Wag Walk & Run - Helping Paws 5K

Jeff, with Abby and Zoey, and I with Zac, did this 5K yesterday. Lovely day, at the lovely Purgatory Creek park in Eden Prairie.

Lots of service dogs in training, especially Golden Retrievers. Zac helped socialize a pup to Shelties, and was a credit to his breed. He does not like puppies, so I was really happy that he didn't curl his lip when the little guy got in his face. Zoey also helped socialize, but we kept Abby away.

At the start of the run, we were bunched up a bit. Jeff, Abby and Zoey chose to go to the end of the runners, where it was slightly less chaotic. Zac and I hung with Clara and Scooby at the start, and they are good runners, so we started near the beginning of the running group. Not that we stayed at the beginning once the race started! Because of crowding, we needed to start out at a pretty good pace, yet as it spaced out, we slowed down somewhat. For us though, we kept a solid pace all the way through the race and did not walk at all. Just had two pit stops for Zac, and a little water. Zac started out a little concerned about all the dogs and people, but he soon settled down and assumed his trademark running smile.

This was a really good mental motivator because the excitement of the race kept us at a pace much faster than our typical one. It's just what I needed --- now I know we can do it. We did a sprint to the finish, which we both love, and we still had some left on the tank.

Post-race, we hung with Clara, who loved up Zac and Zoey (Abby had no interest) and had a few snacks. We did listen to a canine police officer, who mentioned he was really happy when he was not assigned a Belgian Malinois. That made us laugh.

Great day, wonderful experience for our first race. Thank you, Helping Paws.

Running with Dogs

Awhile ago, I started "running", if that term can be used for moving at a pace equivalent to a Sunday stroll through the park. I've been taking Zac with me; he's good company, and he needs the exercise as much as I do.

When trying to follow a running program though, having a dog or two along can require a flexible attitude. Yesterday, I'd found a perfect location for hill repeats, but perfection fell apart when someone let her dogs out, and everyone barked and barked. No contact, but lots of noise, and it would have seemed tacky to keep running up and down in front of the woman's yard.

If I become serious enough about running, there will be a point where the dogs will have to stay home, but that's no fun for any of us. I suspect it will be a long time before I reach that point.

Can Dogs be Hypnotized?

In my Mind-Body Connection class tonight, we reviewed hypnosis. For many people and situations, it can be very effective. I wonder if any Animal Communicator has ever successfully hypnotized a dog? If so, I want to talk to him or her and schedule an appointments to our crew could get some suggestions: "Zoey, you are relaxed and seldom bark, Zac, you always hit the contact zone, Abby, you are friendly and submissive to other dogs." Think it would work?

Amazing, a quick Google, and up pops a link to the Hypnosis for Dogs site. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Blondes have more fun?

I colored my hair blonde today, and happened to wipe some of the color on to a towel. Somehow, little Miss Zoey got a hold of the towel, and licked the color, right before I was going to leave for class. I called my vet's office, and was recommended to call Poison Control. Which I did, for 60 smackeroos. Poison Control wanted her to be given Pepid AC and Mylanta or Maalox. I called Jeff and he agreed to pick up these items. He got home and said they cost $27.00.

Zoey would take the Pepcid AC tablets just fine. However, she will not take the Mylanta. Here's a dog who cheerfully and joyfully licked hair color, but refuses Mylanta...

We are getting excited around our house...in about a month or so, we are planning to do some excavating, and will create a little doggie play area from what is now a useless hill. It will be small, but we should be able to get a few pieces of agility equipment (teeter, yes!) and have room to practice close-in disc stuff.

Lately, we've done very little disc play. It's been kind of muddy at the local field, and we missed a play date today to visit Jeff's new nephew. The dogs have been getting lots and lots of walks and runs, so that should help conditioning.

I've done a little training in the basement. I'm still not letting Zac even see the discs, but we are keeping our trick skills up. Zoey was transfering and tugging a little, and also doing a few tricks. It's not like being outside though.

Run Faster?

Zoey had an agility lesson today. I was informed I need to run faster, sprint training was mentioned. Zoey seems very happy to lope along at the same pace I do. I was hoping she'd be a dog willing to drive far ahead of me, but that might not be the case. Ouch. I would love to able to run --- in the past, the pain has always stopped me. The acupuncture and resistance trainging may help, but I'm not sure it's enough. Is the pain that bad, or am I that wimpy? No answer right now.

All three dogs got a little training session in the basement. I got Abby to bite the disc twice. Tried to let her "win" though she did not bite hard, so it was tough to impart that winning feeling. We then went on to a little trick trainng. With Zac, worked a little on holding a dumbbell, which seemed pretty stressful for him, though it's only pure positive training, and some other Obedience stuff plus some tricks. He did not even catch sight of a disc. Zoey was wild enough for discs, so we played some transfering games, and then did some trick training, and a fair bit of tugging with some rope toys. I had two toys, so got her to transfer her attention.

Typical Tuesday - but Flipped

Tuesday is Obedience and Rally day at TCOTC for Zoey and Zac. Zoey has been in Obedience, and is doing fine there. Zac has struggled mightily, not because he can't hadn't the work in Rally, but because the manufacturing business on top of TCOTC starts rolling its carts around the facility like rolling thunder. Zac panics. Disturbingly, his anxiety seemed to be deepening, rather than lessening. So, I had a brief chat with Zac's Rally instructor last week, and we decided to try flip-flopping Zoey and Zac.

It went very well. Zac seemed to enjoy Obedience, and there were few rolling carts to freak him out. Zoey wondered what the signs were doing on the floor, but she did fine and seemed to enjoy the change. When I'm no longer taking Monday night classes, I'll get Zoey back to Dog Works Inc., but this seems to be fine for the meantime.

It was another nice day, not as spectacular as yesterday, but great to be outside. Abby and Zac enjoyed a walk---though Zac seems to want to stay as far away from Abby as he can...Zoey was extremely well-behaved on her walk; she likes being walked by herself.

With class, Zac and Zoey got their quota for training in. Abby, poor little Abby, got nothing. I did walk her, of course, but also, I needed to get in When Pigs Fly Yoga and an hour long resistence routine. That, along with Biggest Loser, took precedence. Poor little Abby.