Heart of Gold

"Inspirational Quotes For Sport and Life"

2010-05-04T11:14:00.017-04:00

This great little video was created by our friend & long time instructor, Susan Garrett. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do!

The video kicked-off the launch of Susan's fund-raising effort (details below!) for the 2010 Canadian IFCS Team, of which she is member. The IFCS World Agility Championship takes place on May 14-16, 2010, in Cleverdon, U.K. (Click on the link to visit the 2010 WAC website.)

We join in wishing Team Canada the best of luck at the competition!

If you are interested in the agility training e-book and/or helping support Team Canada, click the link to visit Susan's blog at: http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2010/05/the-big-kick-off.html for full details!

I'm proud to give special recognition to my husband as one of the contributing photographers for this video. He contributed the picture of the soaring eagle and the cover shot of the e-book, with Susan and her (then) puppy, Feature.

Happy Training! It's About Love!

More Summer Greetings from One!

2009-07-21T10:57:00.007-04:00

Below, my personal favorite...beautiful photography, beautiful moment with Bungee's brother One. (pronounced in Finnish: "o-nay")

Such expression! I just want to reach out & hug him!

Another gorgeous photo of gorgeous One!

Our sincere thanks to Helena Tiainen for sharing these great photos with us!

Happy Training....It's About LOVE!

Summer Greetings from One!

2009-07-20T14:19:00.006-04:00

One!

Some new photos just in! Here's the 1st half of some awesome photos we received from One's 'mom', taken on a recent vacation to their cottage at Lake Saimaa, Finland's biggest lake. Here's Bungee's brother, One, making some waves & having a swim! What a beautiful spot for a cottage & a swim!

Or just looking on very handsomely!

WoW! Great form!!!

Ahhhh....water....

Splashdown!

Many thanks to Helena Tiainen for sending us these lovely photos!!!

...stay tuned for the next installment soon!

Happy Training...It's About LOVE!

Fun in Finnish trial!

2009-04-07T15:10:00.002-04:00

Here is a video of Bungee's half-sister Fun running clean in 2 Finnish Agility Trial runs. Fun is a very young girl too. Here, Pirjo & Fun are doing a beautiful job handling these very challenging courses, the Finnish way. We send them big congratulations on their success!

Our sincere thanks to Pirjo Yli-Juuti for sharing this video of her & Fun with us!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Bungee - Master Jumpers FEO

2009-03-25T13:03:00.004-04:00

Here's Bungee running in her 2nd AAC trial. The class is Master Jumpers. She was entered as "FEO" (for exhibition only), as she has not qualified through all the necessary levels to run in Masters, the highest level, for points yet.

This past month of March, I have kept Bungee & Guinness very busy in training and classes, and at long last, starting to work on our own field at home! Hoorah!!! The snow left a bit early this year! The ground is not really ready for us to run on yet, so we are still a bit careful about where we work and how much equipment is left out.

Meanwhile we're due for some rain now, which perhaps will thaw the ground, and cause us to stay off a bit this week as we don't want to damage the turf. But, after being away with the dogs trialing, performing & working the last 5 days, including working 38 of the last 48 hours, and coming down with a chest cold as of yesterday, I have not been out on the field yet this a.m. to see where it's at. But I still see no snow and that's a beautiful thing for a trainer, even if the grass is still brown! Today is rest & relaxation for all of us, and maybe tomorrow too!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Obedience by sister Mia

2009-03-23T10:08:00.000-04:00

Bungee's sister Mia and Mona Kjernholm competing in Level II Obedience at Malmo 2009. Mia won her class with 187p. While "mom", Mona, says they still have a lot of fine details to work on, it is clear that this little 19 month old girl is already doing an impressive and excellent job, and all positive training too! What a gorgeous attitude this little girl has!

WoW! Beautiful work!

Thanks to Mona Kjernholm for putting these videos up on YouTube and sharing them with all of us, and also for showing us another example of positive & "Happy Training" at it's finest!!!

I have added Mona's new YouTube site to our list of favorite YouTube links (lower right). Click on the link above or at the side to check out some great training and sister Mia too!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Welcome March

2009-03-03T14:16:00.009-05:00

OK, so I'm like the happiest person in the world that Feb. is over. It definitely wasn't "our month". First I did something to myself to destroy my back for 11 -12 days, but then Bungee badly tore a toenail on her front foot, which kept her from training, which was followed by her coming down with some really bad intestinal problems. 3 trips to the vet in 2 weeks - ugh, poor Bungee, not to mention the bank account!

We finished Feb. off with all of us feeling back to normal, and Bungee in great need of a bath. So a trip to our friend Cynthia's Grooming Salon this weekend was a nice treat. Bungee got the full spa treatment, coming out beautiful, fluffy and sweet smelling. Guinness did some training in a different environment while Bungee endured the bath :-)) (not her favorite) and then Guinness strutted around like he owned the joint in between doing his tricks at a distance, as Bungee got dried. When it was done Bungee was still eager friends with her adopted Auntie Cynthia, so it was all good.

Poor Guinness just had a partially boring Feb. with me laid up, but stayed well. I hand-stripped him last Friday. He always looks so beautiful freshly-stripped in his "underwear". I love the feel of his velvety undercoat when his wire coat is off, it's really thick too. Not that he doesn't look great with his gorgeous double coat in tact too!

Guinness had an audition for a TV commercial last week, and fingers crossed, the early word is they want him. That said, knowing they are subject to changing their minds a lot. Keep you posted. During the audition he had 48 different things they asked him to do and it went great, he did all but one, which shocked me as it was "rolling over", which was one of the 1st tricks he ever learned. Since then we're working on a few things that were weak spots and they're all responding to the skills tune-up nicely, especially "roll over", sheesh... Wouldn't you like to know what they're thinking some time. I am going to get him checked at the chiropractor just to make sure all is well. Though it's probably a case of not having done it in a long, long time.

Bungee literally turned a corner March 1, waking up ready and raring to go, and looking beautiful & happy too. I felt the same way too!

The end of Feb. brought us melting snow followed by drastic low temperatures and then a lot of ice everywhere. YUCK. Thank goodness for lots of tricks & body awareness exercises and a basement in which to work!

The snow is down to just a few inches now and I was able to find some crunchy but not slippery spots in the yard today, so we actually got a little weaving in. Bungee was thrilled and wonderful as ever! :-))

Both dogs are entered in a trial later this month, so after just about a full month off, we'll see if we can't tune up their agility skills too! Back to class tonight.

Happy Training, It's About Love!

A Better Day

2009-02-09T13:57:00.007-05:00

Thought I better get some snow pictures up before it's all gone! (dream on lady... :-)

Guinness after a romp in a warm day's snow.

Guinness & Bungee, so why are we stopping for this?

My Progress
Happy to report I've made good progress today. Was able to sit up & walk as soon as I woke up, still a bit slow but big progress. Actually got dressed in real clothes, (not lounge clothes), and walk around the house without any extreme pain or problems. Got brave enough to try some training from the floor. Guinness & Bungee being so thankful for that! I was able to get down to the floor voluntarily and up with a bit of help from nearby chairs & tables. Fed the dogs on my own, they don't take their bowls when they're full but for this very reason, they bring them when they're empty! Next I actually got so brave I took them outside, donning my snow boots with "Wintertrax" attached (springy things that fit the bottom of your shoe and that grip in ice), as I could see some ice in the lowest spots where water pooled up, and slowly but surely, did a decent poop clean up, necessary after a BIG melt like this past weekend - still +8 today :-) Forecast the same for the most of the week ~ WoW!

Poor Bored Doggies & A Good Chew
Right now Bungee is discovering a "Himalayan Dog Chew", for the 1st time. Click on the link to check them out (pictures & story). So far she seems to handle the occasional dairy products very well. These chews are sold as being from an ancient recipe used in Nepal to provide locals with a long-lasting snack they can gnaw on and keep pieces in their mouths while they labor. The information reports a Peace Corp worker in Nepal adopted an abandoned, teething puppy. With no "pet supplies" available locally, the adopter had to improvise for this puppy, and tried one of these traditional chews. It worked out so well he went on to found this company that makes them.

So it's like a 5 - 6 inch long hard stick, that I thought smelled more like beef than cheese but really it's quite a different smell than either and not at all objectionable. Apparently the dog will have to gnaw on it a long time to soften it enough to chew small bits off the edge. Eager to find snacks like this that could provide Bungee with some good calories & a bit of preoccupation at long day's trials, I decided to try one of these at home and see how she does.

I'd love to hear comments about what some of you give your dogs at trials (if anything) in this regard.

In the 1st 15 minutes Bungee has tried to push it under her bedding on 3 different sides of her crate, but either curiosity or aroma has convinced her to hold it in her mouth while she lays down in every different position she can think of. I'm hearing some chewing noises... I'll let you know how she does with it.

Guinness, on the other hand, is in his crate with the tried & true "Tartar Busters" we get at most any local pet supply. Both of the dogs love these, but I only had one and Guinness cannot handle dairy products at all. They produce congestion and diarrhea quickly with him.

What the dogs have most often is simple marrow bones that we get free or very low price at some of our local butchers shops or any grocery. We also have a huge supply of guaranteed all-natural, organic, (guaranteed chemical & poison-free), rawhide. One big order is plain, rolled, and the other is every manner of shape & size meats made in rawhide or dried, from the states. We brought the natural rawhide back with us from Florida last year. We've been hoarding it for the the dogs and handing it out in small doses on those rare occasions when we're out of bones.

Training
A disappointing subject the last few days with me laid up! I did a little shaping with each dog today, putting a new spin on an old trick. Bungee also discovered she can put her rings on her ring toss game 2 at a time - pretty cute. She's going for distance on that game now. She's very cute the way she pounces around excitedly while she does it. Going to give contacts from the slanted travel plank a try at supper-time, but just off the living room floor.

Classes & Entries are on hold for the moment. Dangit anyway.

Goals for the week
Now I'm trying to let all the meds wear off to evaluate just where I stand. That's not to say I won't take them again this week if it's still really bad, but I need to know we're at and hopefully convince my Dr. I'm ready for a prolo treatment sooner than later. I so want to get it going and get back to my regular life!

Right now the Dr. is considering letting me have a treatment as soon as Saturday, which is also the only day my husband can take me and since I will definitely need a driver, have to live with that. The Dr. 1st started out talking about a date week's away. ACK! I want to be fixed now! On the other hand... How romantic...a prolotherapy treatment for Valentine's Day :-)) Show me the love :-)

Well I'll leave you with that (not so) love-ly thought :-))

Happy Training...It's About Love!

What a difference a day makes

2009-02-08T14:32:00.005-05:00

My week started out on a high note with the great fun Bungee & I had just had on our first little test at an agility trial.

Of course Tuesday brought the sad events of saying goodbye to such a great dog as Miss Gabby, and knowing the pain a very dear friend and her family were suffering with such a huge loss.

Little did I expect to have things go from bad to worse, but alas & woe, they did just that when I managed to sprain my back (sacroiliac) Thursday morning. Torn ligaments are not fun.

While I was occupied with excruciating pain & trying to do basic things like getting off the floor or get to the bathroom, I was also missing 4 highly anticipated agility classes in the first 48 hours of being "down". Thursday I missed my private daytime class with Sarah, Friday night we missed our Box Class workshop, Saturday I missed my private with Susan to work on Bungee's contacts, and Saturday afternoon I missed the group handling workshop Susan had put together for us.

It should be no surprise that as I was laying on the floor in sheer agony Thursday morning, the word that came to my mind started with "F". As I've known a lot of back trouble, I could tell by how it felt, this was a big one.

Guess I got into trouble trying to help with the snow blowing and operating the snow blower with my husband putting in such long hours at work. I've felt some little "tinges" of weakness over the last few weeks and ignored them, sort of not believing this could happen to me again after all the great ligament repairs I've had in the last couple of years and how well it all seemed to have worked. I knew I needed to get in for another Prolotherapy treatment too, but I have put it off. It's not exactly the most fun thing to do, but it does work amazingly well.

Well, now I'm looking forward to a day very soon when I'm improved enough to get to a treatment which is in downtown Toronto - about an hour & a half away.

Just goes to say - nothing ever stays the same for long. It's Sunday afternoon and this is the 1st I've really been able to sit up with my computer on my lap for any length of time and write. Probably mainly due to eating Tylenol III every 4 hours & this new analgesic pain creme called "Voltaren" that you rub on makes pain go away. The pharmacist even told my husband it's new on the Canadian market and originates in Finland. Something else to be thankful to the Finnish about!

If missing all our training & watching 2 very bored and worried doggies isn't enough, the weather turned up to be an astonishing 10 degrees yesterday! We lost 2 feet of snow, and there was a giant ice festival in Barrie on Lake Simcoe that a bunch of my friends were at doing cool things with the dogs. Today it's still above zero and has been sunny & gorgeous.
It's nice to look out on : -) Maybe we'll have an early spring.

Our thoughts & prayers continue to be with Sarah & Brent and the Mairs family over the loss of their beautiful Gabby. It's a terrible time to endure and our heart goes out to them. We miss her so much too. I don't think you ever stop missing loved ones, you just get used to living with it I suppose. Back aches are way better anyday, though I'm happy to be able to walk to the bathroom again instead of having to crawl! I'll be even happier to be running my dog again - at least a few weeks on that one however.

Happy Training, It's About Love!

Tamsu's Special Angel "Gabby"

2009-02-03T14:45:00.006-05:00

"Gabby" proudly enjoying the "after-glow" with her 2008 National's Championship 1st Place Victory Cup on P.E.I.

Hi,

Just a note to let you all know that Sarah's beautiful Gabby passed on this morning. Our agility world has said goodbye to a truly great one this time. We were all so much the richer for time she spent with us and the way she loved us all. So many tears today - not just in losing a friend, but also in tribute to the remarkable dog Gabby was and will always be. She inspired me in this sport from the first moment I saw her run. She was truly a little Golden ray of sunshine I will remember with great affection, admiration and love, always. I'm sure Sarah will be in touch in due time. Please feel free to pass the news along to Sarah's friends that I have missed, particularly in the flyball community as I have very few addresses there. Clara, Cathy, Sue, Lucie, Susan, Lynda - could you please pass along the news about Gabby to the team alumni past/present, and judges group, etc.

Our most heartfelt condolences to Sarah, Brent, Jeanette, John, & Cynthia.
May God Bless and Keep Gabby in His perfect care.

Remembering Gabby:

As ever...Happy Training! Enjoy & celebrate your dogs every day of the process and every run as fun. It all goes by much too fast. We should not wait to the end to realize that it really Is About Love!

Yours very truly,
Gail

What is Qualifying?

2009-02-02T21:39:00.005-05:00

Among all the congratulations & great messages Bungee & I have received since I posted the video & results from her 1st trial, was the question: "What is qualifying?"

This question is in regards to Bungee's trial results Sunday where she earned "2nd place with a qualifying score" in her 1st Starter Jumpers round.

Note: Qualifying in No. America is often referred to as a "Q"

What qualifying means is that a competitor must earn a set number of qualifying scores (Q's) in any particular class in order to earn a title in that class and move up to the next level, and eventually earn their agility championship.

But, one need NOT win in order to earn a Q, a title, or move up in class. To earn a Q one only needs to "run clean" with no faults, within the standard course time.

Here in Canada and also in the U.S., our agility systems are described as "Q-based systems" vs. U.K./EU's "win systems". The Q-based system is also sometime referred to as a "title system" or "titling system".

Bungee earned 2nd place because she was the 2nd fastest dog in her height division in the Starter Jumpers class. In Bungee's case she was the 2nd fastest dog out of all the dogs in all the height divisions (the whole class :-))).

However so long as she did not "E" or "DQ" (eliminated or disqualified) she could have had 7,000 faults and still earned 2nd place as placements are made according to time!

So, when one looks at the rest of the world, and compares Canada and the U.S., where you can earn a 1st place and not have the best run or win, it's clearly a crazy thing!

Here, one can place and not qualify, or qualify and not place, or in Bungee's case - do both, place and qualify! But only the Q's count toward titles - not the wins and not the placements!

OK...the bit about 7,000 faults, is a big exaggeration, but a dog could have a lot of faults and as long as they didn't E or DQ they'd still be marked in placement order according to their time.

Many competitors train to be very competitive and always play to win with both fastest time and clean rounds. This is the way I like to play agility.

Others just want to be clean and run within the allowed time, (often quite generous time at that) basically playing it safe, so they can get their dogs the titles they are after and the ribbons that go with it. It's actually a big divide within the organization in some discussions that come up, but the titles & ribbons crowd probably outnumbers the "play to win" crowd by a lot. I have friends across the board and am just happy to see so many people out enjoying their dogs in the sport. My own opinion is there is plenty of room for all of us.

One of the biggest differences between a Q based system versus a win system is the way many of the handlers choose to play the game. Handlers can choose to hold back & play it safe and never really run a fast dog and still earn agility championships, or they can play to win and really push themselves to keep bettering their best. In my mind there is a 3rd area of teams who run "non-typical" agility breeds such as Bulldogs, Basset Hounds, or dogs not typically built or bred for agility or speed or who cover ground much differently. Our organization allows room for them to play too. It is no easy to task training some of these dogs to be skilled and competitive enough to earn titles. I really see these folks in a bit of a class by themselves with lots to be proud about. I'm glad our organization makes room for them too as some of them are our best friends. All in all, you see plenty of handlers who manage to earn championships in spite of their skills or speed, while others earn every Q they get because of their skills and speed. As the sport evolves here in Canada so does the competition.

National champions & Regional champions are quite a different situation, they are winning with the best runs all the way to the podium at each event and those are very prestigious wins, as they should be.

But regular titles are earned by Q's. In a Q-based or titling system, all you get out of having the fastest time is your own personal satisfaction, the fun of competing at the top of the game in your own backyard, and of course, leaving the door open to be competitive in agility at the national level or in other places too. While running "clean" (not making mistakes) is what gets you your Q's & titles. Quite a big difference to a win system.

Our regular, local, A.A.C. trials average cost to enter is about $17.00-$17.50 a run. C.K.C. is more expensive at $25.00 a run. Regionals & Nationals are a lump sum figure about $125.00+ per dog. Regular trials are almost always 2 days and some time 3 days. With all the standard, games & steeplechase & challenge courses in any given day (maybe 8 - 12 classes a day or more if there are 2 rings going), it's easy to rack up hugely expensive entries for just one dog, much less if you run 2 or 3.

That may have something to do with people wanting to play it safe and get those Q's!
Add to that, we don't have clubs in this area anymore, so training is never free either. You pay per training session or set of classes and the prices are pretty dear. Not as bad as Japan but still, it all adds up way too fast!

Hope this helps explain what qualifying is and a little bit about how we play here in Canada.

Special thoughts & prayers go out to our own dear little National Champion friend, Gabby!
God Bless Sarah & Gabby tonight.

Happy Training....It's About Love!

Bungee's 1st Trial

2009-02-02T00:42:00.006-05:00

There were a few ways to handle the start, I was the only one in the entire class to chose a Lead-out Pivot, (LOP), partially because it's starters, but even the few who might consider trying LOP's on some courses opted against due to the perceived "risk" with the chute at the start. I had no such feelings.

On the contrary - we've waited a long time for this day, so why start our career compromising on all the good training we do? That said however, good thing we video, I did not realize how much I was leaning, and even stepped out to the side - yikes! Note taken... I didn't need to talk to Bungee as much as I did as she stayed on her line nicely. Her focus was GREAT right from the start. When we first arrived I wasn't so sure what would happen, as she was focused - but on only one thing - what was happening on course! However when it was her turn to run, she was ready to go and just as focused on me.

The DH thinks she's slow off the start and takes her speed after the 1st obstacle. He may have something there. We have done an awful lot of control work to have a good start line. So, there's definitely some work to do there to get blasting off, as we can't have that! The judge thought I was "holding back" a bit...I do tend to manage her FC's a bit. Of course we lost time at the crooked line out of the chute, and the head checking with my poorly timed rear cross to the finish line. But, I told you we needed more work on Rear Crosses. But didn't she recover on that LOP beautifully? I was thrilled with Bungee and I had so much fun too!

I was really happy that the course was as tight as it was, taking up only half the field. Most of the Starter Jumpers courses I've been on or seen were 15 - 18 obstacles spread out to the whole field. Those big wide gaps make them very hard to get a fast dog around if it's not really strong on driving a line, unfortunately when they are they are often weak on turning. Bungee turns very well and is improving on driving a line all the time. All will come in it's own time. But this was about the nicest paced starter jumpers course I've seen. We're both very proud of young Princesse Bungee.

We also want to thank our friends who stuck around to the last run of the weekend to see her 1st run, and our friends who made a special trip over just to cheer us on! We are so blessed with good friends in the dogs and a marvelous agility community to play in. Thank you all so much! It meant a lot to us to have you there! I couldn't imagine a nicer way to come back to the game myself! Many thanks.

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Bungee Gets to Play!

2009-02-01T11:09:00.005-05:00

At last, Bungee gets to have some fun in agility trials. She was qualified to enter at 18 months, which was Jan. 13th, but her 1st run is TODAY!!!!!!!!! HOOORAH!!!!!

We both can't wait, especially me! I went to the trial (Rat Pack) yesterday and had the honor of running our friend, Cutter, in Advanced Jumpers. I have to tell you I can not remember when I've had so much fun! It was just a gas! Cutter ran beautifully for me, and I was quickly informed I ran beautiful for him. Cutter's time was 6.3 yps so I may have slowed him down a bit when I was a little bit in his way on a FC after a 270, and it cost the poor guy a bar, but the rest of the run went brilliantly. I had so much fun, I can't even describe it. I had forgotten what's it like to be out there. I drove home (through the same blizzard I drove down to the trial in - ugh!), went to bed and woke up with a huge grin.

We're eager to get going today! Bungee's entered in a single Starter Jumpers run, which is the last run of the day today. We're not ready for standard courses yet (contacts). I'd love to put her in a steeplechase but it always has a frame, and we're not quite there yet. No matter the outcome I know we're going to have a blast, but I'll let you know how it goes.

Other than that everything is going along about the same. Winter is raging on, trips to clean up after the dogs & empty the pooper scooper are now wading through snow to my thighs. Snowshoes are a regular way to get around the property & neighborhood now. But thanks to Sarah we have been training 4 and 5 days a week and been able to really work on handling. Susan is also back from Florida, sort of - guess she's in the states somewhere for the weekend. But, she has some awesome work planned for next weekend that Bungee and I are going to join in on, and maybe Sarah too if Gabby's condition allows and there is still room. Much as I'd like to be enjoying the Florida tropics, I'm really happy we're staying home to get all this great work in for Bungee.

Susan Garrett has been blogging away with posts I've really been enjoying. Click on the link at her name to check it out. But I find myself reading more than writing. I've added Facebook to our internet stops. I found Tomi but he looked so business-like I felt it was one of those "must-do" work things which he probably despises having to have (just like my DH) and best to leave him alone until he shows up in a track suit with a dog on leash! Meanwhile we'd love to have Mia & Helena & Mona join us over there!!!! (hint hint!!!) I think what was once largely a dating forum is now dog city!!! You've got to join us there!!! WE'VE GOT HIGH SPEED AGAIN AS OF THIS WEEK!!!!!!!! HOOORAHH!!! (wow 2 hoorah's in 1 week). I upgraded to the new iLife suite (iPhoto, iMovie & Garage Band) over a week ago, I'm still doing the tutorials but mainly to understand the new features. The transition will otherwise be seamless (and gotta' love a Mac - painless too!) Ok I'm getting antzy & excited about getting to the trial, can't sit here any longer! Best get ready & go. :-))) Wish us luck! I'll keep you posted.

Sending out special wishes & prayers to the very, very special, Gabby, please join me in keeping her in your thoughts & prayers too.

Happy Training, hugs to Aino & Elvis and all their babies!!!!
and always remember.... It's About Love!

Surviving Canadian Winter

2009-01-24T11:13:00.024-05:00

With A Little Help From Our Friends!

Gabby - showing the youngsters how it's done!

I don't know why this picture looks so over-exposed. Straight from iPhoto it looks perfect, uploaded to the blog it's completely changed - weird.

We got these pictures 3 weeks ago when Sarah & I took the dogs for a walk behind Tamsu one day and the DH (dear husband) could come along with his camera. Sarah's dad was already out back with his training buddies doing some field training with their dogs, with the usual stack of dead birds at the line and other birds laying out in the field for the dogs to find & retrieve. We were heading east, where we'd let the dogs have a good run in the open fields as we make our way across into the bush (Canadian woods) for trails not nearly as nice as Finland!

Gabby, unable to resist the bird-doggin' fun off to the north of us, veered off on a fast line disappearing out into the field, only to come running back, clearly happy as a dog can be, holding this big duck, and looking stunning in her purple coat too (!! :-) ...much to the chagrin of the "field people" I'm sure - who had been muttering just loud enough so we could hear them about ALL our dogs in coats, Hah! Clearly this grand Golden lady was showing their youngsters how it's done right!

Vince had come along to take pictures for us, but did so only as far as his long lens would allow him to follow us... :-)) But he managed to get this one of Gabby - what a perfect shot! You can double click on it to enlarge.

Below, Bungee, Guinness & I heading for the trails, with Bungee pretty interested in the "bird work" (field training) going on off to the side. I can guarantee her she doesn't want any part of what they're doing over there.

Below: Sarah, Gabby (purple coat) and her gang

Off in the distance, Gabby's gorgeous son, Cutter, doing what all good bird dogs will do, finds a spot a bird was laying (during earlier training that day) and rolls in it with exuberance!

Here's the whole gang, heading for the trails. See ya' in a few hours.

Surviving Winter - A Mental Reflection
Thank goodness for good friends, warm fires & home theatre! It's turning out to feel like a long season already. It's been 3 years since we have stayed home with no solid plans to get away and enjoy southern latitudes. We both want to but so far things just haven't been right. Clearly, I'm out of practice at this winter bit. Lately I've had a small case of the "winter doldrums", just a combination of things I suppose not the least of which was the news about Gabby, (diagnosed with lymphoma 2 weeks ago), the lack of outdoor warmth, sunshine, or the fact that some of my most favorite training camps & fun trials were going on down in the Florida sunshine without us. Though in my heart I really shouldn't feel that way as I know there are bigger and more important reasons we were meant to stay home. On that note we are both very happy that we are here for those reasons. Still, the last week especially, I've been pretty blue about this grey, blah, winter condition.

Then we had a near-blizzard and death-defying experience to drive 90 km. home in from our running clinic last night, complete with raging winds, walls of snow & white-outs. My goodness we were glad to see our house! Waking up (alive!) to this morning's peaceful landscape, even with a new layer of snow, suddenly seems pretty good!

Meanwhile, as we make our way through this winter, (at times one long day at a time) I'm LOVING the training we're doing, and Bungee's progress! Her contacts are coming along brilliantly and I'm just loving what we're producing now. Thank goodness for families, great coaches, great dogs & good friends!

Today we send out a very special prayer ~ God Bless Gabby!
We love her dearly and send her kisses & kisses & kisses & more meatballs!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Mid-January Update

2009-01-13T21:42:00.004-05:00

Bungee's agility training is going really well. This week we're getting hit with a cold front called an "Alberta Clipper" that's driving temps down in to the -30's all week. Since most of our training takes place in unheated barns, all classes are canceled for the week until this extreme cold passes, I was relieved to hear that! I wasn't going to go in this cold anyway!

We've gotten a lot of training in lately, another reason I didn't mind missing a couple of days. In addition to our regular weekly group & private Tamsu agility classes, we've also enjoyed a series of "running clinics" and "box" workshops with Sarah Mairs on the weekends too. We haven't been keeping up with our obedience training lately, mainly due to agility conflicts, but we'll get back to it as soon as we can.

The "running clinics" are the most interesting to me, also possibly my least favorite, though I'm always glad we went. The "running clinic" courses are set up to emphasize acceleration for driving lines successfully and deceleration to turn accurately (or at all!), and they are also set up at master level and always quite challenging. They really force me to push myself to run better. They highlight my weaknesses in presenting good deceleration to Bungee for turning cues, and they highlight Bungee's inexperience in learning to take & drive lines, but we're both getting better all the time. I can see great teamwork developing between us and we really have a lot of fun. Bungee just loves the work so much, it makes it extra fun. The time of those classes just flies by much too fast.

Weave Poles
Bungee's weaving skills were so strong (perfect) with low level or normal class distractions, that at this point I am pushing Bungee pretty hard to make correct weaving as difficult as possible. Despite her extremely high toy drive, I have worked through toy distractions in & around the poles to the point that I can not create failure through toys. However I'm sure Susan could :-P (my default training question), which tells me I must think harder and perhaps employ a helper to assist with some moving toy distractions I cannot provide alone.

So since we hit a wall with toys, I moved on to the next big distraction I can work on alone: motion. We're doing really well in turning the distraction of motion and rough starts into smooth moves. It was a little surprising to see the effects of handling maneuvers on Bungee's weave pole skills. But it's awfully good information and just what I wanted to see! Much happier to find it out in training than on the trial field. We had a dynamite session on Sunday. We really gained a lot of ground.

That's how it's going with weaves, they just keep getting better and better and they were already great. I just keep challenging the skill, work through any weaknesses, and ultimately strengthening the skills. I guess that's what we do with every aspect of agility if I stop to think about it.

Contacts
Currently focusing on 2o2oNT skills for dog walk & teeter, still not sure what to do with the frame. I think I like Jenny's method for Ogin! wink/wink :-)) Back to nose touches, I backed up a bit at camp to get a stronger nose touch. Now contacts are coming much faster than before and are greatly improved and I like them again :-)

Crosses & Turns
We're still a little weak on rear crosses, and serps if they're quite far apart, but in all honesty she has not worked RC's nearly as much as front crosses, and ditto on the serps. Her 270 & 180 skills are nice.

Overall
Of course everything can be improved on, but I'm very proud of her and the work we've done so far. At 18 months she's running at par or better with almost all of the dogs in her classes & focus clinics, most being around 4 years old. The difference is she is not on the contacts yet, but I'm not worried. She'll be great on equipment once we get her contact picture together the way we want it, and we're working dillegently on that one now.

Stay warm everybody!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Bungee's New Coat!

2009-01-10T15:57:00.006-05:00

Surprise! Surprise!

Here's Bungee, enjoying her new coat!

Bungee in high style!

Santa came around to see Bungee twice this year, once at Christmas and another time this week! (Even though technically it's a new year :'). This time he brought her the most beautiful coat from Finland, custom-made just for her. Made of high-tech sport fabrics for winter weather, designed in Canadian colors, complete with her name embroidered, and decorated with her national flags of Finland & Canada too! Glow in the dark safety stripes as trim and a perfect fit!

As soon as I came in from the mailbox with the parcel, Bungee came up & tried to take the package right out of my hand. Wanting to see what she would do, I let her have it and watched her carry it all around the house a time or two before I helped her open it up! Pretty sure she knew it was for her right away! She could not keep her cold little nose out of it as we opened it either! We weren't prepared to find such a beautiful gift! It's the most beautiful gift one of our dogs has ever received!

Many thanks to Auntie Helena, Uncle Ville & brother One for the fabulous coat! Bungee will be decked out in great winter style from now on!

Happy Training....It's About Love!

Shaping the Ring Toss Game

2009-01-03T02:55:00.005-05:00

Here's Bungee, keeping us busy round the clock!

The 1st stage of shaping was teaching Bungee (and Guinness) to pick up the rings. The 2nd stage of shaping was teaching them to place a ring on just the peg. The 3rd stage of shaping (in the video) was teaching them to place the rings, on the game, on the floor. Stage 4 is picking up and stacking all the rings in a steady motion, no matter where the game/rings are. (Which is where we are currently). Stage 5, if we decide to go that far, will be increasing the difficulty of playing the game to strengthen skills. However at that point we might also just prefer a new game! :-)) It is after all, just for fun!

My apologies for the little formatting glitch that is cutting off the right edge of the film.

Click here to go to our YouTube channel and see these and our other videos in their full wide-screen format, (we've added a couple new ones this week!) I also filmed weaves today & handling at the barn tonight, so lots more on the near horizon.

Until the next time, Happy Training...It's About Love!

2009 Contacts & Weaves & Trials

2009-01-01T14:52:00.024-05:00

Welcome 2009!
I hope everyone survived their New Year's Eve celebrations without feeling too badly today! I'm starting off 2009 very excited about the prospect of seeing Bungee in trial in a couple of months.

Contacts & Weaves Camp
As you may recall, one of my Christmas presents was attendance for Bungee and I at a Say Yes workshop called: "Contacts & Weaves". The timing on this camp was perfect for us. I was really looking forward to going, and it didn't disappoint. It turned out to be just what we needed. I love it when training opportunities exceed my expectations. I have to admit I loved this camp!

First, each of our skills were evaluated in a number of areas that are necessary for good contacts & weaves. Bungee was on top of the curve with everything, with contacts themselves being our weakest skill, in my opinion. From that point a plan was set in place for each of us to get where we wanted to go with our skills. The rest of the weekend was spent working our buns off with one really fun session after another, reviewing what we just did and working again, with lots of instructor help, mixing up contacts, weaves and the complimentary skills associated with perfecting each. As camps go, this one goes on the list as one my favorites.

Contacts
I was relieved to have Susan's nod of "good" for her initial evaluation of Bungee's contacts. We were not as far off as I thought, always nice to hear. However, though technically "correct", I found then average, lacking drive and boring - definitely not the way any of us would like them to stay, especially me! This is also why I have not had Bungee working full pieces of equipment yet.

The camp information was terrific. What we learned has already improved her contacts a lot and filled in gaps for me too. I'm confident it will be a short road from here to the equipment.

The 1st "Aaaaha" Moment
The target cue should create ACCELERATION (not brakes) to the target! This was a real epiphany for me. I've always used the word "target", for my dog's contact "end-zone" cue, so I'll use that as the example here, but it doesn't matter what cue you use. But the end result should be the same, you give the cue and the dog pushes harder. I've always pictured the opposite, the target cue as brakes on the dog's speed over the contact.

But here it is, when I say the word "target" it should cue the dog to accelerate to the contact!

Upon hearing the cue to "target", the dog should ACCELERATE into the contact!

How did I get such backwards thinking all this time? I suppose I just pictured it that way from the start. Lucky for Bungee she will now be the recipient of my new and improved understanding, which will really help. First giant gap in my knowledge of how to get from what I had to what I wanted closed by camp info! Awesome!

In truth, I had actually backed off training contacts recently. I was not happy with the results I had and not sure how to get the ones I wanted. Meanwhile when I did work them, it seemed I was forever working through various learning curves of my own regarding the many herding & stalking type things that a clever little Border Collie can present to you in training contacts! It's not often one of my dogs will lead the parade in how we use our training time but leave it to Bungee, she was doing just that. To say the least, our contact training time did not seem very efficient!

I am really pleased to come away from camp being able to make short work of Bungee's contacts now, they're already so much better.

Weaves
Bungee's weaves were already just rocking before we went to this camp. I've always been proud of the awesome weave skills I've been able to teach my dogs, using Susan's 2 X 2 weave method. The method has always served us well. But now Susan has expanded the training insights to allow greater proofing and create even stronger skills. So how great is it when you go through a camp and get 2 really big "Aaahaa" moments? The 2nd came in the weaves department, and it is going to help us create even stronger skills.

As for Bungee's weave skills now, she is running 12 poles brilliantly, but we backed up to 4 poles a while back to really push the envelope for entries and find every point of failure we can to train through. Once we work through this stage we will move up to 6 & 12 again and focus on handling.

Unfortunately we're in the middle of winter and coming up on our coldest season. At this point in time our only weave training limitations are brought on by deep snow, super cold temperatures and conditions that require us to wait for barn-time to get some work in on them.

Guinness

Ketch

Bungee

Can you believe a new year is here already?
I'm really getting excited about the prospects of being ready for agility competition in 2009. I believe Bungee could handle a Jumpers or Jumpers with Weaves course now. But I intend to finish working through the new 2 X 2 program we revisited first. We'll also have to see where we're going to be for late-January, February and March trials before we go entering any. Warm beaches, green agility fields and big fish are starting to call our names once again, but at this point, no solid plans yet. With any luck our dollar will start gaining it's strength back as the first week of the New Year gets going.

Click here to see if you can spot Bungee's many appearances in the video clips Susan posted to her blog from camp!

Until the next time, Happy Training! ....It's About Love

It's a Family Tradition!

2008-12-31T13:46:00.017-05:00

Happy New Year Everybody!!!

Lately I have really been enjoying Jenny's latest videos. It's clear where our Kvarkin "Champagne kids" get one-half of their large talent!! So we just can not let 2008 get away before we get a chance to brag about brother, Ogin, and compliment the fantastic work he and "mom" Jenny Damm are already doing in agility training & competition! So, what better way to brag about them, than bring you directly to Jenny's latest YouTube video of Ogin & Elvis right here! And now...drum roll for Ogin, Elvis & Jenny, prepare to be impressed!

Congatulations Jenny & Ogin on your awesome debut! Congratulations also to "papa" Elvis on his continued success! In a word: Wow! You guys are looking awesome! We are tickled to see these videos and looking forward to many more! Meanwhile, I'll be filing this video under "inspiration" and Jenny's latest weaves video as well! (We've been keeping a little busy in that department too, but another time-this one's for Ogin!)

Between Mia & Ogin, it seems Sweden is off to an early start with a monopoly on the competition market for Kvarkin kids!!! Ho Ho Ho! Good thing we love them! Go Sweden!!!!! :-)))

I have some lovely photos & nice video clips of Jenny & Elvis relaxing in the park and showing a few of Elvis's many tricks, on a break during FCI AWC 2008. I'll be putting them up very soon!!

You can learn more about Kvarkin Kennels and our dogs, or Jenny Damm, Elvis & Lotus Education by visiting the "Family Links" to the side, the link to Jenny's YouTube site is also listed to the side under YouTube channels.

Signing off today to again wish you a Happy New Year! We raise a toast of champagne to all for a wonderful & prosperous 2009!

Luv & hugs from Bungee & family...XOXOXOXXXOOO!
Happy Training, It's About LOVE!

Guinness Learns Ring Toss too!

2008-12-30T20:00:00.003-05:00

Our Border Terrier, Guinness, learns the Ring Toss Game too!

Busy with different tricks, Guinness is not quite as far along as his "sister" Bungee on this one, but he's off to a nice start just the same and has a number of others coming along too. It might help speed his ring toss skills along a little quicker if my CLICK WASN'T LATE (like it is in this video! :-) But, Guinness has been falling behind on his share of video time in this household and mistakes are valuable information too. Next time we have a shaping session I'm definitely going to prop up a mirror on the floor nearby, to see what he's doing a little more accurately. This time around I will have to lead by example in giving you a good demonstration of reason to video your work.

Happy Training, It's About Love!

Kvarkin's Cristal "Mia"

2008-12-29T18:34:00.007-05:00

Below, Bungee's sister "Mia", in Sweden.

Mia poses for the photo above, after enjoying early success in the obedience ring. She's already moved out of Class I of Swedish Obedience Competition and is now training to be ready for Class II in the spring! Wow! Best of all, reports are that Miss Mia is a very, HAPPY worker in the ring!! That comes as no surprise but is still fabulous to hear :-) Nice work ladies!!!

Big Congratulations to Mia & Mona on all their obedience success!

Our special thanks to Mona Kjernholm for the news update & lovely photo of Mia!

Happy Training, It's About Love!

Bungee's Ring Toss Game

2008-12-26T07:33:00.009-05:00

For Sophie and her classmates in Cambridge, England

Here is Bungee playing her Ring Toss Game!

I also have a 6 minute video showing some of the shaping sessions we did on this. Maybe someday I'll get the uplink speed to post that one. But for now Bungee can play this game any which we way choose. There are 5 rings. I can hand her each ring, toss each ring to any side of the floor, or lay all the rings on the floor in a row for her to pick up on her own. When she will pick them all up straight-away and stack them without a pause or need for re-direction I'll update the video for you. Until then, here's how we occasionally spend some "TV time" on the winter evenings at home.

OK Maisa & Pirjo I hope this keeps those beautiful bowl retrievers at bay until we get that one up for you - but it's coming!!! :-))

Click here for our: YouTube page , now updated (by special request~thank you Sophie!) with a few new training videos of Bungee: http://www.youtube.com/user/bl0art
Enjoy!

Happy Training! It's About Love!!

Holiday's over - back to work!

2008-12-26T05:39:00.006-05:00

CONTACTS & WEAVES!

I hope everyone had a happy Christmas! We certainly did! Bungee & Guinness made out like bandits with new noise-making toys of all sorts including a new "flickin' chicken" (even though it's a squirrel this time), Ottosson games, and some great new "woolzee" training toys. The "flicken chicken" is actually a flying squirrel toy that Bungee is just over the moon for. She had a similar one before that was a flying chicken so the name stuck. Just a great toy with a built-in rubber slingshot that sends it flying! Guinness's fave has to be his new "Squeeze Meeeze Dragon" which he has only put down to sleep. Another huge hit was a very funny ball from our friend Cynthia which makes all manner of odd noise and delightfully unoffensive to human ears too! Good job Cynthia!!! The dogs have officially learned to tear wrapping paper and snoop in every box that comes their way. But with the holiday officially behind us it's time to get back to work!

That will be pretty easy for us since my husband got me a seminar at Say Yes for Christmas! It was almost a surprise, but an excited friend, the 1st born Griswald (do the initials SMH ring a bell?) blurted it out unaware that it was a surprise! Ooops! However, it's also nice to have a little advance notice of these things, so it's OK, I was glad to get a little prep time if only in my head. I also need to whip up some Salmon Brownies for Bungee (recipe in the archives) this morning, as they seem to work out the best for Bungee in rewarding contacts. So we're off later today to Susan's latest: "Contacts & Weaves". A classroom lecture tonight, and 2 days of work this coming weekend. Click on the Say Yes link above to learn more.

Bungee's weaves are just brilliant already so this should be really nice for her. Our contacts are not quite at the level weaves are, but on that note, perfect work for us too.

I'll take video and with a little luck the hotel will have some good high speed. I managed to get some new video up by making the clips only about a minute long and getting up at 4:45 a.m. to upload them! (ugh) I may be paying for that at the lecture tonight but I'm sure the info will be so new and stimulating we'll hardly be able to contain ourselves! :-))
Ok this is what being up at this hour does to the brain!!! I'll link up the new videos here as I get the up-link opportunities!

Hugs to our Kvarkin family, the Griswald's in Timmin's and friends near & far!

Happy Training! It's About Love!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T17:56:00.008-05:00

From our house to yours,
Wishing you the Happiest of Holidays!

L-R below: Homer Simpson, myself, Guinness & Bungee
(please excuse Homer standing in for my husband, but somebody has to take the picture!)

Bungee and Guinness join me for a little snowshoeing out back.

A stump makes for a great photo op for Guinness, all dressed up and ready for Christmas!

The camera manages to snap a snowball - much better than Bungee was doing this day, but she enjoyed the game just the same!

Best Wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year!

May the glory of God shine around you, and His light always brighten your way, may there be Peace On Earth in the new year, and love in your hearts every day.

It's About LOVE!

Let's Blow This Popsicle Stand!

2008-11-25T15:53:00.012-05:00

At least that's how I felt this past weekend after 3 days of non-stop flurries, squalls & whiteouts! When it was over we were left with more than a foot of the white stuff to deal with. I was NOT ready for this reality. Bungee is doing too awesome in training and we have so much I want to do on the field to come to a hard stop now. I moped around through our newly necessary winter chores of shoveling & scraping & moving the last of our outdoor things inside for much of the morning.

As we slogged in & out of the basement, putting away the last pieces of equipment for the season, Coach John Wooden's famous words suddenly rang through my head:

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

Like music to my ears, I had an instant shift of thinking about all the things we can work on. So with that spirit we're now entering the holiday & winter season, brimming with ideas & lists and all sorts of things to work on at home, not the least of which is contacts & weaves, obedience and a great new list of tricks.

1st however on the "homework front" is weaves. So inspired I am by Susan's "Excellence in Weave Pole Training - Phase One" (click on the link to get this workbook, it launches tomorrow, Nov. 26) that I have decided to revamp Bungee's 2 X 2's almost from the beginning. That decision is based on one thing I have heard Susan say many times before about weave training, which is: "by the time the dog gets to 4 straight poles, they should never make a mistake again."

In years past I've wondered about that remark, scratching my head and thinking "yeah right", or "how the heck can someone do that". Still, when training at home, I've always worked toward that mark, but accepting perhaps 98% success, instead of 100%. It was while reading: "Excellence in Weave Pole Training" that the way to fill that 2% gap became clear. I suddenly realized EXACTLY what I skipped or touched on too lightly in Bungee's training and when.

While anyone who has seen Bungee weave, with her speed and clearly beautiful skill, might tell me I'm crazy; and for all the entries she can get, I know deep in my heart that there is one spot that I can send her from where she will miss the entry more often than hit it and I am not happy with that...never have been. However, I didn't discover this "hole" until we were moving up to 12 poles. I also know another entry I can send her to (which is from an arc below pole 12, where she must go all the way to the top end to pole 1 doing a U-turn into the space from 1 - 2 on a left-side approach. In this situation she will hit the entry but not bend enough to hit pole 3. At some point in the early foundation work of 2 poles, I missed providing her with the information she needed to work these 2 challenges out. Bungee is just too marvelously talented and awesome to give her anything less than 100% on her poles!

So we're off already having loads of fun & success with 2 poles again. With a foot of snow on the ground - what else have we got to do? I left 3 pieces of agility equipment outside: the contact training stairs, one set of 2 X 2's and one set of 6 poles. We'll use the poles outside every single day that we can. I plan to revive our circle work as well as all the "driving lines" business now needs some balancing out with our RZ (reinforcement zone). All the rest of the equipment is now inside and we're darned lucky to have such a nice place fixed up to train in as we do in our basement. The teeter or a plank between two tables is the only contact equipment I have room to put up, but I can do quite a lot with the space.

All of our regular agility classes are now re-located to the "Playdome" - an unheated coverall-type (vinyl roof fabric) barn building with dirt floor, that's used just for dog agility. We also have a new barn location to the north of us, (previously a horse barn) that I've not yet seen but will be getting to for training classes later this week. Speaking of which, time to sign off & head for class.

Still in a holding pattern for high speed. Cross your fingers for us!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Excellence In Weave Pole Training

2008-11-22T12:31:00.009-05:00

EXCITING NEWS FOR AGILITY ENTHUSIASTS!

A fabulous new training tool for weave training has hit the e-market and we have had the privilege to preview it! Hold on to your hats folks - this one REALLY is outstanding!

It's Called: "Excellence in Weave Pole Training - Phase One"
It's By: Susan Garrett
Available at: www.clickerdogs.com Read more about it below!

Here's Bungee learning her weaves with 2 X 2's this past fall!

Above, Bungee is building her weave pole skills the way all of our dogs have, with Susan Garrett's 2 X 2 weave pole training method. Susan's 2 X 2 system has produced such fabulously fast, reliable and independent weaving skills for each of our dogs that I just don't think about using any other method. The shot above was taken by me, one hand to reward with a toy and the other for the camera on about her 15th day of weave training and that was actually a set of 12 poles.

Now Susan has really outdone herself (yet again!), creating an absolutely fabulous new 2 X 2 Weave Pole Training E-book called:

"Excellence In Weave Pole Training - Phase One"

Available on Susan's website at: www.clickerdogs.com

I am thrilled and proud to be one of the first to have a preview of this fantastic new training tool and to be able to share in announcing it's launch with all of you. When you see the quality and content for yourself I'm sure you'll understand why I'm raving about it!

I cannot wait to get started working through it. That said, I think there is about 6 months work there if one diligently trained 5 days a week, which in my book is great value for the money. But, set your calendars to get it fast! It launches off Susan's website listed above, November 26, 2008, and it will ONLY be available until December 10th, 2008, when Phase Two is launched.

Even with my previous success in teaching beautiful weaves with 2 X 2's, I am blown away by the content and the quality of Susan's new e-book and the potential it holds for taking Bungee's skills to the highest level attainable. I am not kidding or just throwing adjectives around folks - this workbook is a MUST HAVE! I'm really impressed by the enormous amount of information and the quality that Susan has put into this as well as the value that is to be gained by any team who works through it from start to finish.

I have no doubt that the "Phase One" workbook will take Bungee's (and any dog's) weave pole skills to a world class level if followed systematically. But for trainers and/or dogs new to the method, the workbook starts you at Step One for a dog that is seeing a weave pole for the very 1st time and brings you along with instructions for producing as nice of weaves as you want to have.

Get this book while you can, it's a GEM! I myself can't wait to start working through it. I wish we didn't have a foot of snow on the ground already but that's another story!
Kisses home to all from Bungee!!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Chili & Fun come to see me off!

2008-11-02T11:09:00.008-05:00

More photos of my recent trip to Finland!

L-R: Mia, Fun, Pirjo & Chili (I hope I got Fun & Chili right - these girls look a lot a like!)

Below, our dog's fabulous breeder & friend, Mia Laamanen with Fun, then Chili, and myself.

I got to see lots of the human "Kvarkin family" at the 2008 FCI Agility World Championships, but not quite as much of the dogs as we spent most of our time at the games.

So, Pirjo generously decided to bring sisters 'Fun' & 'Chili' to see me off at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport! I was so happy to get to see them! It was the 1st time I'd seen Chili since she was a wee pup and a full year since I'd see Fun. It was so fantastic to see them! Thank you ladies for making this happen!

Fun is Bungee's big sister, a half-sister by her dam, Aino, also out of Mia's breeding and belongs to our friend, Pirjo.
Chili is Bungee's litter mate sister, and belongs to our friend Maisa who could not be there at the airport, but fortunately we got to visit quite a lot at the World Championship.

Below, assorted shots of Chili & Fun, in the airport terminal.

To read more about Fun & Chili click on Mia's: Kvarkin Kennel website here.

Many thanks to our friends Mia for "everything" and to Pirjo for bringing Fun & Chili for bringing the girls to see me off! Kiitos paljon!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Brother One!

2008-11-02T10:31:00.008-05:00

A few photos from my recent trip to Finland

Here's Bungee's lovely brother "One"

And again, One, very happy to be going out for a walk in the woods!

Here's One with almost all of his family (where's Ville?)
L - R: One, Tyyne & Roope with "mom" Helena standing behind.

I got to see One, Tyyne & Roope at lunch one day of the games. Helena invited me to come home with her to give the dogs some exercise at lunchtime. It was a short visit due to our schedule at the games but it was still a really nice walk in the local woods and it was great to see Helena's dogs and visit with them again. I had not seen One since he was a young puppy, and it was marvelous to see what a fabulous young man he's grown into! One looks so much like Bungee, it really stunned me for a second when I first saw him. He's very handsome!! Many thanks to Helena for this special lunch time treat!

If you'd like to read more about Helena and her dogs and see lots of great pictures of them, visit her website by clicking here. You can also read more about One by clicking on the Kvarkin Kennels website here.

Happy Training...It's About Love!

So what have you been up to?

2008-10-14T16:30:00.007-04:00

Bungee At Training Camp

Training progress this week
Focus on serpentine handling, distance & motion challenges on contact training, moving up from 6 to 12 poles, and speed circles of 5 jumps mixed up with 3 sets of 2 X 2's to create entries with speed. I will also be adding poles after tunnels & out of chutes for the same thing. We found some weakness in one particular kind of 180 situation for both Bungee and myself when we went to work with Sarah yesterday so we have that going too. I learned at camp that Bungee only understood a 270 for a limited distance (maybe with jumps up to 10-12 ft. apart?). When jumps were set on square 18' - 20' (ft.) apart, she really needed a lot of support to stay on her outside line and not come through the gap. So we'll work on that too. Lots of the work is mine to do, to find the sweet spot between the how-to & amount of support she needs and not getting myself stuck, flat-footed in a gap when I really need to be moving down a line. As always we finish any box work or technical sequences with simple speed circles of 7 - 10 jumps (heights & sets always in flux, never the same twice) just to let her open up and release a bit after technical work.

On a personal note
I have been feeling so cut-off and frustrated with our still-dismal internet situation. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to upload one medium-sized picture of Bungee to my blog this morning without timing out - amazing. The line-of-sight internet company told us they are planning a new tower for our area early in the new year. No solutions now :-( Meanwhile my husband was in touch with our county office as they are also doing a high-speed upgrade project for several areas, however our road was not included on their mapping!! When my husband contacted the county administrator in charge of the project, the man asked my husband if he was one in the same as the person that authored a certain whitepaper on MS Exchange. When he found out that indeed my husband was the same individual he really got excited telling him our county is in the process of deploying that same architecture now and he's the architect in charge and agreeing how much we REALLY need the bandwidth and how happy he was to meet him and so on. Maybe we've found a new ally who can actually come through with high-speed for us - fingers crossed. In the meanwhile, I am still stuck with going to an internet cafe for out-bound high-speed or a friends house. Both are possibilities in the near future the trouble is just finding the time.

But moving on to more positive subjects, fall is here in all it's splendor and it's just gorgeous to be outside. Fall days are so fabulous, especially here in Ontario. I don't know how some Canadians can take this season for granted to go about their days in the same hum-drum fashion as always. I never get used to what must be the most beautiful fall color to be seen on the planet. I really just love this time of year. I wish I could put up so many of the beautiful pictures I have been taking here at home. The temperatures have been perfect for working dogs, the colors are glorious, the sunshine is brilliant, this year the grass is plush from the wet summer, it's just hard to stay inside.

Of course Bungee would like to train 8 hours a day in any weather, so she's really all for any day when I'd rather be outside than in! In between training sessions I can find endless odd jobs to do, all the business of being a "good squirrel" and getting ready for winter. Somehow fall always creates an urgency in me to take advantage of every spare minute of sunshine. Perhaps it's the days getting shorter, or recognizing that every day of green grass is a gift this time of year that creates a desire to pack every minute of a training you can into day.

I may only get one picture up at a time but I can make many short notes to the blog when I have uploading success. Videos are still just out of the question from home but I'm looking for alternatives all the time.

Happy Training! It's About Love!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

2008-10-14T16:03:00.009-04:00

Greg & Laura Derrett Seminar

Bungee and I had the good fortune to attend 4 seminar workshops with Greg & Laura Derrett, during their latest visit to Say Yes Dog Training here in Ontario last week. We took our RV to stay in at the school. I am very disappointed to again report there was NO high speed for us to use the entire time. There is quite a lot of construction going on there and nothing was available with the temporary interruption of all the work. This was disastrous for my husband who had planned to work, and frustrating for me, looking forward to spending spare time in the evenings uploading videos. We had to come home Thursday & Friday for my husband to be able to work, but we returned on the weekend for two more days of training.

I was concnerned that all of it would be a stretch for Bungee who has never done any sequences that size before. But Susan and Laura assured me if we hit areas that were too advanced we'd just break the work down. That was very encouraging. I knew going in that Bungee would hold her own with all the skills she's learned to date and her attitude for the work.

Bungee worked full days in "Double Box Day", "Lead Out's & Positional Cues", "Driving Lines & Cueing Turns", and "Deceleration, Acceleration & Turning Cues", the last being a sort of culmination of the whole week's training as well.

We had a great time in the seminars. Bungee was the yougest dog there and was holding her own very well. Her turns are excellent and her talent is obvious. Finding & driving lines was/is a needy area for her progress and acceleration & deceleration is a needy area for me to work on. I have to improve my running. We shot lots of video and took some pictures too, soon to come.

Now we are again overloaded with agility homework plans, besides the on-going weaves & contacts, but it's great work we will enjoy. The fall season is upon is and it may be the most beautiful time of year in Ontario, the colors are incredible and the warm temperatures and sunny days have been glorious.

Happy Training...It's About Love!

October update & upstream woes!

2008-10-06T15:10:00.006-04:00

Greetings!

Last week I got nothing done on the blog, spending all my computer time processing videos instead. But I am completely up a creek for putting the videos up from home with a slow upstream connection and usually timing out before the videos are loaded. I returned to find our previous internet company canceled us for using 21 gigs of upstream bandwidth a month which they decided was too much. Apparently their definition of "unlimited" is not Webster's! Now we are stuck with only our old satellite internet connection, high speed down, slow up. What video I have put up since I have been home I have gone to Starbucks coffee shop to post and more recently the home of a generous friend with high speed.

Thus the slow appearance of new videos - and I have so many great ones to share!

I had a smooth trip home, but I suffered about 2 days of jet lag this time. Still made it back to all my classes with Bungee & Guinness. Both dogs worked so well, the time off was OK.

Bungee must have been sleeping on the 2 X 2 instructions while I was away as she welcomed me home with brilliant weaves! Since getting home our biggest agility training efforts are going towards weaves for her, acceleration & deceleration for me, handling of course and working through toy distractions. Obedience has been sorely neglected - yikes(!) as have contacts. Back to class for obedience tonight!

We are awaiting a site inspection on our property to see if we can get line-of-sight high speed from a newer tower that's gone up. Fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, the blog will be back to life now.

Still have my trip photos to download, and 1+ days of World Championship video yet to process - part of Saturday & all of Sunday.

I had a great time in Finland. Kittos paljon to our Kvarkin family for your friendship & generosity once again. I can't wait to see you all again next year!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

We're Home!

2008-09-30T06:59:00.002-04:00

Greetings from Canada! I arrived home last night. Bungee & Guinness were overjoyed to see me. They are dying to work and get their "mamma" back, so first things first - this morning is theirs. Videos will take lot of time to process but I will devote my normal "blog time" to getting videos up for awhile. Many thanks to our Finnish friends & hosts for all of their hospitality! It is beginning to feel like "home away from home".

The Finns did an amazing job providing the best and safest environment for dogs and handlers for world agility competition yet! The flooring & surface were wonderful - best yet, the equipment - Smart 99 --- AMAZING stuff! We will be adding that link soon!

Here's to good friends! I had an absolutely marvelous time and can't wait to return again, next time with Bungee and Guinness and fingers crossed - my husband too!
Stay tuned - good content from world's coming up!!

Happy training...It's About Love!

To Sarah & Gabby

2008-09-21T12:49:00.010-04:00

Please note this blog will be on hiatus from Sept. 22 to Oct. 1, 2008.

A Special Tribute
This is a little retirement tribute to Tamsu's Special Angel, "Gabby". It's especially fitting to post Gabby's video as I depart for the World Championships, as it was Gabby and Sarah who 1st introduced me to world-class agility. They have inspired so many things in our lives, it was a special treat for both of us to be there for Gabby's last trial - The 2008 AAC National Agility Championships! Gabby, now 10 years old, excelled at every run, winning 1st place in the aggregate scores from the Veterans class, and taking 2nd place from the Veteran's class at the Steeplechase finals. What an awesome weekend for such an awesome girl, this one's for her! We love you Gabby!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Kvarkin's Cristal "Mia"

2008-09-19T23:22:00.005-04:00

Mia Makes a Splash!

Here are some great photos of Bungee's sister Mia, in Sweden, taking some time out of her training for the all-importance business of having some fun!

Enjoy!

Many thanks to Mona Kjernholm for sharing these wonderful photos with us once again!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

OGIN!

2008-09-17T18:47:00.006-04:00

How exciting!!! New YouTube videos from Jenny & brother Ogin!

Just have to love the internet! How lucky we are to get to see all the great family photos & videos. We have some new photos of sister Mia to put up also, perhaps after class tonight! Looks like Ogin is maybe a few weeks ahead of Bungee on weaves but not much more. Ogin's doing an awesome job here - wow!

Happy Training! (certainly looks like Ogin's getting plenty of that!!)...It's About Love!

Susan Garrett & Encore & "The Journey"

2008-09-16T01:27:00.008-04:00

Susan Garrett & Encore's winning run at the 2008 AAC National Agility Championships, Steeplechase Finals event.

The 2nd video entitled: "The Journey" is very special.
As the agility world prepares to come together in Helsinki, I can't think of a more fitting time to highlight the tremendous message of Susan's video: "The Journey". I will be filing this one under "Inspiration" to be sure.

The story behind the video:
Susan was invited to be the keynote speaker at the 2008 Agility Association of Canada (AAC) National Agility Championships. Her program included this magnificent creation: "The Journey". We were so moved by her presentation that we urged her to share it on YouTube and even someday as a published pocket book of inspiration. "The Journey" received tremendous applause and recognition at the Nationals Banquet & Awards ceremony, with nary a dry eye left in the house, as the message touched one heart after another. It has now received huge acclaim on YouTube, as it SHOULD! Yesterday it passed the 50,000 viewers mark on YouTube! Wow! Richly deserved!

Susan Garrett owns & operates Say Yes! Dog Training Center, Inc. in Alberton, Ontario, Canada. (Bungee's 1st Canadian school :-) Click on the "Say Yes!" link above to visit Susan's website, tell them Bungee sent you!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Toys, Toys, Toys - Agility Training Update

2008-09-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

Sept. 12, Training Update...Can you believe it's already the 12th of September?

Toys
The over-riding elements in all of Bungee's agility training right now, be it as reinforcers or challenges, are toys. Toys have tremendous value to her. So rather than use toys less, since she has to work hard to be correct in the presence of certain toys, we leave the toys where they are and let her work through the distractions and challenges until she can be correct, even if it means breaking down the work, enlisting the aid of a coach or friend to help, and adding a lot of screw-up cookies to keep her motivated that she can still win this new version of our training game. Bungee has always had to work through toy distractions, but they are proving to be big challenges in contacts and handling, which is great information!

Most of the time we set up a small sequence to be run one of several ways so that we can put the pressure on, then let the pressure off. This also helps keep Bungee in the game and highly successful despite the increased difficulty of the work.

The circle work we did has created incredible responsiveness in Bungee. I have been amazed since the beginning of her sequence work at the obvious result. Her understanding of Greg's system is already phenomenal with what part of it she has been exposed to since we started working small sequences. We know she understands her Reinforcement Zone (RZ), and thus my Blind Cross Body Line (BCBL), we know she understands a Front Cross, we know she understands deceleration. So, the challenges we create with toys are fair challenges.

The reason we know these toys create big challenges is by pushing the envelope and putting the most desirable toys exactly where they will be potential stumbling blocks. Embracing the weaknesses rather than avoiding them. That's exactly what you want in a training challenge - one where you've really accomplished something big when you work through it. How better to prepare the dog for the thrill of the competition field?

Bungee loves training agility, no matter what it is we are doing, but she loves her toys more. As Sarah said yesterday: "Right now toys are the most valuable thing to Bungee, but as you continue to train, eventually the jumps will have the same value to her as these toys." So, much to Sarah's credit, we use these toys to their full potential, not just as fabulous rewards, but as challenges to grow by.

Contacts
Nose touches are really nice now. Turning up the heat with toys, motion and/or distance. Putting teeter games back into the picture with nose touches. Still undecided on frame.

Weave Poles
Working 4 straight poles w/ 2 X 2's. Working 6 straight poles with 1/2 of a regular set of 12. 3 sets of 2 X 2's and 2 sets of 6 poles are set up in various places on our field now. So she's seeing a lot of poles! Her speed & desire for the poles is beyond adequate, but I am intentionally using food more than toys on 6 poles to develop 1-step footwork. Letting her race through as she would prefer, she switched to 2 paw pulling in a moment. Obviously needing to correct that immediately, we slowed her down to food rewards for correct footwork. Right now entry variations and correct footwork are the emphasis. Since I last posted at any length on poles Sarah helped us create proper bending at the 3rd pole so as to avoid popping it later on with fast, angled approaches in couses.

Jumping
Haven't done any big session of grids lately, we're definitely due. I keep a set point jump set up as a warm-up jump on my own field, and one grid at almost all times. I change the one grid I leave up frequently so she does see a variety. She has been introduced to my new double & spread jumps at competition height, in a very simple setting here at home. In small sequences at competition height she is keeping the bars up nicely, handling now being the critical component to that picture too.

Handling
We're working on small sequences, 3 - 6 pieces. Each little sequence is "handling heavy" with the emphasis on learning to read turning cues and various parts of Greg's system. FFW continues with Crate Games being particularly usefull.

Overall Work
Excellent! Bungee is an awesome dog to work with and very impressive to watch. That said, Bungee would probably tell you she's teaching me more than I'm teaching her and that's probably right!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Bungee's Winter Vacation - 2008

2008-09-09T20:41:00.000-04:00

This will be a little bit of a repeat for our Blog readers, but it is new to our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/bl0art, which has been in dire need of updates. Content: Winter training & a little R & R, lots of relationship building. Enjoy!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Everybody Splish Splash!

2008-09-09T18:00:00.006-04:00

Bungee, Guinness & friends have some weekend fun in the water.

Bungee advances to running 6 feet and jumping into the water without stopping! Guinness just loves everybody & loves to swim. He never wants to leave the pool!!
Some dogs are just learning to swim, some are old pro's at this game, the rest are somewhere in between. Enjoy!

The two Rotties are our good friends Emma & Eli (mom & son). Emma and her human mom Cassie joined us in our RV for our trip out to Nationals last month. Unfortunately we all came home quite sad to see we got nearly no pictures of them to include in our vacation photos :-(...but we're making up for it now!! Here they are in all their glory, having a blast, dock diving like old pros and amusing everybody with their antics!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Bungee! 2007 The Early Days

2008-09-08T01:49:00.005-04:00

A photo collection of Bungee's early days, August to December, 2007.

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Barrel Racing Bungee

2008-09-04T23:30:00.008-04:00

Bungee's 2nd Demo is a Success!

Bungee's 1st demo was just a year ago this past weekend. She was about 11 weeks old. This year she got to do more :-), including Barrel Racing. Here's are some assorted photos of her races over the hot but very fun weekend. She won her share. She dialed herself into the tight line like an old pro! Her best time was 6.4 seconds, but I don't have yardage so not much good! Most dogs were averaging 10 - 11 seconds. Faster dogs got into the 7 second range. Only Bungee & Grip got into the 6 second range, Sarah's dog were not running this one or we may have had a bit more company in the 6 sec. slot! At any rate - it was all about fun & teamwork and as the pictures show...Bungee really liked Barrel Racing.

Here she is...

Around the 1st barrel...

Around the 2nd barrel...(how about those tight turns?)

I could take credit for them...

But she's never done this before :-)

Around the last & down the finish line! Go Bungee!!

Rounding the 3rd in another race...

Racing to the finish on the tight line!

Does this picture remind anyone beside me of sister Mia??? :-))

Go Girlie!!

A great big "wally ball" toy reward awaits her over the line and a victory lap!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

A Day At The Beach - P.E.I.

2008-09-02T19:09:00.006-04:00

A day at the beach - P.E.I., Canada

L-R: Guinness, Bungee, Barbie (in front), Grip, Gabby, Zimmer, Cutter & Jiggy

Above, the whole gang minus one (Emma flew home after Nationals).
Our campground on P.E.I. was actually at this fantastic & deserted beach. We had it all to ourselves and we loved it, most of all the dogs, who swam & ran together until their little legs practically fell off! A great day we will remember a long time!

L-R Below: Sarah & Zimmer, Cynthia & Barbie, Guinness in front, Grip on the lobster trap, Bungee & I, Jiggy out front with Guinn, Cutter, and Gabby next to me.

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Kvarkin's Princesse Bungee!

2008-09-02T09:38:00.005-04:00

Bungee on Prince Edward Island, (P.E.I.), Canada

A proper place for a Princesse, don't you think?

Below, our beautiful Finnish Princesse, Bungee gets center stage on this morning's blog. How could I resist with such a beautiful shot of our Bungee?

Below, the same photo, cropped to zoom in for a close-up of Bungee.

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Dickinson Falls

2008-08-30T21:08:00.006-04:00

Fundy National Park's Dickinson Falls, New Brunswick, Canada

A most beautiful and protected area, much like a rain forest, perhaps it is. One of the prettiest places I have been in a long time. The dogs liked it too!

But between the rain, the mist from the falls & water all around, and the wooden walkways & stairs, it was a very slippery place for fast dogs who would prefer to tear around together, with no thought to tearing themselves up! So it was leashes all around most of the time. Oh - and lots of stops for photographs!

Dickinson Falls

L-R, Jiggy, Cutter, Bungee

The folks who have helped the most over the years to make all of our dreams with the dogs, possible! Our friends & traveling companions - Mr. & Mrs. Mairs

OH! Wait a minute, where have all the women gone?
These guys look like trouble!

L-R - top: Gabby, Cutter, Jiggy, bottom: Guinness & Bungee

After a good long hike, we finally arrive at the falls view. Bungee was quite interested in the water below, as you can see her with her head between the railings looking over the side (and mom holding her securely on the other side!)

Another bunch of troublemakers no doubt...

One scene like this after another, all the way up to the falls.

Up stream from the falls, and more trouble makers! :-)) ....hmmm, they have familiar looking dogs...perhaps we know these people/grin/ Actually there were several people at this lovely swimming hole by the time we made our way, don't know how they missed the picture? Cynthia gets the spotlight! The swimming hole doesn't seem to make it into the photo either. Hmmm... But the dogs all enjoyed it and a little break here, then back to the leashes for the slippery hike out.

Happy Training!...It's About Love!

Fundy National Park

2008-08-30T06:36:00.004-04:00

Happy Campers!

Above, a group shot from our hike through Fundy's Dickinson Falls.
L-R, top stair: Cutter, his mom Gabby, and Jiggy (Border collie)
L-R, lower stair: Guinness & Bungee

Just a quick post this a.m. We're off once again to the Tamsu demo at the Fall Fair for the Labor Day long weekend. 3 days of non-stop action and a dog troop extraordinaire! (I can say that because my dogs are in the show!!! :-))) Bungee made her 1st appearance at this event last year at about 11 weeks old. We're all returning again with many other dog friends. Bungee will be showing off her talent with her growing list of skills in 3 shows a day! Guinness was a born "ham" and loves the stage! This kind of thing is right up his alley. Guinness's theme this year is "Little Mr. Sunshine". Bungee's theme: "Princesse Dolly" performing from her special crate: "Princesse's Bungee's Dollhouse." Wish us luck!

Happy Training....It's About Love!!

Training Update - Aug. 27

2008-08-27T15:55:00.008-04:00

Vacation homework
We each packed what equipment we could in the RV's. Our combined efforts yielded: 2 sets of 2 X 2's, 12 weave poles, portable chute, jumps & jump bumps, travel planks, crates & toys. With Sarah overseeing things, we put some great training together in the campground for our 10 canine traveling companions.

Agility
Back at home Bungee is working on small sequences for handling, jumping to height now (22 inches) some of the time. Most sequence of even 3 or 4 jumps offers an off course possibility to something attractive such as tunnel. Then working the sequence both ways, 1st to include the attractive line, and 2nd to run past following a different sequence with the same start and same attractive line, now an off course. Clear as mud? Well Bungee usually aces this one - that circle work is proving to have been worth it's weight in gold. Suffice it to say she will never have a problem turning.

We are also working on poles, table, and contacts. I still have not decided 100% if I would like to teach Bungee a running frame or not. But teaching the contact performance is a lengthy process, especially at the rate we're going with holidays and trips to the U.S. & Finland! Clearly it will be awhile yet until she see starts performing her contacts on equipment and so I still have time to make that decision.

Obedience
This week her performance suffered by lack of attention. She was easily distracted throughout the class and there were only 2 dogs present! ACK! Her skills were very good when she was paying attention, but there was not enough of that to make do. So since Guinness's Tues. night agility class has been moved to an earlier time, I have started slipping quietly in to a busy Beginner II obedience class with Bungee after Guinness's class ends. Bungee & I just work on the side and work attention, nothing else. We work 1 - 2 min. out on the floor and about 5 min. in the crate, and alternating on & off through the hour like this. We actually only get about 45 min. in after I pack off bag & crate from Guinness's class. What a world of difference even one night of such attention work made!

In obedience, Bungee's heeling is a little troublesome with preference for forging close to the front of my left leg. She wants to see all of me every second I think. We're adding U-turns now and we're also working on keeping her in place not lagging slightly. If it's not one thing it's another :-)) Other trouble spots are going down on her long sit, but her long down is good. Everything else is coming good.

Bungee's regular, group agility class is tonight and tomorrow a.m. we have a standing semi-private. Looking forward to both and what new little things our teacher will have for us tonight.

Parting thoughts
I am so lucky to have Guinness and Bungee. It's always a happy time running this black & white girl! There was a time I doubted I would ever enjoy training this much again, but the joy has surely returned to me and to Guinness too. He is really running like a million bucks again and we are having so much fun together too.

I know we have a very special little angel keeping her eye on us and cheering us on too. These moments with our dogs are just so marvelous. Guinness's class last night was just an absolute blast to see him turning on the juice and powering around with me. I came in from running Bungee this morning, and I was absolutely overjoyed with the fun we had. What a thrill to see your training coming to life as you share such a big love between you. Whatever would we do without these big-hearted dogs?

Happy Training...It's About Love

Hopewell Rocks

2008-08-27T13:02:00.018-04:00

Scenes below are from New Brunswick, Canada's, Bay of Fundy, Hopewell Rocks area. These particular formations are called: "Flower Pot Rocks".

A little preface: The Bay of Fundy is famous for it's high tides. The tide can come in 60 feet high and it goes out equally far. We have other pictures I will show you of this. When the tide goes out it reveals it's very famous mud all along the bay shore. Stories tell of those who got stuck in the mud and could not get out when the tide returned.

What you are looking at here is actually the ocean floor when the tide is out. It is a very special place. These formations go up and down the shore about 3 km. or so I guessed from what I could see. We only walked south from the stairway in the center with these amazing scenes repeating around every corner.

We had to be out of there and back up on the bluffs above the cliffs by 7:15 p.m. as that is when the tide would return, and without being up the staircase, you would not survive this place. The trees shown at the top of the cliffs are "sea level" or the waterline when the tide is in. On to the photos - part 1 of 2 of this place...Enjoy!

From the cliff above looking down onto the ocean floor and the beginning of Flower Pot Rocks.

A family shot, Bungee & Guinn & us.

The mud

L-R, Sarah w/ Gabby & Zimmer, Me w/ Bungee & Guinness

Double-click on any photo to see more clearly

Below-Sarah with Gabby & Zimmer

Tide coming in and we can go no further

Bungee & me

John & Sarah, Gabby & Zimmer

Vince, Sarah, me & the dogs.

Myself, Sarah's dad John in the middle & Sarah w/ the dogs.

Looking back at the rising tide - these should be at the end

Sharing a moment~
Gabby & Zim, Bungee & Guinn

R - L: Guinness, Bungee, Gabby, Zimmer

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Cutter Joins Our Blog

2008-08-26T13:01:00.013-04:00

Sarah Mairs-Heaslip & her young, male, Golden Retriever, Cutter, making his Nationals debut.

Following the video a few photos from the beach at one of our vacation stops together after National's. Bungee & Guinness are in a group shot at the end near a lobster trap we found washed up on a deserted beach on P.E.I.

Sarah runs the agility program at Tamsu Learning Center, where we train 3 nights a week and some time more. Sarah's father John, runs the obedience program as well as owning and founding the school 20+ years ago. Tamsu is like our 2nd home, at least I'm sure all the dogs think so!

Back to Mr. Cutter...I think he is Bungee's favorite playmate, after her "brother" Guinness. He was our stud of choice in our early hopes for Ketchy. He is a phenomenal dog. Starting his agility career running 7 y.p.s., the sky's the limit for him. Our biggest congratulations to Sarah, Cutter, Gabby & Jiggy on all their successes at National's. Great as he is, the big 1st place silver bowl in the awards pictures actually belongs to Cutter's mother, Gabby, who won her division!

Fantastic job on the video Sarah! LOVE that song! :-)) It really speaks for Cutter: "put me in coach! I'm ready to play! today! Look at me! I can be...Centerfield!" I think Miss Bungee is singing that tune to me too! Speaking of which, I better get her back out to our "centerfield" right now!!! :-)))

Note: When you see Sarah doing what may look like "weird distance handling" these are Gamble runs. On the ground there is orange tape staked down as lines or boxes, you cannot always see them in the video. In a gamble course you earn as many points as you can in your opening sequence which is a course you design for maximum points, according to the obstacles given to you in the opening area. The opening may include "mini-gambles", which offer higher points if you can get them. To get any gambles you cannot cross the line on the ground the judge has laid, you must send the dog to the gamble, and handle from a distance which may vary, but which is always behind the line. At 40 seconds into the opening sequence, a whistle or horn blows, and you must proceed to the main gamble and complete it in the remaining time allowed. Usually you have about 20 seconds or less to complete the main gamble. If you complete the main gamble it doubles your opening points. You must earn a minimum # of points in the opening sequence and complete the main gamble sequence within time to earn a qualifying score. Highest points with fastest time of those qualifying wins. Gamble courses are very challenging when you are trying to be consistent with your handling (for your dog's sake back in regular standard & jumpers classes)!

At AAC National's each dog gets 2 standard rounds, 2 jumpers rounds and 2 gamble rounds. There is also an optional, separate Steeplechase event with elimination rounds to a final selection round, which is often a money round with a cash prize.

Happy Training & Hugs to the dogs!...It's About Love!

A Year With Bungee!

2008-08-25T12:18:00.008-04:00

August 24, 2008 marks Bungee's one year anniversary of being Canadian!

From this: (Bungee at 9 weeks)

To this: (Bungee today)

It was just one year ago yesterday that I returned from Finland to Canada with our beautiful Finnish puppy, Kvarkin's Princesse, Bungee. What a year it's been! Bungee is a delightful girl to live with and train. She is truly our pride & joy! How lucky we are that once again, as both Guinness and Ketch have done before her, this girl has come into our lives bursting with love, honoring us with the most fabulous relationship, and exceeding our every expectation for what a remarkably talented and lovely dog she is growing up to be!

Many special thanks to Mia & Tomi for entrusting us with this fabulous girl!

Happy Training It's About Love!

To Dive or Not To Dive

2008-08-24T21:49:00.014-04:00

That is the question :-))

A local training group, just bought a "Dock Diving" pool and dock. Saturday they had an introductory open house with free jumps all afternoon. So we decided to go check it out. Dock Diving is a somewhat new sport here that some dogs really love. The competition length dock is 48 feet, and the pools are usually about 40 feet long. The current outdoor record for longest jump is 28 feet.

Bungee goes "Dock Diving"
Well almost... :-))
Here's Bungee with me (pink t-shirt) at the edge of the dock, not at all convinced jumping in that pool is a good idea!

We soon go down to the "learner" platform and pool exit this woman above is standing on and try it from there.

We have some success...

Now it's starting to be some fun.

Again & again she jumps willingly in from the underwater platform for exiting the pool, but we did not have enough time to build her confidence up enough to jump from the dock. It was funny the way she would spring up so high from the slightly submerged platform. She just could not get enough of that pool from that spot! But our time was limited. You get a few tries each turn, but we did get 4 turns through the afternoon so no complaints! We just need more time. Bungee did great & could not wait to get back in the pool each time.

Below are our good friends Sarah & "Cutter", Golden Retriever. Cutter, a powerful and natural talent for this game, has jumped 26 feet in competition before.

Below Sarah & Cutter next to the dock after the jump. The dock is actually a flat-bed trailer pulled up to the pool, safety sides & matting added. Experienced dogs like Cutter run the full 48 feet distance of the trailer to take-off for their jump into the pool. Cutter is also one of Bungee's most favorite friends.

Below Cynthia & Nicki, also a Golden Retriever and quite the Dock Diver too.

Below, Cynthia & Nicki again

Below, Cynthia & "Grip", an "All-Canadian", (BorderX). Grip is a very powerful and very fast girl, awesome at everything she does. She is also another favorite friend of Bungee & Guinness.

Grip

Grip again - wow!

That's all folks!! :-)) Dock Diving is pretty fun. I think we'll be going back again some time. To learn more about Dock Diving click on this link: www.DockDogs.com

Happy Training....It's About Love!

The "Move It" Moves a Dog Walk too!

2008-08-21T21:46:00.017-04:00

Moving a Dog Walk with The Move It
(video clips below-click on link above for Move It website)

I am quite overdue for putting up these little video clips below. We shot these clips with a really tiny digital camera way back in early summer, after cutting the grass. The Move It (shown being used to move a dog walk) was designed and sold to assist one person in moving an A-Frame with ease - and it WORKS! In fact, it is one of the best pieces of agility equipment I have ever bought. On this particular day I didn't want to wait for help to put my equipment back out, so I tried to see if I could move the dog walk with the Move It too. It not only worked but it worked so well I ran in and grabbed my husband and the closest camera at the moment (thus the poor film quality) and shot this clip. Why I didn't think of trying this last year when I first bought the Move It I'll never know. Better late than never! To learn more about the Move It or any of Mary Lou's other products (Hit It, Touch It or Tug It) go to her website by clicking on: www.nosetouch.com

Below are the video clips of this little gem of a tool in action:

As always,
Happy Training...It's About Love!

Sussex or Bust!

2008-08-21T14:00:00.009-04:00

Here's our friend Jiggy in the navigator seat of her RV as we leave Drummondville, couldn't be in better paws! :-) Bungee was nicely taking turns doing the same thing with our crew too!

We got in late, parked after dark and went straight to bed. We awake the first morning in Sussex at 6:00 a.m. to find our traveling companions motorhome has burst it seams! All this before they've found the coffee pot no less!! Thank goodness we could come to the rescue with a fresh pot of java already brewed!

By nightfall campsites are in order, dogs have settled in and are resting comfortably & all is calm. Here's our "roommate" Cassie helping Sarah's mom clean up the supper dishes.

For some of us, no RV vacation or campsite would be complete without our tacky "Florida" lights...in this case electric palm trees.

All tucked in our first night in Sussex. Ready to wake up & and give the dogs a little training warm-up in the morning before going over to the Nationals site two blocks away, set up our tenting area and check out the venue. The competition begins 2 days later. 3 of us register to compete, 3 of us register to work, 1 stays back to man the video & miscellaneous "support" tasks. Together we were one happy group!
Happy Training...It's About Love!

Day One

2008-08-20T17:46:00.007-04:00

Our traveling companions looking over those final touches before hitting the road.

It's all about the dogs of course! There were 6 dogs & 4 people in this RV, 3 dogs & 3 people in ours.

And we're off...

Our deluxe accommodations the 1st night on the road, a Walmart parking lot in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, and we were glad to have it! Walmart is wonderful for letting travelers sleep overnight in their parking lots for free.

Lots of other "campers" had the same idea! When we awoke and went to the coffee shop across the street, it was like a regular trial morning at home with all the familiar faces from Ontario!

Sussex or BUST!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

We're Back!

2008-08-20T17:30:00.005-04:00

World's Most Neglected Blog ?

Well I don't know if we're winning the title of World's Most Neglected Blog but I certainly gave it a good run for the money being away 3 weeks!

The good news is we're back home after a trip to Nationals & vacation time following "out east" to the Maritimes & Maine. With my laptop once again in hand I'm back in business for the blog.

But with over 1,400 pictures to sort & miles of video to process, (and I still haven't finished video processing from Canada Cup) it's looking like a full-time job! Well, I only said I "learned" to process & post the film - not that I was fast with it!!

I better get busy and get it processed & off my "desk" soon as I booked my flight for Helsinki today!
Yippeee!!!!!

Happy Training! ...It's About Love

Bungee's Pig

2008-07-27T23:14:00.011-04:00

The PIG!!!

A favorite toy & more contacts

How many things can we get going on at one contact session?

Happy Training!... It's About Love!

Backyard Contacts 2

2008-07-27T22:25:00.004-04:00

Backyard Contacts - Part 2

Have to work from both sides of course!

Happy Training ~ It's About Love!!

More Contacts

2008-07-27T09:48:00.005-04:00

More Rainy Day Contacts

I'm enjoying my new video skills way too much! Here's some more new "old" video. If we're inside it was another rainy day, (can't film in the rain).

Happy Training! It's About Love!!

My 1st Video!

2008-07-27T00:19:00.007-04:00

Rainy Day Contacts

At long last...Here's a clip of Bungee practicing 2o2oNT contacts.

This was her 1st homework session that I videotaped. Lots of room for improvement. Lots more film stacked up to process now and certainly more to come from now on. :-) Best part - I did it all myself! :-))

Happy Training! It's About Love!!

Training Update - July 24

2008-07-24T00:07:00.007-04:00

Bungee & Guinness, ready to work.

First I'd like to take this time to CONGRATULATE our dear friend, instructor & coach Sarah Mairs-Heaslip & her Border Collie "Jiggy", on their excellent runs & great success at this past weekend's Canada Cup! Congratulations also to Jessica Martin. Susan had to leave so Jessie ran Susan's dogs and her own in the final (money) round to 1st place. Nice job Jessie!! Video soon!!!

Training this week has gone absolutely brilliant with Bungee and Guinness. It has rained almost constantly the last week and frequent electric storms. It's so wet, we're about to grow web feet up here. Guinness even slid off the teeter twice in class the other night - a first for him. Bungee's obedience in class this week was very good, attention was offered in abundance, we started left turns and "Finish", (returning to heel). In agility, her improvement continued on contacts and I'm really happy with the success, but we're deserving if I do say so myself as we've been working diligently on them. Handling in general is very promising, turns are tight & understanding is very nice. We're also working on driving ahead solely off the pressure of my forward motion and doing a lot more work on "pressure" & motion with Bungee than we have with previous dogs. No tricks this week but we started her poles. Grids are included once or twice a week, one-stride grid work excellent, added her 1st spread tonight with the highest bar @ 16 in. at ~ 17 ft. distance. Lots of video & video stacking up in the DH's "to do" list, especially after Canada Cup. Finger's crossed for this weekend.

Happy Training! It's About Love

Bungee's Family Album #4 - Mia

2008-07-22T22:23:00.012-04:00

This Just In!
Photos & News of Bungee's Sister (:-)) Kvarkin's Cristal "Mia" (click on the link for more info)

Sister "Mia" has just returned to Sweden from her first visit to the World Obedience Championships with her "mom", Mona. I'm sure it will not be her last! It's wonderful that Mia has had a chance to survey the situation in advance and size it up for her own turn to compete someday!

Below, "Mia" also looks pretty happy to be home running in her green fields again!

Back at home she has some sheep nearby to keep an eye on.

What a beauty!

Now this is one HAPPY dog! LoVe it!

Nothing like a good shake after a nice swim! Nice camera work catching that one!

Enjoying the good life of summertime!

Our many thanks to Mona Kjernholm for sharing these beautiful photos of Mia with us!

To read more about Mia, click on her kennel name at the top of the page and/or visit her page listed in the "Family Links" section at the side of the blog.

As ever, Happy Training and remember...It's About Love!

Christian the Lion

2008-07-22T14:24:00.010-04:00

"...Love Never Fails"

This may seem a little "off topic" to dog training, and perhaps you've seen it before, but if this isn't proof that animals not only have Hearts of Gold, but understand, receive and give love, then I don't know what is.

In all that we ask of, do with and for our animals, we must never forget what they do for us in return, the relationships we're so privileged to have with them, and how very much "It's (definitely) About Love!" Enjoy!

Christian the Lion

Happy Training ~ It's About Love!

Bungee's 1st Video

2008-07-21T22:11:00.012-04:00

Now that I've learned to attach videos we will be enjoying a lot more film soon. I have been filming our work daily now for awhile and really looking forward to getting started posting it. I'm so anxious to get some film up that I thought I'd start with Bungee's 1st video to start things off. Guinness & Ketchy also make appearances in this video.
Enjoy!

Video Disclaimer: YouTube attackes it's own choice of video thumbnail options to any video posted, just like it does on it's own site. Most of the thumbnails that appear after Bungee's video plays we know nothing about.

Happy Training! Always remember...It's About Love!

Bungee & Keen!

2008-07-20T16:26:00.033-04:00

Bungee & Keen meet at The 2008 Canada Cup! (click on the link to visit Royacker's Kennels & the Canada Cup)

Introducing Bungee's half-brother: "Keen", shown below with Bungee.

Keen belongs to Stacy Winkler, owner of Pawsitive Action Training, located in Vista, California, USA. (click on the link to visit Stacy's school). It was great meeting up with them here in Ontario, Canada, at this year's Canada Cup! (click on the link to read more about the competition).

Keen & Bungee are both sired by Jenny Damm's "Elvis". (click on the link or see "Family Links" on the side of the blog). Keen is about 8 months older than Bungee.

Keen was entered in the Canada Cup - no small feat in itself for such a young dog! While it was not a perfect run there were many brilliant moments for them to be very proud of. Keen is really looking a lot like his father these days. He is also delightful, loving & SO sweet; visibly solid in body & brains. Watching his run, it's clear that Keen has the "right stuff" to go all the way in his sport career!

Here are some more photos of Bungee & Keen together.

BLOOPERS!

There is a great pond at Royackers Agility Facility, home of the Canada Cup. (click on the link to see the aerial photos of this amazing facility!) Though you can not see the beach or shoreline behind the dogs, there was a LOT for any dog to be distracted by as we were trying to get the photo in a scenic spot with the water in the background!

ooops!
This photo shows Bungee, a little of the pond, and a little of Keen :-(

A couple of dogs rather bummed out to stop & pose for photos perhaps? Come on MOM...there's a pond we could be swimming in RIGHT there!!!

If it wasn't Keen wanting to play it was Bungee.

Below, Keen's YouTube video: "Learning to Jump" (click on the link to go to Stacy's channel) Note: The video plays about 1:00 minute, the audio (music) goes longer than the film.

I will add the links to Stacy's website & YouTube Channel to our "Family Links" section, on the side of the blog.

Hard as it was not to have a dog entered, Royacker's Canada Cup has become an agility event not to be missed. The competition brings out some of the best teams in Canada and "Good Vibrations" can be counted on all the way around at Royacker's Agility events...always a friendly and absolutely beautiful place.

Stacy bringing Keen up to the trials just made the day all the more special, let's hope that becomes an annual tradition for them!

Now all we have to do is convince the rest of the family to come and it will really be a trial to see! Canada Cup 2009 anybody??? :-)))

Happy Training!
Remember...It's About Love!

Friday update

2008-07-18T06:29:00.005-04:00

Guinness & Bungee at Kempenfelt Bay

Agility & obedience training this week has been great. No matter what else we do, Bungee has worked on her contacts daily. Significant improvement at school this week & really great work at home. Started video recording our training sessions. I don't have enough disc space to edit my own video on my MacBook or our 1st video would already be up - but soon! I have to wait until the DH has time to devote his MacBookPro to the cause. Unfortunately his is in use long hours everyday for actual working, so maybe on the weekend. Ready to start Bungee's weave poles. Obedience focus this week is on heeling, particularly U-Turns. Bungee & Guinness are off to the phsyio vet for a check-up this a.m. A big agility weekend here in Ontario - Canada Cup on Sat. I hear Bungee's half-brother Keen is in town for the event. Hoping to see him again.

Happy Training ~ It's About Love!

Canada Day Photos

2008-07-16T13:05:00.007-04:00

Canada Day 2008, July 1

A new Dock Diver in the family?

A beautiful Canada Day spent at a friend's cottage on this beautiful lake.
Bungee had her 1st boat ride.
Here she is diving off a dock for the 1st time in her life.
Not sure if she'd jump in, or if she'd bring back the toy, I put the bumper on a rope.

She jumped in just fine, and brought the toy back too, but I could hardly get her back on the dock! Our friend's boats were tied along both sides of this really long dock plus many ropes tying the dock to shore, which I didn't want her to try to swim through. Not wanting to continually lay on the dock and pull her back up out of the water, we opted for the next best choice - a doggie life jacket - because it has a handle!

Here's Bungee diving off the dock her 2nd time.

And many more times after that!

Guinness dives off sometimes but not as often - he'd usually rather just swim.
He always wears a life jacket.

You might think this little "Otterhead" had a little Otter blood in his veins the way he takes to water and loves to swim!

Bungee got really into this dock diving thing!

Our sincere thanks to our friend Marilyn, for these wonderful photos!

Happy Training! It's About Love!

Contacts #3 - Salmon Brownies!

2008-07-14T12:19:00.011-04:00

Bungee's Favorite Treats!

Salmon Brownies - pictured cut & ready to feed.
It takes longer to cut them than make them! EASY Recipe below.

Why do I like these treats best for training Bungee contacts?
Because she loves them and they seem to dissolve in her mouth instantly! They hold up nicely in my hand for using them in training too.

You may have to know Bungee to appreciate what a slow, slow, SLOW eater she is. She can chew a single kibble longer than any dog I've ever known. These brownies seem to melt in her mouth so fast, we can make great transitions to tugging for a stress-break and/or release off the contact.

The Recipe:

Salmon Spelt Brownies - Bungee-style

Ingredients:
1 Large Can Salmon (400-450 gm. or 14-16 oz.)
2-3 Cloves of garlic (peeled & diced fine)
1.5 - 2 Cups Whole Organic Spelt Flour (any whole wheat flour will do)*
Parmesan Cheese for a topping - optional

Instructions:
Peel & dice garlic fine or peel garlic and dice in food processor.
Add salmon (entire can including liquid) & food process.
Add spelt flour to food processor & mix that all up.
Spread the batter on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.
Sprinkle the batter with parmesan cheese if preferred.
Bake at 350 F. or 176 C. for 10 - 15 minutes.

If you want them to melt in your dog's mouth a little softer is better, (baked about 12 min.?) they will still hold together nicely in your hand in training.

Pictured below what I use to make them: food processor, cookie sheet, oil & brush to spread on cookie sheet, spoons to spread brownies, organic spelt flour, canned salmon (more shown than needed for 1 batch) & parmesan cheese

It may surprise you when the batter winds up looking like this big lump inside your food processor, but keep going, that's just right.

*I have also made them with organic chick pea flour and "Canine Life" formula base (click on this link to read more about this food). But any regular flour of your choice would probably work.

Here's a finished batch with parmesan topping:

The DH adds his tip: cut them with a pizza slicer! A knife works just fine too.

I take them to class in a little plastic container. I toss them in the freezer in between classes or training sessions.

From Bungee's house to yours, Enjoy!

Happy Training! ~ It's About Love!

"Barking, The Sound of a Language"

2008-07-13T19:06:00.009-04:00

Barking is something our Princesse Bungee doesn't do too much of. However Bungee's "brother" Guinness, our Border Terrier, does plenty of it. So, when I saw Turid Rugaas's newest book: "Barking, The Sound of a Language", "A Dogwise Training Manual", I couldn't wait to get a copy.

At only 108 pages it's an easy read. There are many photos picturing just how to do certain things too. It is simple and to the point, while providing great insight into the behavior of barking and the language of dogs. Turid identifies 8 different categories of barking types, and outlines positive and helpful ways to deal with them when they are a problem.

Of course, the author being Turid Rugaas, you can rest assured the suggestions are 100% safe, kind and beneficial for the dog and handler.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how much information there was that was not only appropriate for Bungee, but for Guinness and for us too! I'm sure this information will be helpful to us for as long as we have dogs to bark.

This small book is a gem, worthy of a spot on any trainer's library shelf. Lucky dogs who's owners take the time to read this book!

I bought my copy at Clean Run.
The publisher is "Dogwise Publishing": www.dogwise.com and listing the phone number of 1-800-776-2665 on the back of the book.

Happy Training!
enjoy ...It's About Love !

Contact Soul Searching

2008-07-12T11:07:00.008-04:00

Contacts: #1 Training Tip - Keep them FUN with a capitol "F"!

No sooner than I blog about our contact woes than we find some answers the very next day. Of course my whining surely created the motivation I needed to make a new training plan.

"Be A Splitter, Not A Lumper" ~Bob Bailey

I realized I was guilty of lumping Bungee's contact criteria. I looked at the level she IS successful at now, instead of the level I felt she should be at by now. That was a key question. Had I moved forward too fast?

I had. Bungee is always so brilliant at what she does right, it was easy to lose perspective and lump her criteria to a level that was too high too fast.

Success creates motivation. Bungee needed to be successful, so I really needed to split the behaviors to the point where she could be.

"The world moves double time when working with animals" ~ Bob Bailey

Next, I reminded myself that Bungee likes action! Toys, things really moving along fast. Fast to her is fun.

So, I played to her strengths for success in class since it is proving to be a tough environment - which meant toy rewards, shorter sessions, split criteria, all creating a much higher RR. If I could only get one great nose touch - that's what I'd take, until I could get two.

At home I reminded myself that she is (like most dogs) highly motivated by a little bit of jealousy and also that sessions must be short! So for a quick shot of instant motivation and fast turnovers, she is now always taking turns working contacts with my terrier at home. He loves them, it makes for great, quick transitions between them, so that's producing a lot of good energy too. That made contacts instantly more fun for all of us!

In making my plan I also reviewed what was right, (which was a lot)!

Even at school, going into 2o2oNT 'position' was strong, but focusing on targets after even a few repetitions when food was the reward and distractions abound was just too much for her. Part of the problem was surely an insufficient history of fun on contacts at home, making the work of mediocre interest to her at best.

The whole picture improved with the new plan at school Wed. night. Attention came back to task, she was more successful, that created a cycle of fun - the way it should be. I know we still have a lot to do to at home to improve her overall outlook about them, making fun a habit!

"Want more? Expect more!" ~ Bob Bailey

My immediate goal is simply to make contacts the most fun they possibly can be here at home, with the hope that the spirit of excitement carries over to class. If we can make that joy for contacts a habit, we're golden for the rest of the job, no matter how long it takes.

So that's where we're at now and it's really paying off quickly!

Today, a week after "turning over a new leaf", we got MANY nose touches on 1st touch, dropping into position, from the end of the travel plank, motivated as heck. WoW! It's all about the attitude.

Don't Get Frustrated - Stop & Evaluate!

When it comes to training, one of my overall goals is to produce the results we need with the least amount of stress & strain on both of us, particularly her!

Training positively (the Bailey way) provides one with a clear framework for evaluating results and examining challenges. Since I've learned it, it's never failed us, and I'm far from a pro. If I can learn it anybody can.

Creating good contacts is a daily process over a long period, and we both have to enjoy them. I know that contacts done right are loads of fun. So again, that is the #1 thing for us to focus on now - keeping them fun!

Every training session I have with Bungee teaches me a little more about who she is and what she needs to be successful. That's still a big part of the picture in our world.

Happy Training!
...and remember ~It's About Love!

Time Outs & Bungee's contacts in class

2008-07-11T15:17:00.021-04:00

Bungee's Wednesday Night Agility Class
I decided against trying a time out with Bungee in class this week, over this distraction challenge during contacts. With a new plan, contacts went better and everything else went wonderful as usual. Bungee is an all-around fabulous dog! But because I mentioned time outs, I wanted to talk about them and why I chose to defer using one. Most of what I am about to share about this I have learned from Susan Garrett through the many years of attending camps, workshops, classes and private lessons.

Time outs are also explained in the book: "How Dogs Learn" by Mary Burch, Ph.D. & Jon Bailey, Ph.D., which I highly recommend and is also recommended reading at Susan's school.

What is a Time Out?
A time out is a type of punishment. A time out deprives a dog of earning another reward at that moment in time (by denying it the opportunity to continue working or self-reinforcing). Thus, a time out takes something of value away.

Time outs can include turning your back on your dog, holding the collar (and thus the dog) still, asking the dog to sit or down, leaving the room (dog), putting the dog in a crate or another room, etc. Clearly, those are normal behaviors and are most often NOT, in and of themselves, punishers. So it is the way the time out is used that constitutes the punisher.

A time out is never used in angry, rough or forceful way!

The next thing we must do if we're considering a time out is ask if it is appropriate. Our two primary considerations to decide the answer to that are: will it be fair and will it be effective? We use the information below for our guidelines.

Time Outs are Ineffective If:
1. The dog can continue to self reinforce
2. The dog does not know "HOW" to be correct
3. The dog didn't enjoy the work you took from him

Rules of Engagement ~ as Susan calls them
1. Avoid using time outs
2. Should only be used in an environment rich in positive reinforcement
3. Should always be executed without anger
4. Should be evaluated with each use
5. The location of the time out and the body position of the dog (sit, down, crate) should be varied to avoid anxiety developing
6. The location should have an association rich with rewards
7. Should not be given if there was any possibility the handler caused the error
8. Should not be over-used or will cause frustration in the dog and should be used no more than 5% of the time.

Let's examine that for Bungee and her contacts in class
2. (above) Does the dog know how to be correct? (I am not sure of that)
7. (above) Is there any possibility I caused the error? (Indeed there is)

Thought Process

On being correct - While I get correct nose touches in certain environments and I am frustrated by and dislike the behaviors that occur during nose touches in class sometime, that does not justify assuming she knows how to be correct yet.

Did I cause the error? Shaping contacts is SUCH a fine art, of course there is a possibility I have contributed to her poor understanding of this behavior.

A New Plan
To help me continue to teach, and rule out any question of technique on her part, I took my electronic target to school for the 1st time. (I'd been using plexiglass in class). I also chose to use toys 1st, though I had food rewards at the ready as well.

Right off the bat we had a little problem of distraction. I had moved to the 2nd ring which was empty, well away from the class in ring 1, to work. But we had some interference (from Bungee's point of view) from some tree-trimming work taking place at the far edge of the gully below. Though it was distant it was unusual, it was dusk, and this caused her some concern, in fact she warned us a few times with a single "woof" and really wasn't able to focus.

Since I had just read about this from a new perspective with Turid Rugrass's new book: "Barking" (another I HIGHLY recommend!) I was able to put Bungee at ease and then work in another direction.

Once I got her focused and working, I got better results than the week before. Two things were clear: I'm on the right track and we have a lot of work yet to do!

I was pleased with the result and my decision not to use a time out to deal with distractions. Any thought of it on my part at that point in time was born of frustration. Thank goodness I no longer train with force, and take training plans seriously, deferring to pen & paper (instead of the dog) when a training moment falls short of my expectations.

Again and again in class this week, I saw things come together. I saw understanding occur as she put "pieces" together here & there with many different exercises. When she did so, she was driven and brilliant and it was exciting! The dog turns heads I can tell you that!

Distraction indicates a lack of motivation.

I should know by now that if a dog is distracted in work then it is not sufficiently rewarding work, and that is always the trainer's (my) fault. In such cases the trainer has either done something wrong or needs to do something different to make that work more rewarding.

In keeping with that, I did a little "contact soul searching" this week and decided I might have been guilty of lumping by expectation or "past precedent", (previous dogs), which has nothing to do with Bungee and the way she learns.

In Conclusion

Here's what I know: Bungee has a great big heart for working with me! If something is not going right it is clearly because she has not yet learned how to be right. I definitely made the right decision not to use a time out to deal with distraction during target work in class.

I also took a closer look at what I know about my subject, Bungee, and what she likes. More next post...

Here's our beautiful Bungee, practicing her contacts

(photos taken May 24, 2008 - a little out-of-date)

Happy training! ~ "It's About Love"

Bungee's Family Album #3

2008-07-08T23:54:00.022-04:00

New Kvarkin Family Photos from Finland & Sweden!

(Left to Right): Mia, Spice, Ogin & One

Bungee's brother & sister, One & Spice, recently made a trip to some agility competitions in Sweden with their families. While they were there they got together with brother & sister, Ogin & Mia, who live in Sweden. The 4 pups are shown together above. Missing from this get-together of Kvarkin's "Champagne Kids" are Chili & Bungee. These pups are growing up fast! It's wonderful to see them together like this at one (1) year old.

(L - R): Spicey, Ogin & One

One & Mia

Wait a minute...Who's taking the photos now?

Below, Helena (our talented family photographer) and Mia share a moment.

Ogin

Mia

Last, but not least, my personal favorite of the collection...
Beautiful subject (as are all), fabulous photography!
This photo deserves to be entered in competition!!

Ogin swimming

Many thanks to Helena for sharing these beautiful photos with us once again!

You can find links to each of these dogs at the Kvarkin Kennel website, and/or their own individual websites & blogs by clicking either on Kvarkin's name at the top of this post, or in the "Family Links" section to the right of the page.

Happy Training!
...as always, remember ~ It's About Love!!!

July 8 - Training Update

2008-07-08T10:40:00.003-04:00

TRICKS!

I almost forgot! We're gaining ground on two new tricks, Roll-Over & Cross Your Paws. One is really a break-through!

Roll-Over ~ Believe it or not, the hardest trick for Bungee has been "Roll-Over". It was a trust issue. It all goes back to when Bungee was small, and we tried repeatedly for a few weeks to tape her ears. We did this with her on her back on the living room floor. She did not like this experience one bit. Bungee has suffered great suspicion about certain kinds of living room floor activity ever since.

Knowing this, we have both gone to extra lengths to gain her trust back, and also given her lots of time & space to decide for herself, the living room floor was safe when we were sitting on it too. She loves her tricks & balancing, and I have always done lots of shaping and playing with the dogs on the living room floor. But the wrong kind of movement from me, would signal her to flee into the next room. The cure for this has always been for me to play with Guinness, which she absolutely can't resist and back she'd come to have some more fun.

However getting her on her back on the living room floor was not happening for the longest time.

Drum Roll please....

For 3 days in a row, Bungee has practiced Roll-Over to the left on the living room floor with me sitting on the floor next to her, and even did it in class Monday night!

That's a personal biggee (for us more than her)! Now we'll get her rolling over in both directions.

Cross Your Paws ~ one of my favorite trick moves, but it's been a little slow coming. After last night's class I realized it's coming a little better than I thought. I was actually sitting on the floor of the training hall with Bungee watching the Utility (Level 3) obedience dogs work after we were finished. I was trying to get Bungee to Roll Over, which she did several times. But do you know she offered me Crossed Paws the 1st three times! I couldn't reward them because I wanted Roll-Over. But I was tickled anyway : - )) Definitely a glimmer Cross Your Paws is coming!

Sitting Food Bowl Retriever -no progress - for shame on me!
I have to remember to work on this!

Happy Training!
Enjoy the process...It's About Love!!

July 7 - Homework Update - Contacts

2008-07-07T22:36:00.006-04:00

Jump Grids

This round of grid work has been interesting and beneficial. We started out day 1 with Bungee having some challenge between jumps 4 & 5 on the Progressive Grid.
She was adding one stride instead of a bounce. It was visible this was a result of speed and inertia working together. To resolve this I tried to slow her down visually, by adding visual complexity to jump 4, which did not resolve the extra stride. Next I added visual complexity to jump 3, which did not resolve the extra stride issue either. Next I changed the angle on jumps 2, 3 & 4, leaving the previously added visual complexity in tact, which solved the problem nicely. I "undid" the visual complexity, piece by piece, in the same way I added it until we were back to success with a regular, "plain", progressive grid, which took several sessions over a couple days. It could have gone faster if I'd worked at it more than once a day but I did not.

From the beginning she was almost causing me to brag over her One-Stride Grid, but w/ jump 4 at 20' distance we hit a snag where she double-strided out to 20'.
I'll explain the resolution to this when we get back to it.

Contacts (I told you we'd have a lot to write on this as we went along!)

I'm looking for really specific behaviors here. I want Bungee to go from the position I have her take, into 2o2oNT in one direct, smooth, dynamic move. I want to be standing up when I release her, and working up to sending her from 1' behind her and/or 1' to her side, etc.

Achieving 90% success on slanted plank in basement (food rewards (R), zero distractions), achieving less success on training stairs on field (food or toys R, variable but mild distractions), achieving very mixed results in class (food R, many distractions), much too often what Sarah & I commonly agree on as "crap".

Last week's class was actually a bit of a head-banger for me, causing much thought. This is my 3rd agility dog to teach contacts, you'd think I'd know something by now and be experiencing the best results yet. I almost gave myself a headache thinking about that one last Wed. on the way home after class. But Bungee is quite the individual and no where does she show this as well as with contacts. But we'll get it.

Back to what I want, (like this ever matters to a dog :-) I would have liked for Bungee to have the same intensity for contacts for the prospect of food R's as toy R's - and there's the rub most of the time. I'm just getting crap using food R's at class, unless I never want to leave her side. I am not stuck on food being as meaningful for contacts at class as places of lower distraction, like home, but the correct behavior is not an option.

To get success w/ food rewards in class I've struggled to find a point to maintain her attention, carrying her travel plank clear out of the agility ring to a quiet place on the side and working slowly back into class. Or I might get one dynamic nose touch or sometime two, but never three, the 3rd one is always crap and I can see the eyes look up from the job to whatever else is going on that she can spy, or glaze right over in stalk-something mode, or even the old freeze & stall doing nothing. All signs that motivation for the task is lacking - my challenge.

Toy R's present quite an improved picture, but accuracy can suffer. For instance, outside at home, quite commonly her 1st nose touch is close but no beep -call it a "drive-by", an air swipe, the head is definitely making the right motion, but sorry Bungee, I'm not buying it, no beep-no paycheck, but on a high note, with the toy, she's really into it. However, if I leave her in position for a 2nd chance to touch it, she will always nail it for a beep the 2nd time, the 3rd time, etc. I quickly started breaking it off after the 1st chance w/ no beep, seeing a pattern trying to emerge where she makes contact on the 2nd nose touch attempt.

We seem to have hit on a winning combination for that first successful nose touch, with one specific toy and the training steps by using only a long, narrow, tug toy (Crash Test Toys: Fur T-tug, small ball, extra long shock-cord handle), and one beep - one reward. With this toy, I can get it really compact in my hand, have her get in position on the last stair, and release her to successfully dive directly into a nose touch much more reliably, and still provide a really nice, quick toy reward, keeping hold of the handle but having a toy that flies right out on the ground ahead of her a good meter to release her to. This system has enabled a lot of quick repetitions of success - at home, and motivates her to drive into position accurately for a beep the 1st try. We'll see if we can maintain this behavior at class.

Keep in mind I have already done a lot of rewarding, standing next to her with food for correct nose touches to a target or the "Touch It" from many places. As well she has often worked with the distractions of food and toys on the ground while she nose touches, though I have not been leaving toys on the ground lately for two reasons. 1st, I want her head & eyes ahead as she works & releases, which I cannot be sure of when there is a toy ahead to focus on or distract. 2nd, a toy on the ground ahead can be as much of a challenge as any other distraction if she switches to stalking the toy. This is most likely to happen in class when the environment is more distracting. We will have to come back to this step but first things first.

Now in the general effort to clean up all behaviors, (back to when we backed up a bit in obedience) I am looking for only excellent behaviors, which creates a lower RR for a time (DRE's). With that she needs to learn to drive into nose touch position on one chance, with me standing upright. This is the only way we can advance so that I can take other positions to send her and move myself. At home this is a case of reinforcing very selectively, and waiting her out for the good behavior.

At class a little extra dimension of challenge exists. There I'm almost ready to employ a time-out at class if she's not as interested as need be to perform correctly. I may either take my terrier, and work him in front of her of her crate if she fails to find interest in our contact training, or borrow one of her buddies from our instructor and do the same in an effort at jealousy as instant motivation.

This may seem an overly-heavy set of requirements that I'm expecting of her to some, but if she can't do a correct nose touch from a still position on a mock-contact, she hasn't a hope of managing one in trial, especially with her speed and the confidence on equipment she has demonstrated so far.

This specific contact improvement I'm seeking is another small but important step where we are spending quite a bit of time. I won't say we're "stuck" as I do see improvement, but I haven't seen that breakthrough I'm expecting just yet.

Don't get me wrong, I'm as interested in running contacts as the next person, and a running frame might even be within our scope, but that has nothing to do wtih the fact that beautiful contacts with good nose touches are a skill I still want Bungee to learn and think she's going to need - especially with the penchant Canadian judges have for putting tunnel mouths next to the bottom of frames & dog walks for immediate u-turns into those tunnels.

Obedience

I am really impressed with the progress Bungee is making in obedience in the few short weeks we have been taking this sport seriously (meaning doing regular homework and attending regular classes). Her heeling tonight was different as night & day from just three weks ago. That is with the barn doors to the agility field wide open and a gamble class going on right outside. It's as if something clicked and she just suddenly "got it". She is such a happy worker, we get many compliments on her great attitude, quickness to learn and good looks. I'm still practicing my footwork. :-))

As they say in Hollywood, "That's a wrap".
Signing off,
Hug your dogs & happy training,
and remember, It's about love!

General Update

2008-07-07T21:46:00.002-04:00

Bungee & family are enjoying the beautiful summer weather we've been enjoying this past week. Temps are on the up-swing now - thoughts are with our friends & former alumni off to a few sweltering days of training at camp.

On a good note, this has made for lots of great swimming and long, enjoyable summer days & summer nights.

Jump grids, contacts & obedience have occupied much of our practice time this week.

Family matters have settled back down to almost normal. Our laneway expansion came to a sudden stop when our poor contractor cut phone service to two families on our road (the neighbors and us) due to improperly marked or unburied phone cables hiding in high grass where we never mow. We're promised Wed. for getting the wire buried and then we ought to be back on track to finish the project.

The (Mac) thrill was almost gone when the hard drive on my MacBook died Sat. night at 10 p.m. But Mac being what it is, the DH not only was able to replace the hard drive, but I only lost about 2 hours of unsaved content, my last back-up had been at 7:47 p.m.

Unfortunately that was the latest round of downloaded digital pix of Bungee and a whole gang of dog pals swimming at a local conservation area lake. :-((

I can tell you Bungee and "brother" Guinness, definitely enjoyed themselves, the water, and all their swimming pals immensly.

Happy Training - next back to that update.

July 4th Update

2008-07-03T20:51:00.020-04:00

Gotta' LoVe the 1st Week of July!

(Air show photo via iPhone! Wow eh?)

1 Week - 2 Holidays !!

July 1 - Canada Day!
4th of July - American Independence Day!
This year that means long weekends at each end for us! Yippeee!!!

I guess it's a good thing when you're too busy training & living to write on your blog, but that's been the case the last week or more. We had a really terrific Canada Day long weekend - 3 days of yard work and 1 day of play. We all had a great, long & sunny day, visiting, boating & swimming at a friend's lakeside cottage, with Bungee even trying her skill at some Dock Diving!! (Pictures next post.) Classes were closed for 2 days this week. We only got to Bungee's agility class last night and a private this morning for each of the dogs. Both were welcome fun - the dogs definitely do not like being kept away from school!

Training is moving along on all the basics. This week we will re-visit our Susan Salo jump work for both dogs. As that takes at least 15 jumps to set up, this work limits me from setting up other things while it's going.

Meanwhile excavation and expansion of our laneway has finally begun, the 1st of bigger & better improvements to come.

On a personal note, this seems to be a season to fight the feeling of frustration of not trialing more than we have. But, "To everything there is a season" they say, and faith tells me there is a reason somewhere, (which does not yet mean I have a clue what that reason is!) Somehow we manage to stay busy as ever and just as on-the-go, go figure.

One thing is certain, Bungee and I are going to have a LOT of fun when we finally get there! In fact, we're having a LOT of fun anyway right now!

Happy 4th of July to all!

We have another long weekend to enjoy now too with July 4th upon us and this one is all play!

Best Wishes to everyone for success & fun in all your trials!
Happy Training ~ Hugs to all the dogs!

...and remember: It's About Love!

More Fun with Chili!

2008-07-02T23:04:00.009-04:00

The Heat Is On!

Remember Bungee's big sister Fun?

Well, guess who has joined (the) Fun now?

It's none other than Bungee's sister Chili!
Kvarkin's La Grande Dame, 'Chili', is Bungee's beautiful black-faced littermate sister. (Click on the link to read more about her.) Not only were we delighted to get this great email with photos, but, she's turned up the heat with a challenge at that! Not just another food bowl retrieve, but a wave too!

BRAVO CHILI!!! Bungee hopes you're getting a very good meal for that great trick!!

Meanwhile, Bungee's got a bit of work to do in the food bowl retrieving department :-))

Our sincere appreciation to Maisa for staying in touch with these lovely photos of Chili!

Hugs to Fun & Chili (Maisa & Pirjo too!)

Happy Training...and remember...It's About Love!

Bungee!

2008-06-28T12:04:00.006-04:00

Some photo "ops" are just too good to pass up!

Here are a few shots of our beautiful Kvarkin's Princesse, Bungee, just relaxing & soaking up some late-afternoon summer sun.

Enjoy!

This was the first time either of us had discovered Bungee perched on this picnic table "just relaxing". If there's anything going on, she's usually under it ready to spring into action!

Not just a beauty queen, Bungee is the full package: brains, talent, drive, speed, sweet as can be and a Heart of Gold!

Happy Training! and remember: It's About Love :-))

Do It Anyway

2008-06-27T09:56:00.009-04:00

Dedicated to our big-hearted friends in the sport...
A very special poem called:

"Do It Anyway"

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone
could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
People will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

This poem is engraved on the wall of the Home for Children in Calcutta.
It is thought to have been written there by Mother Theresa.

There is now some opinion that it was written by Keith Kent as the "Paradoxical Commandments". That poem is similar to this one but there are many differences.

as ever, Happy Training & remember...It's About Love!

Heart of Gold

"Inspirational Quotes For Sport and Life"

More Summer Greetings from One!

Summer Greetings from One!

Fun in Finnish trial!

Bungee - Master Jumpers FEO

Obedience by sister Mia

Welcome March

A Better Day

What a difference a day makes

Tamsu's Special Angel "Gabby"

What is Qualifying?

Bungee's 1st Trial

Bungee Gets to Play!

Surviving Canadian Winter

Mid-January Update

Bungee's New Coat!

Shaping the Ring Toss Game

2009 Contacts & Weaves & Trials

It's a Family Tradition!

Guinness Learns Ring Toss too!

Kvarkin's Cristal "Mia"

Bungee's Ring Toss Game

Holiday's over - back to work!

Merry Christmas!

Let's Blow This Popsicle Stand!

Excellence In Weave Pole Training

Chili & Fun come to see me off!

Brother One!

So what have you been up to?

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

October update & upstream woes!

We're Home!

To Sarah & Gabby

Kvarkin's Cristal "Mia"

OGIN!

Susan Garrett & Encore & "The Journey"

Toys, Toys, Toys - Agility Training Update

Bungee's Winter Vacation - 2008

Everybody Splish Splash!

Bungee! 2007 The Early Days

Barrel Racing Bungee

A Day At The Beach - P.E.I.

Kvarkin's Princesse Bungee!

Dickinson Falls

Fundy National Park

Training Update - Aug. 27

Hopewell Rocks

Cutter Joins Our Blog

A Year With Bungee!

To Dive or Not To Dive

The "Move It" Moves a Dog Walk too!

Sussex or Bust!

Day One

We're Back!

Bungee's Pig

Backyard Contacts 2

More Contact Video

More Contacts

My 1st Video!

Training Update - July 24

Bungee's Family Album #4 - Mia

Christian the Lion

Bungee's 1st Video

Bungee & Keen!

Friday update

Canada Day Photos

Contacts #3 - Salmon Brownies!

"Barking, The Sound of a Language"

Contact Soul Searching

Time Outs & Bungee's contacts in class

Bungee's Family Album #3

July 8 - Training Update

July 7 - Homework Update - Contacts

General Update

July 4th Update

More Fun with Chili!

Bungee!

Do It Anyway