About a month ago I participated in a tracking seminar held locally. There was a bit of discussion about "urban tracking", and I found out that that is what Gio has been doing all along! I was under the impression that urban tracking was all about tracking on concrete in busy city centers. Apparently, the CKC version of urban tracking only involves 1/3 of the track on "non-vegetative" cover. The idea is that the track is laid in a busy public area. I have been training Gio a lot in school yards or sports feilds since the beginning, and that is the situation he would be in in the urban tracking test.
We went out this morning to the school ground behind my house to do a couple more tracks. Three tracks in total, two shorter ones with one 90 degree turn each, and one longer track with 2 90 degree turns.
I also tried to video tape Gio's third track. Damn camera quit taping around the second corner, though, and I didn't realize it until we were on the home stretch. Gio got a little lost at the second corner and it took some encouragement and prompting to get him to keep working it. He got it eventually, though.
Today was day 2 of the Paws n Train CARO Rally-O trial here in Saskatoon.
Again, the boys did wonderfully!
Gio was entered in two rounds today, one Advanced and one Excellent. The Advanced was FEO, so just for funsies. He qualified the Advanced with a score of 189/200, a great performance. The Excellent was a great run, but those darned weave poles tripped us up. If it weren't for them, he would have had a fabulous round and qualified with 182/200. It's my own fault, really. I haven't officially taught Gio the weave poles. He has never done agility because of his health issues, so we've just been getting by with close weaves where I essentially point where he needs to go. Works great if he isn't overly excited ... but he is always excited to do rally-o, so doesn't work so well in trials. He will make it to pole 4 and then pop out, and when I try to put him back in (as you can in rally-o, as opposed to agility) he just gets riled up and circles one pole a couple of times.
So for Gio, he was entered in 4 rounds this weekend, 2 Advanced and 2 Excellent. He gave his all for each round, but got hung up in little places that resulted in NQ's. He came away from the weekend with one Advanced FEO qualifier, but is a very happy (and very tired) boy. He loves this game so much, that I can't even find myself bothered if he doesn't qualify. He has no idea that he failed, all he knows is that he had a great time. And that is all that matters to me in the end!
Gio's Advanced Level FEO run ...
Gio's Excellent Level run ...
Romeo had a stellar weekend, and qualified every one of his rounds. He was entered in 4 rounds, 2 Advanced and 2 Excellent. Today he was in one of each, both of them in C Stream to count towards CARO's new title options. He qualified the Advanced C round with a 194/200 and the Excellent C round with a 191/200.
Overall this weekend Romeo finished off his Excellent title with Magna Cum Laude, and earned three legs towards his CARO Rally Bronze (CRB) title. He only needs two more Excellent C legs and he will have his CRB!
Romeo's Advanced C run ...
Romeo's Excellent C run ...
Me and Romeo with our judge, Sarah Jane Petti, after Romeo finished his RXMCL!
The boys each have a routine in the morning. I've already blogged about Romeo's Mr. Sock-Face Game that we play when I get dressed. Now it's time to show Gio's morning game ... Singing for the Blow Dryer.
The sound of the blow dryer starting up in the morning will pull him away from any distraction, even food. And for Gio, that is HUGE! His first love is divided equally between tennis balls and food, but the blow dryer will make him drop both of those and come running. He will stand patiently (ie. not freaking out) while I dry my hair. Waiting, and mentally willing the blow dryer down to his level. He loves being "shot" in the face and on the chest, full blast, hot air. Nothing else will do. And once the air hits him, he's singing like a bird! Well ... a bird with laryngitis and that's had too much to drink. I can even sort of control the waver and the pitch of the "singing" by moving the blow dryer back and forth and up or down his chest.
See for yourself ...
Thought I should also point out ... I blew a breaker trying to make this video. Apparently it isn't a good idea to have a TV, stereo, phone, computer, space heater, and blow dryer all on one breaker, eh? Oops.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Some time with family and friends, good food, good drinks, and good times.
"Santa" brought me a lovely table lamp ... So that means the boys got ...
A BOX!
And THAT means ...
MORE "101 THINGS TO DO WITH A BOX"!
While Romeo is playing, Gio is in a down-stay behind the camera. You can hear him "protesting" that Romeo is getting treats and he isn't. Gio is a work in progress with the Box Game. He had a short session tonight, but as he is more inclined to killing the box, we are taking it slow. I'm trying to break him of the "101 Ways to Destroy a Box" version of the game by keeping sessions short and only clicking for his calm approaches to the box. I find it helps if I ask for a "down" before introducing the box, then he tends to do his tricks from a down position and less harm comes of the box.
I am friend with a wonderful group of people online, all united by our passion for feeding our pooches a species appropriate diet. For the past year or so, we have held a Secret Santa gift exchange. Usually we host through Elfster.com, it is a really handy little site for organizing a Secret Santa. We were assigned our giftees a couple of weeks ago. "The boys" sent off their present already, and we are waiting (im)patiently for word that our giftee has received it. But today Gio and Romeo's present arrived from their Secret Santa! Judging by the postage address, I think I know who sent it. Unless our real Secret Santa was being crafty and filled in someone else's name on the custom's claim form thingy (is that legal?).
We've set our "opening date" for December 20th, so the boys have to wait a while before they get to see their presents.
Romeo's not very good at being patient ...
We're lucky that there was food cooking in the kitchen. With Gio guarding the stove (you know, to make sure supper doesn't run away), the package survived. If he had got ahold of it, we wouldn't have been able to wait until the 20th to open it. Romeo, though persistent, poses much less of a risk.
I also tried to video tape Gio's third track. Damn camera quit taping around the second corner, though, and I didn't realize it until we were on the home stretch. Gio got a little lost at the second corner and it took some encouragement and prompting to get him to keep working it. He got it eventually, though.
