Late September, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Canine Good Citizen Class - Day 1
Today was our first day of class in preparation to take the Canine Good Citizen test put out by AKC. If Pretzel passes, he will earn the letters
- The evaluator will approach and greet the dog owner, dog must sit or stand quietly at the owner's side.
- Must not interact with the friendly stranger
Test #2: Sitting Politely for Petting
- Dog should sit politely for petting.
- Dog may stand up while being petted, but should not jump up on the examiner, or have excessive wiggling or rolling over.
Test #3: Appearance and Grooming
- The evaluator will brush the dog, examine his ears and teeth, and lift each of his front feet.
- Dog may sit or stand for this part of the test.
- The dog should tolerate having eats, lips, and feet touched
Test #4: Walking on a Loose Leash
- The dog walks with the owner on a loose leash, pauses when owner stops moving, and is attentive to changes of direction or pace.
- Dog may not pull or crowd excessively, nor sniff the ground too much
- You will demonstrate right and left (90 degree) turns, 180 degree about turns, and several halts.
- You will fail if you have to give hard or repeated corrections, or are keeping a tight leash the entire time.
Test #5: Walking Through a Crowd
- Owner will walk dog and weave through a small crowd of people.
- Another dog may be used as part of the crowd
- Dog should demonstrate that he is not overly interested in other people or dogs.
Test #6: Sit and Down on Command/Stay in Place
- Dog will sit on command, go down on command, and stay.
- You may lightly touch your dog if needed during the command as long as the evaluator does not think you are giving a correction.
- For the Stay portion - you may position your dog in a sit or down position, and walk away from him about 20 feet distance and immediately return to your dog.
- As long has your dog has not left that position in the stay, you will pass. A dog may go from a sit to a down, or a down to a sit, but cannot stand up.
Test #7: Coming When Called
- The evaluator will hold the dog, and the owner will walk about 10 feet away and then call the dog.
- The dog must stop when he gets to you.
- You may call out, clap your hands, bend or squat to encourage your dog to come.
- If the dog comes to you and passes you up, you may turn and call him again. If you have to give a third command, your dog will fail.
Test #8: Reaction to Another Dog
- You will green a friendly stranger with a dog. Your dog is expected to stay at your side and show nothing more than casual interest in the other dog.
Test #9: Reaction to Distractions
- This test judges your dog's reactions to unusual noises or moving objects.
- Some distractions that may be used are: bicycles, person running, cart, metal folding chair being dropped, person with crutches or a wheelchair, an item being dropped, dragged, or rolled.
- The dog does not have to sit or stay during the distractions. He may slightly startle, but should quickly settle down.
- He must not lunge at the distraction, attempt to run or hide from it, or show aggression or fear.
Test #10: Supervised Separation
- You will leave your dog with the evaluator for 3 minutes and go out of sight of your dog.
- Your dog is not required to sit or stay.
- Your dog should remain calm and quiet and not be considered a nuisance to the handler
- Dog should have very minimal whining
Other rules:
- You are not allowed to use food or toys during the test
- Only flat-buckled collars or slip collars are allowed
- A dog who urinates or defecates during the test automatically fails
- The dog's coat must be clean and groomed, nails trimmed, and ears clean.
We have our work cut out for us, that's for sure! We practiced all 10 elements in class today, and this is how Pretzel did:
So there it is, our first class for the test. Two more classes, and then week 4 is test day! Stay tuned....
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Practicing!
I have been making the sit - down - stay commands a regular part of our day, doing them at random times and at random places. Pretzel is getting better and better! I am also doing it without food rewards, just lots of praise when he does it right. He seems to appreciate the love almost as much as the treats! This is good, since I cannot use treats on the test (plus I don't want to be locked into having to always have treats handy to get him to obey commands).
October, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Bye bye garden hose!
When I got home from work, this is what I found in the kennel. Somehow Pretzel got a hold of the garden hose and pulled the entire 100 foot hose into his kennel and chewed it into 21 pieces...yes,
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
CGC class, week #2
I am pretty happy with everything Pretzel is learning, he is doing all of the commands so much quicker and more accurately. However, the supervised separation did NOT go well tonight. He whined the entire time. This could very well be our failure. I don't know what to do. We tried it a second time, and the trainer tried holding some smelly treats in her closed-up fist. Pretzel actually didn't whine this time, he was too busy licking at her hand trying to get at the treats. Unfortunately, you cannot use treats when the test is given. I am going to try and practice separation as much as possible.
After class I took Pretzel to the barn with me and I tied him up to the arena gate while I rode. Normally I let him run around the arena with me, but I decided to try a little separation practice. He was in full sight of me the whole time, but he still whined non-stop until I was finished riding. he can't stand not being attached to me every moment of the day. I love that about him, and hate it also!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
I brought Pretzel out to the barn with me tonight to run around while I rode. I was ready to canter my 2yo gelding, so I tied Pretzel uo in the arena so he wouldn't get underfoot while I was trying to train the youngster. Pretzel was tied IN the arena, where I was riding, in full sight of me at all times. You would have thought I was
Here he is - my faithful driving companion. He can leap over stools and horse jumps, but he cannot climb into my truck without me lifting his back end in. Why? I have no idea, other than I have always done it since he was a small puppy. Tonight I tried to get him to jump into the truck himself (he weighs 64 pounds now and is getting a bit heavy for me to lift!). Finally I managed to get him to clamber up into the truck seat, but it took a lot of effort!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Pretzel "helped" me while I raked straw on the new grass at our property. I couldn't resist grabbing my camera and getting some shots of him in action.
What a handsome face!
Look at that gait...woo-hoo!
Enjoying the wide open space
Having fun with sticks!
Look at my pretend hunting dog! He was actually pointing at the cat. He froze in that point for the longest time.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Tonight I took Pretzel to the barn and then to my band booster meeting at school. The more socialization the better, I think! He was very good, laid at my feed for the whole meeting and was happy to greet everyone as they came in. I love having a dog that is well-behaved and happy to go places. Every moment I have spent on training has been totally worth it!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
CGC Class #3...last one before the test!
Today I took Pretzel to the barn before our CGC class. he ran around with my horses, and ran with me while I rode. This took the edge off of his energy, which really helped us out at class.
Class went a lot better today. We had a distraction of a cat wandering around the classroom. Pretzel was interested, but not overly so since he lives with 2 cats and is used to them. Some of the other dogs were frantically trying to get at the cat. I was pretty proud of my boy! He was excellent at the sit, down, and stay, decent at walking on a loose leash, and a LOT better at the 3 minute separation. He only whined a little bit, and was vastly improved over last week! I hope we can keep improving, as our text is next Wednesday! I am already planning out what to do - make sure he is done eating early in the day, get him out to the barn for a run before class, and get there plenty early to practice and get him "bored" with the place. But before then, we have to get through our next dog show which is this weekend in Urbana! We've been practicing, and I worry about his gait because some times he paces instead of trots and that is a major fault. I really don't know how to train him out of that or what to do to keep him from pacing in the show ring. I am so dumb at this dog show stuff!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Day 1 - Urbana AKC Show
I got to the show grounds bright and early. I didn't have a whole lot of time to really get Pretzel worked down, I knew he was pretty wired from having been on his own for most of yesterday (though I did pay someone to come and take him out to the dog park for a half hour yesterday). We went in to the show ring, we were the only 6-9 month old puppy entered. My gaiting around the ring went well, my stacking was awesome, but when I had to do my down and back, he kept pacing. I kept stopping about halfway down the mats and brought him back to restart. Over and over again, and he kept pacing. the judge was telling me to go slower, and then demanding that I try it again, and again, and again. It went on for a while, and the judge was getting more and more agitated by our inability to fix the problem. I was really clueless, this is all still so new to me! Finally after getting completely frustrated with me, the judge gave up. She told me that I really didn't deserve a ribbon, but she was going to give it to me anyways but that I had better go outside and practice before the Winners class. I did, but didn't really get anything accomplished since I didn't know what to do to fix the problem. So...we went back in Winners and did the same thing.
Some very good show friends came to my rescue to help me. One trick I learned that is if I did a very fast courtesy circle before doing the down and back - swing him around me and almost
Here is a very short video clip of a couple of his pacing strides:
Sunday, October 15, 2012
Day 2 - Urbana AKC Show
We showed very early today - 8:30am. the show was running fast and I barely arrived at the ring when I had to go in. I remembered all (most) of what I was taught yesterday, and Pretzel did great! We once again didn't get anything in the Winners class, but I was thrilled that he stacked well and
Pretzel had a great time this weekend playing with his Weimaraner friends. I am really liking the dog show people. They are so helpful, and a lot of fun to hang out with. It's nice to meet truly
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
CGC Test Day!
The "Meet and Greet" - Test #8. Pretzel stood right at my side as I stopped to "greet" someone with a dog.
- Test #2 and 3 - sitting politely for petting, grooming, etc. Pretzel loves this part of the test!
Test #6 - the SIT portion of the test. Pretty darn good since I didn't even start teaching him to sit on command until 3 weeks ago.
Test #6...the DOWN command...
"STAY" command...
...and he stays perfectly without moving an inch!
Test #4 - walking on a loose leash
Test #9 - reaction to distractions. The examiner dropped a metal bowl, pushed a stroller around, etc.
After the test it was play time!!!
...and one last run through the tunnel, just for fun!
Next on our agenda will be the agility class! I hope to take that later this winter. It will be something fun to do when it is cold and yucky outside. Meanwhile, we have another show to do next weekend, and possibly one more in November before I hang it up for the winter.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
All of our good citizen training has come in handy! Pretzel has been really good about his sit/stay exercises. Often when I am at the barn, I will put him in a sit and ask him to stay while I go into the tack room or go get something, and he has been staying put. He laid down and stayed the whole time I cleaned one of my stalls today.
His pacing issue is still about 50/50. I seem to be able to get him out of it when I pull him into a turn and then trot off from there, like I did at the show on Sunday. I just hope I can completely break this habit because there are times when the turning method will not be possible. We will see...our next show is this weekend! Could possibly be our last show until spring, and who knows what I will decide to do by then.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Delaware, Ohio AKC Show DAY 1
I questioned my sanity this morning as I woke up at
Pretzel was really wound up! Once again we were the only ones in the 6-9 month old puppy class. Yay, another blue ribbon for showing up! He gaited really well and stacked pretty good also, no pacing today!
After I was done showing, I met up with Pretzel's breeder. She had one of her professional handlers give me some pointers in stacking. I tend to stack the back legs a little too far, and also I don't get the front legs back far enough so they are straight. My main corrections are the front and back legs,and also getting his head up a bit as I stack him to stretch his neck out a little bit. Lots to think about...
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Delaware, Ohio AKC Show DAY 2
We had a lovely night at the luxurious Motel 6 last night. It was full of dogs from the show. I was proud that MY dog didn't bark in the hotel room at all, unlike many others. What a
Our show today went pretty much the same as yesterday. We were the only one in our class, didn't get a look in the Winners class. Someday...someday I would LOVE to actually take a Winners class. I got more help from another professional handler (I LOVE how professionals are always willing to take the time to help you and school you. Can you imagine professional horse trainers doing that at a show???). She lent me a set of blocks to practice stacking Pretzel. This will help him stand still and stand more "up". This will be fun to try in the next few weeks.
Monday, October 29, 2012
I tried the blocks out today. Pretzel wasn't too sure about them! I snapped a picture, then I adjusted them so the spacing was more correct for the stack. I will do a little bit of this each day after our daily run/play is done.
Our daily trips to the barn have been going well. I love having him at the barn while I ride, it's like having a good pal to ride with!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
The joys of a well-trained dog
I commanded Pretzel to sit and stay...from horseback, while I was riding, and he obeyed! It was very cool, and made me believe that maybe I am doing something right with this whole dog-training thing.
Friday, November 9, 2012
A sunny day in November, and a day off work...what else is there to do but go to the dog park?!?! Once again, we had the place to ourselves. It was still a good time :-)
Woo hoo, look at that trot! You can see Ralph the Great Purple Truck (with 267,000 miles on it) in the background.
Jumping the pvc jumps, we did it dozens of times as I tried to get the picture taken at just the right moment.
Pretzel always likes to play with this ball at the park. I need to find one to play with at home!
Pretty stack!!!
Pure joy!!!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
What an utterly gorgeous day...sunny and 60 degrees. pure heaven for Ohio in November! Pretzel spent the day with me at our new property as I worked outside. We took a jaunt in the woods, his first time exploring "our" woods...fun!
Pretzel investigates the pond
Yuck, I think he is going to need a bath!
Our first trek into the woods. It will be a lot of fun once we move in to this property and we can explore the acreage every day
Taking a breather in the woods
Posing pretty!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Mid-Ohio Cluster AKC shows, Columbus, Ohio
Well, we practiced hard the past few weeks - working on our stack and our gaiting, now it show time for a final time in 2012! This was another morning where I questioned my sanity - Got to bed at 1am and woke up at 4am! Pretzel was very confused as to why we were getting up in the middle of the night, but gladly ate his breakfast extra early!
We headed to Columbus, got there about an hour early so he could expend some energy playing with his two Weimaraner buddies. This was a pretty big show - 40 Weimaraners entered! I was excited for the competition. We were the very first class at 8am. Our gaiting around was very good (no pacing...yay!), he was a bit wiggly during the judge's inspection and kept trying to turn his head to look behind him at the judge. Our down and back was good, and for once we actually had 3 dogs in the 6-9 month puppy class! We ended up 3rd out of 3...disappointing, but oh well. We will get things figured out eventually. maybe he just isn't a show dog? He's my best friend, so it really doesn't matter in the long run.
After my class, one of the professional handlers that has befriended me took the time to teach me the finer points of stacking, and some tricks and tips on how to keep him straight and standing "up" on his front feet. Dog show people are so nice!!! I am determined to get better, if for no other reason than to do it for the people who have faith in me! We spent a lot of time off and on the rest of the day practicing. Tomorrow
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Mid-Ohio Cluster AKC shows, Columbus, Ohio
Someone needed to remind Pretzel that we both needed our sleep after the short night last night! He woke me up in the hotel at 3am. I thought he needed to go outside to pee, so down the stairs we went and out into the bitter cold. Nope, he just wanted to run and play! Silly dog! Back to bed we went, and when he whined again about an hour later I told him to be quiet, and he did.
Once again we were first thing in the morning. The first classes were the Weimaraner sweepstakes - no AKC points, but they awarded money instead. There were 4 in my class this morning. I remembered all the details I learned about stacking during my impromptu lesson yesterday,(other than the part about not rushing - too much 5-second setups in horse showmanship ingrained in me!) and we did a LOT better! Lo and behold, we got 3rd out of 4, we actually beat another dog! Banner day!
After the sweeps were done (yes, I won a whopping $7! That will buy me a couple bags of pretzels...woo-hoo!) our regular AKC classes started. We were first - 3 of us in 6-9 month puppy. I think my stacking was even better, and I actually felt confident and almost polished in what I did. That in itself is huge because confidence is everything. All 3 of us in the class gaited around the ring one last time, and I about fainted when the judge pointed at me and said
One of the best things about the day? Getting to take a "win" photo with the judge! How cool! I can't wait until I get it...our first one. After we took the "official" picture, we went outside and did our usual "lay with the ribbons" picture. Pretzel was squinting in the sun, but I think it looks like he's got his
Pretzel naps after a long show morning with his BFF "Brennan". Those two play hard and pretend fight, but are really best friends!
Pretzel gets to enjoy a new chew toy as his reward!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Awesome photos!!!
My wonderful friend
Being checked over by the judge
He is loving the undivided attention!
Check out that trot! Yeah, I know it's called the "gait", but remember I am first and foremost a horse person!
Having his teeth checked by the judge
Standing still is bo-ring!
Standing in the line, in front of me is my dog show mentor Kayleen, who has taught me so much!
Check out his eyes! I love this pic...
He still has a bit of the puppy look to him, doesn't he?
Turn and burn...look at him laying low on the turn!
Got ears????!!!???
No wonder why people mistake him for a greyhound sometimes!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am
I think tomorrow we will be brave and try a new venture - showing at a UKC show. Those are a bit different than AKC shows, and I really have no idea how different or what I need to do, but there is one 10 miles from our house to it seems like a good chance to practice and try something new.
Friday, November 23, 2012
UKC Show - Wapakoneta, Ohio
It's always a little disconcerting for me to try something new all by myself. I tend to depend on the guidance of others when venturing into new waters. This time I was totally on my own - I asked questions online and read the rule book, and decided to get up early and head to a UKC (United Kennel Club) dog show about 15 miles from my house. I had heard that UKC shows were a lot more relaxed than AKC shows. Boy they weren't kidding! For one thing, they accepted entries the morning of the show (unlike AKC which requires you to enter 3 weeks in advance). I got there, and a nice woman at the entry table helped me fill out my entry form. Then I sat around and waited. they were running two shows back-to-back today, so I went ahead and entered both.
I noticed that with a small exception, most people were dressed much more casually than AKC. I saw a few people in suits or jackets, but many wore jeans and VERY casual wear. I am not sure if I like that, I like the crisp, professional look. Speaking of looks, I got a lot of them being the only Weimaraner at the show. Someone came up to me and said they had never seen a Weimaraner at one of their shows...!
I noticed a wide variety in handling. UKC does not allow professional handlers to handle other peoples' dogs for money, so I assume most people were fairly casual show people showing their own dogs. Several dogs paced on the down and back and the handlers never corrected them...either they just didn't notice or just figured it wasn't a big deal. Like I said...
Since we were the only Weim at the show, we won first place, Winners dog, and best of breed. Yay, congrats to us LOL! We went in for Group - they don't have a Sporting Group like AKC, but the group we were in was called the Gun Dog group (very similar). I hate that when I went to go in the ring, the ring steward told the judge I was brand new and this was my first time. OK, it was my first time at a UKC show, but not my first time showing! I made a joke about it being the blind leading the blind, and I think the judge took it the wrong way because she said emphatically, "I'm not blind!!!" She then proceeded to correct me and criticize me on every move, and ended up placing me last in group. Oh well...such is life!
I had a 2 hour break before the second show started, so I drove the 10 miles to the barn and let Pretzel run off some steam with my horses. He needed it, he was getting rather wound up (he misses his Weim show playmates!). When we got back, we headed into the ring and once again won our class, winners dog, and best of breed by default. I will say he was way more focused and our stack was awesome, as was our gait.
We went back in for group, and I had a great stack. I think his gait was the best we've ever done. his head was up, he was striding out and was in front of me at the end of the leash and it looked gorgeous. I was pretty happy when we ended up getting second in group (behind a Standard Poodle). It was a very good learning experience.
The show is going on all weekend. I think I will skip tomorrow and maybe head back to the show on Sunday. I'd LOVE to win group, wouldn't that be cool? I mainly want to see if I can get him shown as well as I did today.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
UKC Show - Wapakoneta, day 2
We headed back to the show today. Today seemed to drag on forever! we did a lot of running around the fairgrounds on the longe line (on the freezing cold!) to waste time and energy. Again they ran two shows today back-to-back.
obviously, again we won our class and breed (being the only Weim there!), went in to Group and got third. I think he stacked and gaited really well for me. Again we had a long wait - hours and hours - before the next show. That's the biggest drawback to these shows, and a big reason why I might not do them again. the people were friendly, but it was terribly boring sitting around by myself all day long. People were friendly, but no one went out of their way to actually hang out with me like they do at the AKC shows.
As I was waiting around for group, someone came up and asked me how I had placed in group the past few times. She then proceeded to tell me that if we placed in group again, Pretzel would be
In our course of waiting, Pretzel managed to eat (as in chew up and swallow every piece) two entire bully sticks. Yes, it was a long, long, long day! Good practice for us, and I am glad we did it, but I am not sure when we will do that again. There is a UKC show in Dayton next weekend, but I don't think I will feel like driving 90 minutes to hang out by myself all day at the show. We shall see...
Friday, November 30, 2012
I checked InfoDog.com today, and the results from the Columbus show were posted. It was very very very cool to see Pretzel's name as the winner!
It doesn't look like we will be doing any dog shows in the immediate future, so Pretzel is back to just being a dog, learning a few new commands, and having fun hanging out at the barn with me in the evenings. I will hopefully keep up on our stacking skills so we don't lose everything we have learned. Next on the agenda is to start some beginner agility training. That will be fun!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Owning a Weimaraner causes a complete lifestyle change, for sure! I can see why the breeders are so selective. this dog sure isn't for everyone. Pretzel is a coiled spring when I get home from work, and I had
Kevin and I attempted to take a family portrait with my laptop webcam the other day. You can see how well that turned out!
Monday, December 17, 2012
I filled out my class application to start beginner agility with Pretzel. I am excited, I think he will be really talented at this. My goal is to be able to attempt a class by the end of summer. He technically won't be old enough to compete in AKC until August 7, so we will aim for some time later that month.
Meanwhile we will keep plugging away at the conformation shows, attempting to earn our first point. Next on the agenda is possibly Novi, Michigan in mid-January. Yep, going to Michigan in January is a rather
Saturday, December 22, 2012
I have been reading the greatest book, called
Hand Targets - I am teaching Pretzel to touch the back of my hand with his nose on command for a treat. I use the back of my hand because when I show him my hand with the palm forward, that is his cue to stay. I move my hand to different places, say "Touch", and when his nose touches my hand he gets a treat. I did it a bunch this morning, but I think he really got it when I did it again this evening. This will help teach him to touch the target in agility, which is important.
It's your Choice - While Pretzel is lying down, I place a treat just out of reach on the ground. If he stays put, I give him the release command "Go get it!" and he ca get up and get the treat. I just started this game tonight. As he gets better, I will increase the difficulty by putting the treat closer and closer to him and testing his obedience.
I like the order of training priorities the author outlines, called
This dog training stuff is getting very interesting! If you have read my horse training diary over the past 7 years you already understand that I am a thinking trainer and I tend to over-think and over-analyze
Monday, December 24, 2012
Pretzel's First Christmas!
Pretzel and I loaded up the truck on Christmas Eve morning and headed 3 hours to Lorain to my parents' house for the family Christmas celebration. I was a bit on pins and needles because my family is not exactly dog-friendly and allowing him to come was a big concession on their part. I prayed he would behave!
I shouldn't have worried - Pretzel was a real gentleman. I was very prepared, bringing lots of treats, toys, and stuff to chew on. He was happy as can be hanging out with the family and getting all sorts of attention.We stayed the night, and he got to open his very first Christmas present - and he managed to tear the wrapping paper off all by himself!
We are in for some fun times this year, because I got weave poles and a tunnel (dog agility equipment) for Christmas! We tested out the tunnel in my living room, and Pretzel ran in both directions with pure abandon. Gonna be fun!!!
Pretzel waits patiently to open his first present (from Auntie Karen (my sister))
Investigating the package...
There's something in there!
Ripping off the wrapping paper
He loves his new toy!
Minemineminemine!
Look! An ornament that looks just like him!
Wednesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
Look what came in the mail??? Our very first Win Picture!!!!!!
Thursday, December 26, 2012
Pretzel's first snowstorm!
Today we are under a blizzard warning, it is 11am and the snow is expected to continue all day. I couldn't resist going outside to get some snow shots. Pretzel loved the snow, he would have liked to stay out there all day but my fingers were freezing!!!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The roads were finally clear enough to head to the barn. Of course Pretzel came along to let off some steam! We stopped at our property, and had a good romp in the snow. The snow-covered trees made an awesome backdrop for photos.
At home, the main training segment we have been working on is touching the target. Up until today I was having Pretzel touch the back of my hand as the target. Today I bought a poster frame and cut a piece of plexiglass into a square (put tape around the edges so they wouldn't be so sharp) and started using that as a target. I am really surprised at how quickly Pretzel caught on, and I could either hold the target up or drop it somewhere on the floor and he would go touch it with his nose for a treat.
Today was a banner day in Pretzel's
Saturday, December 29, 2012
The blind is truly leading the blind!
Stuck inside with another snowfall, what is there to do other than to watch dog training videos and attempt some things at home? It's a bit more fulfilling than watching horse training videos (which is what I usually do), since it's not like I have my horse here in my living room to practice with LOL!
The more I watch videos on agility, the more I appreciate how dang
I would love to hear what you think! Be kind...we are both new to this :-) If nothing else, Pretzel LOVES to train and is having a blast learning these skills. That is half the fun - seeing how much he enjoys it. It is fascinating how I can almost see his brain cranking and figuring things out. This is one smart Weimaraner!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Can someone explain to me why every time I take an action shot of Pretzel, he has a maniacal look on his face? I swear I never see these expressions in real life, but the camera always seems to capture them. You just can't deny he is a joyful dog!
Pretzel has been getting very very very needy lately. I actually think it is because I have been off from work the past week and a half, and have basically spent 24/7 with him...the more time I spend with him the more he demands. he is in for a rude awakening on Thursday when I am back to work every day! Kind of sad...I enjoy these days together. Oh to be independently wealthy and not have to work...*sigh*...
Monday, December 31, 2012
Well, the next time we chat it will be 2013. I have great plans for this upcoming year, so stay tuned! Join me in 2013 as I combine my horse and dog training diaries into one place (so you are forced to read both LOL!).