CGC and Rising Athletes!

Ferguson's Sit^

I've continued my research and found there to be a testing center about 10 minutes away. Fees for the test seem to vary from $5 to $15. I emailed the center and requested information on their fees and such that will likely determine how and when Ferg and I will head over to testing to make sure no money is wasted. There are a lot of other questions I have, as the official guide says that the evaluator may allow the dog to retry if a single item is not passed on the test. We'll see if this place is so generous. Hopefully they even get back to me.

Tomorrow, we shall practice down-staying on a long line, as well as recall and being left with a stranger (probably my dear friend, Sarah, whom Ferg has only had the pleasure of meeting a few times). As I've said before, if what happens is according to plan, Ferguson is usually fine with it, so it will just be a matter of introducing him to "the plan."

Ferguson's "Down-stay"

In other news, Ferguson and I have recently started the sport of roller blading together. Before anyone gets worried (yes, I am aware I have a potential 40 mph running machine with me), I am still able to correct Ferguson with ease, and always have been blading on the sidewalk next to grass, should I ever need to dead-weight him to stop him from running (also, with the laws of physics, if he ever started to suddenly run at a crazy speed burst, the increase would be too much too fast, and he would feel the jerk of my weight against him, and as soon as Ferg feels tension, he immediately stops what he is doing). I've bladed with other dogs much more difficult than Ferguson. He took to it very naturally, stays out of the way of the blades, and is very sensitive to any tension felt on the leash (as usual). Today was our second go-around, and he has already learned to be enthusiastic about the blades when I get them out. We were able to go for our full mile loop, but just barely...we were both quite tired after the experience, probably me more than him, as he never did more than trot along next to me.

What was wonderful though, was how exhausted Ferguson was afterwards, and how little he cared if I came or went room to room. He was perfectly content to lounge in his crate, maybe only opening his eyes if I came or went. He was not winded after our experience and did not excessively pant, but there was no doubt that he was done for the day. I know and knew of course, that it is never a good idea or fair to leave an unexercised dog alone, but the blading brought Ferguson to a new level of tiredness that our usual mile walks haven't brought out in him. I think we'll start implementing this in our alone training from now on, whenever I need to ask him to stay alone for more than an hour at a time.

Because the blading did so much, I even splurged and FINALLY bought the special bicycle attachment I'd seen years ago and longed to try. The item has very high ratings, and looks to be well-made and safe, with springing action to produce gradual tension if the dog pulls, not allowing them to jerk suddenly in another direction. Originally, I figured I would just wait and purchase it when I have a more active dog, as Ferguson really does not NEED this item as other dogs do. However, my plan for Eric's birthday is to buy him a bike, so if the item could help us exhaust Ferguson when we move and are trying to help him adjust (not kill him with running, just have him at a light jog and train him slowly to increase distance), I think it will be worth the money. Additionally, I can use it with all my future dogs I'm destined to have, but it can't hurt to have Ferguson use it every once in a while. I also love to bike ride, and it would be great to have him able to come along with me :).

My only concern is the message I'm potentially spreading to the world about greyhounds. To everyone: Trust me, it's more for me than him! He's just here for the company!!!! He's a real couch potato, I promise!!!

So, Ferguson and I are rising athletes. But, we are going to do it together, slowly, steadily, and safely, (yes, I wear big stupid bulky knee pads and wrist guards when we blade). I am kind of really excited about the bicycle leash, as I won't get quite as winded or sore. I'll be sure Ferguson doesn't have to do more than trot as well to keep it fun and appealing to him. I do think he likes a bit of challenge though ^_^. At least, that would contend with what Cesar Millan says in his most recent book I'm currently reading.

More to come tomorrow, I'm sure ^_^;.

Canine Good Citizen's Test: What we need to do.

As I've mentioned before, the CGC Test is something I've wanted to do for a long time, even before I got Ferguson. This evening I've looked through the list of 10 things he must do and am going to make a list here (a place readily at hand via ipod/computer) of what we need to work on/what he would be ready to do right now.

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger

This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation. The evaluator walks up to the dog and handler and greets the handler in a friendly manner, ignoring the dog. The evaluator and handler shake hands and exchange pleasantries. The dog must show no sign of resentment or shyness, and must not break position or try to go to the evaluator.

...Break position? In the videos I saw, the dog was able to remain standing while he was greeted.  Ferguson will stand politely, but if he must sit the whole time, that will take some work. 

Test 2: Sitting politely for petting

This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to touch it while it is out with its handler. With the dog sitting at the handler's side, to begin the exercise, the evaluator pets the dog on the head and body. The handler may talk to his or her dog throughout the exercise. The dog may stand in place as it is petted. The dog must not show shyness or resentment.

...if the dog may stand in place, why do they call it "sitting politely for petting?"  Oh well.  I think he might have to start out with sitting, but can then get up if he wants, if I remember correctly (if anyone knows, do tell).  If sitting isn't required, we're set for this. 

Test 3: Appearance and grooming

This practical test demonstrates that the dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit someone, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so. It also demonstrates the owner's care, concern and sense of responsibility. The evaluator inspects the dog to determine if it is clean and groomed. The dog must appear to be in healthy condition (i.e., proper weight, clean, healthy and alert). The handler should supply the comb or brush commonly used on the dog. The evaluator then softly combs or brushes the dog, and in a natural manner, lightly examines the ears and gently picks up each front foot. It is not necessary for the dog to hold a specific position during the examination, and the handler may talk to the dog, praise it and give encouragement throughout.

Can do! No problems here. 

Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)

This test demonstrates that the handler is in control of the dog. The dog may be on either side of the handler. The dog's position should leave no doubt that the dog is attentive to the handler and is responding to the handler's movements and changes of direction. The dog need not be perfectly aligned with the handler and need not sit when the handler stops. The evaluator may use a pre-plotted course or may direct the handler/dog team by issuing instructions or commands. In either case, there should be a right turn, left turn, and an about turn with at least one stop in between and another at the end. The handler may talk to the dog along the way, praise the dog, or give commands in a normal tone of voice. The handler may sit the dog at the halts if desired.

With our eyes closed. Done. 

Test 5: Walking through a crowd

This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places. The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three). The dog may show some interest in the strangers but should continue to walk with the handler, without evidence of over-exuberance, shyness or resentment. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise the dog throughout the test. The dog should not jump on people in the crowd or strain on the leash.

Again, no problems here. 

Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place

This test demonstrates that the dog has training, will respond to the handler's commands to sit and down and will remain in the place commanded by the handler (sit or down position, whichever the handler prefers). The dog must do sit AND down on command, then the owner chooses the position for leaving the dog in the stay. Prior to this test, the dog's leash is replaced with a line 20 feet long. The handler may take a reasonable amount of time and use more than one command to get the dog to sit and then down. The evaluator must determine if the dog has responded to the handler's commands. The handler may not force the dog into position but may touch the dog to offer gentle guidance. When instructed by the evaluator, the handler tells the dog to stay and walks forward the length of the line, turns and returns to the dog at a natural pace. The dog must remain in the place in which it was left (it may change position) until the evaluator instructs the handler to release the dog. The dog may be released from the front or the side.

With a few times of practice, give or take a day, we could do this. As of right now, Ferguson will follow me anywhere when there is a leash attached (I mean, he's never encountered a situation otherwise), but if he did it a few times and knew what to expect, it would be no problem.  He does this now just fine outdoors in our own yard with no leash....we should probably practice in a busier public area though. But anyway, can do, with a little practice!

Test 7: Coming when called

This test demonstrates that the dog will come when called by the handler. The handler will walk 10 feet from the dog, turn to face the dog, and call the dog. The handler may use encouragement to get the dog to come. Handlers may choose to tell dogs to "stay" or "wait" or they may simply walk away, giving no instructions to the dog.

Yep, no problem at all!  We'd of course choose the "down" position to do the stay in...

Test 8: Reaction to another dog

This test demonstrates that the dog can behave politely around other dogs. Two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet, stop, shake hands and exchange pleasantries, and continue on for about 10 feet. The dogs should show no more than casual interest in each other. Neither dog should go to the other dog or its handler.

Love my dog that doesn't give two s$@&s about other dogs! Can do! 

Test 9: Reaction to distraction

This test demonstrates that the dog is confident at all times when faced with common distracting situations. The evaluator will select and present two distractions. Examples of distractions include dropping a chair, rolling a crate dolly past the dog, having a jogger run in front of the dog, or dropping a crutch or cane. The dog may express natural interest and curiosity and/or may appear slightly startled but should not panic, try to run away, show aggressiveness, or bark. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise it throughout the exercise.

Easy peasy. 

Test 10: Supervised separation

This test demonstrates that a dog can be left with a trusted person, if necessary, and will maintain training and good manners. Evaluators are encouraged to say something like, "Would you like me to watch your dog?" and then take hold of the dog's leash. The owner will go out of sight for three minutes. The dog does not have to stay in position but should not continually bark, whine, or pace unnecessarily, or show anything stronger than mild agitation or nervousness. Evaluators may talk to the dog but should not engage in excessive talking, petting, or management attempts (e.g, "there, there, it's alright").

This one I'm not positive of immediate success, but is something we can certainly practice and definitely accomplish over time, if not right away. Ferguson is rather attached to me, but I don't know that he would do more than whine a little and stare intently upon where I went.  We'll have to try it and see prior to testing.


Hmm. I think filming some practice sessions might be good so then I can compare it to other videos on the Internet. More to come on this subject, I'm sure...

The Duck Neck and Mini Fergusons

Last night, we had the wonderful and tasty opportunity to eat duck...my parents had originally bought it for Christmas dinner.  Because my brother came to visit for the weekend, we thought we'd have it while everyone was together, and it was quite good (I'm a very big fan of duck, it being my favorite fowl meat).  The bird was prepared while I was at work during the day shift yesterday, but my mother was kind enough to save the neck and not cook it, for Ferguson to have.  It looks exactly like a raw turkey neck, so I am assuming that it is okay (if not, someone PLEASE comment now, as I plan to give it to him later today!).

I would have given it to him last night, but for some reason, Ferguson occasionally decides to not eat all his dinner, and the way I see it, no dessert if all the dinner isn't gone.  When he does this, I tend to take what's remaining in the bowl, put saran wrap around it, and then feed the remaining for breakfast.  Yes, he ends up getting maybe half a meal less this way, but it makes certain he'll eat it the next go around.  Also, I figure that later when I give him the neck, it will make up for some missing calories.

In other news, I purchased a crocheting pattern for some "Pixie Hounds" the website calls them.  They are ADORABLE to say the least, and my crochet savvy friend came over last night to help me get started.  We each made the body piece that took about an hour and a half, with hers looking strangely larger than mine (I think because she crochets loser than I do), and mine looking kind of like a chicken bone.  However, once it gets some limbs and a tail, I think it will be okay ^_^.  I'm excited, because the yarn I got for the project is almost exactly Ferguson colored!  Hopefully the finished product will look something like the greyhound on the left!  (My friend started working with white, so maybe hers will look like the one on the right).  In any case, I'm hoping to get really good at making them so that I can make a dozen to give to Greyt Expectations Greyhound Rescue to sell at events for $10-$15 (to be fair, it costs at least $5 for me to make each one).  Of course, in addition to having my own little mini Ferguson doll ^_^.  Now to just find some proper eye pieces...

Today I'm also off to look at a few apartments with my friend Sarah to see if there's anything reasonable that would allow a big dog (they exist, but they take a bit more hunting).  If, hypothetically, nothing could be found, it should be noted that I would sooner live home forever than move into a place where my beloved Fergus couldn't come with me ^_^.  Hopefully we see some we like, as all the ones we've picked out are Ferguson friendly.

Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!

The Citronella Collar

This video was recorded early this afternoon, and is the first time Ferguson's ever worn a Citronella collar.  Overall, I am pretty happy with how it worked.  Though it seems long and lapsed over a long period of time, it was no more than 20 minutes in total...I just edited it. (yeah, that's how much of a baby he is about being left, even when I'm still in the house!), he did not bark anymore than the two times seen in the video.  I ran out of film, but when I came downstairs, he was curled up with his head down in the back of his kennel (how he normally sleeps at night).  He seemed much more relaxed and was not panting as he usually is when I return to him after any length of time, and remained calm even after let out.  After getting a drink of water, he even went back into his kennel to lay there while I watched TV, so he has no fears of the kennel what so ever.  Originally, I was afraid that the collar would be too harsh, but he didn't seem to have any serious anxiety about it (more than just being alone...the pacing and panting you see is what he does all the time).  So, hurray!  Also, you can't see in the camera, but Niles's kennel is right next to his, so he isn't even totally alone.  Hopefully the collar continues to work even if we go out for longer periods of time, as opposed to me just going upstairs to shower.  Updates to come soon!

A Word About Muzzles...

This is a post that I've been meaning to write for some time, and feel that it really might be necessary to address to anyone who is a dog owner.

In the past six years since I started raising, then dog sitting, training, etc. with dogs, I've become increasingly aware about common problems other dog owners have.  One of which is other people's dog's bad behavior, or even worse, their own dog's bad behavior.  Unfortunately, there are far too many dogs with aggression issues, often acting this way due to their needs being unfulfilled (ex: being confined to a house/yard for almost their entire life with no socialization or outlet for energy).  When owners do take these dogs out, they lash out aggressively at other dogs across the street, causing bystanders to be wary and uptight.  They watch anxiously, trying to walk by with their own dogs, hoping that taught leash holds tight against the animal straining for them.


There was a day when I was walking with Gerta on our usual walk when we were approached by a large gray pit bull, tied about 30 feet away to an owner walking and talking on a cell phone.  Because of the dog's extensive freedom, I proceeded forward, until the owner stopped the dog when it was within 20 feet of us.  She told her caller to "hang on just a second, there's another dog." and told me to wait while she walked up to her dog and pulled it to the edge of the sidewalk.  Here, she proceeded to sit down in the grass, a death grip on the dog's collar, and began yelling threats to the dog that she would beat it if it tried to attack us.  We walked by unscathed, but I was completely outraged by this woman's complete disregard for safety.  Allow me to make a list:

1. If you have an aggressive dog that you are honestly afraid will harm another for whatever reason, you should NEVER walk that dog on a very long leash with one hand while talking on the phone. Had I continued forward and not hesitated, we would have been easily within reach of the dog, as 30 feet of momentum would have pulled the woman right off her feet should the dog had decided to bolt. 

2. (And the point of my post) If you have a dog that you feel is likely to bite or attack another, PUT A MUZZLE ON THE DOG WHILE WALKING IT.  The muzzle will NOT hurt the dog or do it any harm...it could potentially save your dog's life.  This will a) prevent the dog from being able to bite, eliminating its potential to have to be put to sleep, b) give you piece of mind while walking the dog, projecting a calmer demeanor to the dog that will guide it to rehabilitation, c) make you more likely to take the dog out to get the exercise it needs without living in so much fear, and d) will make the dog undergo a hormonal chemical reaction, as most muzzles tie behind the head to the pressure points where their mother carried them as puppies that forces them to relax.

3. Yelling at the dog angrily often only eggs the dog on and makes their aggression worse.  Being calm and correcting aggressive behavior at level one (a raised stance or slight growl) will send the message to the dog that it is not okay in your view, the competent leader, to act in such a way to others, and that you, the leader, have the situation under control. 

I feel that this is a topic I can speak from great experience on, especially considering my last post about Shadow.  True, I do not have him wearing a muzzle, but I do have him on a less than 1 foot leash, and watch for any possible sign of aggression (now that I know it exists) to stop it in his tracks, which in itself has proven very effective.  He is also of the fear aggression variety, and would rather run away if the option is given.  However, the instant that this would change, I would buy my own muzzle to put on him while we walk for all of the reasons above.  

So please.  If you or someone else you know has a dog that experiences unpredictable aggression, be safe and considerate of those around you, and PUT A MUZZLE ON YOUR DOG.    Any slight discomfort or embarrassment you might have as an owner is a minuscule price to pay for the life of your dog, or another's.

Still Waiting...but info on Flea/Tick and Heart-worm

My giant greyhound-sized kennel came today, and is laying awkwardly (and largely) in the living room alongside the wall. I'm super excited to have it, but...what do I do with it until December? I wish I could set it up :( But that would be kind of pointless...

Here (see below) I found a greyhound from the rescue I'm hoping to adopt from...and she sounds perfect! Hopefully there is a similar girl (colors and all!) for me when I'm ready! See her description here: at Petfinder.com




I also cleaned out the corner with the boxes upon boxes of random dog stuff and got it happily organized (mostly). I was disappointed I didn't find more potential used toys...but I will hopefully have enough : /. My parents also need to stop buying tiny kongs for their dog, Niles (see photograph), as I found three new ones in the pile of random dog stuff.




In other news, I spent a portion of today researching flea/tick medications and heart-worm preventatives. I have learned that:
-Biospot has the same main ingredients as K9 Advantix (and is less than half the price)
-Ivenguard (sp?) is the generic brand of Heartguard (and is also less than half the price).

This means that I will be paying less than $100 for both flea/tick and heart-worm medications, thanks to !!! I highly recommend it for others looking to save money! And here I thought it was just scam all this time (well, let's check back in a few months after I've actually used the service).

Other than researching, today has been mostly a laid back day (as much as it can be with Freesia). I think it helped that I walked her and let her run this morning though. She was far more mellow on our before-dinner walk, which was much appreciated (Thanks Freesia!). I only hope that tomorrow follows suit. Maybe I'll even get more dog stuff in the mail :D.