summer_jackel (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
summer_jackel) wrote2011-02-07 08:48 pm
summer_jackel) wrote2011-02-07 08:48 pm
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Sweet sunny day
Today was warm and pretty and I went to the park in sunny Sebastopol to take advantage of it. The trail there was still too muddy to be fun, but we got some dog park time in and I did some training on the lawn. I'm planning on entering Coba in an obedience show next month; my goal for entering another conformation ring is a show in September. It was a good session; his attitude is great and he's improving in several places. I would like him to be cleaner on his about turns and sometimes his finish looks sloppy, but his stays are much better now. Hopes that he'll get points in Novice A soon are reasonable.
I figured out how I'm going to train his conformation gaiting, which is the big issue---Coba likes to work very close to my heel, which is fine for obedience. For conformation, he must move in an animated, precise trot, not breaking into a gallop, and do so at arm's length. (This is so that the judge's view of the dog's gait is unhampered). So, I need to teach him that. The command I'm using is 'gait' and what I'm doing is pretty simple; holding the treat in the extended left hand and prompting his focus to that hand instead of my face. Without boinging, please. Ideally, I will gain the ability to hold him at the proper gait with MY gait while I ask for this this; Coba's ability to follow this move is going to be directly proportional to my ability to lead it, as it were. We should have it well enough by September. I hope.
I got the following shot of the shirty little cupcake beast, and while its quality as a picture is embarrassing, it shows Coba's profile really well. Note that he's not properly stacked, so his topline isn't right; for one thing, he's standing on uneven ground. But his head planes look nice; for those inclined to canine geekery, the geometry of a sheltie's head requires the lines of topskull and muzzle to be straight and parallel to each other, separated by a small and gentle but distinct stop (the bit of a dog's face where muzzle meets head). Collies, fwiw, also have the parallel lines, but they have more of a gradual "rolling" stop. Coba also has his ears up in the ideal position, by which you all know that I took dozens of these pictures and this was the only one that got it, because the beast just will not hold his ears.
Still: Coba totally grew into his promise and I need to get him in the ring now.
The best of the many really crappy shots that comprised that set. Coba is as soft as he looks, yes. The real benefit of having a groomed-out sheltie, the thing that REALLY makes all the grooming worthwhile, is that I get to pet that as much as I want.
Getting ready for spring
Bliss has absolutely gorgeous gaits, and it turns out that he gives pretty cool action shots.
I've started training him the more formal obedience more seriously. I think he will be good at it, but it's pretty neat to appreciate how different their styles are; at his best, Coba is firey and intensely focused on what we're doing; Bliss floats along mellowly, with more humor. His worst problem is that he lags as I speed up, but I suspect baiting with little bits of chicken a few times will fix that.
And here's Gavin eating something at the table. He is a neurotic little ball of hormones right now, and plucked his chest pretty well. I got him a new cage, which should be here this week. I hope it helps. :P
I figured out how I'm going to train his conformation gaiting, which is the big issue---Coba likes to work very close to my heel, which is fine for obedience. For conformation, he must move in an animated, precise trot, not breaking into a gallop, and do so at arm's length. (This is so that the judge's view of the dog's gait is unhampered). So, I need to teach him that. The command I'm using is 'gait' and what I'm doing is pretty simple; holding the treat in the extended left hand and prompting his focus to that hand instead of my face. Without boinging, please. Ideally, I will gain the ability to hold him at the proper gait with MY gait while I ask for this this; Coba's ability to follow this move is going to be directly proportional to my ability to lead it, as it were. We should have it well enough by September. I hope.
I got the following shot of the shirty little cupcake beast, and while its quality as a picture is embarrassing, it shows Coba's profile really well. Note that he's not properly stacked, so his topline isn't right; for one thing, he's standing on uneven ground. But his head planes look nice; for those inclined to canine geekery, the geometry of a sheltie's head requires the lines of topskull and muzzle to be straight and parallel to each other, separated by a small and gentle but distinct stop (the bit of a dog's face where muzzle meets head). Collies, fwiw, also have the parallel lines, but they have more of a gradual "rolling" stop. Coba also has his ears up in the ideal position, by which you all know that I took dozens of these pictures and this was the only one that got it, because the beast just will not hold his ears.
Still: Coba totally grew into his promise and I need to get him in the ring now.
The best of the many really crappy shots that comprised that set. Coba is as soft as he looks, yes. The real benefit of having a groomed-out sheltie, the thing that REALLY makes all the grooming worthwhile, is that I get to pet that as much as I want.
Getting ready for spring
Bliss has absolutely gorgeous gaits, and it turns out that he gives pretty cool action shots.
I've started training him the more formal obedience more seriously. I think he will be good at it, but it's pretty neat to appreciate how different their styles are; at his best, Coba is firey and intensely focused on what we're doing; Bliss floats along mellowly, with more humor. His worst problem is that he lags as I speed up, but I suspect baiting with little bits of chicken a few times will fix that.
And here's Gavin eating something at the table. He is a neurotic little ball of hormones right now, and plucked his chest pretty well. I got him a new cage, which should be here this week. I hope it helps. :P
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I saw this and thought of you :)
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/01/31/funny-pictures-kindly-stop-screaming/
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I love that little cheezburger! :D ...ok, and my stupid conure, too.