Obedience and Shooting range training.

Yesterday I went with AnnLoice to train a bit of obedience, and afterwards we went to the shooting range to practice the "down-stay" (what is it called in english?).

It went really well, and Annloice helped me to take some pictures of Vazys progress with the heelwalk, it's hard to catch on photo, but better than nothing. Most of the pictures from the heelwalking are taken when turning left, 360 degrees..

I also started to practise easy heelwalking with Aila, and I'm trying to get some of the same effect, moving the hindlegs into place. I also practise for her to sit next to my side when I stop... there's a long way to go, but she's making good progress.

Today we went to Luleå to leave my bro and his girlfriend at the airport. We also went shopping, and the dogs had to stay with one of us whilst the other one went inside. They were super nice and calm. Aila is better at walking on the leash than Vazy... And Vazy likes to pull towards other dogs, and it's reallt annoying. She's not seeing enough of them at the moment, that's why. Aila only barked once or twice during the whole day. She's getting better..

The picture of the 4 dogs is taken next to the shooting range, with shots next to them. they managed to stay for several minutes.. It feels good to know that they're not scared of loud noises...

New photos

Today we went training a bit at the club. It went really well, Aila is not barking at all now. It's not insecurity anymore, but only barking a "protective" bark. So I've started to tell her off, and praise her a lot when she's quiet, and she made so much progress in just a few days! When I tell her off she comes to me after, nice and quiet, and gets her tidbit. Otherwise we're working on backing, sit/stay, keeping her paws on a piece of wood, down, eyecontact, standing and ofcourse other contact exercises. I want her to come when I stop, cause then she learns to always keep an eye on me. I also train her to follow me around, nearby, without being on heel. Changing directions and all. She's very good at that too. She can stay without the leash on the field eventhough other dogs are training on the other side of it. She's very good at coming when called. I also introduced her to the slalom. But I don't really have any commands for anything but "sit" and "come" yet, I'm just training for fun and to get her creative... It's fun.

Vazy is super good at the moment. Really motivated to train and learning new things super fast. Lately we've been training the heelwalk and turning with her only moving her back legs. I've tried for so long, but it never worked. And now, in just a few days she can do it so well! It looks like a competition horse with her legwork! haha! She can spin around next to me, even follow me sideways! Backing by my side, sitting, turning and everything not moving one inch from my leg! She also manage to crawl a bit next to my side. She finally got the lying down back, she's not doing it perfectly yet, but at least she's doing it.. The best part is that she thinks it's fun to walk on heel again. I just have to train her a bit more at the club, it's more distractions and she's not as focused... I think we might manage before the competition... I hope so anyway! I've also started to practise a bit for obedience "2", she needs to get better at staying in the same position when commanded at a distance. She always moves forward. And then I'm gonna need to practise the sending forward......

I'll put some pictures from the garden play....

Tracking and puppy course

Yesterday I went to put down tracks for the dogs with Annloice and her friend Marianne. It started off with a bit of chaos with the dogs wanting to run. We went for a walk and then they calmed down, and was ready for the task....

It was really fun, and was the first time for both me and Aila. I think Aila is more a natural than me! We forgot that she was a newbie, so we just put the track out with some sausages now and then. She was a bit confused at first, until she noticed that she could find tidbits if she followed my tracks. She wasn't bad for being her first time! She found the end of the track and all the tidbits, good work Aila!

Under heavy rain we continued to the first day of puppy class. We didn't manage to do much since it was really pouring down! But Aila was showing off her nice walking on the leash, and other stuff.

Tomorrow is the next one, but I don't have time to practise, cause I'm going to Luleå tonight...

Annloice was nice and gave me some pictures from the tracking, 'cause I didn't keep my promise and forgot the camera. You can see some of her dogs in action on her blog!

http://www.spinnrocken.se/

Competition time?

Yesterday I had a rush of.. I don't know what.. and enrolled for an obedience competition for Vazy, and an exposition for Aila. Now I have to busy myself with practising! Especially Aila that can't stand still for one second. And I suck at handling, I hope someone can help me!
I also hope that the competition will be better this time, I want a first price again! But I think now that I have some time to practise I will feel more confident, and it will all go better... I hope..
I really enjoy training with AnnLoice from Spinnrockens kennel also, I think she can teach me some stuff. We met to do some agility and other stuff yesterday, and ended up training for 2 and a half hours! But then I only brought Vazy, next time I'll bring both and start training Aila a bit. I'm gonna train her to control her back legs now. Backing and moving in circles. It's gonna be interesting to see if that can work.
I sent an email to ask for some clicker training course in Stockholm, cause I feel a bit stuck and want to develop new techniques and become better.. learn new things and get new ideas from someone that's better and more experienced than me. Cause I still thaught myself, and I guess even if I've been using the clicker for a long time, I could do a lot of things differently.

Next time I'll try not to forget the camera..... I wish I had my personal photographer with me all the time, haha, maybe I'd have to hire her!

Busy busy busy

I haven't been updating for a while now, there has been so much going on!

We have new dogs at our little summer pension. It's like real vacation for the dogs here.

Then my brother is here with his girlfriend, and my sister was here with her husband and kids. We've also been to visit my dad and all his kids. puh! At the moment we have a puppy visiting, but my favourite guest has been Tula, that's on the pictures here.

I haven't had time to train as before, so Aila is running a bit wild. But atleast she's getting used to dogs and is no longer scared! She's still barking at people, but it don't seem to be insecurity anymore, but maybe has become a habit. When we're in town she's not doing it, but if she's without the leash here in storön, she's scaring people with her behaviour. So the longline is back for a little bit, and I have to make a training program for her to learn that this is not how you greet people...

Vazy has been like an angel these last few days, and when we were in town, there was a market and lots of people and i had lost her leash. So she was off the leash the whole time, walking on heel.. she's great! Aila hasn't learnt how to walk on the leash properly and ran between the legs of a man we met, oops!

From next week I've decided not to take on any more dogs for a while, to get time for my own ones, and to get some rest...

Next week puppy-class is starting for Aila......

But even so, we have quite a good time...

and I'll finish off with a nice picture of Aila posing for the camera...
























Thanks for the photos Matilda! It's not bad to have a personal photographer!

Obedience competition

On Sunday we went on an obedience competition. But it went really bad! We came next to last, and it felt a bit stupid that we're not really going forward, but backwards. Not getting better, but worse. At this moment I'm really doubting myself and my training. I feel like I need some guidance, someone to help me and tell me a bit what to do and how to do it. Since I've been in France I've barley trained any obedience, especially 'cause noone there is interested. They're not so used to clickertraining and often it's me teaching them how to use these techniques. Now when I get to Sweden I feel like everyone is so good, I feel set back. Like I've missed something. I've been the one supporting others when I've been at the clubs in France. I've been working with dogs with problems and it's just been the basics really. To be a leader in the relationship with a dog, like a guide. Like someone to trust, that's fair, but not letting the dogs do everything they want. And I feel like I've got that with my dogs. They really trust me, and they love to be with me. We have a lot of fun. But when it comes to technical stuff, I suck! I think I'm too lazy, don't know enough and never had any good guidance when it comes to these parts.. I have great dogs, but to show it in competitions, I need some help. I hope that's what I'll find in Stockholm at the club I choose.

It's hard to move back, it's all so different here in the dogworld. And people probably think I'm weird for having my dogs off the leash almost all the time, letting them sniff other dogs and play with them. The way I am with the dogs, maybe a bit hard on them sometimes....I don't know.... we'll see how all this develops, but at the moment I feel kind of worthless....