We also put Scout on sheep for the first time today. He really didn’t do what I expected, I thought that it would be a barking pulling frenzy but he was very well mannered. He was on a long line and stayed with me and we walked the fence line and moved the sheep around the pen. Nothing exciting, but none the less it was a big first step! I don’t know if we will pursue herding but at least we know that he isn’t afraid of the sheep and did show some interest. As with everything we try I am sure that I will need more training just to understand what I would want him to do. We’ll see what the future brings…
Right now he is so tuckered out I kind of feel sorry for him
Today we were at a picnic for the dog training club and since it was at our agility instructor’s house there was an agility ring set up. Scout got his turn and the first run was not bad but many handler errors. We did the teeter with the help of the instructor spotting and led Scout up with a Hansel & Gretel treat trail. Scout missed the treat in the center of the teeter and kept going on to the rest of the course. Well when we were done he remembered that missed treat and charged up looking for it, it wasn’t there she had picked it up after he left the area but he sure remembered it!
The second run was better, I figured out where I should be and that made a world of difference. I was able to keep him on my left the entire run and things were quite a bit smoother. Don’t know if it would be a qualifying run but it was fun just the same.
Last night we had agility class and Scout was introduced to the chute or collapsed tunnel. He runs the regular tunnel just fine and with plenty of gusto, but this was quite nerve racking. He kept trying to dodge out of the barrel and it took some work to get him inside. Once he did get the guts to go into the barrel there was no stopping him from running down the whole chute. I wish I had video, it was like a red (the fabric is red) lump cruising at full speed to push his way out of the end, about 12 feet long.
So now we have tried all the obstacles with the exception of the teeter, just about 5 minutes there and it didn’t move very much so that will come with time. Now it really comes down to my handling and body language to teach him where he should go and not go. Marcia thinks that I might be ready to try a trial in the winter…We’ll see…
Gotta love a dog that wants to eat ice. We had just come back from the beach and Scout was checking out the cooler to see if there were any goodies left. The only thing that he found was ice, of course that is a big time treat around here. He spent most of the winter eating snow and ice so why should the summer be any different? Sometimes you get lucky and get a mouth full
Our agility training is coming along fine. Last week we started to learn the weave poles. One of the hardest obstacles to learn, so our teacher recommended setting up a set at home. I chose to work with the slanted poles, also know as weave-a-matic poles. Idea being that the poles start laying on the ground and you gradually raise the angles until the poles are straight up. Here is a video of Scout working on the poles about half way up.
The other methods are channel poles that are always vertical but spaced apart to make a channel and then start to close the channel over time, and the poles set up with the standard straight line. Hopefully he will get this all figured out over the next few weeks.
Sometimes you get to see something in a photograph that you kind of miss in real life. This photo was taken at Bowdoin College on the fields by Bill Kunitz last week. He caught Scout in what looks like a pretty happy place
Ok, I’ve been MIA for a few weeks. We got the agility bug and it’s a blast. Scout is doing very well at his jumps and if I can figure out a way to get some photos or video while training him in the yard I will post them. Next weekend I am planning to travel to an agility trial in Skowhegan, Maine to be just a spectator. We went last year and had fun but now that I understand things a little more I think I will get much more out of the trial. One thing that I have found it that agility can be expensive and after seeing a post on the tiptail blog for a contest to win a $30 gift certificate to doggonegood.com I figured I would enter. So, Cynthia, this is my entry to your contest and that $30 would go to good use at dogggonegood.com most likely in the agility catagory
Scout got his first “grooming” the other day and he is so soft and fluffy. He spent 7 hours at the groomer’s shop but I will venture a guess most of that was not pampering. He really doesn’t look to much different but his “pants” are shorter and he doesn’t feel “dusty.” Now to see how long it will last.
Today was the first real hot day of the year. It topped out around 94 degrees at home and Scout was none too happy with that temperature. He spent a lot of time on the deck in the shade or snoozing in his kennel in the cooler bedroom. He is kind of funny about his water bowl, I took his regular plastic bowl outside for him and he was fine with that but I put one of our older stainless bowls in the kitchen for him and he wanted nothing to do with it. He even tried to pick it up and move it kind of asking where is my regular bowl. I have now switched them back.
The only thing that he found was ice, of course that is a big time treat around here. He spent most of the winter eating snow and ice so why should the summer be any different? Sometimes you get lucky and get a mouth full 
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