Monday, October 29, 2007

Week 5, I'm Alive

Hokay. So. I have been really busy and when I haven't been busy, the internet has been funky, and this is the first chance I have gotten to do a blog in a little while.

This weekend, Triple Crown held its annual Pet Fest, an event held for people and their dogs to raise money for the Austin Humane Society. There were more events than I think I can even name off. There was a whole canine carnival with paw painting, agility, a kissing booth (dogs kissing people, people), bobbing for balls, a Weiner dog race, a frisbee toss, an ice cream eating contest, a live band...and then in the expo center, they had demos and contests going on all day long. Police dogs, the fastest dog in Hutto, freestyling, a costume contest, talent contest, and I don't even know what else. There was also a dock dive and hay rides, a dog wash, food, beer, wine...it was a huge event! This all happened after I had my second Sunday in a row of kennel duty, so needless to say it was a long day. But it was really enjoyable, and for a great cause. Gabe loved bobbing for balls and won a prize that he quickly destroyed in about 5-8 minutes. He also got to try doggy ice cream and pretty much ate the bowl in one big gulp once I dumped it into a dish for him. I decided to taste the ice cream just for the heck of it, thinking it surely was vanilla or something...and it was definitely liver flavored. Dang. I'll post some pictures sometime soon...

After the Fest, we had a bbq and hung out at the school a while longer. I was stoked to eat a big burger all Texas style and drink a beer with it. But, to my dismay they only had sausages. No, not hot dogs...sausages. I don't like sausage. Not at all. But I was just hungry enough and it was free, so I decided to try one. The weird thing is that in Texas, they eat their sausages in tortillas! Is that weird to anyone else? I thought it was. Anyway, it's not like the tortilla made much of a difference since I hated the inside. I also glanced at the box in the garbage can a while later, and those sausages definitely had bits of 'cow tongue parcels' in them. It was written in bold right across the front. Between the dog ice cream and Texas sausages, I think I am a little more homesick than when I got here...

There has been an outbreak of kennel cough here at the school, and so far 4 of the rescue dogs have been pulled for isolation. They were all vaccinated for it before coming here, but there are 13 strains of it and only 4 or 5 are covered in the vaccination. It's not life threatening typically or anything like that, but it takes 3-7 days to incubate and is extremely contagious. It's airborne too, so it's very very difficult to contain. So far neither of my dogs have shown any signs but needless to say, I am not thrilled with the outbreak. I have been keeping Gabe out of the kennel ever since the first dog was diagnosed, using Lysol like it's my favorite perfume and drowning my hands in antibacterial gel. I wish there was more I could do for Diamond but she has to stay in the kennel. If a dog is pulled for isolation, they cannot have any contact with others for 10 days. It puts us very behind with our dogs that we have worked so much with every day.

I am too hungry to write any more right now. That's what's been going on for the past few days and there will definitely be a lot more to come in the next few days. AND Dad is coming, so that will be a high point of the week!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Blah blah blah

I don't really have anything new to share. Life is full of lots of dog things, and not a lot else! But it's nice as always to get to a weekend so things are a bit more laid back. This is how my weekend has gone so far:

Last night, after taking care of Diamond and catching up on some emails, I went home and turned on our TV. We get one channel, and I watched what it had to offer - 'The Next Great American Band' or something like that. The show is trying way too hard but it entertained me for a good while. Katie came home at one point and told me she and some other people were going out to some local restaurant or bar or she didn't even know what it was, but I was already in my pajamas and not up for much. So I did Sudoku, listened to a sermon on my computer, and went to bed!

This morning, I took care of Diamond, got ready for the day, went grocery shopping and got gas. Then I came home, took Gabe for a walk, and talked to the lovely Megan on the phone for a good while. Then I came back down to school, did some obedience work, and now sit here writing this masterpiece of a blog.

Perhaps the highlight of the weekend will come tomorrow at 7 AM. My classmates and I got in trouble for letting our kennel get messy (well, some people were messier than others...) so we all got assigned some pretty intense cleaning duties this weekend. By 9 AM, every single kennel is to be disinfected inside and out, including water bowls and refilling them. There are two buildings to cover, four people assigned to one and three to the other. Apparently it took the group who went today over three hours to complete it all. Needless to say, I hope that 1. our cleaning doesn't take QUITE as long and 2. that people start being cleaner in the kennels so this doesn't become a weekly occurence. Remember how I mentioned the bootcamp concept? Yeah, I still stand by that comment.

Even though there is not a lot going on around me on the weekends, there is definitely a lot going on inside me. I am on quite literally an emotional roller coaster, and I would like to get off of it (you all know how much I love roller coasters). I am trying to make good decisions, trying to protect my heart, and yet simultaneously not sweep my emotions and thoughts under the rug. It's pretty much a full time job in itself. If I wasn't going to be so broke by the time I get out of dog school, I would treat myself to a nice vacation somewhere.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Did you know...

It takes just 1.3 seconds for cause and effect to take place with a dog. That means if you are going to reinforce or punish a behavior they exhibit you had better be darn quick about it - 1.3 seconds to be exact. They live in the moment; so, as frustrating as it can be, if your dog pees on the floor and you don't actually watch them do it, you might as well forget about punishing them because they will only associate that with the very last thing they did. Same with chewing up the couch, running out the front door...

Those gnarly, 'Medieval-esque' pinch collars you sometimes see dogs wearing are not inhumane. Well, not if they are used correctly. They deliver a series of small pinches all around the neck that are much like how a mother dog disciplines her puppies when they are young.

Dogs' nails have a 'quick' which is what makes them bleed if it is cut. Basically it's a vein that runs part way down their nail. But, if you are diligent about keeping your dog's toenails trimmed, the quick will not grow as long, making your job easier.

Puppies go through several stages as they grow up, each of which is crucial to their development. In certain phases, a traumatic experience could effect them for the rest of their life. They should not be separated from their mother and siblings until 7 or 8 weeks of age so that they can learn proper behavior and body language when interacting with other dogs and later with people.

If a dog bristles its hair all the way from the neck to the tail, it is due to fear. If its hair is only up around the shoulders, it is due to aggression.

I'll never look at dogs the same way. I knew they were complex, but not THIS complex. I apologize in advance if I seem like a dog Nazi when I get out of school. But I honestly already have a new perception of how they learn and the best way to make communication clear with them. What else are they going to fill 10 hour days up with for 16 weeks???

I loved Gabe before I got here, but he really seems to be a special dog. And I know I am biased and everything but he has got the best personality in the world! He can be crazy and playful, but also can lay on a place bed for an hour lecture (well, if he has a bone). He loves EVERYONE and is so happy just to be a part of everything. When he heels, he prances, and everyone in the class melts. Yes, I know, he is the greatest.

I'm still glad to be here over all. There are rough moments and frustrations, but I am soaking up what I am learning. My heart is still in pain - a lot of it. And that in itself is exhausting. Sometimes I just want to roll over on my back and tell God 'I give up. Please just hit me with lightning or something.' But I keep putting one foot in front of the other, and I suppose that will get me somewhere someday.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Two Weeks Down

After two weeks of dog training school, I feel like I have a little bit better of a feel for what it's going to be like from here on out. It is extremely draining, both physically and mentally. Granted, it's enjoyable too, but I feel pretty worn out today. Last night I hung out with some of the other students at one of their trailers and it was a little mind-boggling that I have barely spoken a word to some of them in two weeks simply because we are always occupied doing something else on the week days. To be honest, it feels a little bit like boot camp here sometimes! We have to use proper posture, tone of voice, keep things clean and in order...oh, and we get up insanely early. Our minds never rest; we always have to be thinking of how the dogs will perceive us and what it communicates to them. But, it's really not as hard as real boot camp because I would never survive that.

Yesterday I bathed Gabe and trimmed his toenails myself for the first time. For being such a docile, nice dog, he is an abolute hellion when it comes to his nails. With the help of Julie, the intern, holding him, I was able to cut all of his nails and did not make him bleed one time. Small triumph, but I was happy and relieved!

I am fighting some kind of major allergies and/or head cold. It's been waking me up in the night because there is so much pressure in my head. I can't afford to lose sleep, so I really hope it gets better soon...

One of my favorite things I learned about this week was recalls with your dog. Something that just about every dog owner can struggle with is getting their dog to come when called. It is often because we have such a backwards mentality with getting a dog to come to us. I know most of my dogs have been no exception to that. Jessy had us go out on the training field yesterday and observe a few of our classmates with their dogs. She had them take their dogs off leash and let them go. The dogs of course ran around happily, and as they ran one direction, the handler was to run in the opposite direction. It was amazing to see that every single dog, when realizing their master was running away from them, followed them. Typically, when we try to catch a dog, we run towards them, and the dogs will make a game out of it and take off the other way. It is frustrating and can be a life or death situation for a dog if it runs from you. So, our homework this weekend is to do 100 recalls with our dog. We have to get a partner to hold the dog's collar for us, we run away from our dog holding a 30 foot leash, and when we get about 15 feet away call the dog and then run backwards so they will come to us. It works beautifully, but I have no idea how I will get 100 done in the next 2 days. We only do sessions of 5-10 reps, it's too hot outside to work on it in the middle of the day, and I have two dogs. That means two hundred recalls...

My two least favorite classes so far would have to be Business and Group and Private class. Business because, well, I have nooo idea about/interest in business, and Group and Private because we have to get up in front of the class and talk. I know they are vital parts to the whole process but I still dislike them.

Well, I feel like this is a thoroughly boring post. I figured though that since the internet is down once again at the school and I drove to a Comfort Inn to steal their internet signal that I should at least put an update out while I can. I'm headed for the store and then doing my homework for however long it takes me.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

I've Gone to the Dogs



People actually can train dogs to do this stuff. I think it is amazing! This dance probably took at least a year to perfect and Carolyn Scott (the trainer) has all my respect for that. Thought it was worth a watch.

I found out yesterday that one of Gabe's classmates Ryan, a Siberian Husky, was a double in 'Eight Below'! He helped play the role of 'Dewey', the one who dies! No wonder he showed up on the first day knowing a billion tricks already.

Texas needs to learn what October is supposed to feel like. COOL.

That's all for now - I'm back to class.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Catch Up

Finally. The weekend.
Finally. The internet is working again.
Finally. I got some pictures taken.
Finally.

Weekends definitely have a different feel here than during the week. We still have dogs to take care of in the kennels at least twice a day but there are no classes, and there are different events that take place in the event center every weekend. This weekend, it's a sport called 'flyball' that is really fun to watch, but really LOUD. Basically it consists of several low jumps in a row and a box at the end that contains tennis balls. The dogs are let loose by their master to jump over the hurdles as quickly as possible, slam down on the box at the end, grab a tennis ball that is popped out and then race back over the jumps. In the meantime, their teammates are raring to go. Basically it's a timed relay race and the dogs that compete are absolutely psycho. They cannot get anything into their mind other than the tennis ball at the other end of the track, and the rope toy that their master holds on the start line to reward them. Basically every other dog that is watching or waiting to compete is barking. It's very impressive to watch how speedy some of the dogs are though.

Last night we had the welcome party for all students, and it was alright. What I am discovering is that I seem to be more mature than the younger people that attend Triple Crown, but not married/divorced/a parent like a lot of the older ones. Thankfully Katie and I are the most similar in our state of life than the rest of the students, so it's nice that at least we are living together.

My typical day looks like this so far.
5:30 - wake up, shower, take care of Gabe
7:00 - be at the kennels. Walk Diamond, clean any messes (thankfully she is super clean in her run)
8:00-9:00 - training session
9:00-10:30ish - go over 'How Dogs Learn', our assigned reading, with Rob
10:30-11ish -break
11-12:30ish (or yesterday until 2:30!) obedience lessons with Jessy
12:30-1:30 - lunch
1:30-2:00 - training session
2:00-3:30 - various lectures on business, grooming, body language, or training, etc.
3:30-4 - break
4:00-5:30 - training session, health checks, or any other things they can think of
Evenings - optional events to observe like agility, obedience classes, Schutzund, etc.

We also are required to put in at least 2 hours of independent study with our dogs every day. I have been trying to get some of that time in before 8 am and put in the rest of the time in the evenings. It is so hard to have the energy to do more work after such a full day. But, at least it is doing something I enjoy so much.

Ok, I think that's it for now. Hopefully these pictures will give you a better idea of where I am!
Driving into the school...

Outside of the clubhouse where lectures are held

A training field...we're not allowed to just let our doggies play here. Sad but it's the rules.

A blurry picture of the training building. Over 30,000 square feet and air conditioned.

Where the rescue dogs live

The Beach Club

Home sweet home...hahaha

A fenced in field for our dogs to run in...but we have to watch out for the cows

The view from our driveway

I belong.

A view of my room...Gabe just posed himself there - so photogenic :)

My lizard

My bathroom...yes, there is hideous wallpaper. But it's my very own!

The living room

The dining room...Gabe again centering himself in the picture

The kitchen

One of the spiders that lives in the colony. Not really that astounding, but I'm not getting any closer to it

Our would-be nice backyard should it not be home to 4598 spiders

The mother. This thing lives RIGHT ABOVE MY FRONT FREAKING DOOR. THEY COULD DO AN EPISODE OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ON THIS SPIDER.

Shudder.

Gabe, being cute

Again.

Kissy face

New hair...pretty much the moment I walk outside it is no longer straight though.

And Diamond girl!


Overall, I am liking school a lot. It's exciting to be learning all of this stuff. At the same time, I am honestly pretty lonely and it doesn't make things easier with everything that happened in the last few weeks. It's really wonderful to be able to talk on my phone to a lot of you though, and of course dogs are not bad company ever. And Dad comes out in less than a month! I'll be ready.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Really quick update

Triple Crown's internet is down. And I, feeling isolated as all get up today finally broke down and ventured into town to pay for internet at Starbucks. I cannot make it a habit, but it's seriously so hard to be disconnected from the world, especially with my feeling lonely to begin with. Loneliness is amplified about 49 times here, by the way.

But I like school. A lot. What we're learning is super interesting, and I can't wait to get more hands-on. I feel like my Psychology background is paying off (yes!) and that is really great since I wasn't ever sure if it was a good move to major in it or not.

I got a rescue dog assigned to me! A Dalmatian named Diamond. She is a little over a year old and really sweet. Never thought I'd have another Dalmatian on my hands, but now I do. I hope I can help transform her into a good pet for someone. It is so fulfilling to think about creating better bonds between people and their dogs. So many dogs in our world live very sad lives simply because they have no outlet for their mental abilities.

Gabe is the best doggy. I am so glad he's with me so much of the time.

School is TIRING. I start at 7 am and don't finish until 6 pm. Then starts homework, and we have to do at least 2 hours of independent study every day. Holy cow. But, it's good to be working hard at something I love. If it was anything other than this...it would be a very different story.

I'll do a better post, hopefully with pictures, when the internet gets fixed at the school. I love you all.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Don't look up.

After years and months and weeks and days of planning, I am officially a student at Triple Crown. There is a lot to say this far and yet no conclusive information.

I am living in a three bedroom trailer. The good news? I only have one other house mate! So we have plenty of space for ourselves including our own bathrooms. I do not mind that one bit.

She seems like a cool girl. Or should I say woman. She is 30! Her name is Katie and so far I am really thankful I've been paired with her. She's from Vancouver, Washington and works for Horizon Airlines as a flight attendant. She seems very laid back and did not bring a dog with her; she's planning to just get a rescue dog from the school.

It's hard to say if I will get super close with any of the other students yet. There are certainly a variety of us here. Foul-mouthed girls with their Pit Bulls, a girly girl with a small dog. I am so far the only one with a mixed breed dog. Losers...

Oh, and George? Did not show up. Jared did though. He has Pit Bulls as well and was a last minute addition to the roster.

I am really liking the idea so far of living on a 'ranch' type of property. There is so much open space and trees all over, We have to drive a considerable distance to go into town, and internet is not accessible in every building. I'll be 'roughing' it ever so slightly and I think that is ok.

BUT. I have two things to share about that are horrid. 1. The lizard who is living IN MY CLOSET LIGHT. I looked up while moving in to see the silhouette of a little, tiny Gecko-like thing against the glass covering. It wasn't moving, so I half laughing got Annie's attention and asked her if she thought it was real. We stood there, staring, debating. It was motionless. And then, all of a sudden, it WASN'T motionless. And we screamed. I have yet to solve what to do with my lizard...but I think the maintenance man will be receiving a call tomorrow.

The other thing? 2. Spiders. EVERYWHERE SPIDERS. And they are NOT SMALL. Katie and I just happened to take in the sights of our little backyard today, glanced upwards, and saw the BIGGEST arachnid ever. And then another. And another. There are in fact colonies of these huge bugs living all over the place in our trees. And I am severely creeped out. If I EVER see one in the house, I just may cry. And that is not an exagerration.

Gabe is doing well so far. He is of course A.D.D. and overly-excited. But I think he is going to learn so much. I am too. And it all starts tomorrow...