Jorja does some A-frame practice!

Wrong Link

Hi all,
Sorry about the link for OhLa's training diary, thanks Yvonne for letting me know! The (correct) link is www.diaryofagsp.blogspot.com

Great news, I just got a new HD mini camcorder! It is charging as we speak!

Hey Everybody!

I have embarked on a new project. When a friend of mine asked me if I'd be interested in training a German Shorthaired Pointer that was a little nuts I thought.....heck ya! Right up my alley! I've always admired the GSP but have never spent any real time with them, so this was an opportunity to get a chance to do that and see if I like them without actually owning one. Plus it is a dog that comes house trained, crate trained, etc. What a treat! So last week she arrived and we have embarked on our agility adventure together. She is smart as a whip, a lot sassy, and a great deal of fun. I've started a new blog for her, a training diary for myself and for her mom. The address is diaryofagsp@blogspot.com Of course all the other brats are getting trained as well, we are working on our skills for the upcoming regionals. The snow is melted, the agility equipment is in the yard. Spring is here, and so is spring training!

A very special dog looking for a very special home

This is Sadie,

She is a 3 to 4 year old female sable Sheltie. Sadie is looking for a very particular home. She has had a troubled life and has been traumatized by her experiences. Sadie originally came from a puppy mill, one of the local mass breeders up here. She was sold as an older pup, past her socialization period. She went to a farm home already traumatized. There she ran away constantly, afraid of the people. Those people then locked her in a chicken coop with no windows to stop her from running away. She was in there a good long time before she was sold again to some very nice people. They had her for a year, the female owner working with her and trying to help her overcome her fears. One day, her husband scared Sadie beyond reason and Sadie fought back. She bit him, hard enough to draw blood. Sadie was dropped off to me the very next day (thank you to the SPCA folks for sending them my way, dropping her off at the SPCA would have meant euthanasia as biting people is not tolerated). She stayed with me a short while, scared and hiding under the table, but never biting despite being leashed, handled, groomed, walked. She was adopted out to very nice folks. Young, dog experience, sheltie experience, no children and no other dogs. A good choice for an unsocialized dog that needed to overcome fears I thought. Unfortunately it was not the right choice for Sadie, and again she bit the gentleman of the house out of pure fight or flight response when being leashed. After six months of working with her she was returned to me in December.

So here we are in March and Sadie is ready to try again. This time we are going to be very specific about the home she needs. I've learned a lot about little miss Sadie over the last year and she is looking for her forever home.

Sadie's wish list:

• Middle aged single woman adopter


• house with a secure back yard


• one or two well adjusted other dogs


• an owner who is willing to accept her for who she is, and not push her beyond her breaking point. Someone who is understanding, has the patience of a saint, and is willing to just let Sadie be who she is.

Sadie is relatively happy here at my house, she plays with the other dogs, and barks at the door like all good shelties should. She still hides under the kitchen table for the most part and hides herself in a corner when I need to put a leash on her to interact with her. She does not come to me for petting, but when caught will sit on your lap and tolerate petting. She does like to beg for steak! She is a good little dog, and now needs someone with one or two other dogs to help her get to the next level (with 8 pushy drivey dogs here she is too intimidated to get too close into the group).

Cai gets his ATChC

Success at last! Cai received his Agility Trial Champion of Canada title this weekend on a nice masters standard course designed by our friend Rob. I saved the course and if I can figure out how to make the printer scan it and send it I'll attach it to the post for you all. In the meantime, Cai is celebrating by napping on the kitchen floor and other such important duties. Cai is just shy of his seventh birthday, and for those of you who know Cai, getting the Atchc title is a thing of beauty with such a high drive, pushy and nutty little fellow. ;)

A picture to mark the event.......

My new goal is to get poor Toque out of starters! Preferably before Jorja, although they are neck and neck with the starters standard Q's the two of them. Jorja may be inexperienced but she is just a wee bit easier to run!

Winter fun with dogs, redneck style!

I got the opportunity to go out sledding with my family the other day. Remembering as a kid how I hated dragging the sled back up the hill I thought, hey! I have dogs, I have a sledding harness, I'm an adult, I can get one of the dogs to pull the sled up for me! Well that worked great, but even better on a day when the hill has been freshly covered with snow and is a little "slow" for good sledding? Get the dog to pull you DOWN the hill!!

Exhibit A: My niece Rhyanna is the first victim to test out this new theory. I will be paying for massage therapy for the next twenty years for her whiplash injuries I think!

Exhibit B: Liam my nephew hangs on for dear life after seeing the ride his sister got!

Exhibit C: Okay, so Cai can pull the little ones pretty easily, but what about my big brother Dave???

It was a great day and we had a lot of fun! I'm sad to report that Cai was not in the least bit tired the little brat, he was still chucking toys in my lap a couple hours later! I think I had better get a little more serious about my quest for a dog sled, that was really a lot of fun!

Andie the Christmas foster

Meet Andie! She is about 6 -10 months old, and a mystery mix! I think she is some kind of "doodle" but with shedding fur. She is about 40 pounds and around 18-19 inches at the shoulder. She is a very happy, active and boisterous puppy. She would make a great agility dog! She likes toys but hasn't learned to play tug or retreive them yet, she gets along great with all the dogs here, and is now crate trained and house trained. She is very much a naughty puppy, she likes to CHEW! Shoes are her favorite! :)

She is a sweetheart, and is looking for a new home. She'll be heading back to the shelter on Jan 4th..unless you want to adopt her that is??!

New Stuff Soon, I Promise!

Okay, so I know I have been completely negligent in the blog department. Sorry folks! As you may be aware I dropped my camera off the deck back in July and broke it. :( Very sad, and leads to much difficulty in taking video and pictures of the dogs! Soooo...after Christmas during boxing day sales I plan to remedy that little problem and we will be back in business with more ridiculous tricks! Keep your eye out for such classics as: finding my car keys (very useful!), cross your paws, get me a kleenex, and "stick em' up!" Winter has come and so has the time to train silly tricks indoors!

8 Dogs are so peaceful

Mr.Quest has gone off to his new home, the weekend foster is gone, and all that is left is me and my very own dogs. Who knew 8 dogs would feel quiet and peaceful? Everyone resting, getting along, not peeing on the carpet. I watched a whole movie. Wow!

New Phoebe Pictures

Phoebe was in to the vet today for her annual vaccines and exam. Yes people, ANNUAL vaccines. She has been in rescue for over a year now! She is really looking forward to a new home. Will that be you?

A big thank you to Creature Focus Photography for taking these most recent pictures of the little girl!

More Videos!

Quest Videos

Quest is a little Weimaraner puppy that I am babysitting. He is looking for a home! He is a smart little fella and needs a home that will work his mind as well as his body. He would love to do agility!

Happy Anniversary Sam!

Sam the deaf aussie has come a long way since the day he made the journey from California to BC! Here he was (with his friends Jake and Darcy, also adopted to great people!) on the day we left NorCal aussie rescue (they do great work, if you ever have a chance to refer someone in California to a great rescue this is the place!). We brought home three dogs that day. I had intended on only bringing two, but Kim thought Sam should come up with us for a chance at a new life in a place where aussies are not as common (there are aussies EVERYWHERE in California!!! They are like labs here in BC). I was only too happy to say yes, since I pretty much do not have the ability to say no when it comes to dogs needing homes.



And here he is today! This is the letter he sent:

Mom,

It's my one year anniversary in Calgary today; they have decided to keep me and get rid of the children. I am dependable and polite and always pleasant.....they are not. I win.

Sam the Dog

And from Sam's new Dad:

Sam is truly a wonderful boy; God may not have given him hearing, but he added a lot of extra personality and sweetness which makes him everybody's friend. We feel blessed to have him.

It doesn't get any better than that for me. To have a dog go from being an unwanted dog to one that is loved and cherished as part of a family makes everything worthwhile. A lot of people ask me why I do it. "Isn't that a lot of work? Isn't that a lot of poop to pick up? Don't you get tired of all the dirt and dog hair and accidents? Don't they drive you nuts? How do you train them all? What happens if they don't get adopted?." The answer is yes to all; yup, they drive me nuts, yup I get tired of the constant cleaning and not having a life outside of work and dogs sometimes. BUT, how could I ever turn my back and say no to a dog that just needs a little time and TLC to become the best friend of someone like Sam's family? I think so long as I have the ability to do the work, that is what I need to do. It's true that it is coming to an end (for now); I sure do hope there are others out there that will help pick up where I have left off and give these wonderful dogs a chance. And a big thank you to all of my wonderful friends who have helped me along this journey of saving dogs. Thank you for letting me bring strange dogs into your homes, allowing potential adopters to come and see dogs at your homes when I'm travelling all over the place, for your financial support and for your support of me and my efforts in general. I am truly blessed.

Here is a litle video of Phoebe shaping to get onto the balance disc. I'm cheating a little with a wee bit of luring but c'est la vie! Whatever works. Notice she is on leash, she still needs to have a leash on when we are doing stuff or she will run away. She has difficulty focusing and starts panicking over every little noise and has to go and check it out. (And forgets what we were doing in the meantime). I have also gone to using the generic box clicker instead of the iClick with her. The generic clicker has a louder sound, which still makes her spook a bit (but not so much she runs off).

Sleepovers!

Gibbs has gone to a foster to adopt home this past weekend. I couldn't be more pleased, be a good boy Gibbs!
And Nula has gone on a sleepover!
Wow, the house feels empty with two dogs gone all at once, I think I am in withdrawl. Hard to believe that is possible with ten dogs still here but there you have it! Cai is very happy now that Gibbs has gone, he can go back to being the big boy of the house. (Marty is really the big boy, but don't tell Cai, he thinks he's pretty tough). Luckily Quest the weimaraner puppy is keeping me busy so I haven't ventured to the shelter...... :)

And now for Phoebe. She is still looking for just the right placement. A home with another dog or two, and people who will enjoy her for who she is.

Gibbs in the kitchen

Here is a (very) short video of Gibbs in the kitchen showing off his "sit" and the thumbs up signal for "good boy!"

Gibbs Photos

Some more pictures of the handsome boy Gibbs! He is still losing his "outside dog" undercoat around his ruff/shoulders and his butt but otherwise he is as soft as they come!

No Dice

Phoebe, Nula, and Gibbs are still looking for their forever homes. They are all such wonderful dogs, not a single application on any of them. It is so sad that people feel deafness is just "too much" for them, they are missing out and don't even know it.







Advantages of having a deaf dog:

• They aren't bothered by thunderstorms



• you can sneak out of the house or sleep in without them noticing



• they watch you more closely than a hearing dog



• they're just so cute when they are asleep with their feet stuck up in the air!



• and many more.....

Nula says: "won't you give me a chance? I am house trained and trustworthy left in the house by myself. I like walks and don't pull on leash and I am so very loyal I lie near you all the time and will lie by whatever doorway you went through last so I don't miss you when you come back." On another note she has not had any seizures since she has been here the last two months. I would venture to guess that they were diet related (she is on a high quality grain free diet here) and/or stress related. This really is the perfect dog and I am genuinely surprised she is still here. She is the perfect dog for a first time owner. No vices, just a sweet and loving dog looking for a permanent home.

Gibbs thinks the world is a pretty cool place these days (well maybe not literally it is 34 degrees here today!). He is now a happy and well adjusted dog. He gets on well with all the other dogs, likes cats, and likes his people. He can be a little shy if he thinks he is in trouble, but boy what a nice dog he will be for some lucky person.

Phoebe is a happy girl. She really doesn't want to be snuggled, but just let her be and she is happy as a clam. She jumps up on the bed in the morning and runs around doing the happy dance. She does love to eat! I know she is work, but she so deserves the chance to be happy in a home of her own.

Gibbs goes up for adoption

Gibbs was put up on petfinder last week. Let the applications begin! He is happy, he is getting along with everyone, he is neutered and had all his vet care done. It is time now for him to find his place. Training for him right now consists of continuing to learn daily life, and trips to strange places. We've gone on car rides, and last week he went on an off leash walk with the rest of the crew. It is always a bit of a gamble taking them off leash (especially the deaf ones) but I know they are ready when they are bonded to a couple of dogs in my group. My pack walk really well off leash, they run and play and deke into the bush but they are always in sight, and they always come when called. This works great when training a new dog (we have trained a couple of my friends' dogs this way too) as the new dog follows the pack. What they do, he does. So when he comes back, I take special attention to taking his collar and then giving him a cookie and then letting him go again. I do this maybe twice on an hour long walk, the rest of the time they just do what they like. My cookies are not as reinforcing as running, so calling them back for a cookie multiple times would be perceived by the dog as a punishment, not as a reinforcer. So some really tasty steak, and only a couple of times and voila, you have reinforcement. Gibbs did well on his walk, though I can see that he has an independent side to him. Next time I will have him wear a bear bell so I can tell where he is in the bush. He gets caught up in his sniffs!
I am keeping my fingers crossed for Gibbs for a great home for him. He deserves it, no living thing should ever be thrown out like garbage.

A typical dog continued.....

Day 4

Continued time in the crate upstairs. Getting used to noises, smells, and the general action of the house.

Day 4 for this guy meant meeting the old dogs. Marty, my 12 year old border collie is an excellent dog to use to integrate new ones. He is also a male and this guys first introduction to another male dog in my home. Marty is the perfect gentleman. He is calm, laid back, gives dogs their space and has impeccable manners. He will give them a nice snap warning if they are in his face. Trixie is the geriatric collie. She is about 13 or 14 years old and older than dirt. She doesn't do much other than get stuck in corners, drool, and bark at puppies who are having too much fun. She is good for shy dogs to meet because she doesn't do anything. I try and keep her away from the pushy ones as they tend to pick on her because she is weak. Nula, one of my current fosters is also in the old dog group. She isn't old (only 6) but she is really fat and is a very calm house dog. She is also deaf.

I let the boy out in the yard by himself first. Then I let Marty out and shut the door. I find things go better if I am not present. My dogs don't look for me for something to do, and the foster dog doesn't try to hide behind me for protection or to guard me. Often fosters have bonded to me pretty heavily by day three or four and start to show guarding behaviours. Marty of course runs out there and pees on all the new dogs pee. Foster dog runs up to him, hackles up, head down and half cowering. He wants to meet Marty but is not really sure what to do. Marty ignores him and continues to pee on stuff. New dog runs away and goes around peeing on everything again. This is good interaction. They are interested but keeping a distance. Wish I had a video camera because it is really interesting to watch how each encounter becomes a little longer until they are into a full sniff.

Next I let out the deaf female Nula. She runs right up into his face. He runs away and she runs after him, sniffing his butt. He gets cornered and just sits there, hackles up and head down. She sniffs his privates and then carries on doing her own thing while he goes around and pees on everything again, checks on Marty, sniffs her another time and continues trotting the perimeter of the yard. Out comes the old collie. She also goes right to him (nosy old lady!) and sticks her long beak right where the sun don't shine. Her nose doesn't work too well anymore so she has to get right up there. He tolerates it pretty well, again running around peeing on stuff to show off how big a boy he is. All the peeing is really nervousness, not really marking though that is a component. That was enough for day 4. It took all of about an hour to make those introductions. I am really happy at this point as now I know that I can let him out with this group of dogs and he will be safe with them.

I choose not to introduce him to my pushy male dog Cai or the rambunctious puppy group (Toque, Heidi, Sobe and Jorja) before he is neutered. This would just be foolish and asking for a fight. It is crucial that the introductions go well and that fights are avoided as once they start, there is always tension and the dogs will watch for each other constantly. It means micromanaging by me which is a lot of work. Instead, if I spend the time at the beginning and introduce the dogs carefully and strategically fights are avoided and my job is much easier. Plus the new dog gets the benefit of learning from all the dogs, not just a few.

Day 5

Day 5 is neuter day. We are off to the vet early in the morning for a checkup before surgery. He has been given a clean bill of health and is off into the back to be prepped for surgery. Today is the day I have to come up with a name for the poor fellow as we have been calling him "Puppy." This is not good for his ego! So, standing there in the clinic his name came to me (thankfully! It only took five days!). The boy has been named Gibbs. A nice handsome name for a handsome boy.

Day 6

Gibbs returns from the vet clinic. He is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and tattooed. All done! His incision looks good and he isn't obsessing over it. Unfortunately I have to go out of town on day 6 to go judge an agility trial out of town. I took two dogs with me, Cai the pushy male (who was competing) and Phoebe the puppy mill foster (who needed the socializing). Everyone else was left with our fabulous housesitter.

Days 7-10

I was away (thank doG!) when Gibbs figured out how to bust out of his crate. He peed ALL over the house. Marked every wall, the fridge, the furniture, everything, even Heidi! I am still finding spots two weeks later! He also ate the cord to my keyboard. Too bad for him Jess the house sitter is a smart cookie and found him a crate he couldn't get out of. Ha! Problem solved by the time I got home! Apparently the testosterone hasn't left his system yet. Give it another week and all will be well. Also, while I was away he got introduced to the rest of the group (this was all good as I had my male with me, the one that would have likely been an issue). He got along fine with everyone and started to play a little.

Days 11-14

I'm at work, so Gibbs spends time in his crate while I am there. He is introduced to the remaining two dogs (Cai and Phoebe) and all goes well after some initial sniffing and peeing on things (Cai peed on his head, nice ) It is life as usual at this house. Gibbs is starting to go to his crate for meals on his own. He still needs a little prompting but I don't have to take his collar anymore. All meals for him are delivered in his crate. This helps associate the crate with the enjoyment of eating and tends to help the dogs initiate going into the crate on their own. After a couple of weeks I'll start doing crate games. Getting him to go in and out of the kennel for cookies and learning to wait until he is released to come out.

Day 15

First off property walk! I took him by himself so I could concentrate. I also took him on his martingale collar only to see how he did. Amazingly, he did incredibly well! I was expecting him to be all over the place, dragging me to pee on everything. Instead he walked either beside or behind me with a loose leash the entire time. We were out for about a half hour, we even stopped to talk to some friends of mine for about ten minutes. He sat next to me patiently, like he had been doing it for years! I want to jump up and down for joy, but my cynical side says he is probably nervous still and the bad leash manners may come out later. But, in the meantime if I reinforce the good loose leash walking perhaps we will have the perfect dog. Hurrah!