Lessons in thinking ahead

For fun I do tracking with Jenny when the weather co-operates. (translation, when it is warm enough for me) Im not that great at it, and we are very sporadic but there is something about it I just love. I really enjoy watching a dog do something that is so natural to them while challenging my own skills. And being outside enjoying nature sure doesnt hurt either.

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Recently I have been training her (inside) to lay down for the article indication. This means when she comes to an item in the trail that has been dropped by the person she is "tracking" she will let me know it is there. This needs to be a very visible cue to the handler. I decided having her lay down with the object in between her front legs would work nicely. She picked it up very quickly and I was pleased.

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Fast forward to me driving in my car past one of my practice fields the other day. As I look over I get the urge to go out and practice a track. Oh wait, it is still kinda cold. Jenny isnt going to want to lay down..... and it hits me, oh my freaking word, JENNY ISNT GOING TO WANT TO LAY DOWN ON COLD GROUND!!! What the heck was I thinking?

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Now even though I dont typically go out much if it is really cold I do practice in rain and wind and days that arent always the best weather wise. This is just in case I ever do attempt a tracking test someday. You dont get to pick a warm sunny day for a tracking test. And even if she will lay down on the ground when it is cold, why would I ask her to do that? It doesnt seem fair since I get to stay upright, dry and clean. Now if she were as fluffy as Jack it wouldnt be an issue. But she is very naked in her nether regions. More so than many other dogs. Because of this she gets cold easily. Her favorite place is under a blanket for a reason!

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~sigh~ So I get to start over. I cant decide if I want her to just sit down in front of it or put her paw on the item. I could also have her pick it up in her mouth but that one has drawbacks. I dont mind teaching her to pick up a glove but the other items on a track can vary greatly. Not to mention I want to control what goes into her mouth for safety reasons. So I need to make a decision before I can go forward. The bigger challenge ahead of me is getting her to do this on a track. She tends to work very quickly.

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Chalk this lesson up to not thinking ahead. Oh well, lessons learned the hard way tend to stick! Now come on spring!!!

(My tracking harness of choice is the nylon Sure Fit by http://www.pawmark.com/ )

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Puppy video and lessons learned

OK I got a few videos so you can see the true cuteness of Zola. Hopefully blogger cooperates and they load ok. The first one is her at dinner time last night. She is currently getting the Honest Kitchen Keen formula so I have to wait for it to hydrate. She didnt want to wait. If you listen close you can also hear Jenny doing her "OMG its time to eat!" whine.

This is her being aggressive with the leash. At the time I had no idea why she was having a temper tantrum. I just knew it wasnt normal so I turned on the camera. It turns out dogs with liver shunts can have aggressive episodes when the toxins build up in their system. Thankfully at only 10 lbs it is easy to deal with when it happens.

And this is from the first day she was here.

Im sorry that some of the videos arent great. I know they are very "Blair Witch Project" at times. Its hard to video something so fast!
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Things Ive learned this week: A 10 pound pug who doesnt want to take a pill is stronger than they look. Dont put medication into a dogs food. If they dont eat you youve wasted both the medication AND the meal. You can lead a pug to lunch but you cant make them eat. The goal for a dog with a liver shunt on lactulose is a nice soft stool. (and 3 to 4 small meals a day) Lactulose is very sticky. A boot covered in deer blood is a target for resource guarding.
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I think she is feeling better. Last night and today she even chewed on a bone for a long time like a normal dog. Jenny wasnt as thrilled about that as I was. Im going to have to increase the amount of bones around for awhile so that doesnt become a problem. Her eye also looks better to me with her on the serum. The only downside to her feeling better is that she is becoming feisty with Jenny. Jenny is not one to back down so Ill need to watch that closely. So far so good though. Fingers still crossed.
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Sidenote: liver shunt dogs need a low protein diet with NO red meat. It is also better if they have a dairy source protein. Keen is turkey but it is working for her for now. She wouldnt eat the Preference but I may try it again later with some cottage cheese. I am still learning so stand by for more info on diet in the future.

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