The Spaniel Annals

working and living with performance spaniels

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about

I’m a retired English instructor, now devoted full-time to training, showing and enjoying my spaniels in many sports.
I’m an English college instructor by trade, a dog trainer by vocation. And lifelong baseball fan.

Category: puppy training

  • Say hello to Kerrie!

    A hectic school year dealing with re-entry into live teaching after the COVID shut-down has taken me away from this blog. Meanwhile Roz has continued to age, struggling far more than she used to. Brian is maturing, earning his first freestyle titles (through virtual shows) and preparing for live obedience trials this fall/winter. And we…

  • Brian’s heeling mid-March

    Just a catch-up on Brian’s heeling in early spring of 2021. While sometimes I feel like we’re behind where my past dogs have been at this age, I have to remind myself that I’m trying a new approach with him (much more shaped and almost no luring), so taking it slow to watch out for…

  • Brian’s first hunt test trip

    I traveled to the spaniel clubs’ hunt tests in Oakville, WA to run a cocker for a friend, and Robbie and Brian came along. My favorite memory from this trip was watching Brian run in a big field, which we did in the evening after the tests were done. He loved chasing some cocker friends…

  • First Things

    First things in a dog’s life should be commemorated.   So here is Brian’s first toweling.  Toweling is pretty typical for spaniels after a bath, to tighten down their coat while drying.  I haven’t done it before with Brian, since it involves horse pins.  I figured this first time he might wear it for just a…

  • Back to tracking again!

    We’ve been tracking twice a week all summer, and Robbie is starting to show improvement on his turns, although his start is still a work in progress.  Meanwhile Brian is running tracks of about 125-150 yards with one turn.  He loves it and shows a lot of drive!  Thanks to my tracking partner Martha for…

  • Second Dinner

    Brian is getting Second Dinner right now (some of his dinner in a food toy), so we can have a quiet dinner to ourselves to wind down our evening. But Rozzie, at 12 years and nearly 11 months, thinks she also should get Second Dinner. I have promised her that if she will make it…

  • Toy retrieve is back!

    Brian’s play retrieve went on hiatus the last few weeks, which I chalked up to teething issues.  It’s back this morning!  The lighting is awful for this video, but he’s picking it up and bringing it all the way in.  Yay!  He did 3 of them, and I included the one where he falls over…

  • 14th week!

    Brian hit his 14th week birthday this Wednesday, and has had lots of adventures that I have been lax about posting!  A play visit with his sister and a haircut, some spaniel training parties, more tracking and his new online obedience class starting.  This weekend he’s off to a hunt test training event, where he’ll…

  • The Pool!

    Brian’s weekend adventure was an introduction to water with a wading pool.  After looking at all the dog pools on Amazon for $100 on up, we opted for the Fred Meyer $10 special.  Brian’s first reaction to water was, shall we say, underwhelming:   After this, Brian managed to find a hole in the fence,…

  • Back to tracking

    Yesterday Robbie trained at the hardware store and Brian came along.  I took Brian into an outdoor area of the store where I’ve never seen many dogs, so I felt safe in doing some engagement work, playing with a toy and other basic exercises.  I was really pleased with his attention on me despite the…