Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

The Fog Was Freaky

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It was super foggy here yesterday morning.

I was on the fence about walking the dogs in the woods in the fog, so I thought we’d head up to the field, so they could at least stretch their legs.

The field was shrouded in fog.

 

You could probably see clearly 50 feet in front of you, but beyond that it was sketchy.

We walked into the field and I worked Delilah with a couple of long recalls, so she could run a bit and tire herself out. 🙂

From the field looking back at the path we came in on.

 

I looked at my watch, we’d burned five minutes.  I thought to myself, how many times can they walk around this field before Delilah gets bored and takes off?

I looked at the woods, they beckoned yet repelled me.

Should we? Shouldn’t we? Come on, the trees said. You know you want to.

 

I gave in, but proceeded cautiously.  It was a foggy day like this on New Year’s eve when I took a fall coming down that very trail.  I didn’t want to spend another night in the emergency room.

Plus for some reason I was pretty freaked walking in the fog, maybe the dogs sensed my unease or maybe they were a little freaked too, because they stayed really close.

I kept to the trails I was comfortable with and we enjoyed a half hour walk.

That’s Sampson running ahead, Delilah was right by my side.

 

After about a half hour, we headed home and while I was changing my clothes the dogs got their zoomies on, after which Sampson took a nap.

I’m trying to sleep here.

 

With his vest on. 🙂

I love this dog.

What kind of things does your dog do that makes you smile?

Follow-Up Friday Blog Hop

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I blew the co-hosting portion of the blog hop this week (AGAIN!).  Honestly, you’d think I could get it together, but I’m really struggling.

This is the Follow-up Friday blog hop (fondly referred to as FUF by me)  because sometimes you write something that requires a follow-up or someone will leave a comment that really resonates with you…Follow-Up Friday Baby!

Feel free to copy the badge and join the party.

 

(Reminder, if you’re interested in co-hosting a FUF, please let me know in the comments. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, I need co-hosts!)

This is going to be Harder than I thought – Author’s Note

If you have any problems ordering, please let me know.  I’d like to get all orders in by tomorrow so I can design and order the calendars and get them out for those of you who want to hand them out for Christmas.

Hello Again Dr. B – Update

The antibiotic cream Dr. B gave Sampson seems to be working, the spots are harder and harder to find.  And really, I’ve only managed to apply it once per day, it seems I’m better with giving them supplements than I am with apply ointments and such.

What Do You Think? – Author’s Note

All things Collies thought “The bone might have been meant as a reward for the car trip home, after someone took their dog on a long walk/hike. Or it might even have been a reward for someone practicing scent work with their dog(s) and it fell out of a coat pocket”

That’s a great thought and far more positive than my devious mind. 🙂

Still, I’m glad we tossed it because as many of you said, you just never know.

What I Learned From NaNoWriMo – Author’s Note

You all are so very kind, but I already knew that. While I didn’t complete the challenge, I do think I have the basics down for a good story.

When it will be completed and ready to let you all peek at, I don’t know.  I do know once my last commitment is completed this month and I have cleaned my house (as I have been promising it) I hope to sit down and work on this book.

Perhaps by the time BlogPaws 2013 rolls around I will have a reasonable rendition that I can share. 😉

Tuesday Night Tricks Class – Author’s Note

I have to tell you, I was leery about the treat on the nose trick, only because I know how excited Delilah is by treats.  The first couple of times I could barely get my hand away before she was snapping at it.  When that happened I needed to be quicker than she was to insure she didn’t get the reward.

Notice how close both my hands are to her face.

 

Once she realized the treat was coming from my left hand and not the treat on her nose, it became easier.  This is one trick I will continue to practice with her because I think it’s good for her to learn a little bit of self-restraint.

That’s it for me, I hope you have an awesome weekend.

This is the Follow-up Friday Blog hop,

get the InLinkz code

Tuesday Night Tricks Class

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Tuesday evening Delilah and I headed to our tricks class.  What I really love about this class is there is no pressure.  If you don’t do your homework, you don’t get in trouble. 🙂

Tuesday night we began learning Sit Pretty (some people refer to this as Beg,) Over, Target (or Touch) and Balancing a treat on the nose.

Delilah has the basics of Touch, and Over is a given for her, since that’s what I say to her in Agility Class.

Ariane (our instructor) said some of the bigger dogs have a problem with Sit Pretty because of their size, it requires some good strength in their back legs (and a bit of balance too.)

I’ve seen her sit pretty, (I actually thinks it looks the way those trained bears sit from the circus) but I’ve never known how to teach it.

You hold the treat over their head and raise your hand up and back, hoping they will lift their front feet off the floor.  You reward and treat even if they only come up a little.  Don’t worry you will eventually work them so they get farther and farther off the floor.

Does it work?

The proof (as they say) is in the photo.

 

Sit pretty my love. Yes Mama, as long as you give me that banana chip.

 

I knew balancing a treat on the nose was going to be a challenge.  We’ve tried this trick at home.  Sampson can balance the treat and when he is given the okay, can catch it in his mouth.

When we tried this with Delilah you have to move your hand very quickly or it will get caught in a snap.

She. Just. Can’t. Wait.

With a little instruction from Ariane, I worked it this way.  I held a treat in my left hand with it directly in front of her nose.  I used my right hand to place a treat and told her to leave it.

Leave it.

 

In this photo my left hand had dropped slightly and truthfully it sounded more like, leave it, leave it, leave it, leave it.  Whatever, it was definitely easier at home!

Anyhoo, when I showed the trick to Hubby, she actually sat there with the banana chip on her nose for a good 5 to 10 seconds, that may not sound like a lot to you, but believe me, that was amazing for her.

At this point I’m not letting her flip the treat and catch it, I’m actually removing it from her nose and giving her the treat from my left hand.

So ladies and gentlemen (is there a gentlemen that reads this blog?) without further ado…

I’m so freaking proud of her!!

 

I told you she shines in the classroom.

Do you find it easier to train the tricks by having someone show you (like me) or can you figure this stuff out on your own?

Don’t forget to order your calendars!!!

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