new from WY

[Howard]

Howard my blk 15 month old spoodle and I live in WY.  After my lab of 13 yrs died in March, I started looking for a standard to adopt.  I feel very forunate that I found him close to home.  Howard (the name I chose) was 8 months when he came to live with us.  He was very demanding and had very few manners.  He is coming along nicely and gives us so many laughs. We are loving this guy.  I am a dog trainer helping owners teach their dogs to be a good member of the family.  I also board dogs, so I spend my days and nights in wonderful company.   Howard and I are learning Rally-O and hope to compete in the future.  I look forward to learning and sharing with this group.  Barb

[Karen]

Welcome. I haven't any ideas about rally -o. I do a lot of other things with my Tia & we are always looking for more ways to prove just how much poodles can do.
I'm glad Howard is settling in to your life so well.

Karen & Tia

[Howard]

Rally is a relaxed form of the AKC obedience. much more fun cuz you can talk to your dogs.  My lab earned his CDX in AKC, but he would have love this as you get to encourage and praise the dog while performing the obstacle course.

[Karen]

It does sound like fun & a  great way to work across from training to competing in formal obedience. Tia is competing formally with the last pass for her CD still needed. In the meantime we do herding at home, have started tracking & have friends trying to talk us into dance as well..

[Howard]

we might try some tracking down the road, I did some of that with my lab, I would love to do free style/dance with Howard.  When I am silly and dance he is right there hopping and skipping along.  It would have to be self taught as no one around here does that.  but with a video I bet we could figure it out.
how is the tracking going for the two of you, and does Tia seem interested in herding? 
so many things to do and so little time............sigh

[Karen]

Tia loves herding. She is largely self taught as we have a neighbour whose cows prefer to break into my horse paddocks rather than walk all the way down the paddock to their dam. She hears the fencce twang & she is asking to go out & send them home so I really don't have to do much to encourage her.
She has also really taken to tracking although we haven't done much of that as yet.
I'm not sure about the dance but there are some sites that have clips on it available on the web as well as a number of DVDs I think (I know of at least one)
I figure we might as well give things a try & if we enjoy ourselves we can keep going. It will be interesting to see how things go when we add a new pup to the family next year..

[Howard]

I agree with you try it all, my lab and I did many things but if he wasn't happy about what we were doing then we moved on.  Howard and I did some agility, and he seemed to say "what's the point?"  so we are going to prusue that but am glad he learned to do the obstacles because they will help in jumping over a fallen tree on a walk, or going around something, or using and ramp etc.
He like doing new things, and mixing it up.  He has told me I want variety, even in his diet.  lol

[Karen]

If you are interested I'll check out some dance etc links & put them in the Obedience/Agility section where you will already find some "Tia" posts.

[Howard]

thanks Karen, how sweet of you to offer but I can find some when we get ready and I have a couple of DVD's I can borrow from a friend.    Tonight Howard and I did several execises in Rally without treats, and he started reminding me, by huffy that I was suppose to give him cookies.  lol  We have to start doing more in between treats, so we can run the whole course without them and he is thinking that isn't as much fun. ) 
Barb and Howard
in WY

[zefi]

Hello and a belated welcome from us in Tasmania. Getting busy and not checking in often lately so this one slipped by unnoticed!

Great luck with Howard and rally. I only saw it once and never tried it. One day maybe. When I give up showing! LOL