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How does she know…?

My eyes are closed.  It is pre-dawn and dark outside.  I can tell because when I look at the inside of my eyelids with my eyes closed, I don’t see the yellow-red color created by the light hitting the skin on the outside of my eyelids and filtering though to my eyes. 

Zelda knows I am awake.  I have yet to figure out how she does that.  I haven’t opened my eyes.  I haven’t gotten up.  Does my breathing change? 

I feel a cold, wet object poke my face, followed by an assault of hot breath on my cheek and the smell of dog in my nose. I’d like to describe the dog smell, but the only thing that comes to mind is “dog”.  Not like the smell of wet dog fur, no, this smell is a welcome, comfortable smell, like the smell of a baby or the feel of a warm breeze carrying Spring on its wings.  A good smell.

I know if I don’t reach out and scratch the head that is attached to the breath, I will feel the whack of a foot upside my head.  I sigh, take my arm from under the warmth of the covers and comply.  I could yell at her to go back to sleep and wait for first dawn.  I tell myself, don’t open your eyes and she will relent and give me another 10 minutes, maybe 20.  Please don’t wake up the boy.  The game is over once he enters the picture.

Somewhere under the pile of dog covers, my sheet and my bedspread you will find me.  I wallow in the warmth. Even with the threat from Zellie’s whacking foot looming, I don’t want to get up. 

The dogs add their own body warmth and at times I sweat, sending blankets and dogs flying—one of the joys of menopause.  Usually, when the blankets and dogs are given the heave-ho, the match, game, set are over and I’m well on my way to getting my butt outta bed. 

This morning was no exception and I found myself out walking the Friends’ School grounds with the dogs by 6am.  The air, still cool from the night, was envigorating and both the dogs and I romped our way across the field, into the woods and around before returning home to begin the day with coffee, breakfast and a good belly rub. 

I hope the promise of the morning carries through the day!   

June 15, 2008 Track number 86… Villa Julie

What a great day!  It rained last night, one of those clear the air thunderstorms that was heavy and refreshing.  The air, the ground and the plants all smell fresh.  Knowing it would be a good morning to track, I was up and out to walk C&Z early.  Back home to pack up the dogs, car and make sure I had an adequate supply of coffee and off to Villa Julie for an ETA of 7am.

 I continued where I left off yesterday.  Not alot of food, interesting track, and a fair number of articles.

Charlie had a light dinner yesterday and the only breakfast was on his track, so I was expecting him to come out and be hungry.  His second day of tracking has been his best in the past, so I was hot to trot…

Good article indication and even without food, he was checking the footsteps.  Where there was food, he found it.  He nailed all the articles and downed nicely.  He pokes the article with his nose thinking it will magically produce food when touched… and I do my best to be sure it does magically produce his reward.  I want him to be looking at the article, not me. 

Last night I thought about how my friend Sue rewards her dog at the article when she tracks and it popped into my head, she puts the food on the article.  Stands beside the dog and then she calmly strokes his back/side.  I realized I was putting food on the article, taking the article and turning to go back behind Charlie.  I was in a hurry, or so it seemed, so Charlie would pop up and start the track.  Today, I rewarded him on the article.  Slowly took the article and reminded him to stay down.  Put a bit more food down, stroked his back/side and then when I was ready, returned to pick up the leash and restart Charlie.  IT WORKED!  We had one start that was at the same time as my command (which really happened first?), but for all the other articles, he waited for the command.  Progress.  A great start to our day.

Early morning tracking on Saturday, June 14, 2008 with Mr. Brown

The guys got me up early this morning, so we were out the door for our morning walk at 5:45am….  they are nickle-diming me for about five minutes each morning… we USED to get up around 6:45am…  but the whine machine, Mr. Brown wakes his momma up, she cleans his ears, then turns to me with the big stare… doesn’t matter if I’m snoozing away, she stares away…. until I either hear Charlie’s high-pitched “wake up” whine, or something in my brain realizes I am being stared at by deep, dark pools of wake-up desire that pours out of Zellie’s piercing orbs, known to some as eyes.

 Home from the walk and two cups of coffee later, we are out the door and on our way to track.  Thank goodness we did start early, because at 7am, it was already beginning to be warm and muggy.

I wanted to practice the track with less food and motivation provided by getting rewards on multiple articles, so I laid the track with that in mind.  I also wanted the track to be stimulating (therefore the serpentine curves and the sidestep on the 2nd leg.  Charlie did a very good job.  Where there was no food, he continued with nose to the ground and the speed just about the same as where there was food.  My problem right now seems to be reinforcing the down until released.  If he gets up and beginnings tracking before I get my correction in, I am sure I confuse him and I don’t want him to be unsure about going down the track after an article.  I will seek help on this ASAP (everyone is at the DVG Nationals this weekend, but next weekend should provide me with an opportunity to track with some experienced trainers…)

Deepdene Visitor…having fun

June 14, 2008 on 11:07 am | In Uncategorized | No Comments

 

Zelda and Charlie have a guest…. albeit, a guest they are not actually spending any time with…. but they are sharing their bully sticks and kiddie pool, plus a toy or two or three…  Rocky is content to be a visitor, but he misses his Mom and  his homelife.  Here he must stay in a crate, unless in the backyard.  He enjoys his belly rubs, his toys and his treats… and has been the perfect guest.  I doubt his Mom will check this blog, but if she does Rocky wants her to know he is thinking…. 

You rock Mom… Go team Mom and Pascha!

 

Hot, muggy and oh so hazy… tracking at Villa Julie 8am

June 7, 2008 on 9:54 am | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Warm and muggy this morning.  Took the guys for their normal morning walk at 7am… then got ready and was on the road to Villa Julie for tracking by 7:40am…  Couldn’t see the other side of the field for the haze!!!  so I had to lay my track without visual points to walk towards….  very interesting.  I wore my low boots figuring it would be dry, but the grass was full of dew and my pants were soaked to the knee by the time the track was laid.  I marked the corners and articles so I would know where they were in case we got lost…

I tried to keep the track interesting and Charlie honest with articles and serpentine curves and for the most part, Charlie did a good job.  The first leg had 10-15 paces, then an article.  Good down.  About 10 paces and serpentine curves with food at the apex, then a straight line out of the second curve with two articles about 10 paces apart.  Good downs.  A turn about 15 paces, an article 10-15 paces from turn, then another short stretch and a serpentine and a left turn off the bottom corner of the curve.  I didn’t go far because of a change in the terrain, so I turned right and planned a long straight away, but came upon an active ant hill and didn’t want Charlie going through it, so I did an abrupt left turn, 10 paces and an article.  Charlie missed the turn (first miss) and had to work it out.  He was on the track before the article, but wanted to walk it.  I downed him, no reward at this article and tossed it three paces in front.  He wanted to walk it again and I downed him and again put the article out three paces.  He downed on the article this time. 

The final leg was not long and not his best work.    It was a difficult track given the heat and the track layout, but Charlie did ok and I was happy overall with his performance.  We both learned something. 

He is learning to work for the motivation of finding the articles with less food on the track. I learned (again), how much better it is if you know exactly where the track is, however, I also learned again, to trust my dog.

 

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