I joke pretty often about having the best coworkers. Canine ones, that is. They don’t gossip. They don’t take part in office politics. They don’t criticize my work. Sure, they do interrupt me. They
are noisy when I’m trying to do phone interviews. They do occasionally smell bad. But, I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They do require, however, some foot- and rolling-chair-related caution. So, I constantly Mind the Snout. …
Even as the weather turns colder, we have a hard time keeping Lilly inside. Any time a door opens, she slips out like a little canine ninja. The difference,
compared to summer, is that we have less trouble getting her to come inside. So, she’s in. She’s out. She’s in. She’s out. One of her favorite things to do is “help” me hang out laundry. She
makes it pay off by convincing me to toss sticks while I …
As you likely heard on TV and from other Colorado bloggers, it snowed for three solid days last week and resulted in about three feet of snow around here. Unfortunately, the storm coincided with my first real week of work (after nonstop family medical drama) in a while, so Lilly found herself feeling more than cooped up. So, for your amusement, I present to top two signs your border collie has cabin fever. …
Last week Tom took a trip with friends to Moab, Utah, to explore sections of the Kokopelli Trail. This time he rode a motorcycle, but on previous trips he covered major sections on a mountain bike. He knows the area well and loves it. As much as we miss him, who could deny their favorite boy a much-needed getaway? These photos show how nearly unreal the whole area is. And, since we’ve had about enough of the real world around here lately, I thought I’d share. …
Allow me, please, a brag. In just a few clicker sessions, Lilly learned a new trick we call CLEAN UP. We were inspired by this video of a ridgeback putting away his toys. Lilly got the idea in just one session, but she tossed the toys into the basket with such oomph that they bounced out, which was against the rules. She caught on fast, though, and began holding the toys down with one paw, which is just about the cutest thing. …
Sunday, Lilly and I drove up the canyon a few miles to visit our friend Betsy and her Australian Shepherd puppy, Lulu, for the second time. The visit lasted about an hour and resulted in two distinct parts. The first half went great. The second half either went badly or was confusing. …
So, we continue to chip away at our new trick CLEAN UP, where Lilly is learning to put away her toys. After just 3-4 short clicker training sessions over the last week or so, we’re making good progress. She will now pick up and put away up to four toys in succession. BUT, I’m stuck at soft toys only at this point, including plush babies, ropes, soft frisbees. I cannot get her to generalize the behavior to any rubber, chew, or food-delivery toy (like a ball, Kong, Canine Genius, or Busy Buddy Waggle). …
This morning I’m off to attend my Uncle Bobby’s funeral. I spent time this week sorting through photos to use in our tribute today. Of all the options, this one — of course — caught my eye. …
Lilly loaded up and went with me to run errands on Tuesday. When the weather allows, I use the frequent stops as part of our ongoing transition training (where Lilly learns to hop of the out car in a variety of locations, SIT, and relax quickly … thanks to classical conditioning). That continues to go well, but I’m always surprised how many dogs we see traveling the canyon, the highways, and local roads completely unrestrained in the car. Roadworthy, my recent article for the AKC Gazette, addresses this safety issue. …
After seeing this video of a ridgeback putting away toys, I decided that’s something I want to teach Lilly. So, we started shaping the behavior with a clicker and cheese last week. The first training session made me laugh. She got the idea quickly, but her enthusiasm for the job hampered our efforts. Lilly flung the toys into the basket with such abandon that the toys often bounced back out. No clicks for that, I decided, but it completely stumped Lilly. She often got frustrated and offered a DOWN with CHIN, which has become the universal sign that …
