The last post included MY goals for 2010 - what I'm committing to do as a dog person. Now for the dogs...
Disclaimer:
The title of "Maggie's 2010 Goals" might be a bit misleading... these are actually MY goals for Maggie. I suspect that Maggie's goals would include finding new types of stink to roll in, and finding new pieces of furniture to lay on.
Notes:
A little background on Maggie: Maggie is retired from agility (she's 10.5 years old), and just earned her CDX. Maggie LOVES LOVES LOVES to work, so she needs a job.
Disclaimer:
The title of "Maggie's 2010 Goals" might be a bit misleading... these are actually MY goals for Maggie. I suspect that Maggie's goals would include finding new types of stink to roll in, and finding new pieces of furniture to lay on.
Notes:
A little background on Maggie: Maggie is retired from agility (she's 10.5 years old), and just earned her CDX. Maggie LOVES LOVES LOVES to work, so she needs a job.
MAGGIE
Train Maggie to do all Utility exercises by Sept 31
§ Begin to take Utility lessons at the end of February
o Take SCKC class beginning in Feb
o After class is over, continue with private lessons every other week
§ Research and buy equipment needed for Utility work
o What size of articles/dumbbells to buy?
o Purchase by Feb 5th
Investigate showing Maggie in Graduate Open
§ Once she knows the Utility exercises, should be pursue a GN title?
§ Watch GN at our May show, or Clinton or Amanas (if offered)
o What are the exercises? Could Maggie do them w/out too much stress?
§ If this looks promising (or maybe even Utility?) – enter Maggie in one show by Dec 31
TRACKING -- Maggie (and you) would love tracking. Lots of senior dogs (and their senior people) have been very successful tracking teams.
ReplyDeleteI recall that J & J has a guide on measuring for Utility equipment -- pretty sure Cleanrun.com does as well.
Thanks, Penni! I've been tempted by tracking (your blog has convinced me that it would be a lot of fun), but I'm not sure I have time to learn a whole new sport. Is tracking time-consuming?
ReplyDeleteTracking is natural for the dogs. You can teach them "the game" anywhere -- follow a scent, find something the person dropped, get a treat. They pick it up quickly. It becomes more time consuming when you start aging your tracks -- so you lay a track, then wait a half hour, then run the dog. It's also more time consuming if you go some distance to a tracking location. For example, it's 45 minutes each way to our formal tracking site, but we train at a mega-church that is only ten minutes from my home. So, I'll stop on the way home from work and lay the track, go home, get the dog, go back, run the track, tell him he's smart -- we're done. Unlike some events (like obedience) we do not train daily. Once or twice a week is enough with article indication games around the house, e.g., find the glove, get a treat.
ReplyDeleteGet a good tracking book. If you're interested, I'll send you a list of books I like, and get on the Tracking_Dogs@yahoogroups.com list. Loads of knowledgeable people with great information.