Two New Champions

Two weekends ago we had the Woofstock cluster dog shows. This a particularly fun show in that it is in the 60s theme-music, vendors and exhibitors all dress from the 60s. Remember mood lamps? Tie dye chothes? More on the show in the next post.
We had a huge greyhound entry-14 greys on Saturday and 17 greys(including 6 specials) on Sunday. This was one of the biggest gathering of greyhounds shown outside a specialty I have ever seen. Several greyhound kennels were represented including Suntiger, Fleetfield, Pioneer, Santana, Huzzah Cuchulain, coursing kennels( Summerwind breeding) as well as of course Aragon. Many different types of greyhounds on exhibit.
I am proud to say both Goose and Emma finished their breed championship on Sunday!

                                             Ch Aragon Golden Canyon aka "Goose"

                                             Ch Aragon Emerald Hills aka "Emma"


As they mature Costa and Janet are deciding what they want to do next-Lure coursing? Agility? Obedience? Fly Ball? Or all of them?

Maybe it will be lure coursing!

Working with Distractions

It is important for my dogs to learn to respond to cues even when in the presence of distractions. I try to carefully and deliberately add distractions in a way that ensure my dog will be successful. I don't start adding distractions until I am certain that my dog is fluent in the behavior in a particular setting.  The distraction starts out as something small and easily controlled by me (for example, a piece of cheese off to the side).  Once my dog is able to handle this small distraction, I will gradually increase the amount of distraction.  When I do change the setting and ask for the behavior in a new environment, I start with no additional distractions.  Once the behavior is fluent in the new setting, I add distraction.

The caveat is the way I use food in this video.  Sometimes Tanner finds the environment more distracting than I had anticipated. In this case, I can put a piece of food on the ground and ask him to work around it. The food is a very close distraction that he is familiar with. He will focus on this distraction (as opposed to the environment) and work willingly around it as he does in this video. You can see that he knows the food is there and he wants to eat it but chooses not to. He is not ready to take this behavior with this amount of distraction to a new setting.  

The other advantage of using food as a distraction like this is that it mimics finding food on the ground when we are out and about.  When he sees a piece of food on the ground he gives me attention as a way of asking for the food rather than just lunging after it.  

Here is a video where I add some pieces of cheese on the ground and ask Tanner to work over them.

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Bryn's First JC leg

Bryn aka GCH Aragon Mystic Pearl has always loved the lure but it took a back seat to her show career. Once she earned her Grand Championship she retired from showing and now is starting her second career. Bryn is strong, beyond strong when it comes to something she wants. Janet-owner of Goose and Emma offered to release Bryn on her first JC leg for Marie.
She qualified!



After Bryn's run, Janet and Costa decided to practice Goose aka Aragon  Golden Canyon JC and get him ready for the Lompoc lure course. Unfortunately Emma aka Aragon Emerald Hills JC was lame and had to watch from the sidelines instead of joining in the fun.

 

Acupuncture

People have asked why no agility videos of Whisper-what is happening. Truth is she hasn't run agility like she used to since she was spayed. The few trials I took her to after her spay she qualified sometimes although not with her usual zest and her bar knocking had greatly increased. I noticed her jumping oddly and I pulled her from all agility figuring something was wrong.
Despite repeated physical exams, chiropractor evaluations, blood tests, urinalysis, spinal and chest radiographs, ultrasounds, tick titers and a myriad of other tests all of which were normal I knew something was wrong. She was gradually fading away, sleeping more and less interactive. Obedience dropped off too not wanting to work or play any more. One day walking I noticed she was pacing during the walk, not her  normal gait.
Back for another physical exam and someone finally found something, she was very very sore in the right flank. She actually would cry on palpation of the area. Ultrasound again of her abdomen was normal as were all her back and loin muscles. Still I knew something hurt there.

I started pain medication-both tramadol and gabapentin as well as acupuncture and she quickly started becoming more interactive and happier.

Lucky for us a veterinary friend does acupuncture and we meet at her house-or mine at the end of the day

for treatment, snacks, drinks and dinner. It has become a fun social outing as well as a valued treatment for the dogs. In the picture above, several dogs are waiting their turn. Echo has/had a mild loin pain and Darby injured his neck and right shoulder.

Darby has had a nagging shoulder injury being treated with rest and anti inflammatory drugs. He improved but wasn't totally normal. Once I started acupuncture with Whisper, Lisa included Darby and he improved dramatically. In addition he receives cold laser therapy.

Whisper has markedly improved  with the treatments and medication. Based on the timeline and location I have come to believe it has something to do with the spay and removal of the ovary although I can't prove it. I can say she has no obvious cancer, very little to no arthritis and is a very healthy dog overall.

We are  back to doing low level obedience and agility with  enthusiasm. Although she still isn't normal-she paces but the side/loin pain is much less,  I don't want to push too fast and too hard and risk causing other injuries.

At least I feel like I see a light at the end of the tunnel. A month ago I wasn't sure she would ever come back.

Greyhound Club of Northern California Spring Specialty 2013

On April 20 the Greyhound Club of Northern California had its spring specialty. Although the class size was small-no majors in bitches or dogs, the specialty had a large specials entry-11 greyhounds.
Best of Breed was  the one and only Echo!  GCH Aragon Black Ice VCD1 RE AX AXJ JC.
As no show photo has arrived to date this picture was taken in our back yard.
Best of Opposite Sex was Darby! GCH Aragon Aroi Silver Lining CD RE. Winners dog was Goose! Aragon Golden Canyon JC. Reserve Winners Bitch was Emma! Aragon Emerald Hills JC. Reserve Winners Dog was Riser! Aragon Full Moon Rising JC.
Select Dog went to Bruce! GCH Aragon Helios Blue Spruce. This gave Bruce his last Grand Championship point. Breeze Ch Aragon Northern Lights TD JC earned an Award of Merit.
No one entered in obedience-probably a first time but the two dogs who were planning on entering Echo and Darby were both out of training with muscle injuries.

It was a good specialty for the Whisper and Lyric puppies. In addition to the fun of the show and visiting friends, it was nice to have 7 of Whisper's puppies back together again.

Missing from the photo but entered was Riser- Aragon Full Moon Rising JC
From left to right-Bruce- GCH Aragon Helios Blue Spruce, Costa Colbert, Emma-Aragon Emerald Hills JC, Janet Stringer, Goose-Aragon Golden Canyon JC, Kahlua-Aragon Tidal Wave, Cherie Bond, Freyja- Ch Aragon Desert Willow JC, Janice Senior, Breeze-Ch Aragon Northern Lights TD JC