Switching Gears -- Again

Jedi free stacking at the IABCA show

A couple of weeks ago I said we were going to try something else. Truth is, the past month has been a real head scratcher for me as far as where to go with my dog. For those of you following Jedi's canine career, I'm sorry. (For those of you who aren't, it's crazy and we're all over the place. Now you're caught up.)

I learned a lot at the IABCA shows over Halloween weekend. What I took away from the event is that Jedi and I need more time and practice before getting back in the ring. So, Jedi and I are going to take another break from conformation. Again. We're going to try to work on strengthening his back end and give him time to fill out some more. Again. Meanwhile, I'm looking for ways to build his confidence and have fun in the process.

And this brings us to last weekend. K-9 Obedience Club hosted a nose work seminar with a prominent figure in the National Association of Canine Nose Work (NACSW). I was fortunate enough to score an auditing (aka dog-free) spot. I was probably the least experienced person in the class. Everybody else had taken the ORTs and most were competing. A large portion of the info was training tricks and techniques. And honestly, some info was a little above my head (probably because we're not competing yet). But all-in-all, the instructor was knowledgeable and engaging and I left the seminar feeling hopeful and ready to go.


How good is this nose?

I've discussed the Odor Recognition Tests (ORTs) before. It's the first step to competing in nose work. K-9 Obedience Club hosted ORTs on November 1st and many of my friends took the tests. Because they didn't have to pay for travel or lodging -- big expenses -- my friends paid to take all three tests: sweet birch, anise and clove. One friend's dog passed all three, my other friends' dogs only two.

I didn't take the test, choosing to participate in the IABCA shows instead. I feel like I made the right decision, but I'm still frustrated about the timing.

So now what? Well, I'm considering taking the sweet birch ORT in Lake Park (near West Palm Beach) in January, but I have some reservations:

• Its a four drive and Jedi doesn't travel well.
• The handler briefing is at 8:30 in the morning.
• Because of points one and two, we'd probably need to get a hotel the night before (an added expense).
• I'm not sure Jedi's ready.
• I'm a big, fat chicken.

What's a girl (and her dog) to do? A friend is trying to set up some practice sessions at her place. And a training facility around the corner hosted a Sniff 'N Go this morning. For $5 Jedi and I ran through a couple hides to see how he did. I was surprised that he found the odor right away. If he had bombed the decision would be easier. Fortunately I have four weeks to practice, obsess and agonize before making up my mind. I'll keep you posted!

On a happier note, we're computer shopping. This old thing is really getting on my nerves. Soon I'll be able to blog without yelling obscenities . . . yeah right! However, if the computer wasn't so temperamental -- taking three times as long as need to pop out a post -- I would definitely write more. And that's a promise! More later (hopefully not too much later), -- K

Coming to a Theater Near Me!

SPOILER ALERT: I'm a big Star Wars geek. (The fact that my dog's AKC registered name is Zente's Jedi Mind Trick should have been a clue.) Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be out in a month. ONE MONTH! I can barely contain myself. Have you seen the latest trailer?

I'm still debating whether or not I want to see it opening night. On one hand, I don't like crowds of loud, stinky people. On the other hand, I want to know what happens! And I'm a bit worried. To quote Fanboys (a hilarious and totally underrated movie):

Hey, it could happen! Did you see The Phantom Menace? YUCK! Anyway, I got caught up in all the excitement surrounding the movie and did another photo shoot with Drogo.

It's Awww...Monday! Want to start you week with a smile? Click around below and see what others are sharing today. A big thanks to Sandee over at Comedy Plus for hosting this hop. -- K

            P.S. Just so you know:

I'm not kidding.

 

IABCA Recap

A written critique

I got Jedi three years ago hoping he would be the show dog I'd been dreaming about for 35+ years. I quickly discovered that it's harder than it looks on TV. We haven't been as successful as I like. I know part of that is because I'm inexperienced. Another part is that I'm not as consistent as I should be. It doesn't help that this awkward, out-of-shape middle-aged woman chose the breed with the longest stride, or that German shepherd conformation rings are full of professional handlers and the politicking that goes with them.

Two weeks ago Jedi and I entered the International All-Breed Canine Association's Sunshine Autumn Sieger in Ocala, Florida. It was incredibly hot (87 degrees and humid). And five shows in two days is a grueling schedule -- but we did it!

The IABCA shows were great. Unlike the AKC, the judges talk to you. Jedi was judged against the breed standard, and the judges were honest with their assessments. I wanted to know why Jedi isn't getting points in the AKC ring. Is it me? Is it him? They told me. Short answer -- it's a bit of both.
 

 

It was hot, so Jedi rested whenever possible.

Jedi has faults. Some of them are fixable. His chest should fill out with time. (Three of the five judges said he was still young and a late bloomer.) The written critiques confirmed my suspicion that his hind quarters are a bit loose, but they all stated that with proper conditioning he should be able to strengthen his back end. Other things aren't fixable. Jedi's easty-westy front feet are what they are. And he may never be completely comfortable during the hands-on exam. How much of that is my failure and how much is his innate personality I'll never know. One judge suggested having Jedi do other unrelated activities to build confidence. She said that this often spills over into the conformation. There's some food for thought. That being said, Jedi received the highest scores possible (five V-1  ratings) and walked away with an International title.

 

I was also fortunate enough to take a 45 minute handling class from an AKC judge. She was a wealth of information. I could have listened to her for hours. She gave me stacking tips and showed me a better way to hold the leash. There are definitely things that I could be doing better, especially since I'm on the awkward side and usually up against professionals who do this on a daily basis. Yeah, I got my work cut out for me.

 

A fun part of the weekend was the Halloween costume contest. The winner got a free entry coupon for a future IABCA show. (Jedi would have preferred something edible.) We entered with team costumes and dammit, we were cute. I thought we had a chance until a yellow lab puppy showed up dressed as a witch. Seriously, who can out-cute a lab puppy?! We had fun nonetheless.

 

IABCA should come back this way in another 6-8 months. I'll enter Jedi again and see what the judges have to say. Until then we're practicing (inconsistently -- that's all on me) and doing some back-end exercises. We're going to try something else too. More on that in a future post.

 

Thanks for following Jedi's journey. His handler is clueless and inconsistent, but we're having a ball. Later, -- K

Fall in Florida

Fall is taking forever coming Florida. Last week we were in the upper 80s. No kidding! I see everybody's red, orange and yellow leaf pictures and sigh. This is our fall photo -- not nearly as impressive, hunh? I miss Maryland this time of year. (That'll change when the cold, wet snow blows in. YUCK!)

Lucky for me, Jedi doesn't care about the weather. He's happy being outside with his people. Just look at that happy face!

It's Wordless Wednesday. Obviously Jedi is better at "wordless" than I am. Anyway, hop around below and see what others are sharing today. I'm hoping for leaves! -- K

Leg Protectors

Roxy is an obsessive chewer. Once she fixates on something it's nearly impossible to get her to stop. She even ripped out her spay stitches resulting in the cone of shame and this funny picture.

She has a large scar on her back from where the rattlesnake bit her as a puppy. (That was well before she came to us.) Her undercoat doesn't grow over the scar, but at times the overcoat hides it pretty well -- unless she's feeling anxious, then she'll rip all the hair out. Some of the most frustrating things for us though are the sores on her legs. She will lick and chew them until they bleed. We've tried bitter apple, anti-licks sprays and ointments, but they're all temporary and often messy. If we can get her to leave them alone long enough to heal, she usually doesn't go back to the same spots.

A few weeks ago I received a catalog from In The Company of Dogs. Inside I found these leg protectors. They're basically sleeves that are attached to each other. The whole thing slides over the back of the dog. I had never seen anything like this before. I searched the internet and nobody sold anything similar either. Meanwhile, I was trying to scrub blood stains off the couch where Roxy likes to lay. In desperation I forked over the 40 bucks and ordered a pair.

The order came quickly. However, I was disappointed when I saw the product. It's cheaply made. I thought the material in the picture was neoprene. I was wrong. It's just a dark blue fabric. The orange in the picture is not a fabric binding like I thought either. Instead, it's an overcast sewing machine stitch to keep the raw edges from fraying (instead of folding the fabric over and hemming like my mother taught me). Also, the back piece is very long and not adjustable, so we had to tie a knot in it to keep it in place.

Three days after the package arrived I saw this on Facebook:

Apparently creative people can get the same thing with a pair of fun knee socks. Probably for a lot less money too. Argh. The worst part of all: I don't think the leg protectors are working. Roxy has learned how to pull up the sleeves and chew on her legs anyway. Anybody have ideas? -- K

Awww...Gopher Tortoise!

The last time Jedi and I went to the Jacksonville Arboretum we came across a large gopher tortoise. The tortoise walked across the path, oblivious to human and dog alike. Jedi went up to investigate . . . and the tortoise moved. Jedi puffed up twice his size and jumped back three feet. He spent a good five minutes trying to check out the tortoise, flinching every time it moved. Big. Bad. German Shepherd! HA! I have no idea where that tortoise wanted to go, but he sure was determined. Eventually the tortoise got tired and hid inside his shell -- probably hoping that we would leave so he could continue on his way. Of course, that's when Jedi became brave and I was able to snap this picture.

It's Awww...Monday! Want to start your week off with a smile? Click around below and see what others are sharing today. -- K

Where Have I Been?

Wow, it's been a month since I've posted anything and even longer since I posted anything regularly. What's up with that?! Truth is, I've been in a bit of a writing slump. (I have no idea how some of these blogs can come up with something daily. Kudos to them!) But never fear, we're alive and well -- and we've been busy.

The German Shepherd Dog Club of North Florida participated in an Oktoberfest German shepherd meet up. There was German food, lots of beer, fun and festivities for all. We even got a cool picture.

Look at all those gorgeous dogs!

Jedi and I joined a few Dog Club members and walked Fort Caroline National Park to raise money for the American Cancer Society. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful park. Jedi made friends with Park Ranger Tracy, scoring us an awesome tour of the park. Good boy Jedi! (In all honesty, Tracy is super nice and would have given us the awesome tour regardless of Jedi's geniality.)

Jedi's favorite park ranger is on the far left. Hi Tracy!

I met Leah from Let's Go Dog in real life! For those of you not following her blog (you really should) Leah and her large dogs, Zack and Zoe, are traveling the perimeter of the United States in a motorhome. I'm so jealous! I-95 brought her to Jacksonville and we were able to get together. She blogged about it here. And yes, she is just as wonderful as I had imagined.

Heads of Zoe and Zack in the foreground -- not much room for pictures
in a motorhome!

Jedi and I did five shows in two days over Halloween weekend, earning an international title (IntCH) through IABCA. More details about that later. Promise!

How awesome is this?!

Poor Drogo had another fashion shoot. Here's his Halloween costume -- a tad late. More fun pictures coming soon! Check his page for updates.

Did someone say creepy crawlies? YUM!

I've done a lot of NOT fun things over the last month too.

• I've been fighting with my home computer. It's old and I think it's dying. Unfortunately, I don't have the skill to diagnose it or the funds to replace it, so I'm learning how to blog from my phone while using all those colorful words I learned in the Navy. Yep, Kelley swears like a sailor!
• The change in weather has brought a different set of problems at work. Tis the season for barking and biting.
• And I've been doing a lot of club president end-of-the-year the year stuff -- mostly paperwork and board meetings with a sprinkling of politics. Ugh.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. I'll try to get a few more posts out later this week. I really don't deserve my regular readers and blogging buddies. You guys are great! Later, -- K