Spring has sprung, and oh boy do I hate it. Winter was lovely, sure we had record snowfalls and deep freezes but I will take mass amounts of snow over mass amounts of mud any day. It also means it is time to whip my pup's matted coat back into shape. My dog LOVES the snow, there is no question that she is half Bernese Mountain Dog. You don't even have to do anything with her at all for her to be having the best time of her life. I just love the way she prances through the snow with a look of pure bliss. It is all well and good for her in the winter but it kills me when spring comes around. I have probably said this a million times before (and I probably will again), but Bernedoodles have been dubbed the title "groomer's worst nightmare". I agree with that statement one hundred percent. They mat very easily and that is not a good trait even before adding snow, rain, and mud to the mix. I am going to be totally upfront about this situation, her current state of matting is all my fault. I normally groom Khazi at least 2 hours every single day and she needs it so badly. Missing a day can add extra hours of work to your next grooming session which isn't fun for the dog. I had to go away for work for three months and in that time Khazi became a giant walking matt. Okay that is exaggerating it because I see the rescue dogs makeovers a lot and she is not that bad but it is the worst I have ever seen her other than the matted state she was in when we got her. I did have family members at home who were willing to do some of the grooming unfortunately all they really knew how to do was a brush out. That was extremely kind of them for trying to help but I do see areas that were simply hacked off rather than being combed and dematted properly. I am finally home now and I am dedicating a lot of time to grooming her. He mats are bad but I am extremely dedicated to the subject, I made sure I read/bought every grooming book, blog, and articles aswell as all the youtube videos I could find. I am of course by no means a professional groomer, but I feel my research has given me all the answers I need to do all my dog grooming from home. We took her to pet value once for a sanitary shave and nail clipping and vowed never to go back for those services.
I think home grooming is great, it builds such a great bond and even if you have a dog that hates to be touched in anyway (like Khazi when we first got her) you can get to know your dog and train them to love grooming. Khazi still doesn't totally love grooming but she will always runs back to me after we have finished an area that was causing her grief and gives me tons of kisses. That being said, I have never in my life hurt my dog while grooming. Normally I pick one section of the body I want to work on first, then make my way around going from area to area. I completely believe that you should be working as a team as well as being able to read your dog's body language. I have taught my dog that if she doesn't want me working on a sensitive area any more she can chew on the matted area she wants my to work on next. I just simply say "show me" and she communicates exactly where this issue is.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Back dated posts
Back in 2014 and 2015 I wrote a large number of posts about Khazi, groming, training, my work and daily life with my pup. Unfortunately life got in the way (work, health problems, and a new relationship which eventually ended in marriage - yay!!) so they never got published. Over the next while I am going to work on actually publishing those back dated posts as well as working on new posts about the updates in my life (spoiler alert there is a new dog in the family!). So if you are reading along, you know if anyone actually does read these the posts may switch back and forth from back dated ones to new ones. I will make sure to add the date to the back dated posts to keep it clear. So keep checking back because there are many more posts to come :)
Sunday, March 12, 2017
From Unpaid Apprentice to Head Sport Trainer
In 2014 I began training as an apprentice at a dog training facility. I started out as a gopher, mostly observing the teaching process and dealing with facility clean up. The next step up was becoming a Teacher's Assistant which meant I was now allowed to assist during classes and talk to students about any issues they might be having (although I still always checked in with my mentor before giving said advice). The TA position came to me simply because the regular assistant went on vacation and asked me to cover her shifts. During this time I developed a deep bond with my mentor and when it came time for the other assistant to come back to her job she was no longer needed. I believe the biggest underlying factor of this slight promotion can be attributed to the fact that the facility owners knew keeping me on as an unpaid apprentice would profit them more than paying for a salaried employee to work the shifts. I learned as much as I could from my mentor and she was more than willing to help me become better at what I do. She challenged me every day and I continuously proved to her I was up to the challenge. I got many more responsibilities because she trusted me to do as I was taught and she never second guessed me. At the beginning of every set of classes she would introduce me as her assistant and told the class that if they needed any help they could ask me as I was more than capable of answering any questions they might have. This was the biggest compliment I could have received and I made sure I knew every detail about everything we taught so if any questions were asked of me I could give a proper, knowledgeable and professional answer. I was a TA for close to two years before I was promoted to Co-Instructor. My Mentor decided it was time for her to move on with her career and leave our facility and she started this transition by dropping the Tuesday agility classes and only working one more batch of Sunday classes. When the Tuesday shift needed filling I was originally still a TA but as time went on my partner (who was the TA I took over from two years prior) realized I now had more experience and knowledge on the subject than she did so I was given the position of Co-Instructor. Once it came time for my mentor to leave for good she did the kindest most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me by telling the facility owners that I was most qualified and skilled to take over when she left. Because of this I was not only given the position of lead agility instructor but also the position as Head trainer of all dog sports . This was a huge step up for me and this position meant I would finally be paid for my work and I got my very own apprentice to train. I have had the position for about a year and a half now and I couldn't be happier. I have been allowed to change the course outlines and brought them up to a new standard, to the point that we are now getting clients from other training facilities leaving reviews saying our program is far better than all others that they have tried. I am not one to feel confident and proud of myself but I am extremely proud of my accomplishments at work and I finally have something that I know I am good at doing. Agility was my first passion and what got me started but I knew I wanted to expand my horizons and become even more qualified so I got my CTDI (certified Trick Dog Instructor) certification and worked with my dog to earn her TDCH (Trick Dog Champion) title. This gave me the experience needed to be able to teach tricks. I may already have my dream job but I will never stop trying to better myself in my career, next on the horizon is to start teaching even more dog sports. I will become a Certified Trick Dog Judge qualified to judge competitions at Tridex 2018 in the next few months as well as learning how to properly teach disc, competition obedience and flyball classes. It has been a bit of a crazy whirl wind or hard work but I am so happy with how my life is turning out. So if you would like to become a dog trainer, follow your passion and never give up, even if you need to volunteer for a while to get there, do it and make it happen.
Monday, December 19, 2016
My Apprenticeship Experience (written in 2014)
This is a post I wrote back in 2014 but never ended up actually uploading. I read it for the first time since then just today and I thought I would post it anyway because it is useful information. The thing is, my apprenticeship has been over for quite some time now and I currently hold the position of Head Dog Sport Instructor at my facility. So read this through if you are interested in an apprenticeship then when you are done take a look at the next post that I plan to write to get a feel of what has changed since obtaining the career I was working towards.
Seven weeks ago I began a dog training apprenticeship at the facility where I took Khazi for training. I thought I would share some of my experiences for those of you are interested in going down that career path so you can get an idea of what's to be expected. All apprenticeships are different, for example many facilities will have you start as the mop person, in charge of dealing with all the doggie bodily fluids but others may get you working right away. There is no real standard for how you are taught and what you are taught, it is all up to the individual trainer or facility. I was lucky enough to work with a trainer who is all about teaching me how to instruct classes. Not every one will be so lucky but if you want to succeed and make the most of your apprenticeship you have to be ready to take anything they may throw at you. I actually advanced much sooner than most apprentice trainers would out of pure necessity. The facility in which I work always has at least two trainers teaching per class, one trainer who is extremely experienced in the specific field and another trainer who has general knowledge in a variety of areas. The second trainer is technically the trainer's assistant but they still teach a lot of the class as it is usually split into two groups. The trainer's assistant (TA) is also in charge of all the agility equipment and care of the facility. The TA that I usually work with was going on vacation and needed me to cover her shifts for five class days. It was actually really great because instead of standing around watching the teaching process and acting as a gopher the TA stepped aside for me to take the lead while she critiqued my performance to be sure I was capable of teaching on my own when the time came. It was an amazing experience and really helpful. I am not the most confident person but because of the training I received I am very confident in my performance as a TA.
My tips for making the most of an apprenticeship
1. Ask a million questions. It is better to ask now than to not know the answer when you need it.
2. Work your ass off. Excuse my language but it is true. The reason I was given more responsibility than the other apprentice is because I am never standing around waiting for direction, I am always doing something and trying to figure out what needs to be done before I am asked to do it.
3. Be confident and let your personality show and have fun with it. Clients can tell when you are nervous and unsure and they don't have as an enjoyable experience. You may also seem stand offish and angry so leave your insecurities at the door.
4. Be encouraging. Working with dogs can get frustrating and you need to be prepared to tell people about personal set backs and problems you may have encountered. This is the one area where I feel my trainer could have a slightly different approach. She is amazing and really shows people how to have fun and she tells owners when their dogs get the sillies not to worry because agility requires a certain level of excitement and it is normal for a dog to act up. This is true, she is not wrong in any way but sometimes people need to hear that their dog isn't the only one who may be struggling. This is where having a nut of a dog comes in handy. At the end of agility level 1 the students have their first timed run and there is always at least one dog who runs around the course with no intention of returning to their owners. These people are always discouraged and it was fairly obvious that a few of the owners in the class were so frustrated they wanted to cry. This is where I tell them not to worry because their dog still had a better run than my dog's first run. Khazi's first run may or may not have taken over 5 mins to complete while the rest of the class took about a 30 seconds. It was a proud day... not.
5. Do what you can to be knowledgeable on any subject that may arise. I have a mass of dog books that I read on a daily basis to ensure I will be able to help when owners ask my advice. I also make sure to read up on every breed of dog that enrolls in the class so I have an idea of how that dog will learn best (obviously not all dogs fit their breed description but I find it helpful to know what I could be dealing with).
Here is an example situation that arose at class today. The one class I have been teaching is filled with reactive (like aggression but not quite) dogs, why the owner of the facility thought it would be good to put them all together is beyond me but anyhow that is what we had to work with. The owner with the biggest problem dog (a Australian cattle dog) in the class (he was an aggressive puppy and it was made worse because of inconsistent handling) came up to me and asked what he should do to be able to control his dog better as it was becoming a serious problem and is disrupting the class. I suggested he exercise the dog before coming to agility but I told him to follow up with the head trainer as she knows better. When I asked her about it later she said she told him to find a job for his dog to do, he is pent up with energy and has no place to expel it other than towards other dogs. She said because he is a breed that needs an extremely high activity level he physically cannot control himself. I have a feeling that the owners won't put the effort into working their dog hard so I am going to give them some at home mental exercises. It won't solve the problem because he needs both the physical and mental stimulation but it may help a little.
Those are my tips for now I hope they help you :)
Seven weeks ago I began a dog training apprenticeship at the facility where I took Khazi for training. I thought I would share some of my experiences for those of you are interested in going down that career path so you can get an idea of what's to be expected. All apprenticeships are different, for example many facilities will have you start as the mop person, in charge of dealing with all the doggie bodily fluids but others may get you working right away. There is no real standard for how you are taught and what you are taught, it is all up to the individual trainer or facility. I was lucky enough to work with a trainer who is all about teaching me how to instruct classes. Not every one will be so lucky but if you want to succeed and make the most of your apprenticeship you have to be ready to take anything they may throw at you. I actually advanced much sooner than most apprentice trainers would out of pure necessity. The facility in which I work always has at least two trainers teaching per class, one trainer who is extremely experienced in the specific field and another trainer who has general knowledge in a variety of areas. The second trainer is technically the trainer's assistant but they still teach a lot of the class as it is usually split into two groups. The trainer's assistant (TA) is also in charge of all the agility equipment and care of the facility. The TA that I usually work with was going on vacation and needed me to cover her shifts for five class days. It was actually really great because instead of standing around watching the teaching process and acting as a gopher the TA stepped aside for me to take the lead while she critiqued my performance to be sure I was capable of teaching on my own when the time came. It was an amazing experience and really helpful. I am not the most confident person but because of the training I received I am very confident in my performance as a TA.
My tips for making the most of an apprenticeship
1. Ask a million questions. It is better to ask now than to not know the answer when you need it.
2. Work your ass off. Excuse my language but it is true. The reason I was given more responsibility than the other apprentice is because I am never standing around waiting for direction, I am always doing something and trying to figure out what needs to be done before I am asked to do it.
3. Be confident and let your personality show and have fun with it. Clients can tell when you are nervous and unsure and they don't have as an enjoyable experience. You may also seem stand offish and angry so leave your insecurities at the door.
4. Be encouraging. Working with dogs can get frustrating and you need to be prepared to tell people about personal set backs and problems you may have encountered. This is the one area where I feel my trainer could have a slightly different approach. She is amazing and really shows people how to have fun and she tells owners when their dogs get the sillies not to worry because agility requires a certain level of excitement and it is normal for a dog to act up. This is true, she is not wrong in any way but sometimes people need to hear that their dog isn't the only one who may be struggling. This is where having a nut of a dog comes in handy. At the end of agility level 1 the students have their first timed run and there is always at least one dog who runs around the course with no intention of returning to their owners. These people are always discouraged and it was fairly obvious that a few of the owners in the class were so frustrated they wanted to cry. This is where I tell them not to worry because their dog still had a better run than my dog's first run. Khazi's first run may or may not have taken over 5 mins to complete while the rest of the class took about a 30 seconds. It was a proud day... not.
5. Do what you can to be knowledgeable on any subject that may arise. I have a mass of dog books that I read on a daily basis to ensure I will be able to help when owners ask my advice. I also make sure to read up on every breed of dog that enrolls in the class so I have an idea of how that dog will learn best (obviously not all dogs fit their breed description but I find it helpful to know what I could be dealing with).
Here is an example situation that arose at class today. The one class I have been teaching is filled with reactive (like aggression but not quite) dogs, why the owner of the facility thought it would be good to put them all together is beyond me but anyhow that is what we had to work with. The owner with the biggest problem dog (a Australian cattle dog) in the class (he was an aggressive puppy and it was made worse because of inconsistent handling) came up to me and asked what he should do to be able to control his dog better as it was becoming a serious problem and is disrupting the class. I suggested he exercise the dog before coming to agility but I told him to follow up with the head trainer as she knows better. When I asked her about it later she said she told him to find a job for his dog to do, he is pent up with energy and has no place to expel it other than towards other dogs. She said because he is a breed that needs an extremely high activity level he physically cannot control himself. I have a feeling that the owners won't put the effort into working their dog hard so I am going to give them some at home mental exercises. It won't solve the problem because he needs both the physical and mental stimulation but it may help a little.
Those are my tips for now I hope they help you :)
Thursday, May 29, 2014
May 2014 Bark Box Review
May 2014 Bark Box Review
Bark Box Rating: 4/5
Approximate Box Value:$63.21
This month`s message
Fetched fresh from the farm: playing with your food is A-OK!
The arrival of warm weather means sunshine, picnics, and an abundance of produce. One of our favouite places to stroll with our pups is the local farmer`s market, where fruit, vegetables, meat and freshly baked bread are aplenty - and let`s just say our pup are equally interested in edible wares as we are!
This month`s BarkBox celebrates healthy (but still delicious!) eating, inspired by the finds from our favourite greenmarkets; we kept a particular eye out for organic, GMO-free ingredients and paired them with eco-friendly toys that can be enjoyed outdoors!
So let your pup pawpick from our garden of goodies and pardon the vegetable puns... we know they`re a bit corny! Enjoy your BarkBox, we`ll see you next month!
Team BarkBox
Loopies Rozcoe the Corduroy Kitty: The second I opend the box Khazi grabbed the stuffed toy and ran off. She is in love with it and has started taking it to bed with her. She has a select few toys that earn that honour so the Stuffed Kitty gets a top rating in my book and Khazi`s. The card says ``Rozcoe the corduroy kitty is squeaky, deceptively sturdy, and perfect for rough n`tumbling with your pup. But get this: BarkBox test pups were just as likely to wrestle with them as they were to use them during snuggle time and nap time!`` This toy costs a whopping $31.23 USD plus shipping on Amazon.com, I`m sorry but who would pay that for a simple squeaky plush toy?!
JW Pet Megalast Ball: The other toy in the box was a large JW Pet Megalast Ball. The ball is made from non-toxic super tough Megalastomer I have not tried our ball yet but I do have experience with them as they are the fetch balls used at the training facility I work at. I really like the balls and so do the dogs. I played with a few of these balls on Tuesday and the dogs chew them up like crazy, while the balls do show wear and tear they look great for the amount of abuse they take. They are easy for the dogs to pick up and catch because of the hole and rivets. They have a fantastic bounce and it does not take much effort to lob. Khazi is not too much of a ball dog but she does have some ball drive from our fly ball training days. I am excited to see how she likes it. When we do use it I will add an update here. The card says `` Made in the USA in an eco-friendly facility that utilizes solar power, the Megalast Ball from JW Pet is inspired by spring shapes and colours! Durable for chewers, made with recyclable materials, and extra bouncy for long-lasting fun.`` These balls cost $11.99 on Amazon.ca
Update: I got try the ball with Khazi today and she really liked it. It was not an obsession or anything but she had fun and then I lost it. I am not sure where it bounced to but it is somewhere in my basement, she was upset that she couldn't find it so that shows she was enjoying her playtime.
Snicky Snaks Apple Cobbler Treats:
The box also came with two types of treats. The first type were Apple cobbler cookie treats. Khazi is strange about harder cookie treats, she either can stand them or would do anything for them. Thankfully Khazi seems to really like them, in fact she `Said her Prayers` for the first time in order to get one. The card says `Made in the USA with 100% organic, GMO-free ingredients like molasses, eggs, cinnamon, and apples, and with minial carbon footprint. Snicky Snaks are good for your pup... and the planet! I couldn`t find the price of these treats listed any where but I have heard the average price is about $10
Nootie No Grainers BBQ Chicken Jerky Chews: These are a nice soft chew and they smell great. These treats would be perfect for training, stuffing in a treat filled tug, or just giving as a loving gesture. Khazi responds very well to these treats and will work hard to get one. I like to break them up and use them for agility training they are a very high reward treat. The only problem with these treats is that they contain chicken liver, something Khazi is sensitive to so I can`t give her many in a day. The card says `Jerky has always been a favourite of humans on the go - we think pups will appreciate a portable snack too! Nootie`s BBQ chicken jerky is made in the USA and can be broken into bite-sized bits - plus, we think the smoky barbecue scent is reminiscent of outdoor markets! They cost $9.99 on Amazon.ca
Monday, May 19, 2014
Home Agility Course: Tunnels
Home Agility Course: Tunnels
I feel like I have been such a slacker lately, not keeping up with my posts but I have been so busy working my blog has taken a back seat. Today's post will be the first of a series on creating your own agility course. I am not sure if I have mentioned it before but a few months ago I started my dog trainer's apprenticeship teaching agility.I took agility classes before I started teaching them so I have been doing agility with my dog for about nine months now. Khazi isn't exactly an agility super star but I love running with her and I feel with a bit more practice she would do much better. I have been wanting a home agility course for quite a while now and three days ago I took the first step and bought her two regulation standard tunnels. Tunnels are the one piece of equipment I was not going to make at home because while I had a plan, it was extremely complicated and probably wouldn't have worked anyway. You can find tunnels online that aren't too expensive but they are not standard size and my dog would never fit in them. If you have a smallish dog and you don't care too much about meeting standards you can use a children's play tunnel or cut the bottom out of a collapsible laundry basket. As this wasn't an option for me I started looking online for actual tunnels, unfortunately the best price I could find was about $300 plus a substantial shipping fee for a 10ft. tunnel. That was way too expensive for me so I talked to the head agility trainer and she told me about a place in Milton called Bauhound Haus Inc. A few days ago mom and I decided to go on an adventure and take the long drive up to Milton. Bauhound Haus was a cute little store on Main Street. At first we were worried there would be no parking because it is on such a busy road but we found there was ample parking behind the store you just had to loop around. The store is a lot like most specialty pet stores, there were a lot of toys, training equipment, and various accessories. I was happy to find doggie dumbbells there as well as I am trying to work on Khazi's mouthing tricks. I had to ask about the tunnels because they are kept in the basement. I should have called ahead because there were only two tunnels left and they were both the same colour. I had gotten in touch with the owner through their Facebook page and he said there were many colours available, unfortunately, they take the tunnels to shows so they were not in the store. If you decided to go definitely call first. My trainer suggested that I get tunnels different colours because if I ever compete in the future, my dog would be more likely to accept equipment that is different than what she is used to. The training facility I work at uses green, red and yellow tunnels so I wanted any other colour. I got two royal blue tunnels with yellow coiling. I really wanted a blue and a different colour but hey, at least she has never used a blue one before.
The tunnels I got were 10ft. long with a six inch pitch (the spacing between the coils) I don't know how wide the opening is but it is standard size. They cost about $150 each and I was very happy with that price, it is the cheapest I have seen them. If you are interested in buying agility equipment I highly recommend their tunnels. I would like to point out that the tunnels do not include any weights so you will have to buy sandbags or make them yourself like I will be doing.
Khazi seems to really like having the agility equipment at home and she seems more interested in doing work here than she does at the facility. She didn't have any problem switching to blue tunnels but just to be sure she wouldn't have issues, I introduced it to her the same way I did the first time she used a tunnel, only much faster. She really didn't mind the new colour, she had more issues the first time she went through the green tunnel at class. Here she is, pooped after our agility training session.
As for the rest of my course, it is all going to be homemade. I found basic instructions online and I will be adapting them to meet the AAC regulations. I would love to say I will be posting a tutorial every week but I don't think my course will get built that quickly. I need help with this project so I will have to make it work with my parents schedule as well and they are busy renovating the basement, all by hand. Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, my course will include one or more of the following: single jump, high jump, broad jump, chute, A frame, teeter totter, dog walk, pause table, tire jump, weave poles and of course my tunnels plus the sandbags I have to make. If and when that all gets done I will be including my training schedule, various handling exercises and some course layouts for both games and more standard runs.
XOXO J and Khazi
Sunday, May 18, 2014
All About Pets Show 2014
This post is so very late, I went to this show over the Easter weekend but I didn't actually post it because I was going to add pictures, then I lost them, it was a whole big thing. If I ever find them I will add them to the post, anyway here it is, enjoy!
Last weekend I attended the All About Pets Show for the first time ever and I have to say I am never going to miss one again. I am going to talk about all the products I bought and the different shows I saw but first here is just a little personal note on my experience.
There were some really great vendors and shows today but I have to say, the best part of my day was being surrounded by people who are happy to talk about dogs all day long. At home it's just me, nattering on about my dog and all the interesting facts I have learned and I can see my family trying their best to be interested but they just aren't. Today I talked nonstop to everybody I met about their dogs and my dogs and that is something I would NEVER usually do (the talking to people thing). I finally found my people, and they are the hard core dog people. I learned a lot today and it was really cool to be able to tell all these people all about my Bernedoodle. I would say about 99% of them had never heard of the breed before. I took my tablet with me to the show specifically because I was hoping people would want to see pictures and I am happy to day I whipped that thing out every ten minutes.
The facility was split up into different sections for dogs, cats, horses, reptiles, various farm animals, kangaroos (that was a very small section but awesome nonetheless), birds and fish. Within those sections there were subsections to cater to the various needs of the animals like health and nutrition, grooming, various supplies, as well as the animals themselves. I spent most of my time going through the dog section (of course) looking at the various dog breeders and breed specific rescues (they didn't have any regular city rescues represented). Hardly any of the dogs there were actually buyable or adoptable the breeders/rescues brought in the best of the best which were usually either their own family dogs or the dogs they use to breed. Like I said I talked to everyone and I probably met every dog in the building. My favourite dog that I met was a rescue Grey Hound, I fell in love with it. It was actually one of the tallest dogs I have every seen, it even made the Grate Danes look short.
I love to learn every thing I possibly can about the different breeds of dog so I asked a lot of questions. I mostly asked about size and behaviour because when I read up on the facts I only get generalizations and I wanted to know the specifics. Like when you research Pit Bulls you get all the aggression nonsense but if you talk to a breeder or an owner you will get the real deal about their temperament and behaviour (I didn't actually actually meet any Pit Bulls, I was just using a very basic example). I made sure to talk to the Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders obviously because I LOVE them but also because I had some questions about behaviour as Khazi seems to be more Berner than Poodle in that way. I was a little upset the other day because I was wishing that Khazi would be cuddly but she isn't at all. When I asked the breeders if their dogs were cuddly they all said yes but they also said that their dogs were not cuddly when they were younger, they all became cuddle monsters around the age of four. OK now, if anyone reading this owns a Berner, please let me know, were your dogs were cuddly from the beginning, did it developed with age or would they rather not be cuddled. I know every dog is different but it gives me some hope.
There were a lot of fun shows to watch and I saw all but one of the dog shows. They had the Super Dogs perform but they used a different name. I know they were the Super Dog performers though because I recognize a lot of them and because the owner actually lives across the street from me and I saw he and his son there. I actually found watching the show much more interesting now that I do it with Khazi and work as an apprentice trainer in agility. Watching the different techniques the trainers use and the way they communicate with their dogs is awesome. I also saw what a small tight community the world of dogs sports really is. After the show I went to ask one of the trainers a technical question and his dog happened to be a Frenchie. I told him the trainer I work with also did agility and other sports with her two French Bulldogs (she also has two Boston Terriers and a Border Collie who compete as well) and it turned out he knew her very well. I really liked him, his Frenchie Sabba (that could be wrong the building was really loud) was his first dog ever. His daughter moved in with him for a few months and brought her Frenchie along, he fell in love with the dogs and when she moved out he decided he needed to get one of his own. I think it's awesome that he started later in life and is totally excelling, I would have loved to have heard how he got started in sporting.
On a side note, the superdogs are the reason I got Khazi into agility. When I was really young, a few times a year I would see the massive trailers pull up to my neighbours house and tons of dogs would get out. Their property would be covered in dogs. Over an acre of extremely intelligent, adorable dogs, it was like my heaven. I only ever watched from afar but I wanted so badly to run over there to play with them and learn how they taught their dogs for myself. Eventually, after a few years they stopped having the dogs come to the house, I was so sad. They only ever had their own dogs there after that and funnily enough their son's dog, Bungee - a Jack Russel I think (it was a long time ago)- was always running away. I brought Bungee back countless times and it always made me laugh that a guy who's dad owns the Super Dogs has a dog that runs away at every opportunity.
Now back to the shows, after the Super Dogs they had, get this, the Super Goats! Yes you read it right, goats! I did not know Goat agility was a thing, I mean I was surprised when I found out cats could compete in agility. The goats were amazing, they could do everything the dogs could do and just as well, there was just more "accidents" on the field. The trainers also has massive treat bags. One of the goats was only like four months old but that one was very intent on running away after doing a trick, hmmm sounds like my dog :P . After the goats we met up with some the two little girls my family helps look after (Zeda, 8 and Leigh Lynn, 6 months) and their mom.Next there was a dock diving competition. There were three tiers, the juniors, seniors and the masters. The junior group jumped 0-4 Feet, the Seniors jumped 5-12 Feet and the Masters jumped 15-27 Feet. Most of the dogs were great but there were three dogs who were scared and I felt so bad for them. The announcer said that it is normal for a dog to be fearful of indoor venues because the lights reflect off the water and the dogs think if they jump in they will land on something other than water. Two of the dogs made me kind of sad but one just made me laugh, rather than standing in the ready jumping position trying to get the courage to jump like the others it stood there barking at it's toy in the water like he was telling it to come back to him so he didn't have to get wet. Those three dogs were all actually natural water dogs they were a Yellow Labrador Retriever, a Golden Retriever and a Nova Scotian Duck Tolling Retriever . There were many different breeds of all sizes, even a tiny American Eskimo Dog who could jump very far. The three farthest jumpers were 1. Bearded Collie 2. Belgian Mallinois 3. Unknown Mix. The fourth farthest jumper was a Austrailian Cattle Dog who refused to get out of the water until he had sufficiently hearded his toy by swimming around it in the water, Oh ACDs.
After the dock diving semifinals had finished there was a break in the show times so it was time to do some shopping. Some of the vendors were expensive, they were mostly the people selling homemade dog products. It makes sense that they would be more expensive but I couldn't justify spending money on products I know I can make easily. The one item I did consider buying was a bowtie collar made out of Frenchie fabric. The collars were $20 each so there was no way I was going to buy them but they were really cute and I thought they would be the perfect gift for my two coworkers/friends who have Frenchies. I found the fabric on Etsy if you want to check it out Click Here. There was one vendor that was far better than any of the others and I am so happy that I decided to wait until I had seen everything before I went shopping because I found everything I wanted for a tenth of the price. The guy running the little shop actually supplies pet stores so everything was under $10. I found so many great toys, most of them cost about $20 retail and I spent $1-$3 on each toy.
The big purchase I made was a $20 Frisbee. I was looking at the Frisbees and I started talking to the lady who designed the toys and asked her about increasing toy drive. Khazi is not an easy dog to get going because she is not food or toy motivated so I try as hard as I can to make her want to embrace her playful side. It was a great, informative talk and she helped me find the proper product for my dog as well as showing me how to introduce Khazi to Frisbee play.
I went to see the dog breed parade by myself and I found it very enjoable. I am fascinated by the different dog breeds so I spend a lot of my free time researching and taking dog breed quizzes. I was so proud of myself, I knew every dog breed before they announced the type. There were more rare breeds than the everyday breeds and I loved being able to see them in person rather than in a book or online. I understand the host of the show was famous but the name Beverly Mahood (?) means nothing to me. Let me know if you know why she is famous. After that was over we all went back to the dog shows after for another round of agility and the dock diving finale.
I went to this show specifically to see the grooming seminars and I missed all of them. We finally found the grooming center when there were five minutes until closing. I was happy to find the Chris Christiensen booth as I have never seen their products in person. I didn't buy anything from them because the prices are very high and buying any of their products would involve a lot of thought. If I had money I would probably have bought that place out. The product I wanted most was the Andreas Boar/Nylon brush because it would be perfect for Khazi's hair but it cost $70. Instead of buying anything I just took a catalog unfortunately I found later that there are no prices listed.
Congratulations for making it all the way to the bottom of the post, I know this was kind of rambily. I can't help it, that is the way my brain works when I am happy and excited. I highly recommend going to the show if you are ever around the area in April. I know I will buying next year's tickets as soon as they become available. If you do want to attend just know that you are not allowed to bring your dog with you to the show unless you are a vendor or performer. If you want to take your dog to an event like this try Woof Stock as it is pet friendly. I hope to be attending on May 24 so expect another post like this next week (if I can get my act together).
Have a great Victoria Day Weekend,
XOXO J and Khazi
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