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from "How To Live With A Calculating Cat"

An Easy Pill to Swallow: Training Dogs to Take Pills the Easy Way

    This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series An Easy Pill to Swallow
    from "How To Live With A Calculating Cat"
    from “How To Live With A Calculating Cat”

    There’s a fabulous cartoon series on how to get a cat to swallow a pill, in which the feckless humans tried to plead with the cat,  ratchet the defiant jaws open, disguise the pill in delicious food, etc., all without success.* I have to give the dogs pills occasionally, and I’m far too lazy to want to go through a hassle each time — nor can I count on always having a food product gooey and smelly enough to disguise the offensive pill.

    So I’ve taught the dogs to take pills plain, on cue.

    our lovely gate, courtesy of Jezroc Metalworks

    What a Blind Dog Sees, Part 2

      This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series What A Blind Dog Sees

      Part 1 covered Inky’s uncertain backstory and roller coaster of health issues.  Today, we’ll talk about how we’ve trained through blindness, and what we’ve learned about obedience, perception, trust, and control.

      Bitework doesn’t reduce bite inhibition — how annoying!

        Have you ever tried to train against a taboo?

        There are some who oppose all forms of trained protection sport and protection work, citing variously that the training is inherently abusive (it’s not), or that the dogs dislike it (obviously untrue!).  Occasionally a protester will suggest that biting a person in a sleeve or suit must of course reduce a dog’s bite inhibition, making it more likely that the dog will mouth or bite a person not in protective gear.

        I’ve argued logically against this before, but now I have empirical proof — I can’t even pay my dogs to bite!

        Laura on ground laughing as Laev rolls on back

        Laev Throws Me a Bone

          I was sorely tempted to skip Schutzhund practice tonight, after my last post, but I went.  And it was a good thing I did.

          (Long post, so here’s the summary — 300 Peck rocks, Laev nearly breaks my neck, and I am happy about it all.)

          Disappointment, and Reevaluating the Dream

            It’s been coming on gradually, but this weekend I finally said it aloud — I’m not sure I’m ever going to title Laev in Schutzhund.

            This is really rough for me.  I bought Laev (the first dog I’ve ever purchased, as opposed to adopted from a shelter or rescue group or off the street) specifically for her genetics, developed specifically for this sport.  We started sport-training at 8 weeks old and have never stopped, except for the occasional time off for a minor injury or such.  I’ve worked hard on this, sacrificed other activities to make training time, etc.

            But we’re just not beating this gunfire thing, and without that, nothing else matters.

            tracking

            Nosework, or, Why Isn’t There More Time In My Week?

              tracking
              tracking

              A year ago, I heard from Steve White of a new sport which could title dogs for identifying odors in scent boxes — very basic detection work.  It sounded too good to be true.

              Then this week, Laurie Luck posted about her trip to a seminar on that same sport.  Now I am getting seriously jealous.