The three women were in awe at my two. I was so proud.

"Leave it" works, use it. :)

How to get brilliant, confident, dogs in one easy step.

Last night at agility practice Oz made me proud. I had taken both Oz and Happy as back up just in case Oz got a bit wild... Silly me, Oz was awesome. I think the instructor (Barbara) was a bit skeptical when we walked in... a terrier on the end of the leash pulling and flying around like a mad dog. He settled right in to with full focus once I removed the lead for his turn at the weave poles... did absolutely wonderful. we did 6 on the near side (left), treated then did 6 more the same direction then turned and did them on the far side (right) in the same manner. next was a short 10 obstacle course... jump, dog walk, jumps, table weave jumps. He did that wonderfully also... except he launched off before he hit the contacts... he just started that. Next was a tricky run with an awkward jump sequence. Rise taught me well, we handled it beautifully... We chose the more difficult handling that removed running distance for me... At the end of class someone said "you are so lucky your dogs are so confident, you don't have to deal with the issues the rest of us have" She is so right.. I do have brilliant, beautiful, confident, loving dogs. A good reason why puppy mills and some back yard breeders should be put out of business.

Puppies need certain things to become wonderful companions. If they get this while they are young and impressionable it is easy. If this doesn't happen then the rest of their lives they may be struggling. That is not to say that ALL dogs that come from puppy mills and BYB are bad or have issues or that all puppies from reputable breeders don't have problems, we all know that is not the case. However, if they have plenty of social time with other dogs and puppies, love, quality food, some kind of regimen on a day to day basis the chances of them struggling to become the dog they want to be is lessened. Furthermore, if we do our part when we take them home it furthers their education. Take them everywhere, Home Depot, Pet Smart, PetCo, malls... anywhere they can interact with other dogs and people and different floor surfaces, noises, smells. DO NOT react when something out of the ordinary happens, that will only give the puppy the OK to be fearful.

My dogs are fearless, sweet, brilliant and the best dogs in the world for me. I owe their breeders for that... I just continued the lessons. :)

ChTC (Champion of the Terminally Cute) Cairngorm Shot in the Dark CGC, RA, SE, TBAD, TDAAG1, TOTO THE MAGNIFICENT, TDI therapy dog.

ChTC Kinloch Shadowood CGC, RN, TBAD, TDAAG1

Both soon to be NAJ/NAP

Happy New Year!!

May the New Year bring you much happiness and peace!
As you can see - "Rocky" has started early to celebrate.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

To all those far far away, a Very Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year to you from Happy, Oz, Betsy and the TomCat (who didn't go to the dog event this was taken at)!.

12/8/10 - 12/9/10

Wednesday again back to work, "Rocky" getting bigger and "Chloe" still not really wanting to eat. Her temp is fine and after hot packing and milking her the first part of the week her teats are no longer engorged. I actually hand fed her kibble by kibble. Will I have to do this until he is weaned?? Barley and Livvi arrived for a weeks stay.
Thursday morning - another hand feeding. Karen came to clean - YEA and THANK YOU! I had forgotten that "Widget" was coming to get groomed. The dogs were all out back and going totally crazy looking to the front of the house. I ran to the front of the house thinking I had left Chloe out - no didn't do that. Looked outside and there was someone lying on the parking strip. OMG it was Janet and "Widget." Long story short. Off to the hospital in an ambulance, "Widget" groomed, Karen followed me to the house to take Janet's car back home. Janet is in a sling with a fractured humerous.

Things are looking up!! My house is clean - found out that I can spoon feed "Chloe" instead of 'hand' feeding - and "Rocky" has a new 'littermate'
Keep healing thoughts out to Jan and her shoulder.

Tribute to Awbs aka Ch KinLoch's Awbrey Glen of Joywood ROM 7/11/94 - 12/7/10

The last couple of weeks I have been thinking a lot of Awbs. It has been 5 years since I have been up to visit with her and Anne and Gordon Stiff. I so love it up there. Awbrey was placed when she was around 6 years old and went to live with Anne and Gordon who overlook a golf course. How perfect could that be. Awbrey became the unofficial goose chaser on the course as the hired hand (Border Collie) was fired as some thought it was cruel to the geese. She would also run up and down the cairn cliffs chasing birds as Anne would swim in the sea. She got Gordon to start walking again as prescribed by the doctor. She had the most best life a little wee dog could have and so very loved by all.
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Tuesday I made it through a day of work with very little sleep. I came home to a phone message with Gordon asking me to call. I knew the time had come. She had gone peacefully in Anne's arms. My heart hurts so much for them. I'm sure she is taking care of the two little girls that passed just before her.

A little about Awbrey for those of you that didn't know her. She was from my very first litter. She was named after a golf course - Awbrey Glen-http://www.awbreyglen.com
which started the golf course theme for my kennel. She didn't like to show so I had Dee Hanna finish her as Awbrey so loved her!! She produced three Champions - Ch KinLoch's Augusta ROM and her brother BIS MBISS AmCan Ch KinLoch's Royal Troon RN ME CGC ROME and Ch KinLoch's Laurel Hill ROM. She had numerous grand and great grandchildren including newborn "Rocky."
She will always be in my heart and a little of her in all the dogs at KinLoch. You will be so missed by all of the lives you have touched.

12/2/10 to 12/6/10 Chloe and babies

It's been a very long week. "Chloe" gave birth to two puppies last Thursday and settled in by eating, going potty and then cuddling her new charges - 1 boy and 1 girl.
I had Jill over to help with the whelping and she took off for coffee and breakfast. She got back and we were talking about the last 12 hours and "Chloe" screams. We had heard that noise before and low and behold another baby girl. Things were going well and all nursing.
"Chloe's" mom came over and while she was watching over everyone I groomed for 7 hours. Yes, blisters did arise. But still had more to do the next day - another 5 hours.
Babies seemed to do well but the girls were small so I started supplementing them on day 2. Cindi was over so I could get the next group of dogs groomed. The girls started to decline and every two hour feedings started. Big boy "Rocky" would nurse and then do a couple of laps in the whelping box checking on his sisters. Sounds weird I know but he no longer does it. Puppy Pilates will commence next week.
Sunday the second born little girl passed away and the first girl seemed to be do good and then not. Necropsy showed no abnormal findings. I guess good news and bad news.
Monday seemed to go better for the little girl and I thought she was going to make it until 1630 when she started seizing. She was rushed to the vet where she died. More tests to be done as nothing showed on the preliminary report.
Good news - "Rocky" is thriving and I went back to work.
See the next posts for the rest of the week.