Sydney, A Journey

5 Years Old!

2011-12-28T13:08:00.000-06:00

Happy Fifth Birthday, Sydney! Surely there must be a mistake in the math, because I can't believe the Josie x Jake litter is 5 years old!

Happy 5th Barkday to Bella, Bo, Breezy, Meme, Sydney, Tater, and sweet Encore, who is waiting at The Bridge... I remember getting the call from Jacque like it was yesterday, and I'm so thankful to have been able to be a part of their lives right from the start!

Sydney, NAP and 2 Open legs!

2011-09-06T23:58:00.002-05:00

I'm so proud of Sydney. She went to an agility trial in February, one in March (finished her NJP), got one leg on her HT at a herding trial in April. Then she took Maternity Leave in the spring and summer. I took her to one session of classes, and entered her in the local Labor Day weekend trials.

Syd did really well, picking up an Open Jumpers leg the first and third day, and finishing her NAP the second day. I was proud, as usual, of her willingness to work with me even though we don't train very much.

I need to go back and retrain the teeter, since Syd really hesitated every time on the teeter. So no more Standard until we get a chance to go back to the beginning. :-)

Her puppies went to the trial for a bit to meet new friends and hang out, and her little mini-me daughter had to get in the photo of the happy agility girl!

Syd's Herding Lesson, March 13

2011-03-13T21:10:00.002-05:00

Here's Syd's herding lesson from today. A light lesson in the pen because I don't want her to re-injure herself from last weekend's teeter mishap. She has the HT in just a few weeks, so I have lots to do to get myself ready. Syd seems to know what she's doing, I just have to get better so I don't mess her up.

New Title, and Video to Prove It!

2011-03-05T21:58:00.003-06:00

So proud of Sydney, this morning we left the house at 3:30 am to drive over to Lake St. Louis for agility trials. Her JWW course was a basic figure 8, and I was hoping that she could eek out her title today. She didn't disappoint, and came through with a nice run. I was so worried that we (ME) would make a silly mistake and NQ. Thank goodness my dog is smarter than me. :-)

So Syd is now CH Kingsbury's It's My Alias NJP* (pending AKC confirmation)

3 for 3 Agility Trials

2011-02-14T06:27:00.004-06:00

Syd ran in agility trials this weekend, and she did great! She hasn't gone to any trials in almost two years, and she hasn't had much opportunity for training recently, so I had no idea what she would do.

I was really proud of her. Saturday, she NQ'd in all three events, because of slight bobbles, including the weaves, but I have not done re-training so I could not fault her for that. I was pleased that she was focused, stayed with me, and she seemed to enjoy herself.

On Sunday, she ran Novice Fast and Q'd, with a send bonus of Aframe and tunnel. I was so proud, because contacts are not Syd's strong suit! Then she qualified in Jumpers, and finally in Standard. So on Sunday, Syd picked up three legs, one NFP, NJP, and NAP! This video is her Standard run. We almost had a crisis at the teeter when she let it tip back, but she persevered. A couple of refusals because of my handling, and at the end of two very long days. But Syd did it, and contacts, weaves, table all very well.

If the embeded video doesn't work, here's a link directly to YouTube

NAP run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FM4lBcxVEw

And here's Syd's Q NJP run in Jumpers from Sunday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMzanRlAj0Q (direct link to YouTube)

And finally, her first run of the morning, the NFP leg that was my favorite run of the day:

direct link to YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmGNq0QH3JQ

Training the Youngster

2010-12-27T13:32:00.009-06:00

Sydney takes training very seriously. This winter, she feels that her son Biscuit is old enough to learn to "really" play in the snow. She's tired of holding back, going easy on the puppy, being a "good" mom... Look out Biscuit, this will really be an education!

Poor little boy, he has NO idea what his mom has in store for him. She looks sweet enough... And now for Syd's 12-step program!

------>

Step 1: Bite your opponent on the neck to get his attention. That'll really increase the odds that he will chase you. .

.

Step 2: Take off, watching over your shoulder to be sure loyal subject, err, Biscuit, is following.
(ed. note: Now that's what I call some FLUFFY PANTS!)

.
.
Step 3: Pause for a moment to let your opponent, uh, son, get his mind wrapped around what's happening here.

Step 4: Take off again, leaving subject in your (snow) dust.

Step 5: Stop again, review rules of the game with trainee. Ask him to recite rules 1 through 4.

Step 6: Run THIS way.

Step 7: Run THAT way.

Step 8: Pick up speed, since he almost caught you in Step 7 (above). But DON'T get yourself into a skid (below).

Step 9: Dash left, zig when he zags.

Step 10: Change direction, never let him see your next move.

Step 11: feel sorry for poor subject, uh, son, and let him rest for a minute. Fall for his sad, sappy expression when he asks if this lesson is over.

Step 12: Lead trainee "back to the barn," time well spent, knowing The Biscuit has had training from The Master.

Please...

2010-11-16T13:39:00.003-06:00

Please can I go back to class and dog shows? I promise to be good...

New Spectator Event

2010-07-13T11:35:00.002-05:00

Syd and Jazz have created a new spectator sport, and they hope to become famous by performing at agility trial halftime shows around the world.**

Introducing, The Great Sydini.

And her assistant, Jazzarooni.
Their basic moves include synchronized A-frame leaping, all together now, UP and Over.

But the move that brings the crowd to their feet is the Double-blind, Up-and-over, Mid-air Cross with an over-the-shoulder twist. Oooh, it's so dangerous, and daring. I could hardly watch them during the practice and perfection of this move. When they pull it off, it's a sight to behold.

Applause, Please.... Tah-Dah!

**(shh, I haven't been able to break it to them yet that there are no halftime shows at agility trials)

Where Did the Puppies Go???

2010-04-20T23:03:00.004-05:00

Sydney decided it was time for her to reclaim her blog, and I decided it was time to really start working with her again and getting back to training. I'm hopeful that this summer, Syd will get back to agility, and also get started in obedience.

But where did the puppies go???? No worries, the puppies have their own space, and it's right here:

http://hurrikanepuppy.blogspot.com/

So if it's [muddy] puppies you are looking for, run on over to the Hurrikane Puppy Blog!

Now I can keep the puppy blog, and Syd's blog can get back to Syd's training blog. Everything should look familiar over at the Hurrikane Puppy blog, and all the posts moved successfully.

We are officially back to our regular Sydney broadcast at the Sydney blog! There are still some housekeeping items to tidy up on both blogs, but the main content is all straightened out.

Multi-tasking Momma

2010-01-20T15:17:00.005-06:00

I'm sorry, but there should be some type of award, certificate, title for this kind of talent. Syd is participating in Extreme Multi-tasking. She's nursing one puppy and wrestling with the other while contorted into a canine pretzel in her favorite dog bed.
No puppies were harmed in the making of these photos.

In fact, Syd's lower half never even moved, so Mr. Brindle was completely oblivious to the Corgi Wresting Federation match taking place. Take a look at her back leg that's propped up on the side of the dog bed. No matter what her front half is doing, the back half never changes position!

She's one happy (albeit totally destructive) momma dog, enjoying the pure fun of puppyhood once again!

And after one final face grab by the fuzzy pup,

Tah-dah! Game over, everyone's happy.

A Mother's Love

2010-01-03T09:30:00.004-06:00

It's the only thing that explains this kind of patience!

24 Hours

2009-11-24T13:13:00.006-06:00

The puppies have crossed 24 hours, and they seem to be doing well. Each has gained over an ounce from their birth weight (I'm so tired, I spelled that "wait" and had to go back and fix it- haa). So I'm hopeful that for now, they will continue to be OK. I'm seeing the slightest fuzz of fur on their toes and muzzles now. The red boy is a bit slow in the eating department, so I'm supplementing him a bit. Thankfully he took right to the bottle (I am now the proud owner of every brand of baby bottle Walmart carries in the baby section). The Playtex bottle worked like a charm, and everyone is happy! I just keep watching and waiting for some sign that the puppies are either out of the woods, or taking a bad turn. Right now, they are looking healthy.

I want to thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers for the boys and Syd, and for the puppies who were lost before they ever got started. Yesterday was tough for me, and the events were so quick it was surreal (until about the second time my alarm went off at the 2-hour increments). I'm so happy to have the two boys, and relieved that Sydney is OK. I also feel thiankful that if the other puppies were not able to make it, they didn't linger on and struggle.

Syd has taken to motherhood quite nicely, and I might even call her an over-achiever to the point where I have to tell her to knock it off on occasion. She'd really rather lay on my bed and have me deliver her puppies to her there for nursing, but we're going to have a talk about that one. Stay tuned for Sydney's bedtime story that she tells the two baby boys.

Early Delivery

2009-11-23T12:42:00.002-06:00

Syd's puppies are here. Yes, they are here 5 days early. Like 58 days after ovulation. Syd's temp dropped last night, and this morning (sparing you the reason I took her to the vet) she had an emergency c-section. She was carrying six puppies (5 dogs, 1 bitch), but one was not alive from the start. Five were 'breathing' and we got three to cry. Two were trying hard to keep breathing, but they were just too early. In the end, by the time I left the vet, I have two boys, and I'm going to do my best to keep them going strong.

It was not a good morning when I was carrying Syd to the back for surgery, and Dr. Becker said, "We just have to hope for the best" when he's usually so optimistic and reassuring. After all was said and done, he thinks it's very lucky that two puppies are doing as well as these boys are.

Basically, in a nutshell, Dr. B says that one of the puppies was trying to abort, and in doing so, it detached all the pups (? it was really stressful, so I might have butchered that explanation).

Syd is doing OK, she's still very groggy, but she's let the boys nurse twice, and she did sniff one when I held it up to her. Her eyes got really wide, and I have no idea what she thinks it is, but she was not growling or trying to get away from it (yet!).

So keep these two baby boys in your thoughts and prayers, I don't think they are by any means out of the woods yet. Nothing like worst case scenario, damned if you get them out, damned if you don't for the first litter.

It's Official!

2009-10-23T12:07:00.004-05:00

As long as everything continues to go well, we WILL be hearing the pitter patter of Sydney-Mick puppy feet the day after Thanksgiving!!!

I was such a wreck at the vet today, I made Dr. Becker write it down and fold it up for me. I didn't watch his face as he palpated, and he really played it up, asking how many days from first or last breeding, etc. I was really discouraged, but he's quite the actor, because I got out to the car, and unfolded the paper to a big YES!!! written across it.

Slow It Down

2009-09-15T22:51:00.002-05:00

How do you slow down a Cardigan who usually moves at the speed of light? Easy. Put a diaper on her and her back legs are suddenly rendered useless.

I never would have guessed

2009-09-15T06:56:00.004-05:00

-that Sydney has such an affinity for Vall-pups! She's not exactly "best friend" material for the most part. It takes her a while to warm up to new dogs, and even then, she is pretty bossy about how the playtime games are run, etc. When Hawklet arrived, I put him in an Xpen in the living room, and Syd was nearly wiggling her body in half on the other side of the pen. This morning I was holding the Hawklet and let her sniff. She had zero concerns, so I put him down and they were instantly off and running. Amazing to me, especially since Vallhunds are very vocal in play.

Um, did anyone notice Syd let the Hawklet flip her??? Who knew she was such a Vallhund groupie???

And yes, I'm aware that it looks like a tornado came through the living room. For some reason, Vallhund puppies like to drag dog blankets, beds, toys, etc. all into one pile. Both the Vall-pups in residence do this. The tan blanket? Well, that was dragged from Nick's kennel, around the corner from the kitchen, through a baby gate doorway, and into the living room. Oh well, it makes for a cushy play zone!

Good Girl, Sydney

2009-09-07T14:17:00.009-05:00

Sydney with all her goodies from the NADAC trial this weekend. NINE events entered, SEVEN Qs, TWO new titles (TN-N and NAC), one Jumpers leg, one 1st place, five 2nd place, one 3rd place. The rest of the photos (Kevin Devine Photography) can be viewed here: http://hurrikanecardigans.shutterfly.com/1566

And now, for the newest method of Weave Pole Training, the "Weave and Woo"

First we have the WEAVE portion:

Then we finish it with the WOOOO portion:

Sydney's Rules for Play

2009-08-22T10:33:00.003-05:00

I will admit, I really have absolutely no idea why Sydney and Darby are so compatible. Not because of Darby, but because of my little "angel" Sydney. Syd desperately wants someone to play with her, but she plays SO rough, the other dogs just cringe and run away after a body slam or two. And Syd is *very* persnickety about play. "OK, now you will run to the left corner, then I'll chase you and knock you over, and then you get up and chase me back to the other side of the yard, and then you spin around and I'll tackle you." She organizes and runs the show when it comes to play time. And oh, if you DARE to not follow Syd's rules of play, well, then there is heck to pay.

One of the KEY rules to Sydney play is "You will not flip the Sydney on her back." If anyone dares to play and Syd flips over for some reason, she will get up as her evil twin and grab whoever it is by the face and tell them they'd better not do that EVER again.

In nutshell, Syd has some play issues.

1. She plays WAY too rough for the other dogs in the house.
2. She must make all the rules, and those who don't follow will catch heck.
3. She isn't really much on other girls. Period.
4. No flipping Syd on her back, EVER.
5. No flipping Syd on her back, EVER.
6. No flipping Syd on her back, EVER.

So, when Darby came along, I was very watchful and never let Syd and Darby into direct contact for quite a while. Darby is so amicable I was afraid she would walk into a Sydney Play Trap and get herself chewed up and spit out. So we did gradual introduction, through the fence of the dog yard, then with Darby on leash with me and Syd running around, then both loose and me with the rake (I felt like I was at a herding lesson), and then finally I let them play for a few minutes at a time, then put someone in the dog yard so that every session ended on a good note. I wasn't sure how Syd would be because Darby is a girl, but I was hoping that maybe being a puppy would work in Darby's favor.

Nowadays, I can put Syd and Darby outside together for hours, and there are no problems. Syd is so happy, and Darby is smart enough to handle Syd. When Syd gets really wound up, Darby will still engage in play, but she uses the A-frame, or under the deck to put some space between them for just a split second, then she pounces out and tackles Syd. Yes, you heard it right, Darby can tackle Syd. The first time I saw Syd flip over on her back while playing with Darby, I sucked in a breath and prepared to go save Darby from a real discipline session. But when Darby let Syd get up (yes, you read that right), Syd just did a play bow and took off running for another chase. I'm sure my heart stopped beating for a moment.

I even have it on video, because those who know Syd best would never, ever believe that she and Darby are the unlikely best friends, and this clip even catches (gasp) Syd, flipped on her back! I wouldn't believe it either, if I didn't see it myself every day!

This Is How I Roll

2009-08-21T11:11:00.001-05:00

and slop, and run, and splash.

Ugh. THIS dog really doesn't even remotely resemble my pretty girl in the photo to the right on the blog, or the Redemption photo from a couple of weeks ago. Syd is never happier than when she's sloshing around getting dirty. And for some reason, with the torrential rain we've had over the last week, the mud has a different consistency, more like paint than mud, and it seems to be sticky, too. But how can I get mad at that happy face?

Stupid Human

2009-08-04T14:22:00.002-05:00

Some days it doesn't take any imagination to know exactly what my dogs are telling me. This morning was one of those days!

Because Sydney needs lots of structure and lots of activities to work on impulse control, one very simple exercise we do is at feeding time. When I have time, I ask Syd to work for food, and I feed her by hand. Most mornings, though, that doesn't happen! So, instead, we work on our start line stays that will hopefully help in agility. I put Syd in the hall, I stand at the doorway, and I ask her to BACK up, at least 5 feet, and then DOWN. I set the food bowl down, and then I walk away from her, back toward her, turn my back, feed another dog, etc. All that time, she has to stay where she is, in a down. Then at some point, I give her the, "All done, Good girl" release, and she jumps up to snarf down her breakfast.

This morning, I went through the routine, and was already picking up some of the dog bowls in the kitchen, when I heard, "Bark, Bark, Bark" from Syd. I thought that was strange, she should be in the middle of inhaling her breakfast. I walked out of the kitchen and around to the hallway and realized that WOOPS, I never did give the release word, and Syd was still plastered to the floor in her signature SPLAT down, just staring at her food bowl 5 feet away. So, I guess we can all translate the Bark Bark Bark, your version probably isn't very far off from mine!

Telling Secrets

2009-08-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this dog? The sweetest moment of our adventure to the Lake of the Ozarks last Saturday, Kane telling secrets to my friend's daughter, Ashley, resting his chin on her shoulder, just checking to make sure she was OK. Of course, Ashley was up to no good, that orange tube is a water blaster, and she was parked at the edge of the dock, blasting her dad, brother and sister in the head with water! But she looks sweet in the photo, if you don't know what she's up to. :-)

I'm sure this sweet face would never be up to any trouble! And what you can't see in this photo is Gizmo cruising the edge of the dock, because Ashley had, um, a bit of "casting trouble" and her hot dog bait was flopping off the hook and onto the edge of the deck 9 times out of 10. Never fear, Gizmo was always available for clean-up duties. No hot dog went to waste!

Redemption

2009-07-25T07:18:00.004-05:00

Just to show that Syd doesn't always look like a mud-puppy. :-) Freshly bathed, hardly brushed because I wanted her to have more than two sticks of hair for the photo shoot yesterday. By this time next week, Syd will look nothing like this. She'll be all long neck and ears, and there will be no evidence of her pretty pants fluff.

P.S. Hey Garrett, could you go over and mow Lori's yard? She laughed when I asked her (pre-photo shoot) how tall her grass was. Well, now she knows why I asked. Hello, no legs!

Can I Come In?

2009-07-21T10:56:00.002-05:00

Come on mom, I'm ready to come inside. I know you said if I did't come in before the rain I was going to be a big mess. But now I want to come in and snuggle with you. Darby and I did lots of wrestling and chasing through the mud, and now I'm tired. Please mom, I promise I won't get mud anywhere...

Smart Girl!

2009-05-31T19:19:00.004-05:00

There is one air-conditioning vent in the living room. One guess where it is??? Nice touch that she dragged her soft lamb toy over to rest her chin... Don't worry, the rest of us don't mind sweltering in the heat!

Carly and Denise

2009-05-30T21:43:00.003-05:00

Everything in one place, toys, tugs, bones, and new mom Denise.

Carly's Leaving, from Syd's perspective-And Tigger, Too!

2009-05-29T14:23:00.004-05:00

From Syd: You know, I can't lie (well, I can and I do, but in this case, I won't lie), I don't love my sisters. So tonight, half of my Master Plan will be successfully accomplished. My pesky baby sister Carly is going to move to her new house. Now I just have to find a way to send stupid Breezy away. I know mom would be mad cuz she says Breezy is the sugar and I'm the spice. Pahtooey, who needs sugar.

For anyone who likes my baby sister, her new moms have already got Carly blogging over here:
http://www.carlygirlsgig.blogspot.com/

I'm just glad I won't have to keep claiming all MY toys and wiping HER slobber off them. If I want it, it's mine. If I don't want it, you can't have it. It's a lot of work trying to make BOTH my sisters miserable.

Wuv, Syd
Peace-Out

Tigger Sez:

Oh, are you still here??? Someone let me know when she's gone, please...

AOM

2009-05-02T14:50:00.003-05:00

Here's Syd with Miss Jacque, and the judge, Gayle Garvin, at the Three Trails specialty. Too bad Syd was still half-nekkid, but she still showed well, and I'm proud of her. :-)

No Talk-y, No Text-y

2009-04-26T19:05:00.003-05:00

Oh dear, Syd. I know I said I need to take the phone in to have it looked at, but did you have to take it in your own hands today? Even another few weeks and I could simply "upgrade." sigh. All day with no talk, no text. I'm in withdrawl! Syd is going to have to do some extra work around the house to pay for the new phone. Sadly, because it's a PDA device, the insurance deductible is still pretty high.

Sydney and Specialties

2009-04-20T14:06:00.006-05:00

Sydney only got to participate in conformation at the CWCCA specialty last week. She came in season early, so she had to cancel out of agility. She had to get a doctor's note and everything...

A few pix of Syd from the Sunday Three Trails CWC Club of KC specialty.

I think she was a bit over the whole show scene, especially the waiting around part. But then Miss Jacque showed up with a box of crackers to share, and that made it all better!

You may have read over at the Hurrikane Chronicles that Syd won an Award of Merit at the Sunday Three Trails specialty. I was very proud of her, especially knowing that she had a long week of travel and being away from home. I showed her twice last week, once in the Megan (where she made it to the cut of the final 5 in brindle bitches- THANK you Garrett and Joanne for the pre-show wine!), and once in BOB (where she didn't do nothin'). She behaved herself in the ring and did not stress about anything. Especially when another exhibitor, in a show of stellar sportsmanship, let her dog turn and look at Syd and bark at Syd's face the entire time we waited in line. The funny thing is that Syd didn't care a bit. The only thing I heard commented about afterwards from spectators was that the only attention drawn during that round of judging was to the exhibitor who didn't seem able to control her dog. The behavior definitely got attention from people, but not from me and not from Syd.

So, on to Sunday's Three Trails specialty... Since I had shown Sydney twice that week, and I was worried she was getting tired, I wanted to give her Sunday off and call it a GREAT week. I was vetoed by Syd's "other mother" and so I handed the leash off and went and watched my dog show. I know people love to show their own dogs, but I have to say that I love watching my dog show. Whether she's the best Cardigan out there or not, it always makes me smile to see her expressions change subtly, like the "working" expression after the down and back when you say "Let's Go!" and she starts to move it out. So, I watched Jacque show Syd expertly on Sunday, and the two of them worked hard and were rewarded with an Award of Merit.

BIGGG stretch to get warmed up!

Completely focused on Miss Jacque

Syd's Agility Trials, Continued

2009-03-17T20:34:00.004-05:00

Syd was entered in two days of trials after her fun time at Wentzville a few weeks ago. Friday, in a cold and windy Iowa, her jumpers run was going well, but when we got to the weaves, I lost her attention, and she had a Reactive Moment. This arena uses the open , tubular steel cattle fencing. There is no visual barrier between the ring and the very crowded crating area, and the fencing is large enough for dogs to crawl through. Someone was walking down the narrow aisle next to the Jumpers ring with a GSD, and when I lost Syd's attention, she went over to the fence, stood back about 3 feet, and barked 5 or 6 times at the GSD. The judge whistled, and I was on my dog with a very insistent DOWN. Thankfully, Syd dropped instantly and responded very well, and I escorted her out of the ring. She was not overdone or having a panic attack, but this was definitely a worthwhile experience that showed me that Syd still has a stress reaction and we have to keep working hard.

Next up was the Standard course. Syd was amazing, and SOOO fast. She did not seem to remember her stress on the Jumpers course, and she paid no attention to anything outside of the ring. It was a SIT on the table, and Syd did get a nice giggle from the judge when her sit began with a "sit pretty" but thankfully turned into a regular sit. :-) We had only the chute and tire to go, and Syd just blatantly ran behind me and over to the teeter. She's had some trouble getting up speed on the teeter, so it gets great reward at practice. Perhaps she thought she should try it again during the trial! It was just too late, she was on the teeter before I could really figure out where she was headed, so an NQ. But I have no complaints, she ran with me, and she had fun and tried her best.

Fast forward to Sunday, and a town south of Kansas City... Kane and Syd were entered in just Jumpers (we have to get better about early entries for agility!). Kane, well, you might have read on the HurrikaneChronicles that Kane was 20 seconds over course time. Syd was on fire on that jumpers course, but she got ahead of herself and popped out of the weaves at the end. We wasted a lot of time at the weave poles. But she was a speed demon and almost literally got "Wound up" on the 5 through 8 pinwheel combination! The dirt was flying for the rest of the course. The jump from 11 to 12 (course map below) was a tight turn, and it turns out that Syd just doesn't have the experience yet to correct herself. She came flying, but got a foot caught in the jump and took the jump and herself down. I hate seeing the dogs land on their chest and chin, but thankfully Syd was up in an instant and back on the course. She finished a full 8.5 seconds under course time, and that includes the seconds we burned at the weaves! Syd got lots of applause at the trial, and people came up to me to tell me how great she ran, and what a neat dog she is. That really made me feel good, like Syd is on the right track, and we've come a long way in the last 18 months. I really can't explain how proud I am of my girl, and how glad I am that she's found her love in agility.

Here's the course map from the Carthage, MO Jumpers run, where Syd took a spill between 11 and 12, but otherwise ran an amazing run.

Good and Normal

2009-03-09T17:23:00.002-05:00

huh? I know, not two words I usually associate with my little angel, Sydney. But, today she got lots of mail. Her agility height card came today so she'll be spared all the measuring at trials from now on. But more importantly, her OFA results came back for her hips and elbows. I'm quite happy and relieved to have the results of OFA Hips: Good, and OFA Elbows: Normal. Yay Syd!

Updated! First Trial, First Q!!!

2009-02-28T12:08:00.001-06:00

I found someone with a camera to take our photo and email it to me. :-) Not very clear, but still a photo! And, course map at the end of the post for agility enthusiasts.

The dogs (all of them) and I left Kansas City with the snow right on our heels. Syd was entered in her first agility trial for jumpers and standard. We started out early this morning with jumpers. Believe it or not, syd qualified with 100 points and ZERO faults. I couldn't believe it. Of course I have no camera because I never expected syd to quify. Shoot, I just taught her weaves last week!!! We now officially love the 2x2 weave training!!! Now we wait forever for the standard run and if Syd takes the Aframe I will call this a wonderfully successful day.

News from the Standard Run. Almost 6 hours after our Jumpers run yesterday (and exactly 12 hours after we left the house that morning), Syd and I were on task for the Standard Run. I did say that if Syd performed the Aframe, I would be thrilled and call it a successful day. Well, it's a good thing I had it in writing to remind myself of what I considered success. :-P

We got to the Standard run, and I was concerned that Syd was tired and not quite so excited at the start line. She ran the first four obstacles beautifully, great speed, and she turned without me even directing her verbally, and she shot up and over the Aframe like a champion. Contacts at the bottom; a wildly successful attempt at an obstacle that's been a confidence issue for Syd.

After the Aframe was the table, and Syd ran over without her usual table-gusto, and hopped up on the table. When she lifted her head up and turned my way, I knew instantly by her expression that Syd was utterly and completely disconnected from me. She just stood on the table, not actively avoiding me, just locked in a far away gaze, in her own world. I tried to reconnect with her and get her to go to the next obstacle, but she seemed stuck. Somehow, she did get off the table, and she went and stood behind a tunnel. Very odd. So, I motioned to the judge to whistle us off, and that was that. It toook what seemed forever to get her to come to me and get off the course. I think about it over and over to try and figure out what happened. At this point, I think I have to chalk it up to a very green dog, a long day, and maybe even a bit of a shock to herself that she flew over the Aframe so fast! Who knows, but at the end of the day, Syd got great experience, a completely unanticipated first Jumpers leg, and she met lots of new friends who thought she was just as cute as can be on the course. And, as Cardigan Addie's mom Carrie said after I got Syd off the course in Standard, "Wow, she's got a lot of speed, doesn't she?" I think the fact that Syd finished the jumpers course at least three jumps ahead of me is an indication that she needs a faster handler!

Movin' On Up

2009-02-25T22:38:00.002-06:00

Syd was a rock star at agility class tonight (at least in her own mind!). This was our last class of the current session. Tonight was the evaluation period to determine who stays in "Advanced Sequencing" and who moves up to the "Competition" class. The course was a bugger for green dogs, but it really did test our handling skills with plenty of opportunity for the novice dog and novice handler to go off-course. Rear and front crosses, calling the dog over the back of jumps, angled entrance to the weaves, etc. Lots of fun, and really enlightening to see how Syd interpreted my body language. The first run through, she went from jump 6 to the dog walk (16). I had too much forward motion, and forgot which dog I was running (Kane would never dare to be even 1/2 a step ahead of me)! One step too far forward, and Syd was off like a shot to the dogwalk. The next time through, I pulled her around much earlier, and she came right back over the correct jump. Good girl, Syd!

I'm thrilled to say that Sydney did fantastic, and our instructor asked me if Syd would like to move up to the Competition class. YAY! I can't believe this is the same dog I started training last year. :-) Oh, and here's the course, for agility nuts!

Jeri asked, "Do Corgis Shed?"

2009-02-23T22:06:00.003-06:00

Oh, I dunno, maybe it's not so bad

Syd is blowing coat. Thankfully she's just like clockwork, and I was expecting her to start blowing coat last week. Saturday I decided she needed a bath to get all the hair out. So, she had a good bath, and a power dry. The tub was a disaster, and thankfully I used the little drain cover to keep the drain hair-free!

Later that evening, I decided to keep brushing to work all the old hair out. This is after a massive coat-dropping warm bath and blow dry the same morning...

That was Saturday evening. Last night, I brought out the Furminator. I figured if she was going to blow coat, I might as well get it all out!

Of course, I am thrilled that Syd is finally blowing coat. First, we have an agility trial in Lake St. Louis this Saturday, and Syd will be measured. At her first trial, she measured 11 1/2 inches, and maybe, just maybe she'll be able to measure lower now that she has no hair! Second, it means that Syd should be back in coat by mid-April, and she shouldn't come in season until the very end of the specialty. Since she's entered in agility at the specialty, I'd really appreciate her holding off until the following week!

Sister Blogger

2009-02-20T15:27:00.004-06:00

UPDATED!!! Mom finally took time to upload the two little video clips of Carly playing with her peeps...

Bonding with Big Nick. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST1C_a3Ph4M

And running with sister Breezy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X86kRSk5UoY

Syd begrudgingly allowed sister Carly to post on her blog... mostly because it puts Carly in a not so angelic light. ;-)

Carly sez: "What? I'm WAY too cute to be in trouble for chewing the living room carpet..."

First Agility Trials

2009-02-20T11:58:00.003-06:00

Syd ran in her first-ever agility trials on Valentine's Day weekend. Because I am trying to get a not-quite-ready dog ready for the CWCCA national specialty, Syd and I have been working really hard to try and get our act together! She's not really trial-ready, but I need her to get trial experience in new settings as much as possible before the April specialty. So, these trials are just my idea of really expensive fun-runs...

Because Syd's confidence and anxiety is something I always have to consider first and foremost, I decided to enter her in the FAST class for our first trials. I didn't know if she would flip out in the new environment, with all the barking dogs and high energy levels. Would she stay with me? Would she try to leave the ring? I thought that entering FAST would be a good opportunity to test the waters without fear of being whistled off-course at any time. I thought that if I could get Syd to work with me even for a few obstacles, or get her attention back if she was stressing, then I could try to make it a good experience, and then just leave the course once I felt she was overcoming any stress.

As it turned out, I didn't have to deal with any of that. Syd was definitely more comfortable in her crate when we were at the show site. She felt safe in there, and Kane was her buddy to keep her calm. But when it was time to line up for our run, Syd was really good. I took her to the practice jump area, and she was 100% focused on me, never even looking at another dog or person. I was so pleased with this start, I was optimistic that Syd might be able to stick with me on the real course.

Syd got her favorite cheek and ear massage as we waited for the few dogs ahead of us to run. She gave me the "sleepy eyes" look several times, and I was amazed at her level of calm. In hindsight, it kind of makes me feel badly that I had such low expectations for her first trial! Maybe I was remembering Big Nick's first agility trial (something I'll have to post about later, when I can handle remembering that experience!).

At the start line, the only sign of trouble was that I told Syd to Down, and she could not hear me. She was looking intently at the jump ahead of her. Her ears and neck were forward, and she would not make eye contact. OK, so there was no chance of a lead-out. Great. Slow mom, Fast dog. not a pretty combination! I got myself ready, and when I let go of the collar, Syd was off. Surprisingly, she did not zoom ahead and make up her own course. I was able to get her attention from that first jump and direct her around the course. She missed the Send Bonus because she took the panel jump and then came to check in with me *outside* the box before going back to take the tire jump. Well, this adventure wasn't meant to test our distance work, so it didn't much matter if she qualified.

Syd has had a confidence issue with the A-frame, something that has gotten much better since our very own A-frame appeared in the back yard. But, with the stress of the new environment, I wanted to see what she would do. Well, she wouldn't take the A-frame. No way, no how. She did run up the teeter, and for some reason she bailed just above the contact zone. That was new. But she tried it, and did not seem stressed, I think that was just more a reaction to the excitement of running the course.

When our run was over (12 points after all of our time faults, thank you very much!), I played with Syd and she got to have some really good treats! I was so happy that she made the attempt, and more importantly that she trusted me and she didn't freak out even for a second.

The second day was much better. Syd still didn't get the Send Bonus, this time totally my fault as I stopped moving altogether, duh. But, she ended up with 29 points and a nice run, a run that would have qualified her if she'd done the last jump in the bonus and gotten the Send Bonus. Oh well. She ran great, but again, once I knew she wasn't going to qualify, I tried the A-frame several times, concentrating only on the A=frame. Not gonna happen. sigh. So we went on to the triple jump, and she was delighted to soar over that and finish her run.

This week, we've been to our agility building for lots of practice. Syd's been working on the A-frame, and I can definitely see an improvement in her confidence, and I notice that she really puts more speed into her approach, which says to me that she's more committed to doing the obstacle. Last night, she even took the A-frame when I was at least 6 feet away from it and her. Normally I have to practically scrape the side of the thing when she takes it. So I am optimistic that Syd will be able to overcome this little confidence issue.

More than anything, I'm pleased with her overall confidence at the trial, no eyes darting back and forth watching to see if other dogs were "out to get her" and the confidence with the individual obstacles will come with practice and experience.

We head to the St. Louis area next weekend for another day of agility fun, so we'll hope that every new adventure builds on the last. :-)

She did it! Good Girl, Syd

2009-02-01T18:56:00.004-06:00

Sydney was a good girl this weekend. And her mother didn't pass out, either! This weekend was the St. Joseph cluster, close to home. I entered Syd so that we could get back in the ring together. I have not shown Syd myself for a long time, and I just needed to do it and get over my own fears.

I'm happy to say that Syd behaved and was comfortable this weekend, and neither of us had a meltdown! I could not be more proud of her, knowing how hard she's worked to overcome her fear and most importantly, to trust me. She was calm in the ring, and she never even turned around to see the dogs behind her. By the second day, she did try to point her ears back a bit to hear what was behind her, but otherwise, she was perfect. :-)

We were entered three days, but after two days of a happy show dog, and one tired mom, we opted to call it quits and take today off. I didn't see any sense in pushing Syd an extra day and possibly undoing the progress from the previous two days. Hawk got a couple of days of practice in this weekend, too, before we head to NYC. He did not complain when I told him he could skip the bath this morning and go roll in the dirt outside!

Mud Puppy and her Sheep

2009-01-20T08:54:00.007-06:00

Syd went for another herding lesson Monday afternoon, and she thought it was fantastic.

When we ran the sheep on Saturday, there was about 1/2 inch of snow on the frozen ground, and things were relatively "clean." Yesterday, well, the temps got up to about 40 degrees, and the snow melted and created nice, thick mud in the pen. My dog was basically camouflaged in the mud. And no need to worry about her mis-matched front leg colors, all four of her legs were a matched Muddy Brown set! The lesson was nice, it was relaxed, and mostly our instructor wanted Syd to continue to be motivated and interested. Cathy commented that Syd does some things a little more like a dog working cattle. That doesn't mean much to me, but it had something to do with Syd moving into the middle of the group (not splitting them) at times, and trying to get one sheep to do something in particular. I have a lot to learn, and most things look about the same to me.

I think Syd has some potential, so we'll see. I asked about the breed of sheep, and Cathy said something about Katadan (not sure on the spelling) and Dorper. I don't remember if some are crosses of the two, or if she has both breeds. She stayed interested the entire lesson, and she even inadvertently "penned" the sheep. I thought that was pretty funny, since the "pen" was a gate leaning up against the fence.

Syd was quite pleased and happy when we left the herding pen. She took a few minutes to roll around and get herself good and stinky. What she didn't know was that I was going to get the last laugh. I knew we were off to conformation class later that night, so little stinky was getting a bath! Thankfully, she cleans up well, and went from the herding pen to the show ring in less than 2 hours. My bathtub, on the other hand, was not looking so great when the bath was over!

Baaaa-ck to the Sheep

2009-01-18T15:57:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Syd started back to herding. We have a new instructor, and after a break of several months, Syd was reintroduced to sheep. I don't remember what kind of sheep Kathy has, and I need to ask her tomorrow when we go for our next lesson. These sheep are smaller than Bridget's Horned Dorsets, and they are definitely a bit lighter. One thing I really liked about them is that they did not challenge Syd. When she went to head the sheep off, they turned and respected her. I hope that will give her confidence. It was a nice, sunny but cold morning, and Syd had a good run. Kathy was pleased with her interest and her ability to work from both sides. We'll go tomorrow afternoon for a second lesson and see how it goes. No photos from yesterday, it was pretty cold and windy, and things were moving pretty fast, so I had no chance of being coordinated enough to manage the dog, the sheep, and the camera! Maybe tomorrow...

Now Accepting Applications

2009-01-15T17:37:00.005-06:00

Position: Agility Handler for Dark-legged Cardigan (capable of running course and carrying her own treats and toys while doing so)

Description: Individual needed to handle Dark-legged Cardi girl in agility, practice and trials. Relocation to Kansas City a must.

Qualifications: Any interested applicant must be capable of keeping track of quick Cardigan, own feet, and various agility obstacles that might present a hazard if run into or tripped over. Must possess ability to cue dog to correct obstacle, and speak correct name of correct obstacle at same time. Applicant must be able to perform all aforementioned tasks at the same time, while sprinting. Current handler unable to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Salary: Ha, really? Don't quit your day job.

**In-person interview with Dark-legged Cardigan required.**

Seriously, Syd is coming along really well in agility. She is getting better at taking my cues, and we are running some pretty complicated excellent courses at our class, broken down into two or three parts. We have lots of work ahead of us, but I'm really thrilled with her progress, and the confidence that she has gained from agility. Sometimes when our classmates clap and cheer for her after a run, I think she looks pretty proud of herself, all smiles and wags. :-)

Our Newest Toy...

2009-01-13T21:16:00.003-06:00

This is our new-used Contact Trainer. It's very exciting, and something that we can use indoors. I'm working on making the biggest room in the upstairs/attic into our training room. It will allow Kane to get back to obedience training, and it will be a place where Syd and Hawk can work on agility and obedience. The room is not huge, but it's the biggest room in the house, and it's completely open, so it will be better than braving the elements outside when the weather is bad!

The contact trainer is an added bonus, and this weekend we'll be bringing home our new-used A-Frame! Yay! Someone in our obedience club posted a used A-Frame for sale, and I was just lamenting that I needed one at home to work on contacts and confidence on the obstacle (our agility club A-Frame is USDAA height). I happened to be the first to call, and the lady mentioned that she had this contact trainer also, if I was interested. Um, yep... For a bargain, I now have the A-Frame I need, and I have this great piece of equipment that the seller bought new from Clean Run. It folds up completely, is easy for one person to carry, and is small enough I can use it indoors. Perfect.

*Safety Note: Big Nick would like for me to add the warning that when you are a 95 pound, hyper-drive lab/GSP mix, you should NOT, I repeat, NOT run up the stairs, across the attic, and leap onto the contact trainer when it's on a polished hardwood floor. DEFINITELY wait until the mat flooring is put down!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Sydney and Breezy!

2008-12-29T08:17:00.005-06:00

Happy birthday girls!!! How can you possibly be TWO years old? I just don't believe it. It seems like just yesterday that you silly puppies were raiding the fridge, searching for some snacks.

Sydney went visiting on her birthday, and Auntie Mel took some pictures of her hanging out and looking pretty. I'm so pleased with how the girls are growing up. Not just the physical maturity, but for Sydney, I'm most pleased with her improvement in confidence. She is definitely no angel, but she's come SO far since I started this blog, and I'm very proud of her.

Happy Birthday, girls!

Playin' With Patti Sue

2008-12-29T00:11:00.003-06:00

Syd says, "Hey Patti Sue, let's play! It's muddy and wet, and it's fun to play chase in the mud."
Patti Sue says, "No thank you. I'll sit up here and stay clean."

Syd says, "Oh, come on Patti Sue, live a little. Come chase me. Look, I'm the master of the 'Bark N Dash' to motivate dogs to play with me."

Patti Sue says, "No thank you."Syd says," Wee, are you chasing me, Patti Sue?"

Patti Sue says, "Stupid youngster..."

Action caught by Melissa Perry.

Sydney's Aunt Lilly

2008-12-19T10:09:00.003-06:00

It's so funny that Lilly is an aunt to Syd and Bree, because Lilly is only about 6 months old. But she's a Harry daughter, so she's Syd's aunt. I love these photos, because they SO remind me of Syd. In person, the two girls look nothing alike, but those eyes, and that expression are identical. It cracks me up, and I warned Jacque that Lilly is probably going to be too smart for her own good, just like someone else I know. ;-)

This photo (with her 1/2 brother Henry) was funny. I called Lilly's name to see if she'd turn around for the photo, and the expression was priceless. Camera ham mixed with "excuse me, I was busy stealing my brother's toys."

DM Results

2008-12-15T21:07:00.002-06:00

Syd's DM results are back, and she's N/N normal. Another bit of information in her resume.
:-)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-03T09:56:00.002-06:00

Granny

2008-12-02T10:33:00.004-06:00

Some more pix for Emily. :-)
This is Maggie, AKA "Granny." I can't remember the last time I called her Maggie, as her family calls her Granny. And that's Grr-annie with a hint of an Oklahoma accent. :-) She's closing in on her 17th birthday, and I've never known a dog who aged so well. Two months from 17 years old, and Maggie's front is just as pretty as it's ever been. This girl is just so beautiful, in person she looks like she's been sprinkled with pixie dust as she greyed. Granny is Gizmo's mom, and she's grandmother to Syd and Bree.

I am the chief caretaker of the Kingsbury Clan this week, so it's been fun taking photos of all the relatives. Unfortunately, a couple of the dogs are not camera hams like Harry, Maggie, and Syd. Bogey sees me with the camera, and he puts his ears down and he skulks away. It's funny how some dogs are like that. Gizmo does the same, as if he thinks having his picture taken is some form of cruel and unusual punishment!

Generations

2008-12-01T19:32:00.000-06:00

Especially for Emily, a Maggie smile to help heal your heart...

Syd's Momma as a Baby

2008-11-05T07:37:00.003-06:00

This is Josie as a puppy. I always loved her little white ear, and as a puppy, she was too cute for words! Jo's babies are pretty cute too. I think Syd, Bree, Carly, and Angus are proof of that. :-)

Happy Howl-O-Ween

2008-10-31T09:25:00.003-05:00

Ohhh, Coooooper....

2008-10-28T19:28:00.004-05:00

Lookie lookie what I got.

Twelve, count 'em, twelve gecko feet...

And they're mine, all mine...

What, mom? What did you say? I thought I just heard you say that Aunti Mel sent the toys for all the dogs. Nah, I'm sure I heard you wrong, because these geckos are clearly meant to be mine. Anyway, I thought you might like to see 'em Coop, na, na, na, na.

"You want the feet? You can't handle the feet."

Baby, uh, I mean Lady, in Red

2008-10-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

My little Breezy. Breezy-bree. Brii-Brii Want to Play.

She's really growing up, almost two years old, and today she got to go on a trip with Frankie and Nick. We met Auntie Laura in Columbia, and we took some time to take photos. Thank goodness for golf courses! It's a real treat to take photos of a Cardigan on grass and not lose all the legs! Thanks to Laura for following us around with the camera, crawling around on the ground, and getting me off the fairway before the next round of golfers came through! Breezy almost looks superimposed in the first photo, but she wasn't. It was just a beautiful green, with trees changing color in the background.

So when do I have to stop calling Syd and Bree "The Puppies?" Since I raised them here, I think they'll always be my "puppies."

Hearts and Knees

2008-10-17T22:38:00.000-05:00

And everything in between, we hope!

Syd and sister Bree are officially OFA passers in the heart and knee department. :-) The Frenchie National Specialty offered OFA clinics and opened to all breeds. So, since it was local, and close to my office, I took the two girls for the clinics that were available, Cardiac and Patellar Luxation.

Syd thought the little snorting Frenchies were great fun and very curious. Breezy, well, she was pretty sure the Frenchies were some kind of alien life form, and that they should be banished from Earth!

Go figure, the vet was from Texas, and turns out he knows a couple of the Cardigan breeders from the Lone Star State.

I'm pretty sure that we are the prime suspects for the hair left all over the exam table, unless there is some fluffy version of a Frenchie!

Syney in the Big Ring

2008-10-12T17:23:00.004-05:00

Syd was entered as a special for the first time this weekend. I was *so* proud of my girl, she behaved, and was not stressed, and she showed really well. Saturday she went BOS, and she looked good. She was not worried at all about the dogs around her, especially the WD who was very close behind her.

Sunday, she went Best of Breed, and I was thrilled. At one point, I had to laugh because Don was feeding the WD, and Syd perked up and could not believe Don was feeding that dog HER treats!

Syd took a nice nap before the group, and then in her first appearance in the Group ring, she was pulled in the cut. I thought she showed so well, without any worries about the Aussie behind her, and she decided she loved the Pem in front of her, so she was very happy.

All in all, a nice weekend for Syd. These were local-ish shows so she could spend the night at home and just do a day trip to the shows, and had a very nice showing in the ring. It was great experience for her, and I am so happy that she seemed to have fun, too!

Baby Mama

2008-10-06T18:06:00.005-05:00

This is Josie, Sydney's mom. CH Kipperton's Passione-Adagio

(CH Kingsbury's I'm Harry P x CH Kingsbury's Tribute)

Syd was born December 28, 2006, from Josie's first litter.

Josie was bred to Morgan (Am/UK CH Kerman Strike Up The Band) this spring, and on June 14, 2008, produced "Carly," who now lives at Laura's house.

The Doggone Pool Is Mine...

2008-10-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

Syd just cracks me up. She loves baby Frankie, and she always wants to play with him. Poor little pup, he can't even stop for a potty break without Syd trying to get him to play again!
This morning, I broke out the baby pool. It's going to be in the 80's today, and with winter coming, the dogs won't have much more time to have pool parties!

I wondered if Syd would be possessive of her pool, or get cranky with Frankie. I already knew he would like the pool, he must get that from his mother. His father? Well, Hawk won't even walk in wet grass, so Frankie did NOT inherit his love of water from his dad!

Here's a video I took this morning, and it makes me laugh. Syd was really good with Frankie about the pool, but notice her not-so-subtle possession of the pool. Any time Frankie wants to investigate the pool, WOOPS, Syd's in the pool. So sorry, Frankie, but this pool belongs to the QUEEN of Everything! Maybe another time. :-)

To see the video on YouTube, click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU1QWtJlLf0

Another New Hobby?

2008-09-06T21:15:00.004-05:00

Well, perhaps Sydney's schedule is going to have to expand to include tracking... Soccer Moms have *nothing* on me! haa.

This morning, I ventured out of the house for the first time in what seems like forever. Friends were getting together for a tracking session, and Uncle Gizzer really loves going tracking. He doesn't have many opportunities for activities, so I wanted to take him tracking on this lovely, cool morning. I also decided to bring Syd, since we would be in the company of some serious tracking experience, I wanted Syd's first tracking experience to happen in their company so that I could get pointers, or opinions on her potential.

It's been so long since I've been tracking, I didn't even know that you now have a "start article" at the starting flag. Oops. Thank goodness Linda and Nancy had a knotted sock and a bandana to loan out! Gizmo was RIGHT on the tracks, ignoring food drops, just cruising along the track to find his jackpot at the end of the track. He has not forgotten anything about tracking, and even putting on the harness got him fired up!

When we put in a very short track for Syd, I kind of got her started off badly. Since Syd loves to play tug as a reward in agility, I made the mistake of picking up the start article while she was still in the line of vision, and she thought it was time to play. Nancy and I pointed to the ground and got her nose in the vicinity of a food drop, and well, that was all it took. She worked a bit slow, wandering left and right a couple of feet, but finding the article at the end. The second track was much better, high concentration from Syd, and I was able to let her move a bit away from me. By track #3, I was the full 20 feet behind my dog, and she was a dog on a mission. She left several food drops untouched, and from 20 feet, I could hear her seriously snuffling, working her track.

I was very impressed with Syd's start at tracking. Much like Gizmo, she seems to really get it, and I hope they both continue to enjoy working tracks. With Gizmo being 12 1/2 years old, I really would love for him to get to track more, and I owe it to him to get out and get tracking... With two dogs to train, it might make the drive to find a good tracking site a bit better. :-)

HomeChicken

2008-09-05T15:25:00.000-05:00

There IS another red dog in the Hurrikane crew... She just doesn't make many public appearances. :-)

This is Breezy. She and Syd are littermates. I was drawn to Bree the day the pups were born, and she's the funniest, silliest girl when she wants to be. If I can't find Bree, she's probably zonked out behind the chair in the corner of the living room. But that's *only* if all possibilities for fun and zoomies are exhausted!

Breezy is very helpful with kitchen chores, like helping with the dishes, and organizing the refrigerator.

Breezy comes in very handy when one of the other dogs needs a special buddy. She and Uncle Gizzer are very close. She and Hawk are worthy adversaries when it comes to frapping.

Breezy is an odd little duck. She loves to go for walks, and for car rides, but she is not exactly thrilled about going new places. I call her the HomeChicken because she's a dog who just loves being at home with her buddies.

Breezy is "part Cardigan, part Mountain Goat" according to our friend Norma, who kept Breezy at 'daycare' when she was a younger puppy. I wanted the two girls to spend time apart and have separate lives. So Norma agreed to have Bree come visit her girls a couple of days while I was at work.

Anyway, Bree can be on one piece of furniture, and in the blink of the eye, she's across the room, and she might have gotten there without touching the floor! So, it was no surprise when she was a puppy that her jumps from the back of the sofa (hey, I tried, but she's lightning fast, and impossible to catch) resulted in a growth plate injury. :-( Poor Bree, she had to have surgery to fix her broken leg, and she was homebound for many, many weeks of her puppyhood.

Because she was homebound and not really out much, I think Breezy missed out on discovering the fun in going new places. She LOVES Aunt Julie's house, and the resident Collie is her best bud. She and Jackson can play, and play, and play some more. But in general, Breezy takes a while to warm up to new dogs. When I adopted Savannah, the old-decrepit Weimaraner in November, I thought Breezy would *never* warm up to the old girl. Breezy darted quickly around Savannah, barked at her when the old girl went by the corgi crates, and mostly Bree avoided Vannah at all cost. Um, it's not like she's never seen a Weimaraner before! Graycie was here before the puppies arrived, and definitely let them know to keep clear of her personal space right up until the day she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Once Savannah arrived, it took a few months, but now Breezy thinks Savannah is just the best-est friend EVER! She's just a nut. A few months ago, I took Bree to our agility building, and tried to lure her through a tiny tunnel. The look on her face explained it all. I'm pretty sure Breezy was telling me that this was, without a doubt, the stupidest thing she'd ever seen. And I think she was looking at her watch to see exactly when we'd be going home!

So, I don't expect that my little HomeChicken will be out and about travelling the country with me, but we love her just the same, and she DOES exist! :-)

Sleep Walker

2008-08-26T14:33:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess it's actually more like a Sleep Pivot-er! Too bad the photos can't convey the woofing through the lips and little paws just twitching away.

That's CHAMPION Miss Bossy Britches!

2008-08-09T19:28:00.003-05:00

What? Yep, Syd finished her AKC Championship today in Minnesota. She finished with a bang, winning a 4-point major. I was very proud of her, she was much more relaxed than she was the last time I showed her, and she was better around the other dogs ringside, only mildly giving a "talking to" to another dog.

It was a whirlwind trip, driving up Friday late afternoon, and home Saturday by 6pm. But well worth it to come home with a new Champion!

Repeat After Me...

2008-08-04T19:41:00.003-05:00

I know I said this early on, but it's definitely worth repeating. A reactive dog is not the same as an "aggressive" dog. I hear lots of people providing labels for Sydney's reactive behavior. She's bossy, she's bitchy, she's aggressive, she hates other dogs. The list goes on and on. It becomes difficult sometimes to smile and try to explain that Sydney is actually afraid and that she's not some monster dog. Given the opportunity, she'd much rather run away than be in whatever situation causes her to be reactive. Sometimes I just want to shout at people to leave us alone, as it gets old fast.

Today I got into the heart of our newest book, Control Unleashed, by Leslie McDevitt. It's mostly geared for agility, but is applicable for any focus work, and reactivity issues. I wanted to quote from the book, something that I might have printed on a T-shirt :

"Reactivity comes from anxiety, which comes from feeling uncertain about something. Reactivity is an information-seeking strategy. A reactive dog will rush toward something or someone that he is uncertain about, barking, lunging, growling, and making a big display. People sometimes perceive reactive behavior as aggression, but a reactive dog is not rushing in to do damage; he is attempting to assess the threat level of a given situation. His assessment strategy is intensified because he is panicking as the adrenaline flows through his body.
...People also sometimes perceive reactive behavior as "dominance" because they view a dog that flies at his triggers as a dog that wants to take charge. This is absoluetly not the case. Reactive dogs are anxious, and their response is intense because they are freaking out."

Thank you Leslie!!! The "public display" as I call it, is just the obvious behavior that gets the attention of everyone in the room. What people don't see is the intense salivating, whining, insecure eyes darting around looking for danger. Seeing Sydney when she's afraid is heartbreaking. I always feel like I've given Syd a reason to be scared, and that I failed to protect her in the past.

Sydney has had great improvement at agility class. When she is on a leash, I am cautious about her personal space. Off-leash, Sydney has decided that Gypsy the Border Collie is lots of fun, and she has had a couple of opportunities to get face to face with Gypsy. Each time, Syd approaches Gypsy with good manners, inquisitive and playful. I firmly believe that Syd feels no threat when she's off-leash. If she needs to run away, she can. On a leash, Syd is afraid that she can not get away from any potentially scary situation.

I hope to have some new agility photos and/or video of our foundation work soon. Syd is doing great with Bounce Jumping, and directional jumping and wrapping. I'm very proud of my girl, and hope that her good work continues.

Another 3 point major!

2008-07-13T08:01:00.003-05:00

The photo is finally here... Sydney was entered at the Sedalia shows 4th of July weekend. On Friday the 4th, she was WB/BW/BOS over a special and won another 3 point major. Her behavior was OK, although she did act up a bit.

Saturday her behavior was better, but she couldn't get the judge to point to her, even if she had on tap shoes and broke out into a routine. Sunday she behaved VERY well, she was calm, laying down and not worried about all the other dogs. She won her class that day, but our friend Jon and his girl Rika won the points.

We'll try again in Topeka in August, but for now, Syd has gotten to go back to agility classes, and that makes her very happy!

Herding - Does a Body (and Mind) Good!

2008-05-25T08:03:00.006-05:00

This is Uncle Gizmo. He's 12, and he's the reason I started trekking 128 miles round trip to tromp around in muddy pastures. It's because Gizmo LOVES to go play with sheep. At almost 10 years old, I took Gizzer for an instinct test, and he was a natural. So, when the puppies were young, they started tagging along with Uncle Gizmo to lessons, and Sydney showed a spark for the sheep early on.

Yesterday, for a 12th birthday present for Uncle Gizzer, we drove up to Bridget's http://www.realitycaninecenter.com/ for a lesson. Syd went too, to see if she still had the drive.

I was happy with Sydney's behavior, mostly for non-sheep related activities. To avoid the biggest mud puddles, we went through a small yard to get to the sheep pens. Inside the small yard were 4 dogs. Two Italian Greyhounds (I think they were mixes, or the fattest IGs I've ever seen!), an Australian Cattle Dog, and a hairy Tibetan Terrier. Syd was afraid as we brought her through the gate, but she never showed an ugly face, and going through the yard the first time, she simply tried to avoid and get away from the other four dogs. After the lesson, on our way back out of the pens, Syd was calmer and not as worried about the other dogs as we went back through the small yard. It was a huge accomplishment IMO, for her to control her fear and not try to act out to cover over her insecurity.

I think it's safe to say that Syd still has the spark!

Video of Syd and Giz and their herding lessons is at www.youtube.com/hurrikanecardigans . Listed in the "Videos" section.

Follow up Visit with Dr. Perkins

2008-05-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but a couple of months ago, I decided to consult with Dr. Perkins about Sydney's insecurities. Dr. Perkins has seen most of my dogs and limits her practice to acupuncture, chiropractic, and TCVM. I took Syd to see Dr. Perkins in hopes of some success from a "quiet the mind" type approach. An acupuncture treatment and an herbal supplement seem to have helped my girl. It did not surprise me at all to hear that by the definition in Eastern medicine, Syd is a "Fire" personality.

Last night, Syd went for a follow up visit to see Dr. Perkins and Syd was completely calm, no panting, no pacing, and accepted the acupuncture treatment with no stress or anxiety. Dr. Perkins was very pleased with Syd's progress, and it was nice to see Syd improved in yet another place where she had previously expressed anxiety.

Two Majors- First Weekend Back!

2008-05-21T08:01:00.002-05:00

To say I'm speechless is an understatement! This weekend my girl really did me proud. Not only did she behave calmly and comfortably at the local Sunflower Kennel Club dog shows Saturday and Sunday, she won the 4 point major both days! How's that for getting back into the swing of things? :-) A huge thanks to co-owner/breeder Jacque Glenn for showing Syd like a superstar!

Keep on Ticking

2008-04-20T19:59:00.002-05:00

It's been a while, but thought I'd update my blog so that I don't forget about the last couple of months. Syd continues to improve, with occasional steps backwards.

Because I'm showing Hawk frequently, Syd has been accompanying us on trips to the dog shows. I have not entered her *yet* but hope to get her out again soon. She has done very well at the shows. I try to be careful to get her out at times when I think it's not too overwhelming, and keep her feeling secure and safe at all times. She's done some snarking at strange dogs, but I am always cautious and careful about keeping Syd safe and under control and trying to be sure to distract her and keep her from stressing out in the first place.

In other venues, Syd has really improved. She finished her first session of beginning agility classes, and just finished the second level. She improves in her social skills every week. When we first started at agility, she liked being there, but was very nervous about other dogs. At the end of class, she's almost pull me to the door, ready to get outta there. I got to the point of giving her a short time out in her crate after about 20 minutes of class, so that she could settle down and have some private time. That worked really well for her, and I knew I had to try to work at a pace that was right for her.

Just in the last few weeks of class, I noticed that Syd could approach other dogs calmly, and without stress. Her confidence level in herself has really grown, and as we put together longer sequences of agility obstacles, I can see in her expression when she knows she's done something right. She loves toys and food, and she's a natural athlete with lots of drive, so she is an easy girl to motivate!

Back to the Dog Show!

2008-01-30T19:49:00.003-06:00

Finally, after lots of work, trials and tribulations, Syd headed back to a dog show. Hawk was entered in Des Moines for their January show, and I decided to enter Syd. Thankfully, though, Don agreed to handle her, as I felt I would be a detriment to my dog. I knew I would be a nervous wreck, and I did not want to express that to my dog.

The weekend went well. Syd was comfortable being with Hawk, and as a bonus her grandpa Harry was at the show, and she loves to hang out with him. Ringside she was more nervous, as there are usually more dogs crowded around. I thought Don did great with her, not allowing her to be stressed or act up. That is probably the best thing I did was to hand her off, as she got the picture from Don pretty quickly that there was no need and no place for misbehaving. He just has that way with the dogs, and if it had been me, Syd would likely have been a raving lunatic!

Sunday Syd was much calmer, and showed very well. She went RWB to a 4 point major, and I was just so thrilled to see her in the ring and comfortable. As an aside, I know my dog, and when she's stressed, her tongue is about 20 times it's normal size, lolling out the side of her mouth. VERY pretty... NOT!

So Syd survived, and I survived also! Hopefully things will continue to improve, and I'll be able to show her myself at some time in the future.

Look What the Big Brown Truck Brought Today!

2008-01-16T19:24:00.001-06:00

Very exciting, the Big Brown Truck was here today, and delivered our highly anticipated new DVD. It's Susan Garrett's "Crate Games" dvd. No it's not specifically geared toward reactive dogs, but it's just something new for Syd to learn, and another avenue to build her confidence. All my dogs are good in crates, at home and on the road, but in no way are they the crate maniacs like the dogs trained this way. It looks like a great challenge, and I look forward to working on this with Syd and the other dogs.

Syd thinks the books are boring, but we also received the new Focus Not Fear book. That's for mom, although I'm sure Syd would be happy to chew on it a while. :-) No affiliation, but these came from dogwise.com

Is There ANYTHING Good about Tonight?

2008-01-15T20:09:00.001-06:00

Tonight we had a very scary situation, unlike anything that's happened here before. And it just exemplifies the added challenge of working with a reactive dog in a multi-dog household. Pardon me while I take a deep breath, as I know for sure that I was the most traumatized by the explosion in the house.

I got home from work just a bit later than usual. Sydney has been going to work with me, and over lunch or in the early afternoon, we go for a walk and do a bit of training. The normal course of events when I arrive home is to put Syd in her crate to attend to the dogs that were left home during the day. Like clockwork, the other dogs went outside, and I started to prepare their supper. Supper involves heating up the chicken, getting various things out of the fridge (yogurt, probiotics, veggies), and setting up the bowls in a specific order on top of Syd's crate. Then I dispense the supplements and veggies, lastly adding the heated chicken to the bowls. I usually do this while the herd is still outside. Tonight they were impatient because I was running late.

I let everyone inside, and as I was shutting the back door, Syd started screaming. She had her toe stuck in her crate. The other dogs, frenzied for their supper and at the sound of the screaming Syd, started in our direction. I'm pretty sure an "Oh Sh*t" formed in my brain, as I was trying to free one dog and prevent the others from ganging up on Syd. Bree was first to arrive and grabbed Syd's thigh. She wasn't viciously attacking, but doing something I see freqently in corgis. Dart in, nab, and then back out. Repeat. I finally got Syd's foot free of the crate, and I just pulled her up with one hand, and swung her up as high as I could (I'm nearly 6 feet tall). Bree was still jumping trying to reach Syd, and Syd was snarling, growling, and generally acting like a furball of fury trying to defend herself. I could not blame her for her reaction to the situation this time.

The "joiners" were all barking and trying to get involved. Although my corgis are not typically the "go for the blood" types, the start of this event was a young dog screaming and yowling in pain, so I was not going to take any chances that things would escalate. It was definitely an adrenaline charged event. My corgi boys generally know when mom means business, and as soon as I could focus on them, I sent them OUT of the kitchen.

What good could possibly come of this situation??? Well, when Syd gets into her "mode" of snarly, ugly-face dog, she will NOT be deterred. Trying to get her attention has been an exercise in futility. Tonight, as Syd was snarling and trying to protect herself while hanging in mid-air above the gang of barking dogs, I called her name to try and get her to calm down. I was afraid I was going to drop her if she didn't calm down. I was so surprised when my ugly-faced dog stopped snarling and actually made eye contact with me. I was so happy with this breakthrough, in light of the massive fiasco that was NOT Syd's fault, I feel like my girl is definitely showing signs of rehabilitation.

The dogs all settled down, had supper, and none of them seems worse for wear. Surprisingly, Syd was quite subdued and submissive afterward, and we went outside and played ball for a bit to try and de-stress her. She acts fine, and I'm hoping that this won't be a huge setback for her.

All this goes to show that in a multi-dog household, the program to get Syd over her fears is going to be that much more of a challenge. And I have to be patient, and not get discouraged when Syd's program hits a roadblock. As I look at Syd at my feet, Hawk the Vallhund is licking Syd's face and ears. He's forever the nurturer, and always wants everyone to be happy.

Be Careful What You Ask For...

2008-01-14T16:27:00.000-06:00

Who Me???

This is evident every day with Sydney. I have a house full of boy dogs, sweet-natured, laid back, loyal with every fiber of their being. Kane (www.hurrikanecardigans.com/kane.htm) is about as compliant a dog as ever existed. He was fantastic as my Novice A dog, and fairly easily earned his CD, CDX, and RE titles. This was my first step back into competitive obedience since I competed in fun matches and trained my first Springer back in the 80's.

So, this time around, I wanted, I waited, and I was so thrilled to get a bitch. Sydney was just about made to order. Not only is she much more correct in conformation than my other performance Cardigan, she is eager to learn, very driven, and highly trainable. In the show ring she has sass and attitude that commands attention. She's showing that she's got potential with sheep, and every outing to the agility center is a whirlwind of drive and execution from this little brindle dynamo. Oh, I wanted a bitch. I wanted a dog that was smart and driven. I'll say that maybe my girl is too smart some days! And she's definitely a "lot of dog" most days. I have to keep on my toes with her.

It should not surprise me that my girl also tends to be reactive. If she were as lackadaisical as Kane, easy-going and a stranger to no one, Syd would *not* be the driven performance dog that she is. That edgy, driven dog is also more sensitive to stimuli, and I think that this plays a big part in her initial over-reaction to the collie-stepped-on-my-tail episode that seemed to start the ball rolling toward reactivity.

The only real bummer about her program of working for her food is that she has to be back on kibble for the most part. I cook for my dogs, but not for myself! It's OK to give her some bits of chicken with her supper, but too messy to dole out mashed sweet potato, pureed carrot, yogurt, cottage cheese, salmon, etc. But that's OK, Syd is fine with kibble, and loves every minute of working for her food. :-)

The Good Work Continues

2008-01-13T23:53:00.000-06:00

Sydney continues to improve. Now that she's got such structure in her life, it's more and more obvious that she's insecure. The improvement is that she now looks to me when she's nervous, rather than lashing out with ugly-face behavior. It's not 100%, and I expect it will always be a work in progress. The "I'm nervous, please don't let bad things happen" behavior seems to be Syd jumping up against my leg. Now we are working on that, so that she will sit, or put a paw on my foot, etc.

Yesterday we went to the agility center to work on some fundamentals. First up was the boom-board. A 5-6 foot plank with a pivot point of a 4 inch diameter PVC pipe. It's not designed to be used as a teeter, but more something to acclimate the dogs to the sounds of a teeter hitting the ground, and the feeling of a board moving under their paws. Object is nose-touch c/t (click & treat). Then we worked up to paw touch, c/t. Then paw on either side of the plank (either the downside that's already on the ground and won't move, or the up side that will then fall down with pressure from the paw). I'm using the boom-board to get Syd more confident about the noise, and the idea of just shaping yet another new behavior. She did some whining and trying to avoid yesterday, mostly by running around the sides of the boom-board, trying to get from point A to point B by circling around. Once she got it, though, she was a good sport. I could see the nervousness in her body language, but she got to where she'd use one paw and bang the boom board anyway. She wasn't slamming the board with great enthusiasm like Hawk does, but she knew that to get that treat, she had to make the board go "boom."

Saturday afternoon, Syd and I took a short walk, with leaves flying by, and scary garbage cans sitting curbside at many homes on our street. Lots of attention work, and Syd did pretty good. We had a perfect opportunity to work on reactivity and confidence when we passed a house with just a slight bit of fencing off to the side. A small dog in the backyard barked as we walked by. A neighbor one house down was kind enough to have left his car parked on the street, so it was the perfect set up for Syd. She saw the dog, started whimpering and trying to decide what she was going to do about it. We kept moving and stopped next to the car, which put the barking dog out of sight. I got Syd's attention, and we did c/t for eye contact several times. She even got to feeling comfortable enough to do a spin/twist combination for me. I've discovered that when Syd is way beyond her comfort zone, she is too nervous to do a sit, and no way she'll think about a down when she might need to flee the country in a flash! ;-P So, I'll take a good stand, get back, eye contact, or spin. We'll have to work up to the tougher stuff like sit and down.

Fun New Behaviors :-)

2008-01-12T13:17:00.000-06:00

Syd is doing an excellent job of working for her meals. Thank goodness she's a dog who thinks kibble is just as exciting as cookies! She is just as enthusiastic about the last bite as the first. I don't thinkthat Syd is getting bored with our limited repertoire of behaviors, but I am!

The cure for both of us is to learn some new behaviors. We've added "jump in the box" where Syd will jump inside a rectangular frame of our stacking box. "Touch" hand targeting, as well as targeting a small paper plate. Pick up the plate, and my new personal favorite "Go through." For this, Syd will run through my legs, and then turn and pop her head back through and look up. Very cute, especially from a smiling, happy girl.

The First Agility Class

2008-01-10T23:11:00.001-06:00

Syd had a good day today, and tonight we started her first agility class. Syd has class first, then Hawk has his class directly afterward. I tried to be very calm and not get stressed out about this new adventure with Sydney.

We were just a few minutes late getting to class, and when we entered the room, the two terriers in class erupted in barking. I was able to maintain Sydney's composure and attention, and we moved to the only available seat... directly in between the terriers. ;-}

I went to class prepared. I had a container of hot dogs, a container of Aunt Julie's Liver Brownies, some petrified hot dogs, a container of soft liver treats, and several tug toys that Sydney loves. I could barely zipper our gear bag! I guess I was determined to have whatever I needed to make class fun and hopefully Syd would rather pay attention to me than be afraid of the other dogs. Only once did Sydney have to be re-directed. The other dogs heard something in the next room and started barking. Syd caught eye contact with the Schnauzer, and started to rumble and whimper, all at the same time. I got her attention back pretty quickly, and I was very happy with her reaction.

All in all, I think Syd handled the pressure of her first agility class very well, and I'm glad I kept her enrolled in the class. She was crated in the building for the duration of Hawk's class, and she was pretty relaxed watching another group of new dogs working.

A Ray of Sunshine

2008-01-09T22:34:00.000-06:00

What a great morning! I'm so proud of Sydney. This morning as she was working for her breakfast, she learned some new "stuff" that she thinks is very very cool. first, she was getting bored with stand, down, back. So, we added "park" (hey, I named her Syd, so SIT doesn't really work for us), "ready" (making eye contact), the beginnings of "front" and "spin." Oh does she love to spin, usually it's more like a bucking bronco flinging around in a circle, and it normally ends in a stamping of the feet in a play bow. But no nasty looks at Savannah (I put her behind the baby gate this time after my major failure yesterday). She did lose attention for a brief moment when her cat walked into the kitchen. Poor Syd is so lonesome without her playmates she just couldn't help herself from snuffling and wagging at the cat. But like a good girl, when I called her back to me, she regained attention very quickly. No matter how the rest of the day goes today, this morning was a giant step forward, and regardless of her insecurities, this dog is so sharp and eager to learn. As our chiropractic vet told me once, I just have to figure out how to make MY agenda Syd's agenda.

This evening was even better. Syd was sharp, focused, and very interested in working for her supper. We even added a "sit pretty" just for fun. At this point, I'm sure Syd will be learning all manner of cute, fun, and completely useless behaviors just because she can, and just to keep her from getting bored. In fact, I think tonight we might even add a box to the mix, and see what she can learn to do! There was no stress from her even though old Savannah was lurking behind the baby gate, giving me the soulful eyes of a Weimaraner who has not eaten in weeks, even though she just finished slurping down her supper not 10 minutes before.

Syd went to conformation class tonight, and that did not go really well, but it wasn't a total disaster. We went last week, and just a few dogs showed up, so it was pretty quiet and relaxed. Tonight, there were several dogs there, and Syd was pretty stressed. For the most part she behaved, but her eyes were red and she was very distracted and uneasy. A cute Harrier puppy tried to initiate play, and Syd got pretty upset, barking but running to the far end of her leash. I only made her stay for about 15 minutes, and made sure that we left on a good note. Hopefully we can chalk this up to a good stress test, and helps us to gauge what Syd is ready for.

It's a Bad Momma Kinda Day

2008-01-08T23:08:00.000-06:00

Well, this morning started off pretty calm. Sydney went outside while everyone else had breakfast. Once that was over, she came in the house on leash and worked for her breakfast. Savannah was still in the house, sitting at the edge of the kitchen entrance, interested in what kind of food was being handed out. She never made eye contact or acknowledged Sydney. And for the first few minutes, Sydney was OK with Savannah's presence. But, as is usual with Syd, at one point, she decided that Savannah was scary and threatening (yes, the old, arthritic Weim frequently looks ferocious- NOT) and Syd took her attention away from me and started to watch Savannah. Watch and more work brought her back to me.
Then Savannah lifted a paw as if to wave, and that was all it took. Sydney started her ugly talk, and well, I failed my dog in the moment. I let everything go out the window, and popped the lead and then dragged her by the leash to another place in the kitchen, her snarling and sliding on the linoleum trying to make eye contact with the oblivious Savannah. I put Syd in a down, using a harsh tone of voice as I "assisted" by putting my hand on her withers. :-( Sigh. Sometimes I wonder. Of course, immediately afterward, I knew that I was mostly mad at myself. I should have put Savannah all the way outside, rather than present an opportunity for Syd to get upset since she's still in the beginning stages of learning to be calm and trust in me. So I guess I'll take the hit in the one step back scorecard, and not penalize Syd's scorecard for something I allowed to happen.

Starting the Sydney Scorecard

2008-01-07T11:05:00.000-06:00

OK, so Syd was pretty ugly to her sister and Savannah this morning. I opted to bring her to work with me yesterday and take her for a walk over lunch. Not a loose dog on a flexi type walk. A "listen to your mother, you need to be wherever I am" kind of walk. She did really well on the walk, and behaved like a good girl. As a reward, I did put her on the flexi at the end and tossed her rope toy a few times so she could de-stress. One step forward.

As we returned home yesterday after work, I opened the front door slightly, then in my customary fashion, I slipped off Syd's lead so that she would be free to go into the house, as it's always a tangle of dog tripping me up if I don't. For the first time ever, Syd backed up really quick after a half-step into the house, and took off down the street. I just about could not believe it, she has always been reliable running from the van to the front door, usually standing on the porch barking at me if I'm not quick enough to let her in. argh. I grabbed a bag of treats and headed down the street. I don't know what she thought was out there, but she was sniffing, then hopping, alert about a big evergreen bush about 4 houses down the road. Of course it's almost dark, and the shadows might have been teasing her, who knows. Usually the word "COOKIE" is enough to bring the entire herd running. But Syd was absolutely pre-occupied, and I could not get her attention at all. Very strange, and un-Syd-like. She might be naughty, but she always comes to me for treats and toys. Finally I was able to get close enough so she could smell the treat I had in my extended hand. She came back to the real world, and I scooped her up and carried her home. She didn't seem to be acting strangely at all once I picked her up. One step back.

When we got to the house, everyone else was outside in the back yard. I put Syd on the leash and took her out front for potty. Then put her in her crate to bring in everyone and begin the evening supper ritual. Heat up the chicken and sweet potatoes, get out yogurt, pro-biotic, kelp, supplements, and various other things for each dog's ailments. It takes a while to get everything portioned out and ready to go for the herd. Sydney and Breezy are crated next to each other in wire crates in the kitchen. I use the tops of their crates to set out all the food bowls and prepare their supper. Usually it's a good thing, as they are the happy recipients of anything that I accidentally slop over the edge of a bowl, or chicken pieces that fling off the fork. Last night, Syd was in rare form, and I heard her start to rumble and stare at her sister for no apparent reason. Breezy was laying in her crate, back to Syd, so I don't know what the initial start of the rumbling was. And with Syd, it doesn't really matter what starts it, once she starts, she has a hard time stopping. I opened her crate door to remove her from the situation, and she started posturing at Bree, who was still not facing Syd at all. At that point, I decided Syd was not entitled to the yummy supper festivities, and I escorted her out the back door without a word or a look. Another step back.

Supper proceeded without incident, and all the dogs happily at their home cooked dinner. Syd was bouncing against the back door, and barking to insist she come inside. I waited until she was merely whining under her breath and laying at the door. I greeted her with the slip lead, and let her into the kitchen with me. I had put her home cooked food in a container in the fridge, and got out a small amount of kibble instead. I brought Syd back in the house on her leash, and she stood in the kitchen, with Kane in the vicinity. Syd had to work for her kibble, sit-down-stand-back-watch, no kibble without performing a behavior that I asked for. And, if I gave a down command and the ever-obedient Kane did a down lickety split, I gave him the piece of kibble, which irked Syd to no end. The looks she gave, from Kane then back to me. Syd loves to work, and I'm going to use that to our advantage (I hope). She did all manner of cute behaviors for her supper, and it ended on a good note. The last few bites I got out some of the chicken, and when she did a really fast down, or a balanced stand, she got a jackpot of chicken instead of kibble. Finally, a step forward. Hmm, it seems like we are back to ground zero, in terms of steps. I think that will be typical as we work through this issue. I'll take every bit of forward motion Sydney can muster.

New Year, New Committment

2008-01-01T10:02:00.000-06:00

I've been very dedicated to trying to help Syd get over her reactivity. But I've also avoided taking her places, not wanting to push her beyond her comfort zone. I decided that it was time to start adding more distractions and possible stress into her routine. She's so smart, and follows the program so well, it's time to step up our game.

Conformation classes start again next week, and agility class begins on the 10th. Syd has been several times to both of these buildings, and feels comfortable there. We'll see how it goes, and if it's too much, we'll back off. She loves the agility center, so I am hopeful that she already has lots of good experiences associated there, and the small class setting (just 4 dogs) is OK for her.

Oh, and I can also report that I am now sporting an Xpen in my living room because everyone needs a 4 x 4 Xpen with lid to make the house really sparkle. :-) But, I wanted Syd to graduate from being crated in the kitchen out of the way of all the commotion. So, now she can be in her Xpen, able to stretch her legs a bit more, and be more a part of the family.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T13:52:00.000-06:00

So, to lighten up just a bit, I found this funny (and perfect!) t-shirt and Santa hat for my little brindle girl! In case you can't read her t-shirt, it says "Dear Santa, Define Naughty." Although when it came time to take a photo, I swear, she couldn't help but stick out her tongue. That's my girl! Happy Holidays to everyone...

Umm, Why Are You Telling Me This??

2007-12-20T11:37:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm not sure why I'm telling you this, and that's the honest truth. Really, I think I'm documenting this for me, and not really caring about whether anyone ever reads this blog or not. For my friends and family, this topic becomes pretty boring after a bit, but it's such a major topic in my own brain, I constantly think about it, and try to plan out how to make Sydney's problem better so that she can move forward and lead a happy, secure life.

Not everyone is as fascinated with rehabilitating my Rogue Dog (OK, so I tease and call her bad names) as I am. I've always been excited about training dogs, and love seeing the "lightbulb" moment when a dog really, really gets it. I've never had a dog that started out semi-normal become reactive, insecure, "Me Tarzan" (as Jean Donaldson would likely label Syd) dog. So, I want to be able to reassure myself, go back and read about the bad days when I think this day must be the worst. And I also want to be able to remember the good days, so that I know that there are surely more of those to come.

I think also, maybe there are others who are in the same situation, you hear whispers, and feel the need to defend certain things. So, I find myself a broken record: "No, she does not have a bad temperament" and "No, she's not actually aggressive, she's terrified" and "Yes, she was socialized and she came from a reputable breeder, a carefully planned breeding." Most of the time when I am suffering from embarrassment that Syd put on an ugly face I just wish that she would act the way she really feels. I think that if my little dog were to whimper and urinate and run to hide behind me, that would almost be easier for me to handle. At least then I would not have to be explaining the difference between "Aggression" and "Reaction" to everyone we meet. And while I'm typing it out, can I just say that I think the word aggression is so over-applied to any situation where a dog doesn't slobber all over himself to play with another dog?

Mostly, I have all these thoughts in my head, and I worry that each day will melt into another, and I won't be able to keep track of whether Syd is making progress or not. Whether I'm helping her or screwing her up. So I type when I can, and it makes me feel better. You can read or not read, it won't hurt my feelings. And I'm certain that it won't be very exciting for people who aren't interested in the daily details of my little dog's problems. Very few people are! Well, actually, it's probably just me, and that's OK. :-) If you are here and reading, that's great, welcome to my world.

But the books say...

2007-12-15T22:55:00.000-06:00

Dog behavior books. I have nearly all of them. Scaredy Dog, Feisty Fido,Click to Calm, Culture Clash, Mine!, Fight!, you name it, I've probably got it. And the books are great, they help to calm me down and look at things from a more objective standpoint. Fantastic, now let's get to work. I have been doing No Free Lunch (some call it NILIF) with rescue dogs for years, and even with my own big dog Nick, and it really does work.

But one thing strikes me as I read these books again years later. The training program and activities in these books are geared fro that ONE dog in the house, ONE dog to whom I can devote all time and training. With a total of, well, seven dogs in the house, some of these solutions seem to be darn near impossible to pull off with the other distractions in my life. If I had 24/7 to devote to just the one dog, I'm sure Sydney would be back to near-perfect status in no time (well, in my dream world), and I'm sure that I would be better at keeping her from failure in specific day to day activities. This is not going to be a "pretty" solution, but we'll do our very best. When it's winter in Missouri, it's not feasible to leave the old, arthritic Weimaraner outside while I spend 20 minutes with Syd so she can work for her supper. Big Nick is likely scratching at the back door, and well, the cat just comes around when he wants to, and Syd just *loves* her cat. Distractions will happen, and Syd is going to have to learn to live with it. I'm going to have to learn to live with it also. And not get frustrated when the dog doesn't progress as fast as I'd like, or when she has a setback because of some level of stress that she's not ready to handle yet. She and I don't live in a vacuum, and I do have other dogs to take care of, the job that pays for the dog food, and other Life Happens situations. Deep breath. Every day, I give myself a pep talk, and it starts with "Harness her powers for good and not evil."

Building Confidence

2007-12-10T12:28:00.000-06:00

Getting serious about making Sydney work for food, work for praise and attention, and limiting her free time is one part of her program. Another part is all about building her confidence. I need to get this girl out and start building her confidence in safe, positive environments so that she can experience success in a new setting. Having her sit, down, stand, get back, watch, spin, sit up, etc. in our kitchen with the same distractions every day is one thing. Taking her somewhere new and asking her to stay calm and do those things is a completely different monster.

We are lucky to have a membership to a relatively new, indoor agility center. The building is accessible to members at any time, other than when classes are taking place. So, I wondered if Syd might be interested in learning a little agility. Working to learn obstacles is something I think can greatly improve her self-confidence *and* our working relationship. My little performance demon really emerged when I took Syd to the agility center. She is extremely driven, extremely food and toy motivated. I love that about her. Of course, her high drive and motivation is also what probably makes her less laid back about new situations, so we take what we get and work with it. Sydney was so different after a few agility practices, it was visible. Her eyes sparkled and her posture was confident and eager as we walked into the building. This place was "new" but also "fun" and I think it will be a great tool for us on the road to Syd's recovery.

Another activity that Syd had participated in as a younger puppy was herding. Syd had that spark and keenness for the sheep. I loved taking her and letting our instructor work with Syd to increase her interest and drive. Once Sydney became reactive and unsure of herself, I was hesitant to take her to herding lessons. A small dog off-leash in a large pen made for a dog who could opt to do what she wanted to, and really undermine our CBC (Corgi Boot Camp) program. I really trust our herding instructor, and she had an idea that I was comfortable with. We'd put Syd on a line and keep the lesson in a small round pen, just to see what Syd's reaction would be. It really worked out great, by this time I felt the work Syd had been putting in was showing in her relationship with me. We went for the lesson, and she responded well to Bridget, and only once did she try to avoid pressure, and Bridget simply stepped on the line, said "no" and Syd came right back to the work at hand, and we spent the next few minutes really praising her as she went to work moving the sheep. OK, so she only moved one ewe at a time, which made for three times the work for her, but she did eventually get all three of the girls back together at the opposite side of the pen! We have several videos of Sydney's Return To Herding on our YouTube site, www.youtube.com/hurrikanecardigans. Because I'm one of those kind of dog-moms, I even included Syd's not so bright moment where Bridget had to get her back in the game.

I'm hopeful that these additional activities that exercise her mind and body will help Sydney to learn to work with me better, and to trust me. Along with our at-home obedience work and CBC, I'm crossing paws that one of these days, Syd will have a breakthrough moment.

Puppy Vacation

2007-12-04T10:38:00.000-06:00

So, after the traumatic experience at the dog show (for both Sydney and myself), I decided to take things easy, and not push the little dog beyond her comfort zone. I needed time to look back and try to figure out what was going on with my dog, and Syd had no real reason to be showing, especially since she's just a puppy.

Add to the mix that my girl, in her usual inconvenient fashion, opted to come in season for the first time just weeks after the September show. That put us off-track since Syd went to stay elsewhere for a couple of weeks at her "girls spa" vacation. For those two weeks, she and I are not working on trust or confidence, or anything else for that matter since she's not even at home.

When Syd finally came home, I decided she was going to be in "boot camp" with me, and I was going to control everything in her environment. I dug out my copy of Scaredy Dog, blew off the dust, and started re-reading.

The Downhill Slide Begins

2007-11-29T08:18:00.000-06:00

Poor Sydney, her mom (that being me) did not realize that one incident that *seemed* to be a minor blip on the radar was monumental to the confidence of a young puppy. I still regret a thousand things I could have done to avoid Syd's tail being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Through the rest of the weekend in Wisconsin, Syd acted OK off of the show grounds. A group of Vallhund exhibitors were all staying at a friend's home, and we had several youngsters all playing and running together. Syd played happily with the Vallhund puppies and adults, even though I did notice that she hung back just a bit from the main flurry of activity.

We travelled home from Wisconsin, and went back to the normal day to day activities. Syd's "Aunt Julie" has a Rough Collie, and I called her and said that I needed to get Syd over to play with Jackson the Collie, because Syd had a little 'episode' with a Collie, and I wanted her not to be afraid of Collies. After our first Collie 'playdate' it was obvious that Syd did NOT have a problem with Collies. My friend labelled the Corgi and the Collie outing as a total love affair, the two dogs could not play enough. WHEW, I was breathing a sigh of relief, thank goodness this isolated incident was over, and my dog was normal, no worries at all, right? I kept taking Syd to some classes, and all appeared to be just fine.

In September, we went to another dog show, and Sydney was very good the first day, as long as stranger dogs did not get right in her face. She was happy to let dogs go about their business from a distance. I thought all was well. Then the second day, my little girl came unglued. A hairy border collie walked by about 15 feet away from us, and this sweet, angelic Cardigan erupted with barking and posturing, as if she were defending herself from an attack. Uh, the dog wasn't even looking at Sydney, but that didn't seem to matter to Syd. Well, I couldn't get my girl out of that situation fast enough, and I spent the better part of the afternoon crying because somehow I failed my dog, and wondering if I could manage this dog who definitely now has a problem. What had I ever done to make her act this way? Where did she forget that she could trust me, that I wouldn't let anything happen to her? Well, Syd wasn't answering, and I'll never know the answers, or what the basis for this new reactivity is. All I know is this is the dog I have now, and it's up to me to try and fix the situation.

I will admit that this was a horrible feeling, unlike any of my experiences with rescue dogs who come to me with unknown baggage. I knew this puppy was raised in my house, with lots of socializing and she had a good start in life. Two months ago she was the ideal puppy, happily going to dog shows, not stressing out about any situation. I wasn't sure exactly how to fix the situation, but I did know that for the time being, Sydney would not be going to dog shows, as the stress level was more than my little girl could handle.

Summer of Change

2007-11-28T11:56:00.000-06:00

Fast forward to July 31, 2007. The day things changed for the worse. I was in Waukesha, Wisconsin for a dog show. I travelled there to show Hawk in conformation. I opted to take Sydney with me so that the two dogs would be company for each other. Earlier in July, Syd and Hawk travelled to Houston, TX with me for dog shows, and they both had a great time. On this particular day in Wisconsin, the air was hot and muggy. The dog show was outside. I entered Sydney for two days, just to get her some practice, and also so that she could experience an outdoor show. At just 7 months old, she was still pretty well carefree and up for any new adventure. Sydney showed very well, and she won Winners Bitch and Best of Winners. Her first points in the show ring. I opted to wait to have her photo taken with the judge. That was the biggest mistake EVER.

The judge was behind schedule, so we had to wait through Rough and Smooth Collies to have our photo done. There was very little air inside the tent, and I had Sydney laying down under the steward table, licking on some ice cubes to keep her occupied. I think we waited nearly 45 minutes, and Syd's puppy restlessness started to get the best of her. I finally got her to lay back down and watch the other dogs in the ring. At one point, she was laying quietly, concentrating on the dogs she could see out in front of her, just watching them all go by. In an instant, a tri-color Rough Collie walked behind us, and inadvertently stepped on the very tip end of Sydney's tail as it peeked out from under the table. There was no malicious intent from the Collie, he never even knew he did anything to upset my little Cardigan. And to me, it was just a minor little thing, nothing to get upset about.

Sydney had another take on the situation, though. Because this was a surprise to her, and she did not see the big, hairy Collie approach her, when she felt her tail get stepped on, she wheeled around to see what was going on. The big dog so close to her really startled her, and she nearly flew to the opposite end of her leash, taking me by surprise. She squealed and carried on as if someone had just pinched her. People nearby wondered what happened.

Syd recovered from that event, and I put it out of my mind. No big deal, right? Well, that's what I thought. She's fine, no harm done, it was just a silly puppy overreacting. Unfortunately, I learned that this one tiny little event seemed to play a major role in how Sydney perceives other dogs and escalated at the next dog show we attended...

Where did my sweet pupster go?

2007-11-18T18:03:00.000-06:00

That's a question I ask myself after every "ugly" episode. I'm referring to my adorable, sweet, good-natured Cardigan Sydney. She turns a year old on December 28, 2007 and she's lived with me since she was just over three weeks old. Momma and the littermates came to stay at my house and the puppies grew up in my kitchen.

So, I certainly can't lay blame for Sydney's insecurities on anyone else, and I'll say that I think I did every possible thing to socialize and create a safe and secure environment for my girl. From Day 3, the puppies were raised using the SuperDog method to help raise even-tempered, healthy puppies.

I guess the trouble started at about six months old. Sydney and her sister Breezy always got along just fine, never a cross word between them. They had only limited time to play together, as I wanted each of the girls to have her "own life" separate from her sister. Once the girls were six months old, I noticed a few squabbles, and started supervising all playtime, and not letting them run together outside, only in the house, where I could monitor and separate them if needed. By eight months old, Sydney was less and less tolerant, and I stopped letting the girls play together. They always have been and still are crated next to each other. And if one is in an Xpen, they will both play together through the wires, each very happy and enjoying their time together. But take away the barrier, and the fun is over...

Strangely enough, Sydney has had recent opportunities to meet up with two of her littermates again. And after a separation of several months, Syd can get along with most any Cardigan, but somehow, she can pick out one of her littermates in a crowd, and she hates them. I don't know how to explain it, or how she knows, but she does, and it's not a pretty sight.

The key players at our home include Breezy, the Red Cardigan, Sydney, the Brindle Cardigan, and Savannah, the senior Weimaraner.

OK, so it's evident that Syd has a problem with her littermates, something that is very common among corgi girls, but she has never exhibited any ugliness at other Cardigans or other dogs. Until July of 2007...