Mindless Chatter Thursday

BF took me to the rock wall yesterday but I don't know if I liked it. Way, waaay too high. I made it 3/4 of the way up and then wanted to get down. I don't think it was so bad for a first try. I like my nice, safe, elliptical with the TV's.

My car has to go to the mechanic again today. Something is really wrong with it! It's going through gas like crazy and it won't start right. And the thingy that says my MPG tells me that I'm getting 80 miles/gallon. And the A/C isn't cold. Stupid Volvo. I just want to sell it and buy an old beater Jeep. At least then I will expect things to break.

I hope Neiko has fun at daycare today Jewlieeeeeeee.

The weather for MI has not been bad this week so far. Rain is headed our way later today and into tomorrow and then I guess colder temps again. I can imagine it is getting probably VERY nice in the Carolinas!

My dogs always start their walks very exuberant. Not "calm submissive state" like Cesar likes. We wanted high drive dogs so I try very hard not to discourage it just work on their focus. So I know how 'frustrating' it can be with Bugsy. When we go for walks, I do not let them sniff much at all. If I let them off leash which we do a bit on every walk they can sniff away, I try to teach them the difference between the two. Teddi has been harder. She has quite the nose on her, she is much improved but she used to walk like a Bloodhound with her nose to the ground. We are working on 'heads up heeling'. I get frustrated because when DH is walking Belle or Teddi it is "no! no! no!" all the time. I try to encourage him to encourage them not punish. He doesn't really get it. I have a hard time being diplomatic on how I want him to handle the dogs. I usually don't say any thing, but that is not fair to the dogs.

I think Bugsy's command work will help the leash work, it just takes time. I don't remember how old Bugsy is, but I do know I see "Lab" in him. I always tell people Labs make great 3 year olds. They are a work in progress their whole lives. They are fun loving dogs.  

Well I applied for the position, actually there are 2 open positions we will have to wait and see now.

Julie I hope you are feeling better soon.
 

'Morning! The sun is shining! Too bad it's kind of chilly still. I threw the dogs outside this morning and it's nice and quiet. They are probably digging holes like crazy. I didn't get up early enough to take Neiko to daycare. The dogs have to be there by 9am.  

Still feeling like garbage. What a waste this week has been. My partner at work is on vacation this week and I was supposed to cover for both of us. Oh well. The world won't end, I'm sure.

About Bugsy - take him to class like 20 mins early and sit in the building if you can - doesn't have to be in the training room. This way he will have that 20 mins to get his sniffing and crazy acting out. This is what our trainer told us to do anyway, for those dogs that get over stimulated by a new environment. 

So sleepy this morning.  I really don't want to be at work today.  There are a million things that I could be doing at home, yet I'm stuck here.  I am almost done with work for the week, so if I get really motivated today I could take tomorrow off.  If only I could find the motivation to get started.

 Julie has a great suggestion about taking Bugs to class early.  It's so helpful when the sniffing & wanting to explore is out of the way.

 Thanks everyone Bugsy is about 2.5 yo and this loose leash walk has been our trouble since day 1.  We have tried every training tip/trick/method I can find, we've tried the easy walk harness/sporn/ prong to no avail.  He goes through long streaks of being really good and then it just goes.  It is worse than ever and seems to be intensifying in the class in the outside yard.  The trainer really doesn't seem interested in B or the other large dog.  He has offered me nothing.  I feel frustrated and exhausted.  And I know that doesn't help, but I have never felt like this before.  He is stronger than me and his intensity is extraordinary.  Great for walking passed hot dogs not so great when he wants to do what he wants to do.

He is doing OK on our walks and Ann I do control his sniffing which is hard work but it helps.  It does however increase his visual intensity so everything that moves is stalked and stared at.  DH's solution is to use the prong and hold it tight the whole time   and just let him sniff So that doesn't help.

It takes a whole lot to defeat me but seriously I am defeated on this - today anyway.

On a brighter note it is a stunning day, it's rained for days and days and today the sun is out and we are to get to 78*.  It was foggy this morning and the smells are wonderful as the morning dew is evaporating.  Might delay some of this inside work to go dig in my veggie patch.  It'll let me work out some aggro. 

EDIT to add the first night I did take him early but the sniffing set him alight - he is a nose with legs - so he was like a junkie who'd scored.  He isn't so bad in the room it is the outside environment which is a fenced yard in the middle of the woods.  The yard is used for doggie daycare so it is absolutely FULL of dog scents.  Given a choice of dog poop remnant or a hot dog or other treat dummy prefers to sniff.  Last night during 'loose lead' time he spotted a grouse (I think) outside the fence and I couldn't budge him. 

Thank you all for the suggestions I will keep trying - just not today  

 Crusher is a fence jumper.  When he was little he would jump the fence for the joy of jumping the fence.  He would jump out of the yard, turn around and jump back into the yard.  It was just something he liked to do.  Until I gave him a command to do it.  Then all of a sudden it wasn't so much fun anymore. 

Maybe you could try getting Bugsy into some sort of tracking class.  Something to utilize his sniffing and make it a job, so that when he doesn't have to do it, it won't be such a big thrill?  Just a thought.  

Kali is screeching at me from her highchair.  I guess she's done with her banana. See ya later!

 weeeeeeeeeeeeeee Kali me and Bugsy like bananas too!  LOL he'll drop a tasty food roll filled kong and run onto his bed and wait for a piece of banana

I am hopeful to get him on a tracking class next - BUT he has to pass CGC first and he won't with his current loose leash walk  

kpwlee

Thanks everyone Bugsy is about 2.5 yo and this loose leash walk has been our trouble since day 1.

We are still working on it with Belle too. She has gotten pretty good but she will be 5 in May too. Just to give you a reference. Our trainer with her said "don't go in a straight line", if Belle got ahead of us or started to pull, turn around and go the other way. It took us a LONG time to get past the front of our house. He will get it I think he is showing his "labness".

Maxs Mom

We are still working on it with Belle too.

Maxs Mom

I just don't have enough hours in the day or $$$

Well I don't know all your dogs have lots of letters after their name so they and you are doing a whole lot right

Thanks I feel a bit better that I'm not the only one struggling.  I've done the turn around thing since we started out, he thinks its a blast, as are the sharp turns, 'making like a tree' (he literally reverses to a heel position), frequent stop starts, slowing down speeding up it all makes him playful. We've done clicker training, done the 'touch' with treats, backpacks, giving commands along the walk,  fetch or frisbee first etc.  Seriously you name it we've tried it, all with limited results.  Ultimately for him doing what he wants is a greater reward than anything you can offer.  He darn well knows how to walk properly but he chooses not to.  I know its not the end of the world but with his power it is a pain literally and prevents us from doing other stuff.  I really would love to do tracking and KNOW he'd love it but without the CGC we are stuck.

Apologies all for griping so much!  Thank you again for any and all suggestions and support - MUCH APPRECIATED! 

kpwlee

Well I don't know all your dogs have lots of letters after their name so they and you are doing a whole lot right

Belle got her CGC last year! She probably could have earlier but she is much harder than my goldens were and are...though Teddi is testing us big time right now!!! LOL We CGC tested Max, Belle and Teddi all on the same day.

Perseverance and patience Yeah I know, but that is what they kept telling me too.

I would take Belle "religiously" to her socialization classes every week for about 3 years. Every time someone new joined the class they would ask me "why are you here? Your dog is perfect!" my answer was "not at home". Oh Belle is a very good dog, but she needed direction big time. I found the more 'other' stuff we did the better she got, dock jumping, agility, bike running, frisbee games, swimming, as well as obedience work. She also got to be a dog too! That our trainers didn't like (long story, my area of disagreement with them) they say that was why she took so long to 'come around'. Oh well she did! I think you will have a "one day" moment and life will start to greatly improve.

I also ride horses and I like Thorougbreds, I like to say they make good 13 year olds so yes patience and practice, practice, practice.

GEEZ Bugsy if you would swim you could REALLY have fun! Not to mention it wears them out fast.  

 Sooooo.... Kali had finished her banana when I went back in there.  She was standing up in her highchair like I suspected, with one twist.  She had taken off her diaper and thrown it on the floor.  Apparently we have entered a new stage in her life....sigh...at least she was only a little wet and not dirty...

I'm still thinking about little Ginger being lost by the vet last night.  Need to go check that thread again for updates.

As for Bugsy, he might be an optimal candidate for an e-collar.  Takes the "force" out of it - meaning he can't overpower you and you don't have to hurt him.  It makes it his decision to stay and enjoy whatever has tempted him - along with the collar stim.  Or stop the collar stim and come to you.  But you have to find a competant e-collar trainer who uses them as "directive versus corrective" - and one who would eval Bugsy to determine if he'd be a good e-collar candidate or not.  G got her intro to the e-collar at somewhere around/before 2yrs old.  Took the pain out of physical corrections, and polished up all her skills beautifully.  It sounds like Bugsy has learned and understands the expectations, but chooses to deal with the consequences of not obeying when something better is "afoot". lol  Good luck with whatever happens - he's still a good boy!!  (I think of those pics of him and the dachshunds)

Congratulations to Amanda on her wedding! Wow - four days to pull it off and she looked super happy!  When you know, you know!  BEST WISHES for grand happiness together!

I got out of going to a business lunch w/this obnoxious person today.  SHE had to cancel - so I am happy the universe answered my wishes! lol

Ugh, I'm going to walk the dog.

I hope you get a 2nd opinion on the car. That just seems odd.