Autumn is setting in and this time around I'm really looking forward to it. Today's weather is stormy and raining and Bella doesn't want to be outside more than she needs to be. At least not on her own.
Two weeks ago I started an agility training course with her. Unfortunately last week's session had to be cancelled but we're heading back tonight for more. When we showed up Bella was very tense and on edge and couldn't stop staring at the other two dogs, a Chihuahua and a Papillion. Towards the end things were getting better and I'm curious about what tonight will be like.
Yesterday we did get an unexpected few minutes of agility training. I took Bella to a small breeds dog exhibition where the instructor of our agility course was present as a part of an agility introduction. I had the only dog at the time and Bella surprised me by giving me her full attention. That was great! Even my fiancé who was present had a change of heart about Bella's chance of success in this sport.
The small breeds exhibition was a fun event. I went to one last year and Bella started by barking her lungs out before finally calming down a little. This time around I had prepared for another barking session and as we walked into the building she was filing her claws trying to pull me in faster. In we went and surprise, she remained alert but calm. No barking, no silly behaviour. Hurray!
I've become better at seeing when to stop an encounter with other dogs and when it's alright to allow them to meet up. I have had to be very picky because Bella has had some unpleasant encounters and I'm trying to socialise her to stop the insecurity. There was only one bad run-in which happened to be with Bella's full sister from an older litter. Owned by my colleague who says hers is Border Terrier aggressive. No harm done it was just a bit of growling that quickly subsided. After the event Bella hadn't barked once. I'm so proud of her!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Horse Who Didn't
I once whacked a horse across the head with a whip.
I started thinking about that this afternoon when I went out for a long walk. I was in a foul mood, something that I sometimes do if I get angry. I went out for over an hour long walk with Bella. A wagging tail, good weather and a long walk is something that's hard for me to stay in a foul mood over.
Within five minutes by foot I can reach the outskirts of Reykjavík city. Very late in the evening it's rare to ever meet somebody so I am often tempted to set Bella loose. I did today and we only met one person. Bella was very happy and used the opportunity to race back and forth like a lunatic. Now that we're home she's content lying next to me in the couch. It was a very good walk for both of us.
The horse I mentioned earlier was called Viking. A calm fellow and a very good children's horse. I don't remember what exactly led me to use the whip on him but he wasn't obeying and a person I thought was my mentor at the time told me it was the only way to make him see the light. Viking was the only horse I ever did this to. After the act I found out that this wasn't who I am or wanted to be. I didn't believe in this method of trying to hurt another being to make it please me.
When dealing with Bella, I use a lot of the things I learned from dealing with horses. I found out the hard way that the harshest methods don't usually result in the best results. That whips and a cruel mind don't create an obedient horse. Another horse who would evade the bit turned into a great mount when I started using a normal bit with him again and treated him with gentle forgiving hands. I did learn from experience that anger is never an asset when it comes to animals.
This is why I try to not do much if I get angry. I may sulk or be in a foul mood for a bit but I try to withdraw to the best of my abilities and wait it out until I get over it. When I get angry I start thinking illogically. If Bella is making me upset I often start thinking that she's doing it deliberately to piss me off, or when my horse is spooking in the same corner on a windy day I sometimes decide he's being a little shit and doing it just to spite me. So through other mistakes I've made earlier in my life I try to breathe and figure out how to stop whatever I'm doing on a good note, no matter how insignificant it may be, and call it a day.
I hate watching animals behave out of fear. So with me often getting angry easily, I've had to learn to back off before I do something I regret. Sometimes it's difficult but when I later return to train and am greeted with a happy dog or a calm horse, I know I did right. Anger isn't a good way to train. Anger is a cue for me to do something for myself and no one else.
Anger, however, is a great excuse to take the dog for a walk.
I started thinking about that this afternoon when I went out for a long walk. I was in a foul mood, something that I sometimes do if I get angry. I went out for over an hour long walk with Bella. A wagging tail, good weather and a long walk is something that's hard for me to stay in a foul mood over.
Within five minutes by foot I can reach the outskirts of Reykjavík city. Very late in the evening it's rare to ever meet somebody so I am often tempted to set Bella loose. I did today and we only met one person. Bella was very happy and used the opportunity to race back and forth like a lunatic. Now that we're home she's content lying next to me in the couch. It was a very good walk for both of us.
The horse I mentioned earlier was called Viking. A calm fellow and a very good children's horse. I don't remember what exactly led me to use the whip on him but he wasn't obeying and a person I thought was my mentor at the time told me it was the only way to make him see the light. Viking was the only horse I ever did this to. After the act I found out that this wasn't who I am or wanted to be. I didn't believe in this method of trying to hurt another being to make it please me.
When dealing with Bella, I use a lot of the things I learned from dealing with horses. I found out the hard way that the harshest methods don't usually result in the best results. That whips and a cruel mind don't create an obedient horse. Another horse who would evade the bit turned into a great mount when I started using a normal bit with him again and treated him with gentle forgiving hands. I did learn from experience that anger is never an asset when it comes to animals.
This is why I try to not do much if I get angry. I may sulk or be in a foul mood for a bit but I try to withdraw to the best of my abilities and wait it out until I get over it. When I get angry I start thinking illogically. If Bella is making me upset I often start thinking that she's doing it deliberately to piss me off, or when my horse is spooking in the same corner on a windy day I sometimes decide he's being a little shit and doing it just to spite me. So through other mistakes I've made earlier in my life I try to breathe and figure out how to stop whatever I'm doing on a good note, no matter how insignificant it may be, and call it a day.
I hate watching animals behave out of fear. So with me often getting angry easily, I've had to learn to back off before I do something I regret. Sometimes it's difficult but when I later return to train and am greeted with a happy dog or a calm horse, I know I did right. Anger isn't a good way to train. Anger is a cue for me to do something for myself and no one else.
Anger, however, is a great excuse to take the dog for a walk.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Enthusiasm and a Happy Back
It must be the always-tired brain of a new mom at play but I can't understand why I didn't get Bella to pick up the children's toys for me earlier. Two days after I started making her do it for me and this morning she started picking them up from a distance with me sitting in the couch.
One disadvantage of a one eyed dog is that I must always be very careful to make sure she's paying attention to where I'm pointing her to. It's easy for me to forget her handicap and be pointing on her blind side and wondering why she's not getting what I'm asking her. She also gets so enthusiastic and eager that she sometimes gets ahead of herself and forgets to pay attention because she just wants the treat.
I think I wrote late last year in this blog that I did not think she was food motivated. Of course that turned out to be a misunderstanding, she had no idea what I was asking. Now I am using her regular food as a treat. We changed to Orijen dog food recently and she loves it. She actually prefers it over raw chicken which is a first.
Anyway, now it's time for a walk.
One disadvantage of a one eyed dog is that I must always be very careful to make sure she's paying attention to where I'm pointing her to. It's easy for me to forget her handicap and be pointing on her blind side and wondering why she's not getting what I'm asking her. She also gets so enthusiastic and eager that she sometimes gets ahead of herself and forgets to pay attention because she just wants the treat.
I think I wrote late last year in this blog that I did not think she was food motivated. Of course that turned out to be a misunderstanding, she had no idea what I was asking. Now I am using her regular food as a treat. We changed to Orijen dog food recently and she loves it. She actually prefers it over raw chicken which is a first.
Anyway, now it's time for a walk.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The tricks from past fall
Before I gave birth I was very intrigued with trick training Bella to pick up items for me. It did go well and then the pace of our training got slower but every now and then I'd make her do so and she is always eager to. She picks up reliably and normally returns to me right away but doesn't always drop on command.
This afternoon has been a slow one. We went out for a walk this morning and the weather is fairly boring. Trying to think of ways to give her her food by hand (so to speak) I decided to try her aptitude with picking up my son's toys and bringing them to me. Sure enough, it was no problem. She gets so enthusiastic and willing, I always feel bad for her once I end the sessions but I figure it's better to end on a good note than continue until she gets bored or distracted.
It's a very fun and handy skill if I can get her to pick the toys in my place but there's now issues I need to think through:
First is how to get her to pick up the toys, do I point at them (I wonder if a laser might work) or identify each with a name. Is it possible to tell her one command to pick up the toys? I imagine that would be harder as the toys change.
Then there's the fact I need to work on teaching her to place the items in the basket. Maybe the basket is too tall for her but I could possibly make her bring them all to the same place.
This afternoon has been a slow one. We went out for a walk this morning and the weather is fairly boring. Trying to think of ways to give her her food by hand (so to speak) I decided to try her aptitude with picking up my son's toys and bringing them to me. Sure enough, it was no problem. She gets so enthusiastic and willing, I always feel bad for her once I end the sessions but I figure it's better to end on a good note than continue until she gets bored or distracted.
It's a very fun and handy skill if I can get her to pick the toys in my place but there's now issues I need to think through:
First is how to get her to pick up the toys, do I point at them (I wonder if a laser might work) or identify each with a name. Is it possible to tell her one command to pick up the toys? I imagine that would be harder as the toys change.
Then there's the fact I need to work on teaching her to place the items in the basket. Maybe the basket is too tall for her but I could possibly make her bring them all to the same place.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Of The One-Eyed Terrier
With her harness on, Bella does a good job of pulling the baby stroller. Once she's had enough, she becomes the perfect dog, walking calmly beside me.
Afterwards, at home, she's even better. A tired terrier is a good terrier!
Afterwards, at home, she's even better. A tired terrier is a good terrier!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
From Worse to Good
In May I mentioned my pelvic pain being worse than I expected. I was feeling rather depressed but went to see my physiotherapist to discuss this with her. As soon as I met her she was nothing but positive and told me this was nothing to worry about. In short, the front ligaments of my hips had shortened during my post-pregnancy recovery. Apparantly it's not so uncommon as new mothers sit a lot with their newborns. The pain I was experiencing wasn't true pelvic pain and with a few appointments and some at-home exercises I'm doing much much better. I'm not perfect but I can now officially go for fairly long walks.
The next step is joining a gym and getting some work done to build up the muscles that wasted away during the time I couldn't exercise. I'm back to being an optimist and am well below my pre-pregnancy weight. Here's a picture taken of me and Magnus yesterday when he turned 6 months old.
With Bella, I missed out on a Rally Obedience course I've been waiting to participate in for a few months now. Autumn is soon here and then I plan to do an Agility course. I think I'll also aim for the Rally Obedience in the autumn if offered.
My maternity leave is now over and I'm now using my summer holidays until September which is when I start work again. Can't believe there's so little left! A ton has happened since I was forced to quit in late November last year. That's 8 months already! Phew. It'll be fun to meet my work colleagues.
The next step is joining a gym and getting some work done to build up the muscles that wasted away during the time I couldn't exercise. I'm back to being an optimist and am well below my pre-pregnancy weight. Here's a picture taken of me and Magnus yesterday when he turned 6 months old.
With Bella, I missed out on a Rally Obedience course I've been waiting to participate in for a few months now. Autumn is soon here and then I plan to do an Agility course. I think I'll also aim for the Rally Obedience in the autumn if offered.
My maternity leave is now over and I'm now using my summer holidays until September which is when I start work again. Can't believe there's so little left! A ton has happened since I was forced to quit in late November last year. That's 8 months already! Phew. It'll be fun to meet my work colleagues.
Routine Work
I enjoy having a dog that is low maintenance. Stripping is a 2-3 times per year affair and today it was time.
The last pic has the war wounds from last night. That was nail clipping time. I've tried several approaches and nothing seems to work well. I've just resigned myself to the fact that it's never going to be easy.
The last pic has the war wounds from last night. That was nail clipping time. I've tried several approaches and nothing seems to work well. I've just resigned myself to the fact that it's never going to be easy.
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