Apache's focused training

Tonight it begins, Apache's new focused training!

I lost my way in his training for a while after feeling like we will never compete like I wanted to do with him. But now I found my way again and I will try to track his training as good as I can. I have focused a lot on his fears and I want to put my focus on something else for a while. Imitation training would be fun but I have other things in mind for now.

First I want to write down the things I want to work on.
¤ Leashwalking, walking next to me with sloped leash.
¤ Better retrieval of more and (to him) stranger things. Different shaped toys, plastic bottle, shoe, etc.
¤ Chin on lap.
¤ Stay off the couch unless invited. I tried this before but I gave up too soon.
¤ Focus.
¤ Attention.
¤ Relaxation/doing nothing.
¤ Sit/stay.
¤ Better down/stay.
¤ Making him more solid in staying despite distractions.

These are things I have intended to focus on but always procrastinated. I really need to work on his self control. I love his enthusiasm but I can't get anywhere if I can't tone him down to be more serious when we are working together and somewhere inside I still hope to compete in a few years. So, today's goal. We will start with strange retrieval just because it has been a little while since I worked him and he is usually pretty calm during this. After warming him up with this I will work on his focus and hopefully succeed in massaging him afterwards for the relaxation.

I will update this post after the training and sum up how it went.

* * * * * *

Time trained: 1 hour in which 20 minutes active training and 40 minutes relaxation.
Goal of the day: Fetch things he finds strange, focus, massage to relax.
Achieved: All three.
Notes: Fetched yellow and black rope/ball/football toy and a heavy ball, down/stay with eyecontact and distance, and massage and successful massage despite earlier fear/stress from Andy's noises.

New goals

So what's new?

Digger is doing absolutely great! He is like his normal self.

Ixxi too is her normal self, she plays, she cuddles and is spick and span healthy.

Andy has been diagnosed with dry eye and glaucoma so he is on daily eyedrops for life. He needs to diet since his eyesight got bad.

Apache is doing great too. We didn't get to work this summer due to my health but he doesn't care. What he doesn't know is that I am in the making of giving him a life purpose. I will get back on the train to challange him to get better and have a clear path on what I want to teach him. Sometimes it's the owner who limits a dog's potential and it is very much true with me and him.

Frodo has grown up to be a fantastic two year old! He has mellowed out, he is attentive to me and there are things he does that seems like he is trying to take care of me during bad days.


I always have so many plans and then they fall through due to my health, but my medication is leveling out and I am so goal focused now with Apache that I don't think it will fall through. I have other future plans in which I need to mend the "issues" of Frodo and Apache first. I really don't want my health to stand in the way of this one!

What's new?

It's been quiet here on the blog for quite some time and it has been a rollercoaster for me healthwise, doctorsappointments here and there. But I want to update what's been going on with each dog.

Digger: He has gained his weight back and his health is really well right now.
Andy: He has improved with his food aggression but still lashes out sometimes over food or what I believe is pain related. He has alot of arthritis in his body and is on pain suppliments. He almost moved to his original mommy, the one that took care of him for 10 years of his 11 year old life but at the last minute that plan fell through so he will be staying with us. His vision in his bad eye has worsened and he is probably completely blind in that eye now. The spot on the ear where he was in poison ivy is naked so it scarred a little but otherwise he healed nicely.
Ixxi: Currently has a double sided eye infection that I am treating with chamomile tea. Otherwise healthy.
Apache: Had a while where he didn't want to work and I thought of retiring him to a pet instead of my workdog but it turned out it was the heat that made him sluggish. Who doesn't? So I got my workbuddy back!
Frodo: Had to be shaved down due to burdocks in his hair and I am now waiting for the crest to grow out again. He lashed out at people when we had visitors so I will be working at his social skills.

That's all. Not much to update but that's it. :)

Difference in the brush

Apache's fur is so thick that the mars coat king tugged the hair and furminator slid ontop of the coat which made it difficult to help him shed. I bought a good slicker brush at fleet farm that could grab the bulk and the other 2 could do the finer job. Here's the result and the huge difference. :) His coat is so thick it takes three or four different brushes to help shed him. Normally I bathe shedding dogs with espree shedding schampoo to speed it up but Apache is terrified of the tub so I avoid stressing him with it if I can. Enjoy the before and after pic. :)

Apaches great success

I will update you all on what's been going on in my dog pack lately but this post is all a celebration of Apache! He was so badly kicked and abused that when I started trainging him he didnt trust humans and could not be close enough to eat a treat out of my hand. Teaching him to trust me and to sit next to me in a heeling position with me standing still was hard, but teaching him to not flee in terror when my leg moved into a step was even harder and the first time I succeeded I cried in joy, it was HUGE!

Here's his first steps that was caught on video but not the actual first steps that made me cry. Still huge!

It's almost difficult to comprehend that it's the same dog I have today. This is our heelwork today.

And he was also beaten with a cane. This is where we started out in february 2014.

And this is what he learned in ONE session yesterday, august 2nd 2015.

I can't believe it's the same dog! I am so proud of his progress that I have tears in my eyes just thinking back on our journey! Apache, I love you! And now that he has conquered his fears of sticks, there is SO much we will work on the rest of this summer! Yay!!

Stress and medication

It has been hectic and stressful in the house. What the vet said was allergies on Andy turned out to be poison Ivy cause Digger got into it too... badly. So I medicated both of them and both were coneheads for a while.

I've started to prepare what life will be after Digger and how the routines will work. And it hit me that many changes will occur, and that I don't want to give up on competing with Apache as I said last year when he limped on a front foot. He hasn't done that since so it probably was just a strain - not the lymes disease. He loves canine musical freestyle and so do I. And he is everything I want in a dream dog for competing in freestyle so I don't want to give up. I want to make him both my personal assistant and my dance partner.

The training for "life after Digger" has begun. And it's not fun but I am glad that I am starting ahead of time. I don't want to think of life without him, but it's part of life and reality.

Andy has become a lover of running, he loves running! And he is getting better at letting us know when he needs to potty too. He even slept through the night in the bed without needing out or overheating (well, panting and wanting down and get restless) after I groomed him the other day.

I took Frodo on a solo walk yesterday to start him in dog parkour but it failed cause it was too muddy to get to where I wanted to work. But he enjoyed the walk very much. :)

Ixxi... I don't have much to say about her. She is just her perfect quiet normal self. <3 But I plan life after her too. I have to. She is such a big piece of my heart that if I don't have a plan if something sudden and unexpected happens I will struggle way more than if I have a plan on what I wish to do after she is no longer with me. And I don't want another mini schnauzer. Not that I don't like the breed, I love it very much, but I can't have a "new" ixxi and compare the pup to her, plus I'd like to try a different breed. It stands between a few breeds but I am pretty sure what I want when that day comes.

As for life after Andy. Yes I think of that too. Probably another peke, we will see. I can't choose all the dogs and Mike really isn't complete without one.

After Apache I might start thinking of my breeding career. Depends on how long he lives. After Frodo I will either get breeding stock or a poodle. :) I like trying different breeds and the poodle has caught my heart among others.

But yes, I plan life after every dog, in case something would happen. If I don't have a plan I might do something stupid and hasty in the middle of grief. The thought of getting a rescue is on the list but we'll see. So far I am happy with our pack, and right now I only need to focus on Diggers last time and how to train Apache since his life will change the most. He won't be able to sleep in the garage anymore which he and Digger does well together. Both love it there so the change will be huge on Apache. he is terrified indoors so the indoor training has started already.

Well, that's the update for now. :) Ciao.

Doggy update

Digger:
Gained musclemass and weight but is still slowing down.

Ixxi: 
Has hotspots and a cold. Had to go to the vet for a shot.

Andy:
Has severe allergies. Had to go to the vet. Found out he is almost blind in one eye. Requires medication.

Apache:
SO proud of him!!! Great progress with him in our training! It was so hot today that he came indoors so I could finally brush some with the furminator.

Frodo:
Proud of him too! He is Finally understanding the whole housebreaking thing and waking me up and telling me. Progress there too! I had to groom him though so he looks like a Xoloitzcuinltle.
But still cute. :)