Adventures in Training the Beagles

Dulce–Better every day

I’ve finally gotten my office cleaned up enough for a good puppy.  There are still plenty of things for bad puppies to get into.  Also, we need for Dulce to learn that she is almost a year old and she is NOT a puppy.

So a short video of her being good.

We came home from a training session.  I came up stairs and she came with me.  After a short time she disappeared, found her in the back yard and now she is back upstairs.

Being a good puppy.

Good Training Session at Dog City

Took book cages in, and just had a long, relaxing training session there.  I have a membership, which I highly recommend.

I am working both girls on a single jump, and both girls on the first steps of 2x2 weaves.  Yes, Macy can weave but it can’t hurt. 

I worked Macy on the teeter on both sides, and am working on the first stages of teeter with Dulce.  Both did really well.

I spent a lot of time working crate games with both dogs.  I also did a lot of work on Dulce’s recall – in fact, spending the last bit of time letting her play keep away from me, but ultimately rewarding her for coming to me and giving up her toys.

I also got to spend some time working on heeling with Macy and working on circles with Dulce.

Good time!

Dulce’s Saturday

Saturday is a big day for Dulce as she has both conformation class and she has Crate Games.

We do confirmation at Top Dog Dallas with Verjean, who I really like. 

One thing I learned at the vet’s office this week, is if I don’t fuss with how Dulce is standing, she does better, so I kept my hands off of her this week.

She gaited better, she does better during the judge’s presentation than she does going around but she is doing better this week.  I’m a bit nervous because it is a 4-point major, and that means as many as 9 beagle girls in the ring at one time.  That’s a long time to stand and wait but both of us.

Crate games is going well.  We’re to build duration this week.  I need to work on my own behavior with crate games, and when I’m tired and don’t want to mess with it, I make my husband get the dogs out of their crates.

I’m also changing how I manage her in the house.  I’m shutting all the upstairs doors, and letting her have access to the upstairs.  I still have the front living room gated off and the study downstairs gated off but she still hasn’t really figured out the point of the gates.  Which is to stay out of that room.

All in all, she is showing progress, and she’s turning out to be a pretty cool dog.

Macy’s First USDAA Trial

I’ve decided to enter every local thing that comes up – fun match, CPE, AKC, USDAA. In the hopes of “fixing” Macy’s problem.  Her problem is that she doesn’t find value in running agility.   In other words, I took too long to get rid of the treats.  I’m also taking extra classes – right now, she is going to two classes a week, she’ll be going to three in July.  The rule is that I make her do tricks before we go into the ring and she gets food rewards, and I stuff her after the run.

I think it is working.

We entered our first USDAA trial and went on Friday and Saturday.

We had a disaster our first standard run.  About 5 obstacles in, she stopped and peed.  The judge fussed at her, but I doubt that really bothered her.

We did a really nice snooker run, she was staying with me, except for the moment she went and apologized to the judge.  She was moving nicely though and in the correct path when she visited her.  We did the opening correctly but ran out of time and had to leave after obstacle 3. 

She again had a gorgeous jumpers run on Saturday night but again ran out of time.  Stayed with me but was slow.

Our standard run wasn’t bad, but she had problems at the chute, the weaves, the tunnel and the teeter, all her problem obstacles.

We had a good time, though it was a long night both nights.  Got home around 1:30 on Friday and around 12:30 on Saturday.

Now mom has to do her part, lose weight, exercise and gain some speed.

Maggie is Found!

Rich just freaked me out by coming through the front door.  He NEVER comes through the front door, and brought Maggie up to see me.

He had just left for work, and said he was just scanning for her as he was driving down our street when he found her.  I’m guessing she was in one of the open yards hiding last night – a bunch of our neighbors yards have open doors.

He is feeding her and putting her in her cage. 

Weird dog.

Dulce progress

She made it through an entire car ride to Mckinney for Macy’s agility class without drooling!  She has a major issue with being car sick and I have been working through it.  Huge relief as she is entered in a conformation show in a few weeks (closes today).

I think she knows what she is doing with the 2x2 weaves, but she has a few spots where she goes blank.  Working on that.  Is doing fabulous channel weaves.

Knows what the table is and goes to it for treats.

Doesn’t always come when called, but when she did her -- “yeah, I’m free number this afternoon, she caged herself”.

We are making really good progress with crate games.

Most of the time she is picking good things to chew on but I still need to watch her, and she likes to wander off into the off limits areas.

I’m pretty pleased with her.

Dulce is retrieving balls consistently!

Anyone need a 12” dog for flyball?  I’m not sure she’s that fast, she tends not to break out of trot, which is fine by me.

But tonight she was consistently playing fetch which means I can get the edge off and get her tired enough to sleep.

Our biggest problem is that she is over stimulated – she came from the Beagle house to a real house and there is just too much to do and play with, and that means she picks up the wrong stuff gets in trouble – like my underwear, a shoe, etc.

I was able to keep her moving through most of ice road truckers tonight.  That means she might sleep all night.

Household Management Breakthrough – Dulce

This morning, Dulce ran out the dog door and let herself out and immediately stopped and peed when she got outside.

If she just didn’t get into everything and chew everything up!

Dulce – Car Progress

She walked nicely on the leash to the car from the fun match tonight.  She is very car sick – drools and has been balking about getting in the car.  It’s been too hot to work on getting in the car so it was nice she went in without any training.  I think I’m going to take the long way home tonight and throw lots of food at her on the way.

Dulce is ready for agility class

The indoor place I train at has a list of things that the instructor wants the dog to be able to do before they come to their first agility class.  Dulce has everything but lining up at the start line, and boy howdy, don’t remember even teaching that the Macy, it just happened.  Will probably have the behavior down by Monday night knowing me.  It’s pretty easy.  And yes, Macy lines up on both sides.

These are behaviors like – knowing something about directions – which is hard for me, easy for the dogs – I’m slightly dyslexic when it comes to right and left.  However, I can tell where the dog is moving in relation to my body.  Turning to my left feels natural, turning the other way makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

Knowing how to learn is important.  Sits, downs, and beginning stays.  Tug is also important.

So I’ve done a really good job – I’ve had Dulce since the first weekend of May (or the last weekend of April).