Friday, October 29, 2010

I feel sick

Pitbull Runs Off Porch In Point Breeze, Fatally Attacks Dog On Walk - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

This is right down the street from our house. I already stopped walking my dogs in the neighborhood we live in, because of a different dog aggressive pitbull...now this. We don't live in a bad neighborhood, we're walking distance from a large park and moved here because it's so dog friendly. My heart goes out to the people who lost little Carmine, so tragic.

I'm not going to get into the subject of breed bans, but pitbulls are becoming a bigger issue all the time around here. Yes, any dog can be aggressive and just about any dog can be wonderful if properly trained and socialized, but pitbulls really do need to come with a warning. Most people do a poor job training their labrador or shih-tzu, generally you can get a away with some mistakes with those dogs, there's just no room for mistakes with a dog as powerful as a pitbull.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

hit it board

I finally got the hit it board, it was sitting on my neighbors porch for over a week, and it's getting sent back.

It's sensitive enough for the pugs, but Indy can sit on the board and unless she's right in the center it doesn't beep....I tried it out on the dogwalk and I saw her hit it and it didn't register at all. She's a tiny little thing, and I can't imagine there's much force coming form her little paws. The manufacturer can make adjustments, but I doubt it will be enough for it work consistently well for the little peanut pup. Also, my dogwalk doesn't have slats, so it really sticks out to her, and I think she sees it more like a stride regulator....something to jump over! Sure I could train her to step on it, but I'm not looking (at this time) to train a foot target.

I'm trying to do as much dogwalk training as I can right now when I have another set of eyes....although even then it's hard to see.

I do want to mention Clean run has great customer service. No questions asked about returns.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Even more on dogwalk training!

I think i'm making some progress on really seeing what's happening on the dogwalk, and rewarding what I really want. I still need work, it's getting there.....I need to not be so afraid to mark mistakes, after all, how is she going to know what is correct?! Still waiting for my hit it board to arrive. the plan for now is to place the hit it board in what I consider to be the ideal place for her to hit and really jackpot those, give a quick reward/keep running for the ok ones and verbal mark and re do the one with striding I don't want.

Daisy Peel is teaching in VA at the end of the month, and I'm debating going down for her contact training seminars, both running and stopped. I should go, it's just I've been so disappointed by most seminars and it's about a 4 hour drive, which is a lot to do on your own (for me anyway), if I go with someone else I have to sign up for the whole weekend and there are no working spots left for the masters handling and this would mean the dogs would have to sit around in the car all day, I really don't want to do that to them, especially when in late October, when we could be doing some great hiking. I'd love to get her feedback for Indy's dogwalk, but I fear she's just going to tell me what I already know. There are no magic wands to fix things.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Debi & Mia



Here's the latest MACh pug in action, there's also video of her Mach run.

More MACh pugs!

I just got word that there are now 5 pugs with MAch titles. Way to go, showing pugs can do it all.

I did a little looking around and saw videos of Debi & Mia...what a great little pug. She's motivated, well trained and looks like she's having a ball...barking her way around the course!

I have felling there are going to be more mach and multi-mach pugs in the future!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

FCI

It's going to be an agility sloth weekend around here.....not doing much actual agility, but watching lots of it. I have my laptop hooked up to the lcd tv. I love worlds, really different, interesting courses, a huge variety in handling...and breeds in the small and medium compared to the US, and dancing lots and lots of dancing.