deuce and the agility equipment

Okay so I have been super bad about not posting so I thought I would sit down and write something. Last night was the first time Deuce got to do the a-frame and the chute. We had it out for the beginner class so I decided to let him do those obstacles for fun. The a-frame was super low so I just had him running back and forth over it. He showed no fear with either obstacles and I am so proud of him. The tire jump was also set on the ground so we did some through with that as well. I really want to buy a nice tire jump and was wishing that they had one at USDAA nationals that I could have bought and drug back but they didn't. Maybe this year at AKC nationals I can buy a piece of equipment since we will be so close. Anyway, mom helped me with the chute by doing restrained recalls and after a few times through with the fabric open, we started dropping it on his back as he came through and then just letting him push through. He took it all in stride and had no problems what so ever. He really is a fearless little puppy for sure.

I had been teaching some tricks and now he can do roll over, shake, wave, high five, speak, and show me your teeth. Show me your teeth really isn't a trick but he had become quite the butt head about handling his mouth. I know he is losing his baby teeth right now and his gums are sore but that does not give him the option to growl or bark at me when I want to look at his teeth. I put this command on a clicker and it just means let me raise your lips and look at your teeth. I think I will also put a stack command on clicker as well if we ever do decide to venture into the show ring. Speaking of which, I need to get him registered for ASCA. I got his AKC registration done immediately but have been lax in getting his ASCA and UKC paperwork in. You can see where my priorities lie! As soon as he is old enough, I will get him USDAA and NADAC registered for sure.

Deuce's National Blog

Okay so it is one hour to go before we get home and I am feeling silly so I am going to dictate Deuce’s blog straight from Deuce instead of me coming up with the words. Okay Deuce, you are on!

Okay mom, thanks! Well, been bored to death so I guess I can tell everyone how my trip went. Three days straight in a crate going up and coming back is a lot! Thank goodness mom has super thick cushions so we ride comfortably! Got to see a lot of very interesting country for sure! Got to pee on a lot of different indian tribe lands including Hopi, Peublo, and Zuni lands. Mom says that indians were in this country before white people and that they got most of their lands taken away from them as the white people moved west. They sure do have lots of casinos, gas stations and gift shops now! I was a really good boy just napping or quietly playing with my toys while we rode but when I got to the hotel rooms at night, I was wound up and ready to play! Every night either mom or gramy would have to play with me and tire me out. I tried to play with my big brother Miller but he is my older brother and he doesn’t play. Some times I would piss him off and he would put my whole head in his mouth. Mom was really worried about Miller because he had an injury so she fussed over him a lot which took her attention away from me! Miller got lots of stretching and massaging that I didn’t get. I can’t wait till I compete so I get as much attention as he does! Anyway, we got to the show site on Tuesday and I got to play in something called an RV. It is like a little house on wheels. Mommie brought my crate for me to sleep in but I ended up sleeping in the bed with her and gramy the whole time. Since Arizona was an hour ahead, I was up at 6 am every morning ready to go, even if mom and gramy weren’t! A growing boy can’t miss a meal can he? The first day we were there, I got to go walk around the outside of the field and check everything out. There were so many other dogs there! I wanted everyone to play with me whether they wanted to or not. We did lots of walking as everything was really far way from where our RV was. Mom told me that as soon as the vendors opened, she was buying me a harness cause I pulled a lot and pulled out of my collar when gramy was walking me and scared her. I did get a nice new comfort flex harness in a nice boy color, blue. I love it because I don’t pull as much and even when I do, it doesn’t strangle me or put stress on my neck.

The first day of competition, mommy wasn’t going to run miller but she decided to just do a couple of obstacles and leave the course. I got to go with mommy and gramy down to the crating area where mommie had a crate for miller and I to hang out in. Oh, the sights! On top of all the doggies there, there was two huge pools mommie called dock dog diving pools that were full of water! Mommie asked how much it was for me to go in the pools but they wanted 20 bucks! Mommmie said that was too much so I just made myself happy by playing in the puddles created by the pools. There was also this fun thing called lure coursing where doggies chased a lure around a course but I didn’t think that was as cool as the water. Mommie says when I get bigger I can try out lure coursing and I can do herding. They had a pen with some goats for instinct testing but those goats were huge and had huge horns and mommie didn’t think that would be a good idea for a young pup like me. There were 6 rings of agility, can you believe it? I can’t wait till I am old enough, I am going to be out there for sure! I even got to meet a little red merle female aussie that played with me and her name was lucy. She is for sure my new girlfriend and I will miss her lots!

On all the other days, gramy made me a kong with peanut butter and I got to hang out in my crate in the RV while big brother miller went down to the field and ran. Mommie would leave early every morning to go walk the courses and miller and gramy and I would go for nice long walks and play. Well, gramy would play, not miller. He takes this whole agility thing very seriously so when it is time to show, he doesn’t play at all. Gramy would usually take miller down to the field to meet mommie and I would hang out in the RV. I am so glad because it was air conditioned and all of those other poor doggies had to hang out in the heat of Arizona all day. Whenever mommie was done running, she would bring miller back to the RV to rest and I would get to go down to the field. I got to see so much action and got to do toes and sits and downs amongst all of that distraction. I got lots of pets and treats as no one can resist a cute little wiggly aussie puppy!

All in all, I had a great time and can’t wait till next year. Mommie keeps on saying that we might be in Kentucky and I might get to play in blue grass? Wonder if I will turn blue too? We are almost home and I can’t wait to see big brother Harley! Mommie says next year maybe harley will have to go too so I will have someone to play with and burn off some of my energy, especially at night! I will be so sad to have gramy leave as I really love my gramy. She took such good care of me, playing with me and walking me. She says I can come and visit her in Tennessee anytime!

Here are the latest of deuce's tricks. He is so dang smart, it amazes me! We worked on these tricks maybe two days with the clicker and i have already faded it out. I now need to decide what the next set of tricks is going to be so he doesn't get bored. I know I am a better dog training after training berry, miller, and harley but I think he is extra special smart! I have seen pictures of his dad doing lots of tricks so I know he has it in him for sure.

I have been letting him sleep loose in the bedroom and I hope that isn't a mistake. I had been leaving him in the bed until I was almost asleep and then getting up and putting him in the crate. He still goes to the crate when we go upstairs and sometimes I have to invite him in the bed. I was waking up when he would get out of the bed because getting in and out of the bed was a big deal for him when he was little. Now, he can jump up and down very easily so I don't wake up anymore, which could be bad. I had him in the bed last night and i was so tired that I crashed hard and didn't wake up till the alarm went off and he was asleep in the floor. Hope he isn't going and pottying somewhere. Our carpet doesn't show accidents till a couple of weeks later so unless I see the wet spot or step in it (ewwww) i don't find them.

Harley and Deuce are enjoying the earlier light. Guess I am going to have to switch Miller's 10 minute walks to the morning and take everyone. I was really enjoying our walks together just him and I but I know the other boys won't let me go without them! Deuce is doing better with Miller's stretches. He was coming up and bugging us and wanting attention but he now knows when Miller and I go upstairs that we are going to be stretching and don't need his help. I think it was hurting his feelings a bit because we train upstairs when I am working on new behaviors because there is very little distraction and he was confused as to why I was taking miller up there instead.

Ok time to get ready. I have a very busy day at work since I missed yesterday so am ready to work my butt off!

Deuce and the golden puppy

Had a great day today with Deuce and just had to share. I am helping a family with their 12 week old golden puppy and I took Deuce along to help me show them some stuff and also secretly to let him get to play. After I worked with the family, we brought deuce out and he and liberty had a great time running around their yard. She loved his rough and tumble play and even though she is younger, played really hard with him and kept him on his toes. I look forward to going more and helping this family and letting Deuce get to play with his new girlfriend some more. Plus, it was a great training opportunity for me as I got to work recall off of them playing and also working some of his core behaviors while she was running around trying to entice him to play. She is a very lovely, very smart little puppy and I can't wait to help them with her more!

I also took Deuce to work with me in the lab and got to play with him there too. He got to ride in an elevator and loved it! I feel like he is becoming a bit of a worrier and that is good and bad. He worries about where I am at all times and also worries when I leave the room and it is just he and Tony. He also seems to worry about some of the foundation training that we are doing so I try and make is as fun as possible or just play on days I think he is acting worried more. I think he is really confused as to why I am spending so much time with miller. I have to either lock him out of the room where I am stretching miller or put him outside since he thinks he should be getting the cookies instead of miller. That is another thing, he really prefers to be outside most of the time off playing by himself. He doesn't care what the weather is, he is truly an outside dog. He also prefers to be under my chair at the computer but even when we are in the other room, this is where he wants to be and where we always find him. I like his independence and hope that will help when we start doing more true agility training.

Now I need to trim toe nails and clean ears so signing off for now!