What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

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Ari_RR
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Ari_RR »

MPbandmom wrote: Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:00 pm The dogs pulled me off of my feet yesterday.....
My dr once asked me how much I exercise, and what kind.
I said - well, mostly walking my dog.
He said - walking a dog is not an exercise!

Depends on the dog(s), doesn't it? :D :D
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

We went up to the woods this afternoon and as we walked up to the railings by the gate, a young male black lab appeared at the other side. He and Jasper had a quick sniff before I could move J away (he doesn't like meetings through gates or fences, maybe because it's harder for him to communicate via body language), and J let out a growl.

The other dog's owner couldn't stop apologising :shock: I said it was fine, that it was my dog who was being grumpy, and led him a little way away, but then she said that the white van I was standing beside was hers - and offered to do another quick lap in the woods so I could come in without the dogs getting too close. Of course not, I replied, moving J to the other side of the road. So she came out & went to her van, still apologising - for what, I have no idea. But I am very lucky with the type of dog walkers I tend to encounter round here :D

Not so keen on the dog walker who let a fluffy mop on short legs run up to J (who was on lead) barking and flashing its teeth with no good reason whatsoever. J was very happy to divert up a side path and move hastily away, proving just what a wimp he really is when he thinks the other dog might actually be prepared to use its teeth :wink:

Ari, I'm with you on the exercise. Maybe I need to get J to pull more, though, because my lower body is much stronger than my upper!
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
MPbandmom
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

Yes, my lower half is much stronger than my upper half also. Which is why I bought an inflatable kayak earlier this year. To row the dogs around and work my upper body a bit more.

Unfortunately, I don't want to go out alone as I am new to this kayaking stuff, and although my brother lives close by and goes kayaking frequently, we have only managed to go out together once.

Each dog had nice peaceful walks this evening. Rather short for Sky, but as it is rather warm and getting dark earlier and she took the short cut through the park, she did it to herself. She tried to go left at the corner and take the longer route through town, but a portion of that route is on a narrow street with parking on both sides and yards which are well above street level with no sidewalks and I don't go there after dark.

Sirius had taken the same short cut through the park, but the short walk was on her agenda. They both went just shy of a mile.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
MPbandmom
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

The dogs and I have been doing a 100 Fall Frolics and Finds dog walking challenge and scavenger hunt. The goal is to walk 100 miles between the first day of Fall and first day of Winter, with an added component of a list of 100 things to find.

This is the second annual one. I did this last year and it really causes one to be more engaged with the environment one is walking in and see things from different perspectives. The challenge can be customized a bit. My goal is 100 miles with one or two dogs. I will probably beat that, as I often walk the dogs separately, but then there are also days where life interferes and I don't get the dogs out at all. There are around 90 days to get the 100 miles in, so the pace is slightly more than a mile a day. We got just over 10 miles for the first week.

The heat finally broke yesterday and the dogs are loving it.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

Bax is getting fat again and im not sure why =( hes technically eating LESS food than before? but more bone? so idk......he def doesnt have ribs anymore :roll: :lol:
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

I've started to be fascinated by cadaver detection dogs, to the point of acquiring the Cadaver Dog Handbook to read about the training and so on. I was wary, because they work closely with the police, and between that and it being based on decades-old tracking (with possibly decades-old training ideas) the likelihood of punishment in training was pretty strong. To my delight, though, the handbook -- the bible of cadaver dog trainers -- promotes clicker training as the ideal! Yay! I'm on page 63/203 and so far the training, while sometimes sloppy and not *quite* how I'd do it, is all positive reinforcement with a spotlight on the clicker. (What's that saying -- the only thing two dog trainers will agree on is that the third is doing it wrong? ;) At least it's a tolerable wrong that I just feel could be more clear to the dog rather than a matter of ethics!)

And with his perfect timing, today, after I reached the actual "training with scent" portion of the book, Delta found an animal spine on our walk. Nice and stinky. I picked it up in a poo bag (after he rolled in it and also got nice and stinky...) and brought it home and I am extremely tempted to try training Delta with the book's methods to detect dead animals.

I am so interested in cadaver dogs that I may have shifted my plans from "calm around other dogs as the most important part of nextdog" to "appropriate for tracking as the most important part of nextdog." Obviously the *most* important part of nextdog is being something Delta gets along well with, but that's at the top of the lists for my desires.

With dog school over, I'm looking into apartments! Many in our area are pet friendly and even focus on that, so I have options. There's a really nice neighborhood with low rent prices that I'm going to call tomorrow to set up a visit and see if they have any units in my price range available. I'll be very excited to have a place of my own!

I can't tell if the antidepressants are working or I'm just in a good mood from things going well in life, but I'm enjoying easy optimism either way.

After his encounter with the critter corpse, Delta got a bath with double soaping. Sorry buddy, eau de corpse isn't pleasant to me and you sleep in my bed. I have to draw the line somewhere.

Recently I've started listening to "Drinking from the Toilet Bowl" and "Cog Dog Radio," two very great dog training podcasts. I've got "Fenzi Dog Sport Podcast" on deck next, but if anyone else has recommendations, I'm always looking for new podcasts!
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Erica wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:34 pmthe only thing two dog trainers will agree on is that the third is doing it wrong? ;)
I like that :lol: I saw a programme about dog training in the military a while back and they used positive training - they even had a special velcro attachment on their kit to attach a tennis ball to use as a reward. Not because the military are all fluffy bunny lovers, of course, but because they found it to be the most effective way of training.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
MPbandmom
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

Glad to hear things are looking up for you Erica. A place of your own sounds great.

Best wishes with the cadaver search training.

That is not an area that I think I could handle.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

im moving tomarrow! its a two and a half hour drive so im hoping bax keeps his cool and doesnt projectile vomit all over the interior of m car <3
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Fingers crossed it all goes well, Shalista :D
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Ari_RR
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Ari_RR »

Boy: they promised to see a moose! 😩

Father: perhaps next time we'll see one...

Boy: they promissed to see a moose!!! 😩😫😢

Mother (pointing at Ari): look, here is a moose!

:lol: we are back from a week or so in Maine. Beautiful. Didn't see a moose either (probably a good thing that we didn't), but a great getaway. Ari managed through 8.5 hour drive with just a couple of quick stops, no problem. He travels really well, in the car.

Image

Image
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Such a handsome lad :D
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
MPbandmom
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

Great pictures AriRR.

I would like to get up to the New England states some day.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

It looks like y'all had a great time with Ari! Though he looks like he'd rather keep walking than take pictures, haha. :)

I've done two nosework sessions with Delta, working not with the stinky bones but with ground cloves sewn into a little fabric pocket and stuffed inside a tug toy. We'll work with that for a bit, as we're still practicing inside, and I do not want to bring the bones inside. :P Delta is having a blast with this now that I've put the scent into a toy. I believe I've tried to work on nosework with him before but he was not enthused about it. Adding the toy reward seems to have added quite a bit of energy and enjoyment in the game for him, though!

I videoed the last "search" we did. Here is a link to it. I think he's having fun! :D
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
DianeLDL
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by DianeLDL »

Ari_RR,

Yeah! Maine! Great photos! Which part of Maine did you visit? Our Maine home is across the river from Bangor on the way to Mt. Dessert island. OH grew up in Downeast Maine near Eastport.

Usually we are in Maine at this time of year, but since our son with dil & 3 grandkids were visiting the San Francisco Bay Area we left Maine in August & now are on our way back to Albuquerque.

Just as well you didn’t see a moose. Often they are by Interstate 95 at dusk & dawn. Friend of ours hit a moose on the interstate & he’s now a paraplegic.

Black bears are common in Maine, but better not to see them this time of year. You left right before hunting season when even dogs have to wear orange.

Hope you got to see some nice fall leaves.
Gorgeous photos. Good going for Ari! Yeah!

Diane
Sandy, Chihuahua mix b. 12/20/09
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