Girl Dogs

Girl dogs are different than boy dogs. lol


I am still learning about Reese and what motivates her, what she does to tell me she's getting something or she's confused. So far I've been hit or miss. I felt I learned a lot from editing and watching our video from the first week. She doesn't like switching from one task to another. Which can be hard... "hey, we have been backing up all session, I can't offer anything else right now". She seems to get distracted and quit working when she gets unsure or when I introduce something new.


Last night, I tried to shape laying down on a mat, we need some kind of laying down to get the frog behavior she needs for our online class. She tried for a few seconds to figure out what that mat was doing in her training area, then she lost interest and went and looked out the window, checked out the boarder dog crates, and just generally wouldn't participate. So I got Zen out. Which went differently than I wanted. I wanted to work with him a little and strike up some jealousy and have her barge into the session. Instead Zen got to practice his mat behavior with a puppy bouncing on his head. Then she lost interest in that, worked with me on a couple of reps, then kind of fizzled out again. Zen loved all of it and got to do some conditioning work and heeling also. He thought this was great fun, and "puppy, what puppy?!" he said I can't distract him with a silly puppy.


Then I did dog nails again. Which Reese didn't care for. She fought a little more this time, but all 4 feet are done, and I'll do them again in a couple of days.


Oddly enough, this morning I get out the mat, bring it into the living room and Reese was game to play. I got the down on the mat, and even some small stretches towards frog, so I ended the session. We will do another morning session before work, probably with something different. After her tiny meltdowns, the next session is usually 100% better, so I'm hoping she can work through that and learn to continue offering even when she isn't too sure.

Week 1 Video

Settling In

Reese is really settling in and it's making it easier to get to know her personality and work with her.


She's a much more willing participant now that she's getting our routine now. She's a pretty quick learner, offering behaviors quite easily now. She's starting to get pivoting on an object.


She's been here 5 days and I have dremeled her nails twice. The first time she struggled a bit and wouldn't take treats. Last night she layed on her back in my lap and ate canned dog food after each foot was done. Success! I'll continue to do her nails weekly, or twice weekly, (or however often I need to). First of all, to keep her nails short, second, to keep her accustomed to having it done.


I have lots of video I hope to process this weekend of her training sessions.


Toy play is going well and getting more intense. She's loving the tug. Right now she likes the rubber milk inflation toys and I have a cowhide bite bar on a string that she likes a lot. She will play with just about anything, but those two are favorites.


Loves stuffed kongs and she gets a frozen recreational bone at bedtime.


Crate training is coming along and the past two nights she waited patiently for me to get her up rather than her getting us up. YAY!!!

New Puppy!

I'd like to chronicle our training sessions and progress, so I'm coming back to the blog format. I'll publish this publicly, but this is mostly for my own use, and memory, so the thoughts may be fragmented and scattered.


ACD puppy, named Reese, DOB 1-27-16, picked her up from the breeder 4-16-16, approx. 11 weeks old.


Crate training is not her forte, she settles in eventually, but she doesn't care for it. :)
She met Zen within 30 minutes of picking her up and she did ok with that. He mostly ignored her after his initial sniff, and went off to potty and stretch his legs (we did an 11 hour drive that day). Reese mostly hung out near me, she walks on a leash, and pottied without issue.


At home she met the other dogs and was appropriate, as were they, she was submissive, but not obsessively so. She has an interest in chickens, which goes from not sure about them, when they flock out of the coop all at once, to stalking them occasionally. I'm ok with that for now. Don't want to squash any interest in livestock, but if it goes beyond stalking she will be discouraged. I can't have a chicken killer :)


There is an expen set up in the living room for her, toys and blankets. Shes pretty good about chilling in there. She loves kongs stuffed with canned dog food. She does bark and carry on occasionally, but will usually settle in the ex pen better than her crate.


Day 2, she met my friend Deidra, and two of her shelties, and was appropriate. Seemed to have no problem meeting other dogs. She took a trip to petsmart and got a harness and walks beautifully on that. Shes a leash tugger, which is ok with me. I love toy drive, and she's not obsessive about it.


Also took a trip to tractor supply and did great. She's great meeting new people and walking around.


Riding in the crate was, ok. Still barking initially, but settles in.


Field time with the other dogs, she mostly sticks by me. Rumor and Zen race and bark loudly and she's not sure about that. Plus the other dogs run so fast I can see where she'd be unsure about joining in yet. She will run after them some.


Each day she's up at 6 am.


Clicker sessions are going well. Shes doing a paw touch to an object, I have used a Frisbee, metal dog bowl, and paw pod, she will work with all of them. She does get distracted at times. I'm thinking shes just not used to focusing on a task and working through. She gets better each session. Nothing is on command yet. Working on learning her name.


Some places/times she will take treats and others she wont. She's usually always game to play with toys. I think the food motivation will come. She is already improving.


Day 3, nose touch to hand session and paw target sessions. Both went well and I switched between behaviors in one session. Still not into taking treats outside while in the field with the other dogs, she will occasionally. Tugging and retrieving has improved. Shes an independent player, likes to take her toy off and chew it and play little games by herself. Restrained retrieves to a toy were good, and I like having a long hallway to use for that. Outside time is cut short due to all of the rain.


I took her in the car to work today so I could potty her more frequently and she could have more positive time in the crate. That went well, and Travis came by and picked her up when he got off work.


Today, now I'm caught up on most everything from the last 4 days. Today she woke up at 2:30 to potty, then again at 6, and I successfully had her go back to bed until 7:45, which was awesome. She wasn't silent, but her barking fits were shorter and less intense, I think we are getting there. Travis doesn't go in to work until 2:30pm, so she will have a shorter time in the crate today. I will be home my 6:30pm. I didn't do a morning shaping session, just some tugging and retrieve games and snuggling. Then she had a stuffed kong and is currently napping in the ex-pen.


We are enrolled in Silvia Trkman's puppy class, so I need to get some video for that. Hopefully I can post that soon.