New Year's Eve

Flash went to town with Dennis to pick up some roofing material for the new garage. He spent the rest of the day helping out with herding cats and horses for us. He's a big help.

He faded around 8 p.m., not staying up for the New York Times Square big ball. If he can't chew it, he's not interested.

Who gets the most gifts?

Flash with his Christmas toys. 

Walk that dog!

In an effort to exhaust the dog and get in shape for longer walks, Dennis took Flash for another long walk today. They started from the house before it started to rain and walked up to the Pacific Crest Trail   and then down to Boulder Oaks. I picked them up there and drove to Alpine, hitting some snow in Pine Valley. We picked up some groceries in Alpine and drove back to the house.

The idea of exhausting the dog was ridiculous. That dog can't be exhausted. He's always ready to GO! Right now he's following Dennis around the house waiting for something to happen. He is ignoring me.

A Christmas Tale

Dennis took Flash on a hike on Christmas Day. Brother-in-law Gary drove them to Cibbets Flat and they walked back to the house on the Pacific Crest Trail.

First, a sniff to see what's what.

A reassuring pat.

Let's go!

Say goodbye to Gary. We're on our own now.

Photo Shoot

 I took some photos of Flash for next year's Christmas Letter. He was stunned that I let him up on the furniture. Later he found out that it was only allowed for the photo shoot. Poor Flash, so confused. He's pretty cute, though, isn't he?

Good boy.

After the fiasco at Flash's lesson, I left him outside the house with a "kind stranger" while I went in the house to make a phone call. I left him for several minutes and when I went back outside to get him, he was sitting in exactly the same position at the "kind stranger's" side. Neither one of them had moved a muscle. Good boy.

Flash, the Nipper

Flash, the border collie, at rest at the front steps of the house.

Last night's training session was disappointing for me and Flash. I thought he would get his Good Citizenship award, but it was withheld because of his nipping problem. We got Flash when he was 8 months old. At that time, we noticed that he would nip at your hand if you grabbed his collar or otherwise tried to stop him from doing what he wanted to do. Over time, I thought he became more comfortable with us and more relaxed. He hasn't nipped at me or Dennis for a long time. I do know that he has trouble with children. He tries to avoid them, but I believe he could nip if he felt threatened. This bothers me a lot. It could be that he has become imprinted with his early upbringing in a family with 3 children. I wish we had gotten him when he was a puppy. We keep learning that lesson over and over. Start with a puppy!

This doesn't mean we don't love Flash. We do! He's a very friendly dog. He loves us and he loves everyone on the ranch--his domain. Yesterday, Dennis left Flash outside when he left for a meeting in the morning. When I was getting ready to pick up Mom for the movies, I drove down to the barn to give the farrier his check and found Flash down there "helping" Dave. Dave's comment was, "He's a very friendly dog!" And he is. I was getting back in my car and, of course, Flash wanted to come with me. Just then, Joanne from the office drove by and stopped and opened the back hatch of her car. She called Flash and he very willingly jumped in. I love to see how comfortable he is with everyone. He only has a problem with nipping if he is confronted or stressed. What to do, what to do?

Good Citizen?

Last Tuesday, Flash and I took the Good Citizenship test at Rachel's house during our regular lesson. He passed except for one little detail. When it came time to leave him with a kind stranger and go out of sight for 3 minutes, he nipped at the first two volunteers. Not good. We will have to work on that. Any volunteers?

Good job, Flash

I have spent a lot of time complaining about Flash not retrieving balls and toys. He wants to play, but play means he want us to throw the toy and then chase him. We're too old to chase a young border collie.

The other day, I put the retractable leash on Flash and we went to the back yard to train. Flash loves it. He doesn't think of it as training, he things we are playing. Anyway, I threw a tennis ball and, of course, he went after it. Then I tugged on the leash a little and asked him to bring it back. And he did! So we played this game for awhile, interspersed with a cookie from time to time. He was having fun. He would bring back the ball and drop it into my hand and I would reward him either with a cookie or with throwing it again.

Then I took the leash off and played the same game. Whereas, formerly he would just run away with the ball, this time he actually brought it back! Time after time, he would get the ball, bring it back, drop it into my hand, and get a cookie or get to chase the ball again. Yea! Good dog.

Trainer Rachel was right. You just have to repeat the task again and again until he gets it and wants to do it. I know it will take many more days of working on this exercise before he will forget about taking the ball away instead of returning it, but at least we had a breakthrough. I'm happy.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Flash takes a walk on Connie's Loop

Today, Dennis is taking Flash on a walk around Connie's Loop, a 5-mile trail we usually use for horseback riding. This will be a big deal for Flash...and Dennis!

Flash and his Daddy

While I was trying to sell some of my jewelry at a Craft Show in Pine Valley yesterday, Dennis took Flash with him on his weekly shopping trek down the hill. They picked up Uncle Johnny and did their shopping errands. At Costco, Dennis bought Flash two hot dogs. Flash was very attentive. He met a lot of people who wanted to pet him. He is a very happy dog.

Uncle Johnny feeds Flash a hot dog

Flash the Horse Herder

Today is Sunday, the day when normally Dennis does everything and I sit on my but, except for taking care of the kittens (now mostly cats). But this afternoon he went to a community event and I had to put the horses up at night. That meant I had to trade sneakers for my slippers. Rats!

Anyhow, Flash and I trudged down to the barn around 5 o'clock and I saw that Shalla was patiently waiting at her stall door. I warned Flash not to chase her (Flash! NO!) and he reluctantly hovered but did not chase. I opened Shalla's door and she calmly went in. I said to her, "Where's Doc?" because he wasn't hanging around the barn as usual. I walked around to the other side to see if he was there. He wasn't, but I opened his door and started off to hunt him down in the pasture.

As I came around the barn again, I saw him walking toward me some distance away. Then I saw Flash quietly walking behind Doc, bringing him to the barn. I swear when he heard me say "Where's Doc?" he went out to get him. I swear!! Betsy and I have been playing a game every Wednesday when we go to the barn for a riding lesson. Betsy started it and I've been carrying it on. We have dog cookies in the tack room to support this training. We ask Flash "Where's Doc?" and he's supposed to jump up and touch Doc's stall door. Later I started doing the same thing with Shalla. Flash doesn't get it right all the time, but for the most part he touches the correct door and gets a cookie.

So today, while I was astonished to see Flash actually herding Doc back to the barn, I think he was acting on the training we did in the barn. Huh. Who knew?

Here's the proof. I took these with my iphone camera. If you look in the center of the first photo you can just barely see Doc through the trees. The subsequent photos show Flash walking him in all the way to his paddock. (This is so great.)

Back on Track

Apologies...I have neglected Flash's blog for a while, but we are back on track. Tonight was lesson night with Rachel. I am happy to report that Flash was excellent. The last two weeks weren't so good. Flash was overly excited and distracted. So, tonight when he was so good, he really surprised me...pleasantly. We worked on heeling, the stay, the down, come, and even retrieve. He is just doing so much better I can't believe it.

Fun with the Whippets

While Dennis and I were in San Francisco, Flash got to spend the week with Rachel and her whippets in Alpine. He really had fun with the dogs (not all of them whippets) and Rachel and Henry report he was a very good dog.

I think he was happy to see us, but I don't think he would have minded staying at Rachel's forever. He really had a lot of fun.

Lesson Tuesday

Tonight was a different kind of lesson for Flash--patience. We spent a good part of the class on the sidelines letting the adorable Havanese puppy, Danny, get some practice in. He hasn't been to the class for awhile and we've benefitted from having private lessons. So tonight we let Danny work alone with his handler much of the time.

Flash had to learn not to dash after Danny's toy or try to herd him. This was as hard on Flash as it was on me, trying to hold him back.

Flash also practiced the stay and down commands and heeling without sniffing the whole yard in the process.

Pond Scum

If you take a deep sniff of Flash's coat, that's what he smells like--pond scum. I bought him an orange float toy like they use with hunting dogs who swim after birds that land in water. Now that Flash knows he can swim, I encourage him to do it as much as possible. It's very hot and it cools him off. So for the last couple of days, I've been taking him down to the pond and throwing his toy in the water. He knows what to do--retrieve the toy and -- what? Take it down the shore and chew it to death? No, no. Bring the toy, Flash. Bring it!

That is why we don't spend too much time at the pond. I get tired of retrieving the toy.

Smart Dog

Tuesday was Flash's lesson with Rachel. He did pretty well; I was the one with issues. I have to practice how I tell Flash to "get ready" or "get around."

We did some training asking Flash to move back. I wasn't sure he got it, but tonight when we practiced the back command, I could see that he knew what I wanted and did it. Huh.

Stand

Flash and I are working on the Stand command since it is the basis for other commands. As long as I have a cookie, Flash will stand up from a sit and come forward. It's not exactly what I want, but I think in a few days he will get it. Then I need to get rid of the cookie.

Flash's Tuesday Lesson

Flash had another lesson Tuesday night. We are getting close to taking the test for Good Citizen and I think we are making progress. He had a lot of distractions last night because Rachel's whippets were loose. He got along pretty well with them, but it's hard to concentrate when whippets are falling all over you.

He's getting the idea of going Down on the run, although he sneaks a few steps to get closer to me...well, to the cookie.

He can walk on a loose leash pretty well if he is focusing, but he usually starts off wanting to sniff everything.

We are still working on Stand, where I lure him from a sit to a stand by holding a cookie in front of his nose. Without a cookie? Well....

Another thing he has to learn is to sit straight and not in a puppy sit. I can't remember the command...Sit Up? or Step Up? Hmmm, I'll have to ask Rachel.

Tick Tock

Flash had two ticks on him today. This morning he went running up in the hills with Dennis and I think that's where he got them.

Flash Goes to Pine Valley Days

I didn't have a booth at Pine Valley Days this year, but we took Flash to wander around the vendors and desensitize him, if necessary, to a whole mess of people. He didn't seem to have a problem with it, but it was very hot so we didn't stay long.

At least three people commented on how clean he was. Later in the afternoon he went in the pond at home and came out with some gunk on his collar and around his neck. So Dennis and I gave him a bath...he was not happy about that.

Flash was happy to see Betsy at her booth. 

The feeling was mutual.

Flash Goes to the Beach!

Today we took Flash to Fiesta Island, a no-leash dog beach, to see how he liked big water. As the slideshow shows, he loved the water almost as much as the hot dog and fries he shared with us. By the way, Flash celebrated his first birthday on Tuesday, July 24. 

Tuesday's Lesson

I may have owner blindness, but it seemed to me Flash did pretty well at last night's lesson. For one thing, there were several dogs running loose, smelling him (meet and greet) while we had him on leash.  He was a little nervous, but didn't do anything like trying to nip the other dogs. Good boy.

Then we did something new where he was supposed to go down while he was running toward us. Dennis was handling him and I think Flash was getting the idea sort of. With some practice, I think he'll get it.

Then we did some heeling exercises with a lot of turning left and right. Flash did better when he was challenged by the turns, Rachel said. I've got to get to feeling better so I can work with him more at home.

Then I asked Rachel how I can get Flash to sit straight and not in a puppy sit. She showed us how to use a long stick or dowel to tap him so he moves over. I was not very successful at this exercise. Then we did something that required Flash to know how to stand. I now have forgotten the exercise, except for the standing part.

We have a lot of work to do.

Flash swims!

Dennis thought we should take Flash to the ocean today, somewhere like Fiesta Island where they allow dogs. But then we started thinking of the long drive, traffic, parking problems, sand and fleas and we decided we had a perfectly good pond right in front of the house.

Now Flash loves to get wet, but to our knowledge, he has never gone in the water deep enough to swim. So we took him and a tennis ball to the pond and threw the ball in for him to fetch. Ha. He got up to the edge, but couldn't put his feet on the bottom so he wouldn't go in.

Dennis retrieved the ball with a long stick and I took the ball to the shallow side of the pond and tossed it in close to the edge. Flash went in this time and nudged the ball until finally he had to swim to get it. I think he was surprised of his new talent--swimming.

We were very happy that Flash finally went swimming. It was 103 degrees outside, so we went back to the cool house.

Group Lesson

Tuesday we went to Rachel's again for Flash's weekly group lesson. This time there were more people and dogs, eight altogether counting us. I think Flash did pretty well, although he wanted to eat the puppy that was there. I managed to hold on to him when he lurched forward to get the puppy. Otherwise, Flash did all of the exercises well.

Now we are working on extending the distance I can go away from him while he is in a sit/stay or down/stay. Tonight I practiced with him and was able to go all the way across the back yard--more than the required 20 feet, I think.

What makes Flash so easy to train is his intelligence, of course, but also his memory. He retains everything he is taught once he "gets it."

Flash's New Job

Flash is busy at work at his new job: squiring around the kittens as they play on the patio in front of the house. We opened one of the windows so the kittens can hop outside and explore the larger world. This morning they were climbing trees and ducking under shrubbery to avoid Flash's herding eye.

Flash is very good with the kittens, taking a different tack with each one. He chases Cindy Crawford, places his mouth over Bubba's neck (Bubba is his favorite), watches Precious, and warily avoids Sambo, who spits at him every time. Flash doesn't seem to be able to make friends with Sambo, even though he lies down quietly waiting for Sambo to come around. No way.

Flash on the 4th

Flash had a great 4th of July. First, he got to follow Daddy around, feeding the horses and then putting them away again at night. He also got to go down to the barn with me so I could have my riding lesson.

My friend, John, made a higher mounting block for me so I can get on the horse easier. I'm still not able to ride, so Betsy gave Doc his lesson today. Flash thought the mounting block was made for him.

He was very good in the arena with Doc today. I think they are getting used to each other.

While Dennis, Mom and I were having a barbecue, Flash and Honey (Mom's dog) got their own hot dogs which they practically swallowed whole.

No Lesson Tonight

I can't believe I haven't written anything since last Tuesday. Flash is so entertaining and fun. Other people have even commented on how nice he's gotten. I attribute that to his lessons with Rachel and our continuing training at home. He's not perfect, but he's easy to be around. Unfortunately, our lesson tonight was canceled, so I have nothing to report except that Flash caught a tiny lizard that apparently came in through the window last night. Good job.

Lesson Night

Tuesday was lesson night for me and Flash. Dennis was out of town, so he couldn't participate. We had 3 dogs this time: a German Shepherd-type dog, a Havanese puppy, and Flash. Except for pooping on Rachel's floor and out in the yard (why???), I think Flash did very well. He's such a smart dog.

Sometimes Flash is No Fun

I know that Flash knows what he is supposed to do: Retrieve and Bring Back. I worked with him in the back yard, mistakenly thinking I didn't need a leash. He chased the dumbbell and he brought it back ... almost all the way. But then he dropped it and came in for the cookie. We went through the Uh Ohs so he would go back and get the dumbbell and bring it all the way to me. This was work not play.

Clean Dogs

Mom and I took Flash and Honey to the groomer this morning. Dirty dogs.  But now they are clean dogs. Well, Honey is clean, Flash is busy getting pond scum back in his coat.

Getting Better

Dennis had to go to the border for most of the day so Flash spent most of the day with me. We visited the kittens a few times and had two training sessions.

For the first training session we took his rubber dumbbell outside in the back yard and practiced retrieving. He was fairly consistent in bringing the toy back to me, but I was trying without success to get him to sit and give the dumbbell to me. Instead, he would drop the toy a few feet away or even at my feet; then he would sit and wait for his cookie.  We need more practice.

In the evening when we trained again, we did some retrieving with the real dumbbell and he was slightly better. Then we practiced the stay command both sitting and lying down. I tried to practice my hand signals. Hope I got them right.

Good Dog

Flash did vey well in the arena today. Betsy had him on leash while I rode Doc. The secret is the pinch collar.

Tuesday's Lesson

Last night we took Flash to Rachel's house for another "group" lesson. Again this week, the group didn't show up so Flash had a private lesson. Rachel's cousin was there with her toy dog (not sure of the breed, but she was adorable).

We showed Rachel how well Flash was doing retrieving his dumbbell  and then she, as usual, had some comments on how to extend his learning...or ours. We also learned that it mattered what hand you give the command with. I'm totally confused and will have to ask her to write it down. I think you use the left hand (we were using the right) for sit, stay, and down; but the left hand for stand and come. I think. I need another lesson on this.

We had a lot of fun and I think Flash did, too. His daddy worked with him this time and that was good for both of them. Flash loves his daddy.

It was pretty dumb of me not to take photos of his lesson this time since Dennis was doing all the work. I was enthralled. Maybe next time.

Dripping Wet

Flash just appeared at the door dripping wet from his last dip in the pond. He wants to come in, but I let him in the back yard instead.

Then he wanted to play--he was full of it! He picked up his rubber dumbbell but he wouldn't give it to me; he wanted me to chase him.

I did play with him for awhile, but I gave it up when he wouldn't bring me the toy. Later I'll put a leash on him and we'll play "Get it and Bring it."

Get it! Get it?

I think Flash is "getting it." I've been working with him so he will not only chase something thrown to him, but will bring it back.

I was throwing a "dumbbell" (why do they call it that?) to Flash and telling him to "Get it!" He chased it, picked it up and actually returned it to me when I asked him to "Bring it!" Then he put it in my hand and let go when I asked him to "Give." Wow, a breakthrough. Today, I'll see if he remembers. Being a border collie, he probably will.

Right now Flash is out on the ranch somewhere. He has an agenda: chase ducks, go for a swim in the pond, visit the office, get cookies, go for another dip, visit Honey at Grandma's house, play and get dirty, chase ducks, and eventually come home after another dunking in the pond. He is a very busy boy.

Flash's Lesson

Last night we took Flash to Rachel's for his group lesson, but the "group" wasn't there so he had a private lesson.

We worked on "Hold" and the beginnings of retrieve. We also discussed plans for teaching Flash to sit, down and stay on the fly, so to speak.

He may have to spend some time at Rachel's house.

Rachel's Recap Email

Here is the email Rachel, fabulous dog trainer, sent to the people who attended last Tuesday's training session. She explains the commands much better than I did:

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all had fun Tuesday night and feel like you learned something.  The dogs (and their handlers) all did really well and I think we'll be able to move quickly.  I heard that retrieving is an issue for a few of you, so I'll spend some time working on that next Tuesday.  We'll also work on recalls (Come! or Here!).

In the meantime, here are the things we covered and what you should be working on:

Look-Look:  Tap your eyes and reward your dog for establishing eye contact with you.  Practice this a lot--(repetition is crucial to everything with dogs)--and extend the time you can maintain the gaze before you reward.

Touch:  Hold your hand flat with a treat under your thumb. Have your dog reach or jump up to meet your hand to receive the treat.  Remember--we don't deliver!  They have to work for rewards.  Move your hand to different places once your dog gets the idea.

Leave-It: Begin by holding a treat in your fist and telling your dog to Leave-It.  As soon as they stop trying to get the treat, give it to them.  Work towards having your dog look into your eyes as soon as you say Leave-It.

Walking on a loose lead:  You all did extremely well, but this gets tougher when there are more distractions.  Work on getting an automatic sit when you halt.  Don't forget right, left and about-turns.  We'll be doing this EVERY week.

Sit and Down:  Piece of cake!  Start using hand signals paired with your verbal.  Sometimes try just the hand signal and see what happens.

Stay:  A reliable stay takes time.  Start working very slowly and SLOWLY build distance and time.  When the dog breaks--and if you're doing this right, they will--don't panic.   Just go back and start over.

Don't forget to praise--lavishly--with lots of hands-on cuddling.

I hope you're all following Maverick's blog (address below) even though he's been lazy lately.  You can also follow him on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maverick-the-Traveling-Whippet/244557155570456).

Flash the Border Collie also has a blog and he's a lot more active than Maverick.  No kidding, he's a Border Collie, not a Whippet!

http://flashthebordercollie.blogspot.com/

I'm interested in your feedback and anxious to know what other things you'd like to work on.

Thanks for coming,

Rach

Flash's Daily Training

Dennis and I took Flash for a walk on leash last night after dinner. This is one of the lessons we are supposed to practice before our next training session at Rachel's house. We are also continuing to work on Touch, Hold, Sit, Stay, Down, Twist, Get Ready, Go-Go's, Look-Look, and Leave It. Flash is doing very well on most of these.

I am incorporating the commands into his daily life with much success. For example, this morning when we visited the kittens, he picked up a mouse toy that belongs to Sambo. I told him to Leave It and he obeyed more or less instantly.

We practice Sit, Stay and Down regularly during the course of a day. I just started asking for Twist and, if we each have an end of his tug toy, he Twists really well.

Flash is excellent at Go-Go's. And pretty good at Get Ready. He's gotten so much better at the Go-Go's. I can't believe how smart he is and how he remembers everything.

Look-Look is one of the new commands. I have to say Flash learned this very quickly. He is really good at it.

Dennis want to go for a walk and Flash is already out of the door, so I'd better Get Ready myself.

A Day in the Life of a Border Collie

If a border collie doesn't herd sheep, what does he do? I can only answer this question for my border collie, Flash. Flash's day starts out with a visit to the kittens, making sure they survived the night in their crate. After I put the feed out and let the kittens out of the crate, Flash checks out each of the kittens and gives them a lick before coming back to the house with me.

The next fun thing is a run to the office with Dennis. This is what Flash loves to do more than anything else. All he has to do is see Dennis head for his bike and he is beside himself with excitement. For the next hour or so, he spends time in the office or runs around the property looking for things to do.

When Dennis comes back home for breakfast, Flash is given his breakfast, which he may or may not eat. Sometimes he likes to save it for later. I bought "Puppy Dust," a flavored sprinkle to enhance the taste and appeal of his dry food and he seems to like it.

After breakfast, it's back on a bike run to the office with Dennis. This time the office staff is in, supplied with dog cookies. Flash goes from one to another, performs a trick and gets a cookie. When the cookies dry up, he goes outside to play. Sometimes he takes a dunk in the pond, which keeps him smelling like pond scum.

If it's Wednesday, Flash comes out to the riding arena with me and supervises my lesson. I really appreciate his insight.  After the lesson, he usually goes to find his favorite person: Dennis. Some days he will spend all day out and about on the ranch until Dennis brings him back in the afternoon to have dinner.

At night, I usually brush him and pick out any stickers. We are like monkeys, as I groom him, he sometimes rewards me with a lick.

In between all the other activities, I will sneak in some training. Today we did a lot of "Look-Look," which we learned last night at the Canine Good Citizen class. He is so smart, it doesn't take too long for him to get it down. Sometimes he will make another trip to see the kittens. Sometimes we will play outside with his big purple ball.

In the evenings, Flash will lie down on the cool tile in the dining room and get some rest.

That's pretty much a day in the life of our border collie, although he is always ready to try something new or go for an adventure in the car.

Flash's Lesson

As I thought, the group class was fun. We learned new things and practiced some things we already knew. The Look-Look command was new. This command involves pointing to your temple and saying "Look-look," until the dog (in this case, Flash) looks into your eyes. Flash caught on pretty quickly, but we need to practice it this week. Other commands we need to work on are walking on a loose leash, the stay command, the down command, leave-it, and touch.

I hope I remember everything...I'll have to consult Flash.

Good Citizen

Flash is attending his first Canine Good Citizen class tonight. The class is being taught by Rachel Amado at Maverick Ranch. This should be fun.

Flash loves the kittens

Flash accompanies me every morning and evening when I feed the kittens. He loves them, especially Bubba, who wraps himself around Flash's legs. The kittens are no longer afraid of the big dog and he no longer wants to chase them. The outdoor cats are another matter.

Pretty boy

Flash stays still long enough for me to take his picture.

An Outing for Flash

This morning Flash played Nana to the kittens. I brought them into the house while 50-50 was sleeping. See video.

This afternoon, we took Flash to Pine Valley for a hamburger and frosty. He got his own hamburger patty but had to share the French fries with us. I saved the last of my frosty for Flash...as far as we know, his first taste of ice cream. He loves ice cream, as do we all.

Flash and the Kittens

Flash goes into the kitten den every morning when I bring the food and let the kittens out of their crate. Bubba walks under Flash and bats at his legs while the other two kittens just skedaddle in opposite directions. Flash continues to be interested, but doesn't get aggressive, which is very, very good. He's mostly interested in their food.

On Wednesday, Flash had his last training session with Rachel. In June we will attend the night classes at Maverick Ranch so Flash can be certified as a Good Citizen.

Dog Meets Cat

Flash is such a sweet dog. I let him into the kitty playpen to see if he would try to eat the kittens--and he just laid down while the kittens investigated him. What a good doggie.