Watson and Alden went to a beginning tracking seminar yesterday. Alden had an auditing spot, but when someone dropped out, jumped at the chance to take the working spot. Little Watson has a good nose and is understanding this tracking game. Alden sent me this video clip of his very first track. Enjoy. Good dog, Watson!
We were so blessed — the high today is near 50 degrees. So, though the morning was pretty nippy, most of our time in the fields was very pleasant. We had morning coffee, plotted six tracks, and then gorged on pizza. I took Holmes along. He was treated to some food he shouldn’t have — like cranberry muffins. Since it was all part of a great day for him, I’m letting it slide. He was hugged and scratched, and petted, and talked to — he loved it.
I see a lot of his dad in this photo (thanks to Janelle for taking it)
It’s obvious why the tracking crew gave him treats
This is where we were — doesn’t matter how often I go to our tracking area, I still drink in the beauty.
Early in the morning — crags against the cloudy sky
East Southeast of the tracking area
Track #2 heading west
Begin at the white stake — look for glove (in 420 yards)
Lots of the blog folks are doing a summary of their year. I put this together and think I hit all the high points:
January – Kip made three corners on his TD test in Albuquerque, but missed the last leg — about 40 yards from the glove — Sigh! January 25th – We drove to El Paso and Kip earned his TD there
February – Chase was back in Obedience training — loving it
March – Tom and Carolyn and Molly and Phoebe came to visit — the humans had the flu so the visit was compressed a bit. I sent Chase off to Sherri so she could remind him about being a show dog before the CWCCA Nationals and his trip to Canada
April – I went to my first CWCCA National Specialty. It was a grand show for us. Chase was dumped in the Megan; finished 2nd in Sweeps, and was pulled out in Best of Breed. In the Stud Dog/Brood Bitch classes, he was a representative progeny for him mom (CH Mariel Reese’s Alice Springs ROMb) and for his dad (CH Merrymoon Firestorm). Both his parents won — how cool is that? Chase’s dad won his classes in veteran sweeps and regular veterans, as did his mom. His mom went on to take First Award of Merit! Chase’s half-sister Dolly was Best of Winners, his litter sister Libby was second in 15-18 month bitches, his litter brother Pilot was 4th in an amazing Bred-By class, and was also 3rd in Sweeps. We drank wine, talked, and laughed. I met people that I only knew from blogs. We hung out under the rainbow canopy and created an obscene display of rosettes.
May – Chase was in Canada with his G-Ma Shelley and earned his Canadian Championship in five straight shows. Inca celebrated her 7th birthday by doing absolutely nothing useful.
June – Chase came home from Canada and began making Kip’s life miserable, bullying him unmercifully. My friend Jill asked if Kip could come live with them. With a heavy heart, I gave him to them. It turned out to be a wonderful place for Kip, but he took a large piece of my heart with him.
July, August – Chase and I continued serious obedience training. In August, Chase earned his CGC Award (CGC is NOT an AKC title — it’s an award. While it demonstrates that the dog behaves relatively well in public, the letters aren’t appropriately appended to the dog’s registered name). Kip celebrated his 5th birthday.
September – Over Labor Day, Chase earned his RN with scores of 98, 93, and 95 — the 93 was all my fault because I called for an around finish instead of a swing finish. We took a do-over, did a swing and salvaged the Q, but shame on me. Phoebe was in residence, and on September 18th – 19th, I took her to Dr. George for an emergency C-Section at midnight. She was carrying two GIANT boy puppies. Both were healthy. The mismark “Watson” had already been dibsed by Alden. The other boy “Holmes” was a puppy to watch. Phebes ran low on milk so I supplemented the puppies, weaning them at three weeks.
October – I entered Chase for the supported weekend at Valencia Valley Kennel Club. On Saturday, Powell took BOB over Chase. On Sunday, Chase was BOB over Powell and went on to take a Goup IV. He turned two on October 17th. Later in the month, Chase passed the temperament test administered by the American Temperament Test Society and earned the right to put TT after his name. His reaction to the “weird stranger” was really a boost — what character this boy has! He also turned out to be a loving daddy-dog and spent many hours playing with his sons, cleaning their ears and eyes, teaching them how to be great people dogs
November – the puppies continued to grow and be happy, funny babies. It was becoming clear to me that Holmes was a very nice puppy. Alden arrived to whisk Watson off to the land of tofu and Perrier. Both of them seemed so happy with each other.
December – We (Carolyn, Mandy and I) decided to repeat the Phoebe/Chase breeding as soon as Phebes came into season again. We are owed the rest of the litter — so still hoping for a girl. At our place, we had a quiet Christmas (well, as quiet as it can be with Phoebe-the-mouth and Inca-the-mouth both in residence). My human family is fine and we enjoyed the holidays together. None of them asks why all my clothing is embellished with dog hair.
Holmes and Watson are three months old today. Their Mom is being groomed — more loose hair than I could deal with at home. It’s 50 degrees outside and the sun is glorious. Sue Young is visiting from Tulsa. Her son and daughter-in-law live here. I met Sue when Kip and I went to the Indian Nations Tracking test a couple of years ago. Sue brought her Border Terrorist with whom she’s working VST. Chase and Holmes and I went to the Albuquerque Academy to meet up with Sue and Lizzie-the-dog (Lizzie’s also her DIL’s name). On the Academy grounds, I suggested some possible tracks to Sue, then Chase, Holmes and I went to the undeveloped area on the northernmost part of the grounds. It resembles our tracking area in Placitas, but is only ten minutes from my home instead of an hour.
I laid Chase a 250 yard, four-turn track with five articles. While it was aging a bit, I laid Holmes’ first “desert” track. We’d been playing around on grass at the office, but he needs to learn that a good dog can track anywhere. The baby did his little track pretty well. It only took him a few steps to realize that he would have to use that cute nose. He found the glove and received pieces of rotisserie chicken — in the glove, right above the glove, under the glove — whoo hoo — that’s good stuff! He’ll be fun to track with.
I put him in his crate and released the Baddog. He couldn’t wait for me to dress him. He was wiggling and crying. I lifted him off the tail gate and we walked to the start flag. Our beginning leg is the pits. Chase is so excited that he runs from side to side, waters everything he gets near, barks, jumps on me. I actually must speak harshly to him (which is a rare event), “Leave it!” “Find the glove!” A few minutes of the insanity and he gives me a look, “Are we working? Why didn’t you say so?” Then the Baddog puts his nose down and off we go. He always indicates a corner in the correct direction, but then makes a checking circle before he takes the new leg. He also quarters on the track much as Kip does — moving across the center and back rather than going in a dead straight line. I think it’s how he verifies the track.
Once we turned onto the second leg, Chase got his act together, along an arroyo bed, a right turn, up the edge, down into a second arroyo and straight across, then up the side — “look Mom, a plastic cookie cutter, mmm, chicken”, straight a bit further than a left turn, “look mom, a copper scrubber, and more chicken”, several more yards, “Hey Mom, a flat piece of leather. Where’s my chicken?” Straight some more and a right turn — it’s a short leg, but there’s a knotted sock — and more chicken! We make a final left turn and head to the glove. The glove is the biggie — lots of chicken, and playing and hugs. Just need to get that first leg under control.
Happy three-month birthday, little detectives! We had a great morning!
ps Holmes went out and came back in the dog door. I used some Windex on it so he could see where it led.
We’re having a busy puppy day. The boyz are wearing little collars and we started leash training. It goes pretty well when the human is offering some deli thin-sliced meat for staying up with her. Yesterday we did nails and another worming, so today we could do training things. Of course, we used the stacking blocks — the puppies are catching on to that exercise — another one during which they get great treats. We went outside (video a little later if what I took is at all entertaining), and I had the chance to watch Holmes, on his own, go from Point A to Point B. He’s always trotted, but I haven’t been able to see him from the side. He’s usually coming to me or getting away from me. Today I watching his side gait. He’s free and easy, very balanced in movement. I like him very much and REALLY wish he were a girl! Since I don’t want him to have a complex, I’ll stop saying that, but you all know it’s true.
Holmes is also balancing his right ear — very cute. Watson is trying to do both ears at one time, so continues to puff them out, creating airplane wings. When Watson gets outside, he uses his nose. He tracks where the big dogs last went. I think Alden is taking the right dog. Shall we just plan on “CT* Elyan C-Myste Elementary My Dear Watson” — with some agility letters stuck on at the end?
* Champion Tracker
So, on to today’s photo offerings:
Let’s Find It, Watson!
I’ve got it, hang on, stay up there . . .
I had planned to use the names of newspapers for this litter, but with just two, I hate to waste a name-rich theme. Since Alden is going to track with the white-faced boy, she wanted him to have a detective name. He is therefore “Elyan C-Myste Elementary My Dear Watson”, i.e., “Watson”. For Abel — after taking “No S**t Sherlock” out of consideration — I was thinking “Elyan C-Myste Baker Street Irregular”, and he can be “Holmes” to his friends (or “Baker”). My brain (fuzzed as it is) is vaguely recalling that there is another phrase Sherlock often used at the conclusion of a case. If one of you is a Sherlock Holmes fan and would jog my recollection, it would save me a trip to the library.
Adrienne is here this morning and we will try to get some photos. At 1:00 we’re going to a Lobo women’s volleyball match. Then she’s going home and I’ll take a nap — don’t think Tiger is playing golf today.
they say, better than a good day at work. I contemplated that statement this morning as I tried to find Chase’s brain out in the field. I think the statement is true. Our in-town tracking locations come complete with lots of joggers and their dogs. Some days Chase doesn’t pay any attention to the passers-by, but this morning they were far more interesting than the little track I laid. He was wandering so much of the time that we even lost a leather square that is one of the articles I dropped.
Periodically he would deep nose one of my footprints, put his head down and look for all the world like he knew how to track. Then he would get over that notion and water bushes and critter. Someone told me that Cardi boys often do not get brains until they are three. Man, we have such a long way to go . . .
Maybe Rally drill this afternoon will be better. Actually, in retrospect, everything Chase and I do together, beats the heck out of sitting in the office.
I don’t know exactly what has been using up all my weekend time — maybe picking up apples — maybe watching Tiger play golf — maybe running the vacuum, trimming the wild wisteria, using the Dremel on the dogs’ nails, going to training classes. All I know for sure is that we had not been tracking for three weeks. So, while it was still a little gray (and cool) outside, Chase and I packed up articles that had been steeping in a sealed bag with my dirty socks, some special treats, and threw everything in the car with the tracking bags.
Instead of going to the church that has all the VST elements, and where we usually train, we went to the Albuquerque Academy. I laid Chase a 300 yard, three-turn, four-article track beside, into, along, and out of a sandy arroyo and through sparse vegetation. I only aged it for twenty minutes because he had never tracked this terrain before. We had a little trouble with the start. Instead of beginning in vegetation (because there is none in this location), I placed the start flag and article on deep sand. Chase thought I was kidding, but I asked him to check the start article a second time, and he decided we really were going to track. He wandered a bit more than I like on the first leg, partly because there were so many bushes that needed watering. I told him in my serious voice to “find it”. He threw me the tuned-in look that gives me hope, and a moment later pounced on the first article (a plastic light switch cover), and then followed the track to a good first right turn. He followed my scent down into an arroyo and made a left turn to follow the track along the arroyo bed. He was wagging when he found the leather square that was the second article. I had pieces of raw beef stew meat for treats today.
The track continued along the arroyo bed then made a right, up the bank and through some dead, prickly plants. Kip is a tenderfoot, but Chase doesn’t seem to be bothered by the prickly plants. He stuck his nose on the plastic cookie cutter that was his third article. He also doesn’t look for ways around the more unpleasant vegetation. Once he determines the direction of the scent, he leaps over the bad plants. He trotted the last 30 yards of the track to the glove and stood with his front foot on it. Chase has a great dog smile. That happy smile reminded me that we need to track at least one time a week.
It’s good for the souls! This afternoon we have our Rally class — he’ll have a good time, but not as good a time as we have out in the boonies all alone.
Adrienne is spending the night. That means the dogs are sleeping on the floor next to her bed. She and I were trying to schedule tomorrow, but we’re missing some hours. Tomorrow is corgi play day (from 9 to 11), but we also want to go tracking with Chase first thing in the morning. We’ve put Adrienne’s dirty socks in a Zip Lock bag with articles for her to leave on the tracks tomorrow. That allows them to absorb her scent overnight. For additional motivation, Adrienne hides behid a tree near the final article. I love to watch our Chase when he’s tracking his favorite little girl. Perhaps we’ll track and then go to play day.
We need to visit Learning Is Fun. That’s a teacher supply store with flash cards, books, art supplies — she loves the place. So we’ll put that right after the play day. And Adrienne told me she needs to come up with some potential puppy litter names for the Chase/Phoebe children. I told her she has plenty of time, but she’s concerned that she’ll forget the ones she’s already thought of.
Adrienne’s Mom will pick her up at about 1:00 and then I need to run into the office for a couple of hours, then tomorrow night, my DIL and I are going to the Santa Fe Opera. She has great seats — it will be a fun night out.
Sunday is scheduled the same way and our Chase begins his Rally Novice class at 4:00. I need to pick up apples (Inca has already gained five pounds, and Chase has stashed them under the couch and beds). The wisteria is overtaking the patio and I still want to move the dividing fence to make room in the yard for agility equipment. However, since the weekends seem to be missing several hours, I don’t think I’ll get everything done — as usual.
Chase and I were out bright and early with a little bag of rotisserie chicken and our articles. I’ve found if I throw the articles in a ziplock bag with yesterday’s socks, and leave them overnight, it makes indicating the articles — especially plastic — much easier for him. Today he wandered off the track to check mail less frequently than he did last week. His indications were stronger. On our first track, when he got to a right turn and then needed to go down a curb onto the pavement, he tried to convince me that we should follow an imaginary track that stayed on the grass. I just stood still and let him flail around for a couple of minutes. He gave up, made the turn and went down the curb onto the pavement. Then he tracked directly to the article. He gobbled up his chicken treat — the prize for indicating the plastic switch plate cover. I asked him to find more, and he went directly into the landscape rocks to the glove. He just thinks he’s so smart when he does that. On the second track — same configuration, but with a left turn, the plastic cookie cutter was in the grass –great indication. Then the track continued on in the grass, a left, down a curb to the pavement without hesitation. He found the square piece of leather (wag, wag — chicken, please?). “Let’s find more” — and he’s off on a dead line to another landscaped area and a glove. He has this game down pat! I hope I can keep up with the weekly tracking outing so he can earn his TD this fall/winter.
Now, it’s time to watch Tiger Woods play golf (if it’s not pouring at Bethpage). I really admire someone who works as hard as he does to perfect his game.
As the evening wore on, Chase slid into a comfort zone. He even tried to play with Inca. She’s just not enthusiastic about having this particular dog back in the house. She thought she was an only dog there for a few weeks, and was loving it. Chase gobbled dinner, slept on the bed, watched me take a shower and get dressed this morning — waiting, waiting, waiting — YES! Today’s Office Dog!
Chase is here with me prepared to take up his assigned duties. So far, he has not landed on my desk, but he has been curled up around the bottom of my chair.
The huge miracle (since I was prepared for two weeks of intensive retraining) is that he hasn’t tried to mark in the house. When he came home last summer, he thought that was appropriate and I was at my wit’s end. Shelley must have ’splained to him that dogs wanting to be inside dogs must display good manners. I hope this carries over to the training club. Or, it could be he’s afraid I’ll send him away again so he’s on his best behavior.
His first class starts on June 23rd, but we’ll go tracking this weekend. Time for this guy to earn his keep.
Chase is done showing in Canada. Today was the third day of the Aurora and District Kennel Club shows. He was again Best Opposite Sex to Dolly. Dolly went on to take another Group III — what a weekend she’s had! We’re sending our congratulations to Shelley and to Dolly’s handler Simon.
Next Sunday, Shelley will take Chase to the Buffalo NY area. He’s going to spend the night with Cynnie Smith’s friend, then Monday morning, Cynnie will put him on an airplane headed for Albuquerque (by way of Newark, NJ and Houston, TX). Chase will have an awfully long travel day, but should be home next Monday night at 6:30 PM. Friday afternoon I spoke with one of our best obedience instructors and a top competitor. Chase and I will commence serious obedience training with her in a couple of weeks. We are also enrolled in a rally class that begins in mid-July. I believe he will love the Companion/Performance venues, and expect him to add the same joy de vivre to that work that he puts into playing in the Miracle-Mud Spa & Resort!
He’s had a blast at Shelley’s place — running in the field, playing with the girls, going to shows. Now, however, it’s time for him to begin a new adventure at home with me.
Kip is my first Cardigan. I had German Shepherd Dogs, a parti-color American Cocker, a Pem . . . then, when I first started practicing law, I had no dogs. I traveled all the time (or at least it felt that way) and it was too difficult to keep and train a dog when I was out of town so often. When my last Shepherd died, I didn’t replace him. Instead I bought a townhouse. The boys were on their own (I wanted to make sure there wasn’t room for them to move back in), and I needed to simplify my lifestyle so I could juggle the work load. After about ten years of the sterile life — even off-white carpet and white tile – missing a dog caught up with me – though I did not miss the absence of kids in the house. I cut down on the travel, turned away out of town cases, and begin looking for a dog. Since I had sold the restored Victorian (read: “scads of room”) to purchase the townhouse, German Shepherds were not a practical choice. The Pem had been fun, but the temperament was a little sharp for me — I like serious thinking dogs. Cardigans were the breed that was the closest to perfect in my mind. I waited almost a year for Kip to be born. Adrienne and I visited him (not knowing which one of the puppies we’d get) from the time the litter was nine days old. She told me after the first visit, “we want the one with the green necklace.” That happens to be how it worked out, and our Kip came to live with me.
Kip will be four in July. He is the happiest, easiest going dog in the world. He has very bad hips so he’s not been allowed to do agility or herding — both of which he wanted to do — but he’s been a sparkling obedience dog and a fine tracking dog. He’s earned his CD TD RN, is a registered therapy dog and a Reading Education Assistance Dog. He’s trained for Open Obedience and needs only one more leg for his Rally Advanced Title. BUT . . .
This makes me cry . . .
Chase picks on Kip, and Inca joins in. Chase is assertive and strong. Kip is a small Cardi and very submissive. He won’t fight back. I don’t have a kennel set-up — and no place to create one. Logically, Chase should go away because he’s the last dog in the door. I could probably find someone to take him (ya’ think?). However, Chase loves to work and is physically able to do it all. He’s also handsome and showy. Chase and I can do everything that I enjoy about having dogs. Kip is, however, not safe when Chase is at the house — and he will be, full time, in another few weeks.
My son Brock, his wife, and my granddaughter want Kip — when their old dog dies. She’s acting like she’ll live forever though and I need Kip to be safe now. So, here comes the probable decision . . . my friend/house sitter and her parents had two Goldens. Last week, the older Golden died. The younger dog is so lonely. I went to law school with my friend’s dad (who is also a doctor), and she was my paralegal for years. Their dogs are house dogs that get the best care and companionship you can imagine. They don’t want to go through the puppy stages again. They want a happy, already trained companion. Jill already loves Kip. He’s going to go to their house for a couple of trial days this week. I know this is a perfect arrangement. I know I’ll miss Kip more than he’ll miss me (dogs are so adaptive). I know it is my responsibility to keep Kip safe . . . I know, I know, I know . . . but I’m so sad.
The week in Topeka skewed my internal calendar. I came back to Albuquerque on Monday and went back to the office on Tuesday. But, somehow, that Tuesday became my Monday. So I did not go to Super Drill on Tuesday night to hand in my entries for our local Club’s trial on May 8th, and the next day (Wednesday by everyone else’s calendar) which I thought was Tuesday, I did not go on-line and enter the Rio Grande KC Trials. In retrospect, Kip had not been given the practice he deserved to go into Open. We probably could have muddled through the last leg of Rally Advanced B, but I think I’m tired, and I really have a hang-up about taking my dog to obedience trials when I’ve not spent time polishing him up. So, we’ll start Utility training and then try for his CDX during the three-day Labor Day trials.
In the meantime, Inca might deign to heel (somewhere near my left leg) off-leash, and when Chase gets home, I’ll start working with him in something — probably Rally first, and, of course, tracking which he loves.
I love it when the mail box yields something other than bills — today was a good mail day. Kip’s AKC Tracking Dog title certificate was in my box, Chase’s certified four generation pedigree was there (all I need now is the foreign currency money order to register him), some new stickers I ordered arrived — also part of the foreign tryst; the cute (eBay) watercolor of the brindle Cardi midst the flowers was in the box. There were some client-related documents that I’d just as soon forget (so I will for at least this evening). You’ll soon learn more about the stickers and the foreign currency money order — but you must be patient!
The other great parts of today: I’ve been helping a client with a bunch of cases and know nothing about the law governing two of the four. However, today we enlisted the aid of two other attorneys who actually know what they are doing. This is a huge burden lifted right before I go to Nationals. The premium list is out for our VST “A” Match so our all-breed obedience club is on its way to offering an annual VST test in addition to our TD and TDX tests. My Lady Lobos basketball team beat BYU this evening. It was a wonderfully played defensive game which is actually terribly boring to watch, but they needed the win and got it. At the end of the first half, the Lobos were up 18 to 11 — wretched!
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