Gael will be 2 years old on the 23rd. To celebrate, I put together this simple little video. I have a much more sophisticated movie-making software program in my computer, but the intimidation factor will keep me from finishing the video in time, so here’s the primitive Flipshare version. By the way, I’ve already decided that the soundtrack song, “Tell Me What’s On Your Mind” by Information Society, will be her music for her first freestyle routine. The refrain “Pure Energy” just seems to fit my girl.:-)
The Spaniel Annals
working and living with performance spaniels
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I’m a retired English instructor, now devoted full-time to training, showing and enjoying my spaniels in many sports.
- agility
- Behavior
- competition
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- dual champion
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- English Springer Spaniel
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- Utility obedience
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“When violence begins, training ends”
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousTonight I found out about the passing of a great obedience dog in the Gordon Setter world. I never got to see her work, but heard much about her and her owner, Diane Bartlett, and watched their progress and successes over the years. Tory earned an AKC UDX, a Canadian OTCH, and won several all-breed and specialty High in Trials. I know how much her owner loved her and was so proud of her achievements. The pain of losing a dog that you’ve worked so closely with and lived with for many years is absolutely excruciating. My heart goes out to Diane tonight. It was only just last week that, for many reasons, I was grieving over losing my Gordon girl, Vita, who passed in 2009. In the middle of my grief, I was so grateful to look up and see the lively face of my current Gordon, Gael, happily chewing on a bone and so full of life.
I’m reminded by a friend that I never updated this blog about Reardon’s first track. I’ll go into more detail (maybe) on another night, but Reardon didn’t pass. Lots of things came into play: he’d had a relapse of his auto-immune condition a few weeks before and we were having to adjust his prednizone; in the draw he got one of the swampy tracks, a tracking condition that he’s still struggling with; maybe it just wasn’t our day. There’s an approximately 60% pass rate for the TD, and we landed in that 40%. He did try very hard, and we actually got to the last corner before he just couldn’t figure out which way to go. We’ll be trying again soon. The end of the school quarter means an end to the mountain of papers for a few weeks, so we’ll have more time to practice….
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousThe wonderful news is that Reardon has been certified for entering tracking tests, and our first test is tomorrow up in Bow, WA. Tracking tests only require one pass to earn a title, so tomorrow could signal a new title and a step forward in our training, or it could mean a long wait for the next test. There’s another one in Eugene this spring, but I’d have to do some major re-arranging of my spring dog budget to make it happen. Otherwise we wait until fall.
The bad news is the state of my nerves. Forget mental management, forget staying focused the process, I’m NERVOUS. I can attest to the fact that it’s very difficult to run a track when you’re hyperventilating, but that’s probably what I’ll be doing tomorrow. I did it with Hank’s TD, and I did it with Reardon’s certification. As long as I don’t pass out, we’ll be okay. Tracking is just too new of a sport for me to feel otherwise. One worry I have is that Reardon is much more tuned into me than Hank was while tracking; it’s worked well to smile at him if he looks back at me (again, a difficult thing to do when hyperventilating)…
I really just need to view tomorrow as another tracking experience. I’m planning on continuing to track with Reardon on the TDX level, so we’ll be going on with training anyway. But it sure would be nice to get that title….(process, Laura, process!)
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousTracking with Reardon and Gael this winter has caused me to become much more intrigued with this sport. For some years now, I’ve been searching for a second sport for my dogs other than obedience. I wanted the sport to be good exercise and call upon their natural instincts. I also wanted it to depend upon a completely different mindset and preparation than obedience, where so much is about precision in human-dictated boundaries.
I might have found it with tracking. Beyond its fit with my requirements above, I’m deeply enjoying the training. (The tests and certifications still make me nervous as hell, but this too shall pass.) It has a meditative, almost otherworldly quality about it, where I
am encouraging my dog’s instincts in a realm I can only glimpse: the world of scent. I love this old photo of Hank, my TD dog now passed, who was a driven tracking dog. You can see the intensity in his movement (I had to wrap the line around my waist and hang back so that he didn’t pull me over). His eyes are open but sightless; the world is entering his being through his nose.Hank earned his TD in Wenatchee in 1998, so he would have been 2 1/2. We had trained for a year to prepare. In this award photo, you can see the terrain we tracked in: dirt, brown dead grass and sagebrush. Up to this point, we had been training in the grassy
fields in the first photo; we had no idea the test in Wenatchee would be so different. Amazingly, it made no difference to Hank. He finished his 400+ yard track in just about 4 minutes. As the judges huffed and puffed up to us while I held up the glove, one of the judges exclaimed, “He’s crazy!” I don’t think she was being entirely complimentary. Hank ran tracks like the devil was…well, not after him, but certainly encouraging him.Hank was my heartbreak kid in many ways, and one way was coming 75 yards away from the glove in the TDX test at the Springer Spaniel National a few years later. He had tracked magnificently for close to an hour. (A TDX track is around 800-1000 yards and is aged several hours). For much of track, I had the soundtrack from the movie Glory playing in my head, which has many rousing marches. Much of Hank’s effort on that track truly took my breath away. But on the last corner, he got distracted by a deer track, and after several attempts, he just could not finish that last leg.
For reasons I no longer remember, we didn’t try again for the TDX. I wish now we’d made more effort towards that goal. I’m beginning to hope Reardon will be the dog to fulfill that dream. More in Part II of these ruminations….
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousSometimes accomplishments (or should I say “attainments”?) in dog training take months and even years to come to fruition. This is especially true in obedience trialing and another sport we’ve been working, tracking. In a remarkable synchronicity, Reardon has made some big leaps recently in both sports.
In his obedience work, our challenge in getting ready for the next level (called Open) has revolved around his confidence working off leash and away from me. Working off-leash is required throughout this class, and for Reardon, that leash linked to me was like an umblical cord he’s been afraid to let go. All I could do was give him experience after experience in different locations to show him it wasn’t a big deal. Sometimes if he lost attention, got out of position, or was otherwise distracted he would get corrected. Other times, I helped him. Often he got a little of both. I had to read the situation and read him to choose what would work best. And when he did well, we had a Reardon party!
Over December and early January, we had the opportunity to do a number of fun matches, and over a recent weekend, Reardon performed in two fun matches in two separate locations Saturday and Sunday. That weekend, all of a sudden his confidence blossomed! It’s hard to say what turned the corner, but this video shows his tail wagging and his attention on me, even when I asked for additional distractions during the heeling. We still have some issues to work through–mouthing his dumbbell and slightly inaccurate fronts and finishes–but he’s come a long way in the last few months. Here’s our video from that Sunday:
On another very happy day, Reardon certified in tracking. This means he can now enter AKC tracking tests. Certification is issued by an AKC tracking judge. To pass, Reardon had to successfully track the judge’s path, running 480 yards, with 4 turns, and aged for
a little over a half hour. This is a typical TD (Tracking Dog) track, so it’s very similar to what we’ll experience in a test. We’ve been working on Reardon’s tracking off and on since he was a puppy, and he’s always enjoyed it. In this sport too, I’m seeing his confidence level rise. We’re now waiting to hear if our entry has been accepted for the upcoming tracking test in Bow, WA on March 4th. There are 12 spots, so we should be able to get in, but if there are more than 12 entries, the club holds a “draw” for the teams who get to run the test. If we don’t get into this test, there are 3 other spring tracking tests, but they’re in eastern Washington and Eugene. I hope we can stay closer to home!
Whatever happens with the tests, we have our certification, which is good for a year. I’m really enjoying the training part of this sport, so I’m beginning to think the test, whenever it is, will simply be a next step in a longer journey. Way to go, Reardon!
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousJourney’s never gotten a professional win photo with me. I vaguely remember reasons why; when she got her CD, I was quite ill with thyroid disease (heading into surgery). We pretty much finished the title and she returned to her breeder. Then she’s been bounced back and forth since then, although she’s now here to stay with me. To celebrate that fact, I thought I’d post her first placement/titling photo that we got for her Open title. It’s not the greatest shot–I wish I didn’t always look like I’d just stuck my fingers in a light socket–but it’s a good one of her. Journey and I have room for improvement, but I was very pleased with how far we’d come with this last leg (see the earlier video), and she had only been back with me since June after having her litter. Way to go, my Journey-girl!
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousWhen I got Gael as an 8-week-old puppy, I knew I’d need to be a little careful introducing her into a very tight-knit pack of 3 springers: mother, son and daughter. I expected Kani to use common sense, but she would also be inclined to issue “motherly” corrections. Rozzie I could trust absolutely. At the time, Reardon was still struggling with auto-immune issues, and not always reliable. While I could also trust to the typical setter “get-along” temperament, I knew a puppy wouldn’t always be able to control herself or know “the rules.”
So I was careful about introduction and monitored their time together. But I soon realized I had a lot more on my hands: Gael was a driven, willful, full-of-herself puppy. I wanted that, but it made her integration into the close little springer circle a bit more challenging. Plus I couldn’t let her just run loose in the house all the time; I soon discovered that an un-monitored Gael meant ripped drapes, holes in couches, and any other fun and destructive activity she could get into!
That finally meant that while Gael was always with us, un-monitored time was time in a crate. I didn’t feel good about this, but bought the largest wire crate I could find and put it in the living room. She slept with us in the bedroom in a crate too. Then she had training/play time with me, play time with Rozzie, and carefully monitored time outside with Kani and Reardon. She did get some corrections from my two “fun police,” but they were very limited and quickly interrupted by me. Gael has grown up to be a confident, still willful(!) Gordon setter, who thinks springers are her playmates. She has also learned to be respectful, and is actually calming down for brief periods in the house! I can now allow her out and free while I’m writing or teaching on the computer, and most times I’ll walk out to the living room to find her quietly hanging out on the couch.
It’s only been in the past few months, I’ve gained a sense of her truly being part of the pack. Reardon plays with her a lot, and she is now allowed in all of the places deemed “sacred” by the springers: up on the bed and couch, and in the kitchen. The photo below is obviously staged, but it’s still a good marker of changes happening: the springers and Gael hanging out in the living room (Gael’s big crate is in the background), and wonder of wonders, Gael is maintaining a STAY! So you see, wild and crazy Gordons really do grow up!
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousThe first obedience trial weekend of the year at the Puyallup Fairgrounds affirmed the mental and physical training I’ve been working on the past few months. Lanny Bassham, founder of the Mental Management program and an Olympic gold medalist, described the difference between accomplishment and attainment: “accomplishment” is the fulfilling of external goals. “Attainment” is the journey of “becoming” as my dogs and I move towards our goals. We accomplished a lot this weekend: Journey earned her Open obedience title with a good score of 196. Rozzie earned her Novice title, close behind Journey with a 195. Reardon won his class both days in Advanced Rally.
But the attainments were much more important. Rozzie, who is very environmentally sensitive, got spooked by an odd movement by the judge, but recovered to stay with me on the off-leash heeling. She also didn’t whine during the downstay, which was a problem last time she was in the ring. I love seeing her able to recover from something startling more quickly as she gets older and more confident.
Since Reardon considers his leash an umblical cord, Advanced Rally was a deliberate choice to give him off-leash experience before we go into Open. I helped him a few times with position and attention, but he seemed to have a blast and was very proud of himself.
However, the teamwork between Journey and myself was the highest attainment of the weekend. Saturday I kept to my plan for mental preparation (a major attainment for me!), and Journey showed improvement in all the areas we’ve been working on: better position on the figure 8, more consistent halts, a more flowing broad jump, and better connection with me between exercises. The whole experience seemed to flow and had that magical feeling of connection I hope to always experience with my dogs in the ring. While there were certainly little glitches, we are certainly in the process of becoming a strong team. Here’s our video:
The next day, Sunday, proved to be more difficult in that process of “becoming.” While Reardon put in another great performance, Journey struggled. She decided sitting was a dirty word in the heeling pattern and so we lost 13 points for the heeling. (OUCH!) Then she laid down during the sitstay, which flunked us. What I’m learning to do (or “struggling to do” would be more accurate) is to avoid negativity about Sunday, and instead process it as information about the next steps in our training. I need to focus on the solution, not the problem. I also need to reinforce within myself all of the absolutely wonderful things that happened this weekend. On Saturday, Journey and I had magic in the ring. We WILL have it again.
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousA brief stint as English department chair this fall quarter meant the training continued, but the blogging didn’t. This fall Reardon and Gael have been getting back to tracking. With a tracking test coming up locally in March 2012, it’s time to get that TD for Reardon. He’s done a lot more tracking of other people recently (rather than just me), and handled aged tracks well up to one hour or so.
Over this holiday break, I had a morning to myself and took both dogs over to Carlson’s Canine Country Club, happily just a few miles away from my house. In some early morning fog, I laid a 400-yard track for Reardon and a “baby” 100-yard track for Gael. Here’s Reardon’s track:
Doesn’t look like much, does it? But you’ll see by the map below (sorry for the blurryness) that it’s about 400 yards, with several turns.
While Reardon’s track is aging, I laid a short track for Gael with one turn and about 50 yards on each leg. She gets lots of hotdog on her track, to get her to associate tracking a single scent with good stuff. While Reardon’s track is aged over 1/2 hour, I’ll only age hers about 10 minutes.
Reardon gets his glove! He did a great job with this track, working scent very confidently and happily. He likes to play with his glove at the end of the track, so I let him. This translates over into fully indicating the glove when he finds it at the end of the track, so liking the glove is always a good thing.
After they run their tracks, it’s playtime! Gael especially loves to run. While the tracking releases some energy for her, it’s in her blood to run full-out, free and unencumbered. Sometimes I think it’s not a good idea to let her run after she tracks, and I know many trainers who wouldn’t allow it, but in the end I always let her do what she so needs to do.
Meanwhile, Reardon has found a likely spot for birds. In fact, it’s likely that the birddog trainers at Carlsons have planted birds in these grassy mounds. That’s why they’re there. Good for Reardon for figuring that out.
At the end of our morning at Carlsons, all roads lead to Starbucks. Funny how that happens!
In Starbucks, I sip my latte and dream of next year, which hopefully will be an exciting one. More than one Junior Hunter, Reardon’s TD, and both Reardon and Journey in the Open ring and heading towards Utility. 2012, here we come!
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“When violence begins, training ends”
AnonymousGael continues to surprise me with her versatility and boldness in trying new things. At a recent July field practice in Oregon, I took Gael to the pond. Just to see how she’d respond, and not really expecting much, I tossed out a stick a few feet into the water. Gael promptly dove into the water, swimming a little bit to get it. We kept at it that day, and after several retrieves with more distance added to her swimming each time, she didn’t want to leave!
This is completely unlike my last Gordon, Vita, who I could never entice into swimming. So I was utterly surprised at Gael’s instant love of the water and retrieving things in it. Today, at a field practice at Scatter Creek in Olympia, Washington, Gael got to retrieve her bumper several times:
Here’s one last photo, showing the length Gael was getting on her retrieves by the end of our session:
What’s our next step? I have Issaquah Salmon Days marked on my calendar (Oct. 1 and 2nd) to take Rozzie, Journey and now Gael to try a Dockdogs competition! What a good girl, Gael!
The Spaniel Annals 