Weekend happenings!

Busy weekend!!

First - Friday afternoon at the Collie Club trial we BOMBED!!! Got a 79, worst score EVER!!! Why? Well, I failed to do the second halt at the "Halt. Step 90 degrees to the right, call to heel. Halt". Ack!! 10 points off for that. Then I step on him on the "Three Steps Back". Only 1 point off there, which was remarkable, because it sucked. Then he was all worked up and bouncy after I stepped on him, poor guy, but he finished pretty nicely. Then he broke his sit stay. Got up and repositioned just a TINY bit. The steward tried to say that to the judge,......."He moved his butt just a TINY bit". But, 10 points off. So, ultimately had I done the sign right and he kept his tiny butt on the ground we would have had a 99, but we DIDN'T. We sucked!!


Here is most of the routine -


Then last night was my sister's 50th birthday party here. My mom came and brought her adorable dog, Joe who gets along really well with Spur. They had fun as we got ready for the party. We decided to see if they could hang out once everyone arrived. Colby always does and ends up being passed around in people's arms, spoiled brat! Everyone loves her and obliges her.

Spur and Joe did great!!!! They didn't freak or get scared or stepped on. They did awesome!! Spur is a party animal!! He likes chaos. Nearly midnight and most people had left, but a few stragglers. I let Roscoe out of his crate "jail" upstairs and had him and Spur do some of their trick routine. Roscoe did his bat against the wall and Spur brought me a kleenex for sneezing. Then they both climbed into the suitcase. Spur was adorable, letting the cover close right on him. Everyone thought that one was really cute!! And Spur LOVED to perform!!!! He puts on a show, that is for sure!!!

APDT Rally trial yesterday!

At the last minute we decided to run over in the snow storm to the APDT Rally trial yesterday. It was full, but they "squeezed" us in for one run. Roscoe ROCKED! I got 5 points off for "handler error". Did a finish-left when the sign said finish-right, damn it! He would have had a perfect score. The judge called me a bonehead. She's right, he had a lovely routine!!! He enjoys obedience work SO much! And it was great fun for him to go all by himself and be the ONLY one for my attention. Good little Roscoe!!!! That was his Level 1 title. We hardly ever do APDT rally, but with this new training center maybe there will be more we can do.

This is one of those "idiot" posts.

I don't know if I have categorized "idiot" posts, but I guess I should. I am going to start with this one and label it idiot. I am an idiot. Well, it isn't my fault, my muscles are tired from trying to pick up poop with big fat mittens on all week and gripping leashes and scooping frozen shit out of the ice in the dog yard and carrying buckets of hot water for the horses and.........wow......this week was hard. Not sure why, we didn't even have any storms. But, it was cold. Windy, cold. And I was busy. Not one single cancellation, so all dogs needed walks, me bundles in my warm clothes, but I am getting weary. The dogs are weary. The roads are covered with grit and ice and the conditions are just plain challenging. So, my excuse for being an idiot is my muscles are fatigued.

Is that an OK excuse? I dropped the clicker on Spur's nose last night at rally class. Oh, please world, don't crash in on him AGAIN. There was no stopping it. The world crashed in on him. I tried to recover him, I glued cookies to his nose, shoving one after another into his mouth. He gobbled them down, he likes his cookies, but that's about it. I finally put him away. He doesn't learn anything in that state. I felt bad. It just seems that with Spur something like that is always happening. I know, we DO have really good stretches where nothing melts him down, but then there are times like this. He is such a weenie. Last night he didn't have his monkey pants on.

Then Rockin' Roscoe was SO high. I know everyone loves to watch his enthusiasm, but I really need some more self control. He gets NUTTY high and all I hear are my fellow students saying......."Well, he is still in heel position". Um......really? When is heel position pogo sticking along my side. He goes from heel position for a chihuahua, to heel position for a great dane. Boing, boing, boing, leaping up and down and being NUTTY. It's not really good behavior and when he does that I just don't know what to do with him. I love that he loves to work, but GOOD GRIEF dude!!!! DUDE!!!! Calm down and FOCUS!!!!! And the worst thing is I end up starting to giggle and that just fuels his fire. Sigh...........he CAN be the nicest working dog in obedience. His stand is phenomenal, his heeling freakin' adorable with his high stepping hackney pony action, his self adjustments when he messes up are really cute, he is sharp and on and fun to watch, he loves it, but then he can get OUT OF CONTROL!!!!

It wasn't the best class last night. I was grumpy, too, because of the cold. It is getting to me. I am weary of ice, cold, snow and fat mittens and bulky jackets. I am tired of hauling three dog crates into the room so my dogs can stay warm and back out again at the end of class, nagivating the ever shrinking parking lot and slippery ice under foot. And, yet, we have a fair amount of winter left to endure................

Stand UP!!

I can hear my agility coaches yelling at me about that during our earlier training. I am better, I don't bend over as much. I still DO it, but not as much. In obedience........I FREAKIN' BEND OVER!!! It's hard with tiny dogs. They are SO far away. I mean, seriously, poor Roscoe has been stepped on too many times. OUCH! No wonder he hesitates to be REALLY close!! This is Roscoe's partial routine from last week. I am not sure I like my hand plastered to my thigh. I used to hold it in formal position on my stomach/waist, but my elbow was always in the way and he ended up forging SO much.

After getting Silvia's heeling video I decided I really want to try to get my dogs heeling with my arms swinging freely. Um.......OK........I have been doing obedience with my dogs for like.......oh geez.........10 years? More? The Pin Heads are twelve this year. Old habits are VERY hard to break. I am trying. You'll see I am a TINY bit better with Spur. But, my hand is more still than I would like. I am holding the clicker in that hand and treats in my right hand. Spur does not forge, but I would really like more eye contact focus and not as much dependence on my hand/arm. We are getting there, but not there, yet.



This is Spur from last night. I tried like HECK to stand up straighter. Sigh........work in progress, let's just say........I must tell Judy to yell at me........STAND UP!!!! He has a bobble on the slow pace. He wants to drop. I have been working on the moving drop, good little monkey pants. Obviously, I am slowing down when working on that because that was his cue to drop! OI!!! The great thing about video is I can pick up these things and remember them. So, this week I work on slow pace, no drop and moving drop from a normal pace. But, Spur's pivots and heeling position does look much better. Silvia's work on the pivoting was HUGELY helpful! He looks over all much more comfortable. This room has always been hard for him. It's so close, he and I have knocked into the signs before and......gasp.......that's enough to send him into a major junk. And the closeness of the other dogs is hard for him, so he is looking pretty good for how he has been in this room. :D LOVE his tiny white prancing paws!! They make me melt..........



We are off tomorrow to another USDAA trial. We may head home early if the weather starts coming in like they say it will. STOP IT WEATHER!!! Just heard about ANOTHER indoor arena collapse. That makes four. My poor friends. :(

Spur's obedience run-through today

Video is SO helpful! I see our gaps so clearly!! First, my footwork is in bad need of adjustment. That BIG first step I take is annoying and I do it out of the turns, too. I do want him driving out of the turns, but if he better understand the position I don't think that big step is necessary. Annoying!! Leaves the poor guy in the dust on the "forward". And Spur isn't ready for this much duration, and speed. I need to work on that slower and more progressively. Silvia's DVD addresses that, so we will be working on her steps more sequentially, slowly adding speed in smaller increments, and the jackpots for duration. And I haven't been as good about rewarding eye contact, but he seems to be doing OK with that. It could be better because he is a bit distracted wanting to visit the stewards and judge. Little social butterfly!!!

Still, he did OK for not having done this work in a while. We do Rally, but it is a bit different. Way more going on in Rally, since our Rally class is in the TINIEST rooms. We hardly ever do fast speed, and there is not much time between Rally stations. And he did this without the Pin Heads for support. Sadly, I left them home. That's my homework. Get Spur out alone on occasion as he seems so dependent on the Pin Heads for support. I SO wish I had Colby there doing the Utility. She SO loves that. And Roscoe would have LOVED an Open routine! Oh well. It was good for Spur. He did a little bit of tugging. I was off to the side where no one was around, but at least he did some. :D My New Year's resolution. Tug in strange places with other dogs around once/week.

Tomorrow, all three get to play at Shannan's.

Heeling challenge anyone?

Oh YEAH, do I love a training challenge!! We haven't practiced heeling in a while, so I thought I would see what we need to work on. Hah! A lot, apparently!! Maybe not so much with Roscoe, he's got it down pretty nicely. He LOVES heeling patterns. Spur, gotta practice, yeah we need some practice. But, he'll get it and he sure is flashy with his flying fur and white little toes. I was using dried Buffalo Hearts as treats and BOY, OH BOY, were those exciting smelling treats!!!




We have until the middle of October to come up with a video submission. I wish I knew how to edit with music and slo mo and stuff, but I don't.

Judge humping, is that a sport?

Does anyone know how to capture an image on a youtube video? I got this just taking a photo of the computer screen.

Sometimes we are given a gift!

And it might come in strange forms. Yesterday Rich was talking to his brother who asked what I was up to. Rich replied that I was at an obedience trial with Roscoe. His brother said..........."WHAT??? Roscoe does obedience???". Yes, it does seem an oxymoron, Roscoe obedience dog. But, he has a gift and he has given this gift to me. (This is when she gets all mushy and poetic and sappy and everyone wonders when it will stop) He may be the toughest dog I have ever lived with, grumpy, growly, barky, snappy, anxious, nasty, mean to the other dogs, just plain major pain in the ass, but he has this gift. He works his heart out for me when I asked him to. Especially in the obedience ring.


This morning I woke up and thought about my day. Another attempt at a perfect score in Rally. The thought of entering the ring with Roscoe made my stomach flutter with excitement. I can't wait! I know we may mess up, I may forget a station, he may not hold his stay, his butt may not hit the ground - actually his butt WILL hit the ground today, damnit, that it WILL - but the thought of entering the ring with him no matter what happens, excites me. I know every time we enter, every time we line up and I remove his leash, every time the judge asks if we are ready, I know we are ready. I know he will give me his all. I know it. Every time. He has this gift. And other people see it and comment when we leave the ring. People comment. Sometimes they say things like - "I have never seen a MinPin so good at obedience". "Wow, you did so well with a MinPin, that's really unusual". "Very nice job, he's very enthusiastic". And other words that make me beam and so proud. He is my gift. And I am thankful.



Today he got his first 100 score in Rally-O Excellent B. A perfect score! I knew the judge wanted to give that to him, so I tried like heck to keep him settled and focused. He was and it showed. It was lovely weather, not freezing cold, just perfect for him. Our course did have some stations I have not practiced much at all with Roscoe. Moving drop isn't one of his best, but he does an awesome drop-on-recall in regular obedience, so he should get it. The judge told us at the briefing we could say "down" as many times as we wanted when walking around the dogs, so I DID!! Steve counted 7 times I said DOWN!! LOL!! Whatever, I wanted to be successful and staying in a down on cold, gravely dirt wasn't something Roscoe wanted to do, but we got-er-done! Then he had to do his honor stays in a down while the next dog went. He was perfect. Even resting over on his side for his stay. What a good little man!! My gift!! I thank Sherry Britton for having faith in him even at his most difficult and worst times. She saw his spark and knew it was in him. I didn't believe her, but look at him now!!!!



He is my precious gift. He has humbled me and frustrated me, angered me and scared me, thrilled me and amused me, but regardless of all that he is special and very fun and I am very proud!!!



**Now, in classic Roscoe style as the ribbons were being handed out and the judge was shaking my hand and congratulating me, Roscoe took advantage and started HUMPING HER LEG!!!! WHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT!!! Only Roscoe! Thankfully, she saw humor in it and didn't make a fuss. Oh MY!!! He is SO bad! He was definitely feeling pumped up with all the praise he was getting, he was celebrating in the only way he knows. Being BAD!!!!

To see them larger and to see the one of him humping the judge go here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3vtq4bIR5Y&feature=channel_page fast forward to the one minute mark for the humping part.

To see the routine check out "other videos by roscoespur" and the routine is "roscoe100".

Should-a, would-a, could-a!! Rally-O today could have been a 100!!

Today at the Cumberland Fairgrounds, I messed up. Just a wee bit. It was SO cold and wet and muddy. See everyone wearing their winter coats?? It's August 28th, for crying out loud!! My coat needs a bath, it is covered in muddy paw prints, but tomorrow may be just as muddy, so would it be too tacky to wear it again tomorrow? I mean, it is COATED in mud. Poor little Roscoe was SO cold I carried him some and his tiny paws were coated in mud like someone had cemented his feet as if to.......well.......now THAT'S not a nice thought. I digress........where was I ............um............OH yeah, the Rally-O trial. As expected the little buggar was SO high, he LOVES Rally, and some of his heeling was on two feet, but I don't think they take points for that? So long as he is in heel position why would they? Do all four feet need to be on the ground? I don't think that's a requirement. "Heel position" is heal position, four feet or two!!! What happened was on one of his halts he "sat" just a tiny bit behind my leg. I could not see that his butt was not exactly on the ground. Darn, if he were a Pomeranian no one could tell!!!! Maybe I'll put hair extensions on him for tomorrow. Hmmmm, hair extensions for a MinPin?? Probably not. So tomorrow his butt will HIT THE GROUND!!!!

The judge LOVED him and came right up to me and said that she would have given him a 100 except for that one halt. Darn it!! Although, if you look at the video really she was being very kind. He was a little erratic. I never had to give him a double command, but he was kind of crazy at times. Notice during the stand where I walk around him, when he gets into his stand he KICKS the dirt before standing still. That's a trick I taught and even thought I don't ask for it he offers it. It's absolutely adorable and you could hear the crowd ooooohing and aaaaaing and chuckling. I had several people come up after and comment about what a good working dog. All this without having practiced since June!! Good little buggar!!

So, tomorrow is another day! 100 here we come. Same judge, she really likes him, so it's totally possible. If I can keep him settled and not being so HIGH, it's totally possible. That elusive 100!

For a slightly better look and one where I think you can expand to fill your screen. It really shows the dirt getting kicked up on his stand!! He's TOO much!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/roscoespur

Finally got Roscoe's Rally-O video from Steve!

I still can't really understand why the judge took 3 points off. Except for perhaps some of the very fast sits, maybe his butt wasn't on the ground long enough? And it does look like he marked the sniffing/lagging after the about-left-turn, where he goes around behind me and you see Roscoe sniffing the ground. We never work in dirt arenas, so I have to saw I was very pleased with just that one sniff. Even though we were SO rushed, he stays really focused and happy. LOVE that little dog!!!!
I could not get the video to load here, so click here http://www.youtube.com/user/roscoespur
and click on Roscoe Rally 6-09

Our Toy Dog trial report

Colby won both her Advanced Rally obedience classes with 98's! (You are scored out of a possible 100 points) She was comfortable and working well, except it was very hard RUNNING from the agility straight into her rally class and I had to work hard to keep her focused. Roscoe had more trouble doing that and was kind of nutty for a 93 on his last Novice leg. Today in his first Advanced Rally class he got third with a 97. Again, we had to RUN from doing agility into the obedience ring and he was a LITTLE HIGH!!! Judge's words were....."Kind of frantic"...I think all three points off came from how FAR he landed over the jump, even though he came right back to heel, he really SOARED over the jump and went WAY wide nearly taking out the first cone on our next station - serpentine. LOL!!
They also did very well in agility. Colby double-Q'd with first and second places both days. Roscoe only Q in standard, but won that today for 32 MACH speed points!!!
It was a strange trial. Toy-dogs-only makes for a funny trial. I think my dogs thought it a little boring. It was funny, though, watching the tiny pomeranian barely make course time, but manage to climb it's tiny little puff ball of a body up the A-Frame and do the teeter, but having to wait for it to come down because the tiny little puff ball probably only weighed about 3lbs. That tiny little puff ball got a 98 in the Advanced Rally class, same as Colby, but that is also judged on time, so Colby was nearly 1 minute faster!! I think Colby did her Rally course in 1.05 minutes and the tiny puff ball did it in 2.25 minutes. It sure did a nice job, though!

1st and....gasp....THIRD!!!

A Sky Terrier got second and beat Colby!!! Can you imagine?? It was an awesome little dog!

The course was all the exact same stations, just mixed up some with the Fast Forward at the end. Which caused Roscoe to forge for a point off and he was also kind of HIGH during the whole routine and got two points off for going wide. ??? The leash never got tight, so he wasn't THAT wide!!! Geez!! So, he got a 97 with a WICKED FAST TIME!! I forgot to check it, but someone said it was like 45 seconds. Oh MY!

Colby had about the same issues as yesterday. Just a little distracted, for a 96.

I think Roscoe might not have been so high if there had been some different stations. He acted like he knew what he was doing, been there, done that. He might have stayed a little tighter to me if we had a new station to do, but still everyone said he looked fantastic. Happy and quick and adorable!

Rally is very fun!

1st and 2nd place!!!

Did you expect anything less??

Roscoe got first and Colby got second out of 14 dogs entered. Roscoe got one point off for "tight leash" at the very start of the routine, so out of a possible 100 points, he got a 99. It was a "Halt, then Fast Forward" and something we don't practice much. And as you can see from the video, he really never left my side. I just have the leash really short because he steps so high we often get the leash tangled, so I have to keep it pretty short.

Colby got distracted by some stuff, so she had points off going through the serpentines (orange cones) and a couple other places, but otherwise she did very well. She had a major meltdown at this facility three years ago. I have no idea what got her, but she left the ring during a routine. Something scared her, so I was worried she might remember. She did fine!!!

I can't believe how nervous I was??? I rarely get nervous doing agility. Somehow obedience is way more intimidating? We go again tomorrow!!!!

Old obedience videos

Searching through my files I found Roscoe's very first obedience trial. This was my first ever obedience competition and this is part of his on-leash heeling pattern. We got a score of 198 for this routine. They are scored out of a possible 200 points, so that is a VERY nice score. He won that class! My camera at the time only took 15 second videos.This is his off-leash heeling.