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!
Monday, October 29, 2007
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.
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.
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.
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