Aberrant Prose

Imagine!

I never imagined I would ever, ever put Dakota in a horse show. Last night, after countless practice sessions (one at the horse stables in American Canyon) to learn a dance number along with nine other teams of owners and their dogs, I did!

Considering Dakota is basically a timid dog she did quite well! True, when we ran into the arena last night to a crowd of over 700 people and the smell of horses and music blaring, she wasn’t sure what was going on and could have balked on me. Instead, when we all entered the arena, she started running full speed toward the audience (thankfully not the opposite way) so fast I almost tripped over her as I held her snug against my side trying to keep her in heel position. Happily when we stopped to wait for the music for our number to start she clicked into dance mode and followed most of the dance steps.

The crowd loved us. They clapped in time to the music and applauded with loud cheers when we finished and as we exited through the curtain at the back of the arena.

When Vange Leonis, the organizer of our line dance, announced over a month ago she was looking for dog teams to perform for the horse show in Auburn I decided it would be good for both Dakota and I. Dakota needs more exposure to help with her shyness. Although Paris is the one actually enrolled in dog dancing classes, Dakota is much more calm. Paris may well have fallen apart if asked to perform in a horse arena. Plus Dakota will at least listen and obey commands and not sniff the ground like Paris does.

The name of the horse show event was “Imagine…Dancing Horses.” (www.imaginedancinghorses.com) Our number was the second to last of the entire show of about twenty different numbers. While our group waited for our turn to perform, we had the opportunity to watch the show from the sidelines and what a show it was! The costuming and glitz was astounding, watching the horses prancing and dancing to music was awesome.

It turned out to be a very late night (home at 12:15 a.m.). I was so worn out this morning I slept an hour and a half later than usual. Dakota is quite tuckered this morning too! She is sleeping on the sofa next to me as I write. Normally she is out in the field chasing chickens.

There were so many great images I wanted to capture in full detail but didn’t take my good camera since I knew I would have my hands full carrying a crate, water, food, a folding chair and handling a dog. However I had my iPhone with me so did capture the few low quality images below of my exciting horse show experience.

All in all I had a good time. I enjoyed the beautiful, grassy countryside of the horse ranches where the show was held. I enjoyed the fair atmosphere of the event, the food courts with their homemade ice cream sandwiches, Polish dogs, ices, and hamburgers, and seeing all the beautiful show horses as they stomped in their stalls and stood in the grass waiting for their turn to perform. This is definitely an event I want to attend again!

Really? A good citizen?

Yes. Our puppy is actually growing up and according to AKC and our local dog-training club, Dakota is now a Canine Good Citizen. This week she received her CGC certification! She sure surprised me since we missed last week’s class and the week before she was bouncing off the walls not paying any attention to the teacher because she knew we were getting ready to go somewhere. Not only that I didn’t work with her since arriving home from Oregon (like I ever do).

CGC certification means accepting a friendly stranger, sitting politely for petting, good behavior while being groomed and examined, walking nicely on a loose lead, walking nicely through a crowd, doing a sit and down and a stay in place on command, coming when called, not overreacting to distractions, behaving politely around another dog, and being left with a trusted person for three minutes without over stressing.

Did she finally mature enough to settle down to do everything right or since I figured there was no way she was going to get her CGC certification this week anyway, I relaxed enough to make her more calm than usual?

I don’t know what happened but I am sure pleased whatever it was it did. I wasn’t looking forward to putting her through another CGC class.

This is the 2nd seven-week CGC class she and I have attended. The first time through she failed two tests out of the required ten that must be passed: walking on a loose lead, and reacting to another dog. This time she passed all ten tests!

Now I can sign her up for rally classes.

Showtime!

On April 11th I discovered four eggs in a nest built in one of our ivy ball plants. Before this discovery Robert and I had been watching two House Finches build the nest for over a couple of weeks all the time wondering, “What the heck are these birds thinking?” There are dogs and a cat living here after all and all three of them, and us as well, are constantly walking (running) through the patio close to the ivy plants. The cat’s feeding station is just a few feet away.


To keep the dogs away from the nest, I surrounded the ivy plants with our deck chairs. This slowed them down. A little. At first, Dakota, having been confined to the inside yard because she had been spayed, was most interested. She wasn’t allowed to go in the field to stalk the chickens (her absolute most favorite activity) so she decided to stalk the nest. With all the Dakota disturbance plus Robert, Paris and I walking past the nest all the time I was sure the Finches would abandon their nest. Instead they, undaunted, day after day, faithfully returned to the nest the minute the coast was clear and yesterday their eggs hatched!

As it was Dakota and Paris pretty much had forgotten about the nest since they had gotten their field privileges back. Until yesterday, that is. With baby birds chirping for food they both are taking notice again. In two weeks the baby birds will leave the nest and fly far way—if they are lucky. In actuality, between now and then, their lives are in peril. This might be a good time to take a little vacation, send the dogs to Chris’ house, and tell the cat to stay in the barn.

Dogs’ day encore

On Tuesday Robert and I played hooky to enjoy another day hike at Sunol Regional Wilderness Park. Paris, Dakota, and Ceili were the stars of the day because this many-acre park is an off-leash park! Five hours and close to five miles of hiking did not phase any of the dogs; all three of them rarely took time to rest, even when Robert, Kim and I did (many times).



On our way to pick up Kim and Ceili, Paris and Dakota were very confused. They couldn't figure out why we were going in the Mazda (the dog car) and NOT to the park so early in the day. Especially Paris; she stood between the two front seats looking and looking around at all the unfamiliar neighborhoods, completely perplexed.

We arrived at Sunol around ten and left around three and the entire time Dakota never laid down. Paris did lie down while we had lunch, but not for long.

We came across quite a few cows and several ponds. Paris decided the cows were hers to chase. For every group of cows we passed, she had to be relegated to a lead. Dakota didn't need to be on lead, she was too afraid to chase the cows. She did her best to walk as far around them as she could. Ceili didn’t need to go on lead either. She pretty much wouldn’t chase the cows. She would just growl and bark at them to make sure they knew she was boss.

One of the ponds we came upon had several geese in it. When Dakota saw a couple of them take off from the water, she instantly dived in thinking she was going to catch one! We were totally surprised since she pretty much won’t go into a large body of water let alone step into a mud puddle. As soon as she realized her feet weren't touching bottom, she turned right around and came out lickity split. I have never seen her move so fast!

It would have been good if she had gone in again given at the beginning of our walk the first thing she decided to do was roll in several cow piles. Paris had done the very same thing the last time we went to Sunol two years ago. Thank goodness Paris didn't repeat that yucky diversion! Maybe it is something she outgrew or she was just too excited to see what was around the next bend.

As soon as we arrived home after a wonderful day of hiking and enjoying the great outdoors, yet one sure to yield ticks and poison oak exposure, I took the dogs into the shower with me. Robert then showered too, announcing he found one tick crawling on him. We also threw all our clothes into the washing machine.

Of course the dogs totally left us alone the rest of the night by crashing on the sofa and falling into a deep, deep sleep. Thank goodness because Robert and I were both exhausted.

I took dozens of pictures. I HAD to capture the day after all. Click on our photo link at top right to view.

Dakota turned one today!

One more dog bed

You’d think we had enough beds around the house for Dakota and Paris. There are two cots in the office, two large round bean-bag-like beds in the living room, the entire sofa in our bedroom, a little round furry green one, a hard crate, a soft crate, and with the arrival of Dakota, one of our sofas and one of our recliners in the living room are now essentially dog beds.

Yet today we bought another bed for them. Why? Because our dogs make us mentally unbalanced when we are out in the office, they pretty much ignore the cots and argue over who gets to sleep in the smallest (and coziest) bed of all: the little green one.



For the last few weeks, we have been looking for a second little one to even the playing field. Looking in pet stores, in catalogs and online, all we could find were ones with white or light linings, something I didn’t want because of dirt.

Then this morning, while at Pet Food Express buying dog food, we found a dark green one just like the one we already have. It was a little a lot larger than I wanted. Robert decided it was perfect enough. He told me; “If they decide to both sleep in this one at least they can fit inside it together.”

This afternoon, when they were ready for a nap after an exhilarating walk in the park, they happily each chose one to sleep in. However the new round one is much softer than the old round one so I am betting Robert is right and we will soon find both of them curled up together in the new one.

Dakota’s blog entry #2

Rainy days are not a GSP’s best friend.

For the first time ever Mom put me in the crate for no reason at all! It wasn’t bedtime and both Mom and Dad weren’t going anywhere!

I wanted to go outside to chase chickens and lay in the sun. Every time I went out I got wet so I HAD to come back inside. Then I had to go back out again to check to see if the sun was out. Then I had to come in because I was still getting wet. Even after two dozen times of making Mom and Dad get up to let me out and in, there still wasn’t any sun.

So I proceeded to rip apart my favorite big white bear toy. After picking up stuffing I scattered all over the living room and office rugs, Mom took him away from me then hid him in the hallway closet. She told me I can’t have him right now. He has to go to the dog-toy hospital.

Next I jumped all over Paris. All she wanted to do was sleep. No matter how much I nibbled at her feet and her head and climbed on her, she insisted she had to sleep. I thought she was a GSP for goodness sake.

So Mom gave me a new stuffed toy to play with; a green alligator from Gatorland, Florida (don’t tell her Mom).

When I got bored with that I started climbing into Mom and Dad’s laps, nibbling magazines in the office, and scooting under the dog beds. Dad said something like, “It is going to be a long winter.”

About then I heard a big sigh from Mom. She got up from her computer and tossed me in the crate saying something like, “And I need to work on my projects.”

Dakota’s first blog

Can you believe I will be seven months old tomorrow? I am only a couple of pounds away from weighing as much as Paris. Although I am not quite as tall as Paris and my legs are not as long as hers I am very good at keeping up with her at the park, something I have heard Mom and Dad say very few dogs can do. You should see Paris and I doing rabbit-like tandem leaps through the grass. Very entertaining I hear.

I have been told I am going through an adolescent phase. I guess it is because I don’t behave as well or come when called like I used to. I now eat the flowers on the patio, jump on Mom and Dad’s bed, and dig up irises. All of this, I have discovered, is much more fun than being good.

I am also a bad influence on Paris. She now sleeps on the sofa and in the recliners just like I do.







One of my favorite things is to stalk the chickens. In fact every time I go out to the field I head straight to the chicken coop, crouching close to the ground as I go hunting. The chickens don’t seem to care though. Most of the time they just stand on the other side of the wire fence, inches away, and laugh at me.

When I head back to the house I really like to race inside, jump on the arm of Mom’s recliner then, from the arm, spring high in the air to leap into the beanbag, especially if Paris is sleeping there. I really enjoy pouncing on her.

I also like to bark. Any unusual sound I hear I am on my feet and ready to go. I am not sure where I inherited this guard dog inclination. To be honest, if anyone calls me on it, I head to the nearest hiding place, with my tail between my legs. At least I don’t bark at squirrels forever in a day (like Paris).

I love the field because it is full of wonderful things to bring back to chew and scatter all over the house; like pinecones, sticks, fruits, and nuts, my favorite being pinecones because of all the little pieces I can chew off. Mom is constantly picking up and vacuuming the messes I make. I especially like the reaction I get when I bring gooey snails inside and smear them all over the floor.

I am in a Good Manners One class right now and for the most part, if I am not bouncing off the walls, I do pretty well. I am the only dog in the class who, when called, will instantly run to and sit nicely in front of my owner.

I have a boyfriend too. His name is Seven. For some reason Paris gets all bent out of shape about this.

I have heard a lot about Madison so I try to emulate her as much as I can. I dig up and arrange my bedding for several minutes before I lay down. I try to eat lots too. Of course I am a GSP so I do have trouble pulling that one off most of the time. For sure I eat a lot more than that picky eater, Paris. A favorite Madison activity for me is to chase Paris around and around the sofas in the living room trying to take the cookie-filled Kong away from her.

Because I come from a line of Northern California GSP hunting dogs I am really good with the “drop it” command. That’s what I am supposed to do with prey. It’s in my blood. When we were at the park this week I found some rabbit bones and when Dad told me “drop it,” I instantly dropped them. Then Paris ran off with my find! Makes me think I should start ignoring the “drop it” command. After all I AM going through a rebellious phase. :-) I don’t see why Paris thinks she doesn’t have to drop things when told. She must think she is too classy to heed her hunter instincts (I understand she was bred as a show dog more so than as a hunting dog).
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In the hunter vein, I love to fetch. I will return a ball or toy over and over until whomever I am bringing it to gets bored.

And ohmigosh, having Paris to play with is the cat’s meow. She has shown me where the cat hides, how to tug, rip up toys, and dig holes in the lawn and field. Even though oftentimes she will give up the play long before I do, she will go and go and go. She really is my hero.

All and all everything is working out just fine around here.

Jumping on the bed

I went into our bedroom the other day and found decorator pillows scattered all over the bed. One pillow was on the floor. Obviously Dakota had been jumping on our bed!

Recently I have been leaving the door open to our bedroom and Dakota has loved being able to join Paris on the dog sofa. I should have realized it was an easy jump from the sofa to the top of our bed!

Have we created a monster? From day one, we have allowed Dakota on the sofas in the living room. So of course, in her head, beds must be okay too.

Being allowed on the sofas, she will dash in from outside and jump right into our laps at full speed. For a while she jumped from Robert’s recliner (when he wasn’t around) right onto the nearby built-in table to grab newspapers, remotes or his hat. Thank goodness catching her a few times and yelling NO at the top of my lungs has pretty well put a stop to that!

Other than the sofa issue (I actually have been able to teach her to stay off the one in the office) Dakota is doing really well. Overall she is a quick learner so it doesn’t take much to direct her toward good behavior. She picked up Leave It right away. Now that we have started taking her to the park she has readily picked up the Come command (I bring lots of very yummy treats for reinforcement). She always responds unless she is focused on another dog or a good scent, in which case, she will pause a bit before running back to us. We have let Dakota run off lead from day one because she does do so well (even with Paris luring her to follow paths far and beyond). Dakota immediately discovered she cannot keep up with Paris at the park. Paris is just too much of a speed demon.

Dakota figured out the going to the park routine right away. The second day, when she saw she wasn’t going in the crate again, she headed to the front door. The third day and today when she saw we were getting ready to go to the park, she went to the front door and sat nicely waiting for us to let her out. She totally loves the park, the running and the exploring, she enjoys meeting other dogs (although she often rolls on her back in greeting) and she especially likes meeting people.

In the past month Dakota has really settled into the routine of becoming a regular dog, she pretty much knows what she can and cannot do, she can be trusted to go out in the field on her own, I don’t have to check on her all the time to see if she is chewing up something forbidden and, the best part, she is essentially house broken! I rarely go out with her to make sure she does her business any more. I say essentially because after five weeks of not having a single accident, she actually had one in our bedroom last night! We are not sure what happened or why she did it except that she had curled up on the sofa with Paris and maybe, when she realized she needed to take care of business, the open sliding glass door was just too far away for her. Tonight she lost her bedroom privileges. At least, for now, this takes care of the jumping on the bed!

More park photos are in our Kodak Gallery.

Dakota and Paris update

There is a big difference between having a three-year-old and a brand new puppy and having an eight- year-old (Madison) and a brand new puppy. Thank goodness we have another puppy (Paris) this time to keep the new puppy entertained! Paris absolutely adores Dakota. She looks for her when we get up, she curls up next to her when she is napping, she chases her in the field, she lets her eat her food, allows her to play with her toys and has very few sharp words with her when she jumps all over her. It only took Paris about a day to teach Dakota the chase game around and around our sofas. Of course Dakota totally looks up to Paris, and follows her everywhere.

Before Dakota arrived, Paris went to bed on the sofa in our bedroom at seven. Now she doesn’t want to miss anything and is staying with us out in the living room till we go to bed at eleven.

On the other hand Paris is also jealous of the puppy. She keeps climbing into our laps asking for extra pets and attention.

It really didn’t take long for Paris and Dakota to get into wild play. In fact they get so rowdy we have to give them a time out when they get too wound up. When they play tug-of-war Paris can easily lift her off the ground and whip her around. Paris also has a tendency to pounce on Dakota as if she were a cat. She is slowly learning to be more careful but having Seven as a playmate she does need to be reminded quite often to take it easy.

It is really amazing how Dakota is fitting right in. She is so self-assured. She has quickly found her way around. Each day I feel more comfortable letting her independently wander around the yard knowing she can find her way back to the house on her own.

I worked at getting Dakota to learn her name right away. Within a couple of days she knew it which has made it so much easier to get her to come to me if she does wander too far in the yard or field.

We have already introduced Dakota to having her ears cleaned, her nails trimmed and her teeth brushed. So far she has taken it all in stride—no protesting, no squirming, no wiggling. That is a good indication to me we’d better keep it up!

We are being much more lenient with this puppy. Usually I do not allow a puppy in the living room until they are reliable enough not to have accidents on the carpet, I have always been very strict about making the sofas off limit. However, it is so much easier to just let Dakota on the sofa with us and so much easier to just let her have run of the living room albeit I have to watch her constantly. It is much less stressful not to put up with her whining and crying on the other side of the wall (a table turned on its side) we have between the carpet and the tile. She really does not like being isolated from us (I know, she is just being a typical puppy).

This dislike of isolation made for a lot of sleepless hours at night for Robert and I. Dakota whines and cries for such a long time after she is put to bed in the crate—up to three hours one night! W finally wised up though and moved her crate to the office where her crying is quite muffled. We are sleeping much better now.

I have posted lots of cute pictures in my Kodak gallery; they are also linked from our home page.