What a good feeling...

Well, I took Wicca out to agility for the first time since before she was sick last night- and boy did that feel good! I have slowly been working her up in the back yard- and decided that she was ready to get back on some real equipment.

She was awesome! She was sooo excited to be out- she barked almost non-stop while we set up but once she was working she was very intent and did a great job. We worked on weave poles- which are coming along fantstically since setting up my backyard poles. We also did some refreshing on contacts- and played with tunnel entrance discriminations....It felt awesome! I only worked her for about 20 minutes or so broken up but it was really nice to see her out there again....

I have decided that she is well enough to race scenthurdle this weekend at the akc show in calgary...we are hopefully going to get a practice in tomorrow....

-amanda

Well I had good intentions for tonite- I was going to train a bit with all three of my dogs- work on moving attention with Sam- heeling with Wicca and Signals with Kate....but...
I am dogsitting- a little pom x that is driving me crazy! I am so frustrated. This dog just does not shut up. Ever. Even with a bark collar- it barks even more every time it's zapped. Grrr....It is dog aggressive- they assured me it got along fine with other dogs and it is very possesive...not too mention it's a little nuts...they owners show up to drop him off and tell me- oh by the way- he won't where a collar, and will snap at you if you give him trouble.....Grrrr....So yesterday I put a collar on the dog- let him throw himself against the wall- bark and scream...Then I attached a leash....he freaked right out and stood there panting for about 7 minutes before deciding that the cookie across the room was worth it....Today he has been pretty good- getting used to being a dog, and then the barking started......Grrrr...He's a nice dog and I feel badly for him but geesh!
So I am cranky and it's not fair to my dogs so- here I am.....angry....

-amanda

Those damn corgis'....

Well if it's not one thing it's another around here....Sam just about gave me a heart attack.
I was working on the computer- and the dogs were running around- in and out- playing loudly as normal....
And then they were quiet....
At first I didn't notice anything- went out, fed the cat, and started getting ready to go out- I called the dogs to kennel up and Sam looked like a BLIMP!
Right away I thought- oh god...he's bloating...but he didn't seem stressed or anxious and only slightly uncomfortable. Right away I phoned my clinic and as the phone is ringing I notice the food bin in the porch...over turned and empty...those damn corgis!
So instead of telling my vet I am on my way I ask them what I can do to make him throw up...
A teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and up came about 7 or 8 cups of food. His stomach is still full but isn't quite as tight and with already he is feeling a bit better...What a dough head...
It's not the first time my dogs have gotten into stuff- when Wicca was a baby - about 6 months or so she ate a whole 6lb bag of kitten food. She didn't get sick at all- and except for her abnormally large tummy there were no ill effects...Stomachs of Steel!
Kate is not one to get into stuff per say- she doesn't have a large appetite but she did once have an incident with a can- my parents were dogsitting and she grabbed a half full opened can of dog food off the counter- the lid wasn't completely off and she soon had her tongue wrapped around the lid...I wasn't there to see It thank god- but my mom phoned the vet right away and after using butter and slowly unwrapping her tongue she was okay- her gums and tongue were pretty swollen for a couple days but it could have been much worse....

Right now everything is peacful- Sam is sprawled out like beached whale digesting his food- Wicca is having a snooze and Kate is killing a tennis ball....All is well....At the moment.
-amanda

Weaves

Well I set my poles up in the yard today- I should have had them up weeks ago!
I train using the chute method- where the dog runs down two lines of poles- and the two sets of poles get closer and closer until the dog is weaving. It does take a bit longer to teach- but the end results are awesome!
Wicca is almost weaving with them right together- just the entrance is open about 5 inches. I ran her through for the first time since before she was sick and she did great- she is so excited to work!
Sam is just learning- he is still running down the center- learning to find the entrance and to work away from me...
Kate is a pretty good weaver and she is the type of dog who works better without a lot of practice so when it is her turn to work with me- we jsut play with the frisbee....no home weaving for this girl...

I am hoping to get Wicca back to agility in the next few weeks....she is getting better every day- is back to normal food rations and is playing longer and longer every day. I hope to enter her in my friend Karin's trial in september and my goal is to have those weaves down-- she is almost there but even once they are closed there is still about four weeks of training to proof them and such....so even if she isn't weaving by then we can still do gamblers (my favorite) jumpers and snooker....just no standard runs...

more agility

I took Sam again to agility yesterday and he did really well- introduced the jump chute to him- in the hopes that we can prevent so much pole knocking....Also introduced him to the tire for the first time- he didn't believe us that it was a jump...it was pretty comical- he tried to walk over it rather than jump through it- and because it's a breakaway ti kept falling...He was finally starting to get the idea but what a goof...
I set my weaves up in my yard to get that going a bit faster- I have a feeling that Sam is going to catch up to Wicca pretty quick here.
My friend Sarah is a graphics designer person and she took some really great pics off Kate and then Sam for a new layout she is doing...Can't wait to see them...I will post them.

I am going to take Wicca to agility this week- let her play for just a few minutes and then put her away- she is getting better every day and is quite anxious to get back doing stuff....
-amanda

Agility, the Vet, and stuff....

I took Sam out to agility this morning and he did great! I have been working on contacts and targets in the back yard but haven't done a lot on real contact eguipment. We worked on the wall and the dogwalk- and he is starting to get the idea of bottoms. I am already finding that he doesn't test me as much as Wicca does- once or twice is all it takes...
I also started weaves today- I train the chute method and he seems to have no problem...I am going to dig my home set out and start training them at home to speed up the process a bit.
I took Kate aswell and she had fun- we worked on jumping sequences, front and rear crosses and weave pole entries...She worked pretty good and we had a good game with the "chuck it" after.

Wicca stayed home today- I don't feel that she is ready for that much excitement yet. I took her to the vet today for a check up and everything seems to be fine. The vet had said that it still feels like she has a lot of gas and fluids built up in her tummy but that should calm down soon. We also checked her heart- sometimes parvo will cause heart problems. It turns out that she does have a murmer- a mild one - less than a grade 1, and he thinks that she will outgrow it. In fact- he almost missed it- it is quite low on her heart- and very faint...a "whisper" he said....So yeah....things just keep getting better and better....but the vet said not to worry about it- treat her as normal and so on...I asked him about agility and stuff- let him know that it is pretty strenuous stuff and she has to work hard and he said that would be fine- he suspects that she had this murmer before- said that usually parvo related heart problems are much more severe....so....
I am feeling a little nervous about this...but I trust my vet- he has been really great through this whole thing...
we talked a bit about supplements today- he said to hold off for a bit yet- let her tummy and digestive tract get back to normal.

We also talked about her blood work- from the first appointment where the other vet misdiagnosed her with Pancreatitis- some of her levels were off a bit- and not related to parvo so next month I will take her in for another blood test to see if things are back to normal....
In among all of this I really need to get her spayed- before September.....forgot to talk to the vet about it though- will have to phone guess...
So that's my exciting new of the day....

Getting back to normal

Well after a very scary week I am working at getting my life back to normal. Wicca is doing awesome- It is almost like she wasn't ever sick. She is still not feeling 100% but way better than last week. While Wicca is recuperating I have been working with Sam much more seriously-. I have started some targeting work and also introduced the dumbbell and some scent work. He is such a happy worker! He has caught onto the touch stick very quickly and will follow it anywhere. I also just today started teaching him directionals- come by and away...in preperation for sheep this summer...
I played with Woo a bit today- fine tuning some tricks, working on directions, and a little bit of heeling. She really enjoyed it. I am never sure how much is too much but she usually lets me know when she is tired...She was still anxious to work when I put her away..
Kate and I just played frisbee. I usually take her to the park almost every day- just her and I- but all of the dogs are restricted to the house and yard for a the rest of the week so we had to settle for the back yard.
I am going to talk to the vet tomorrow and find out just how long Wicca is contagious for...and how long she and the others have to be housebound....
-amanda

The below picture was taken the week before the lethbridge dog show by my good friend Liz...It is my favorite picture of Wicca- I love the intensity and thought I should share...

Coming Home...

Wicca gets to come home today!

good news...wicca is doing better today- maybe she's over the hill....
-amanda

Wicca has parvo...It's like bombshell...My heart is breaking....I am so sad for my little girl.

It isn't fair...

-amanda