Week 17 already! Join Blog Hop co-hosts Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume along with us, and many wonderful pet bloggers for the Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop!
I mentioned before that Freya and Axel have different learning styles. Since we’re still working through Susan Garrett’s “The Five Minute Formula to a Brilliant Recall,” I am doing the same set of games and lessons with both dogs, which makes the differences a little more obvious.
One of the key points throughout the recall course is building value: making it valuable for the dog to come to me by reinforcing his/her decision to do so with high-value rewards. After a few weeks of this, it seems that I am way more valuable to Axel than to Freya. Looking back on our lives together, this is not a new development. I think I’ve always been more valuable to Axel than to Freya. I wonder if this is a gender thing, or an individual learning styles thing?
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If I were a real pet blogger, I would be able to keep track of all of the pet-related holidays, observations, special days, and special weeks. The day is almost over and I failed to notice that it was National Dog Day today.
The dogs get healthy preservative-free treats and ample snooze time every day, so at least I didn’t totally fail in observing some of the celebratory suggestions. I had to smile at the idea of scheduling a professional photo shoot, even though it’s something I would in fact like to do. I even know which studio I’d like to use if a bunch of money fell out of the sky into my waiting arms: Sutton Studios.
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If you’ve been to a sieger (German-style conformation) show, or if you read the article from yesterday’s post, you know that each dog shown gets an individual critique from the judge. This critique is given for all to hear, and a written transcript goes to the owner or handler after the show.
The first dog shows I attended were AKC shows, and the selection of the winners was a mystifying process to me then (and if I’m really being honest, now, too). I knew that the judge was comparing each dog to the breed’s written standard with a hands-on examination plus observing the dog in motion, but I didn’t really get how the judge arrived at the final placements.
I feel like my Rottweiler conformation education was accelerated when I started attending sieger shows, and really paying attention to the individual critiques.
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In just over two weeks, Axel will be headed out on a short road trip with his breeder. That’s right, it’s showtime again! This time, he’s going to a sieger (German-style conformation) show: American Rottweiler Verein’s 2010 Nationals.
Once upon a time, we could count on at least three or four sieger shows a year within easy driving distance. This hasn’t been the case in the last few years. Axel’s last sieger show appearance was when he was about 18 months old; he’ll be four this November. It was his very first show outing and he did very well, placing second in a fairly large 12-18 month old class.
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Freya! Freya! The mail just came, and the package I just opened is for you!
Remember the giveaway we entered over at Neil’s blog, Life With Dogs, about a week ago? Well, look what you won, and Karen from Doggie Stylish sent it to you so quickly, too! Let’s put some pictures up to show how pretty you look in your black and red collar!
Freya says, “Mom, why are you taking photos of the back of my head, when my face is the most beautiful part of me?”
Well, Freya, your Undercoat of Doom is kind of getting in the way. We want to show everyone the details on your beautiful new collar, as well as your own beauty.
Freya says, “Okay, fine. Thanks, Karen! Thanks, Neil! I love my new collar.”
Axel says, “Where’s mine?”
Looks like we will be placing an order for another collar very, very soon!
(NaBloPoMo | August ’10: 21 of 31)
