Happy Holidays

I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays.

I haven't been posting lately because I have been busy. I have been doing some strength exercises with both Spice and Taari. I know that I need to do more and continue with Spice's physiotherapy. I haven't been doing as much as I think I should be doing. It has been too cold and too icy to do much walking with Spice as well. I am worried about him in the cold and slipping and hurting himself. Taari and I have been training about twice a week in an unheated facility (groups class and practice time). Today though it is too cold and the roads are not very good so we didn't go. Instead I will be shovelling a path for the dogs in the backyard - yes we got that much snow. I may try to take some pictures later today.

I recently joined a Animal Learning Concepts yahoo group and I am quite excited about trying out some of the things people have been doing. For example teaching their dogs to count. First though I need to brush up on my clicker and shaping skills so I am teaching my dogs other things. I am teaching Spice to touch different items with his left and right paw. Taari is learning to put all four paws in a box. I am decreasing the size of the box. Eventually I will try a muffin tin.

It was recommended that I work on shaping with Taari as she needs to deal better with failure and also needs a confidence boost.

Spice loves to be trained. So much so that the 12.5 year old normally reserved sheltie is whining in his crate wanting his turn.

I am looking forward getting the Nina Ottosson games I ordered from Clean Run. Here is a video of one of them. Hopefully they will arrive before I get back from trip to see my family so that I can try them out over the holiday break.