Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

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)

Thanks so much to Blog Hop co-hosts Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume as we go into Week 16 of the Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop. What a fun opportunity to visit so many great pet blogs every weekend!
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I’ve mentioned in a few prior posts that we’re doing Susan Garrett’s “The Five Minute Formula to a Brilliant Recall.” I’ve mentioned before that Freya and Axel seem to have different learning styles as well.

One thing in particular that surprises me is that Freya is still reluctant to do anything to my right, even when rewarded for being there. Freya will be seven and Axel will be four in November, so I definitely expected both of them to be more accustomed to being on my left in the usual heel position. That’s quite a few years of being on the left, including casual walking, basic classes, show training, showing in American and German-style shows, obedience classes, and rally obedience classes and trials.

Axel was a little confused at first, but with the possibility of a food treat or toy reward on my right, he decided pretty quickly that he would go with the program. I can now call or signal him to either heel or right, which is more useful than I thought it would be.

Freya still thinks it has to be a trick. She isn’t sure why I’d try to trick her after over six years, but she makes it clear that she is not going to be the one to fall for it. We’re still working on it. I still can’t get her to willingly come to my right side unless I create a barrier to my left side with a wall or fence.

I am sure we’ll get past it, as we have almost everything else. It’s just interesting how different Freya and Axel can be sometimes.

(NaBloPoMo | August ’10: 20 of 31)

I read quite a few dog-related blogs and forums. Some are Rottweiler-specific, some are specific to training for certain dog sports, and others are more general. The large amount of good information out there, much of it free, is amazing. The even larger amount of poor quality information out there is amazing in a more depressing way. Sometimes I wonder how any first-time dog adopter or purchaser, or anyone attempting to train their first dog, manages to sort out the information at all. Sometimes I find it difficult, and I’m on year 16 and Rottweilers number 5 and 6 (which, by the way, means I’m still very much a novice owner and trainer).

I realize I tend to be judgmental in many areas myself, but I know I would be very happy to not see quite as much judgmental writing on dog training topics. If I see fewer statements saying that shock collars automatically equate to dog abuse, or that clickers are only good for training tricks, or that those who train with food are all too permissive, that would be fine by me.

Personally, I think that the success of any training method relies on the ability of the handler to learn good timing. Timing of rewards and corrections are both hugely important, or you are not communicating the right message to your dog. Timing has been a very difficult thing for me to learn. You’ve seen me or someone just like me at your classes: I’m the one who who has trouble managing leash, clicker, and treats at the same time without sticking the clicker into the dog’s mouth or tripping myself on the leash.

Dogs are amazing creatures. Mine have managed to learn a lot despite me.

But there’s still only one thing I think we can all agree on. I saw it first way back when Rottweiler number one was just a puppy and I still see it now:

The only thing that two dog trainers can agree on is that the third dog trainer is doing it all wrong!

(NaBloPoMo | August ’10: 19 of 31)

Following an interesting discussion about head halters and harnesses at Eva the Sheltie’s blog, I pressed Freya into service as a model so I could write about the front-clip no-pull harness that I’ve found helpful: the Gentle Leader Easy Walk harness.

Although it sounds like Eva’s training is going well, and she may not need a no-pull harness, I’m going to write about harnesses anyway!

The top harness is a front-clip no-pull harness. The bottom harness is a conventional harness.
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Every year since 1998, just before school starts in the fall, Beloit College releases its Mindset List. Its stated purpose is to remind teachers of cultural references that may be obsolete to the incoming freshman class. Its real purpose appears to be to make me feel extremely old, almost to the point of writing them to suggest a name change to the “Beloit College When the Hell Did I Get This Effing Old List.”

This year, the item the headline writers seem to be stuck on is the one about writing cursive. Apparently most members of the Class of 2014 can’t, so I’m wondering how they sign letters… except they probably don’t write them. Or checks… except they probably do all their banking electronically. Okay, never mind!

This year’s list didn’t strike as many nerves with me as some of the past ones. Cursive writing and the abundance and normalcy of Korean cars are much less significant to me than some of the past touchstones, which not only touched me but rocked me on my butt.

Class of 2002:
They have never feared a nuclear war.
Their lifetime has always included AIDS. (When we were in college, herpes was the most-feared STD. What a world.)

Class of 2006:
Cyberspace has always existed.

Class of 2008:
There have always been night games at Wrigley Field. (This was a huge one for me, even though I’m not and never will be a Cubs fan. I remember all the talk about tradition, economic survival, and modern sports. I don’t even like baseball but do like living in one of the few cities with a old-time baseball stadium still standing.)

Class of 2010:
Professional athletes have always competed in the Olympics.

Class of 2011:
MTV has never featured music videos. (Another huge one for me, because I miss music videos and hate hate hate the 24/7 (sur)reality shows.)

Class of 2012:
For these students, Sammy Davis Jr., Jim Henson, Ryan White, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddy Krueger have always been dead. (I was at Stevie Ray Vaughan’s second-to-last concert at Alpine Valley. It cannot have been that long ago. Can it?)

I feel really, really old now. I’d better go and lie down!

(NaBloPoMo | August ’10: 17 of 31)