Puppy Exercise

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

The Beaniebears are coming up on 7 weeks old now. The past two weeks I have been introducing them to different items. They are now in my basement play land and get to go outside to romp too. Here are some ways they are getting used to items and getting exercise as the same time.

I’ve been having fun with this litter of puppies. In a week they will be going to their new homes. Don’t fear you will still be seeing two of these brown dogs as I am keeping one and my friend from the UK is keeping one and that one I will be watching until the end of May.

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The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Emma from Mygbgvlife to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

Resorting Back To Puppy-hood

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

While mom is tending to the puppies Gambler and Preacher find ways to get their exercise in by finding things to do in the house to keep them busy and burn calories.

Today they both decided to resort back to their puppy-hood and play with the puppies toys that were out in the living room.

Whatcha mean I have a cube on my head?

I can run with a cube on my head.

I can run carrying it.

I can run with my head down.

Here are a couple video’s of their ~~shenanigans~~ exercise routine while in the house using the puppies toys.

Gambler is a puppy at heart too, he can’t stand to see Preacher doing something so he has to get in on it. Preacher doesn’t mind as she loves to egg him on.

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Rally Obedience With Josey

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Rally Obedience

Last weekend I attended a UKC Rally Obedience trial with Josey (Glory and Thunder puppy) and her owner Tom. Tom has been taking Josey to RO training for the past 8 weeks. Sunday was their first competition at 7 months old.

What is Rally Obedience?

An exciting competitive event open to all dogs: purebred, mixed breeds and rescue dogs of all types and ages. All dogs can benefit from the training and fun of Rally Obedience! Rally Obedience is a fun, fast-paced demonstration of a dog and handler’s ability to perform basic obedience exercises; as well as offering an opportunity to showcase teamwork between you and your dog. – ukcdogs.com

The map of the first trial

The start

Heeling

Sit

360 turn

Rally Obedience offers an opportunity to showcase teamwork between you and your dog through a series of exercises. Teams follow a course of signs in a ring which indicate an obedience routine based on their skill level. ukcdogs.com

Heeling

Left turn

Weave around the cones

Still going around the cones

Sit, Down

Then come up to a sit again

Heeling

360 to the right

Stand then heel

Winner winner chicken dinner

The map of the second trial

Two happy peeps

One tired girl after 2 trials

Tom and Josey completed two trials with passing scores. You need a score of 70 or higher in order to pass. Tom and Josey received a score of 86 and 88 on the trials. The scoring system is based on 100 points. You start out with a 100 points a judge watches you and scores you. If you do it perfect then you end with a 100 points. If you don’t do things perfectly like you don’t have a loose leash the judge will deduct points, a loos leash is a 1 point deduction. If your dog is at a front command and you then put it in a heel position while not standing still you will loose 3 points, ect. At the end the judge will add up your points and give you your score. They also time the event so in case there is a tie in points they will take the fastest time for the placement 1-4. Tom and Josey ended up with 2 out of the 3 legs they need for their RO1 title.

It was a fun day, something that I would try doing when I have more money and time!

Congrats Tom and Josey you did Sand Spring Chesapeakes proud!

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Monkey See Monkey Do ~Jumps And Climbs

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Out on our walk the other day I had a monkey see monkey do day. The gang and I headed down to the creek to play in the water and see what kind of exercise we could get into.

Monkey see:

Gambler going up.

Posing for a picture.

Gambler coming down.

PicMonkey Collage

Monkey do:

Preacher going up.

Preacher coming down.

Up and over:

Whatever Preacher saw Gambler do I could get her to do it. It was a monkey see monkey do kind of day.

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Different Positions And Surfaces

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

The gang is getting stir crazy with all this cold and snowy weather. We haven’t been able to train at all so we go for walks, ok I walk and they run, chase, play grabass, tip each other over.

After a bit of running we found this tree to sit/stand next to for a group photo. We went a bit farther and found this old boat to jump up on and stand/sit on. It was a smooth surface so the dogs had to balance without slipping off the sides.I had Gambler lay down on the boat different muscles are being worked with laying down.Preacher found something to munch on so she was more than happy to lay down in the snow and eat her find. Next we came across this tree stump that was sticking out so Gambler climbed up on it and balanced on it for this picture.Nellie thought she should sit while I was taking photos of Gambler and Preacher just stood and watched. We walked around my horse pasture in a foot of snow. The dogs worked off some pent up energy.

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One On One

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

This week at work Preacher got to have some one on one time again for some ~~play~~ exercise with her pal Weston the Rottweiler. Weston is a rescue rottie that my pal Teresa that I work with adopted a few months ago. Weston lives with his brother another adopted rottie Cyrus who is 8 years old. Both dogs train and compete in agility, lure coursing and carting. Teresa has no idea the up bringing of these boys but they sure have filled her life with tons of joy and love to be out there working. They are the sweetest boys you could meet. Preacher just loves her time with Weston as you can see from the photos.

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The excitement is all in the eyes!

I can take you Weston your Rottie butt has nothing on me!

Preacher down, but not for long.

Sometimes the dogs just need some one on one exercise. That way they know it’s just the two of them and they can concentrate on each other vs worry about where the other dogs are and when someone else is going to do the sneak attack and bomb one of them. They had no troubles racing around in the snow and cold for over a half hour. They were tired pooches for the rest of the afternoon at work.

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Eastwood Sisters In Conformation Training

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

CONFORMATION

“Conformation” is the official name for “dog shows.” While they may seem glamorous, the true purpose of conformation showing is to evaluate breeding stock. The dog’s conformation—his overall appearance and structure—is an indication of the dog’s ability to produce quality purebred puppies, and that is what is being judged in the ring. That’s why mixed-breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are not eligible to compete. Many times a new exhibitor will get started in dog shows by finding a mentor, usually the breeder they acquired their puppy from. Many AKC clubs also offer handling classes to teach owners how to present their purebred dog to a judge at a dog show.

*AKC website*

Western Waukesha County Dog Training Club in Ixonia holds conformation training classes each Tuesday night at 7pm. This facility is on my way home from work so I am able to stop and get some training in. I took conformation classes long long ago when Norman was a puppy so it’s defiantly time for a refresher. This week Tom and Josey joined us.

Double Trouble.

Toni Raden is the conformation instructor whom I’ve known for years as she owns Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and breeds them to. She only had to say something to The Eastwood Sisters once that this wasn’t play time. It was all business after that in which it should be. We were there to learn and a learning we got. I always come out of there learning something new. Thank you Toni for a great job done!

Giving a pep talk.

Around they go.

Tom and Josey did great when it was their turn. They practiced stacking, having the judge go over Josey for her exam and the gait around the ring to watch movement.

Preacher was the demo dog.

Tonight’s class had some new puppies in the class so Preacher was the demo dog.

Josey

A great training night was had. The class is 45-60 minutes long and that is just right for puppies as they have ADD and need breaks and to focus on other things in order to enjoy what they are doing. Classes are all year long so we will be attending more classes. It’s great for us and for the dogs as we have a UKC dog show coming up in February.

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Barn Hunt Fun

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Last week The Eastwood Sisters loaded up and went to a Barn Hunt workshop at Canine Solutions LLC in Beaver Dam, WI. Polly Dake-Jones the owner and operator of Canine Solutions along with Barb Berry of Marshland Pet Supplies held this fun event. Barb brought her ratting equipment along with Polly’s training equipment a mock barn hunt trial was set up.

What is Barn Hunt Association?

From the BHA website

Barn Hunt is the new and quickly growing dog sport catching fire across the country! Barn Hunt is based on the traditional roles of many breeds in ridding farms, barns, crop storage areas, and homes of destructive vermin. Some breeds were specifically created to fill this role, and for many of those breeds, Barn Hunt provides their first true opportunity for responsible breeders to test proper working traits in their dogs. Barn Hunt is also open to any dog of any breed or mix who wishes to play the game and can fit through an 18″ wide by bale-height tall tunnel. Barn Hunt has titles, levels of increasing difficulty, and championships. Barn Hunt is an independent sport, but titles are recognized by both the American Kennel Club (AKC) and United Kennel Club (UKC).

Barn Hunt is committed to creating a safe and fun sport for dogs, that also holds rat care at the highest level of consideration. The rats used in Barn Hunt are often beloved family pets. They jump eagerly into their safe, comfortable aerated tubes and truly enjoy interacting with the dogs.

We’re a great sport for older dogs, and older people too! Tripod dogs can compete, and so can deaf dogs. To get started first read the rules, then find a club near you, or even think about forming your own club. You can also find events on the event calendar. We hope you try it, we think you’ll like it!

The photos without the ©SandSpringChesapeakes were taken by Jill Wagner. She took some fabulous photos and said I could use them for my post today so Thank You very much Jill.

1934205_971904209513046_6635846349965079197_n 12439016_971904219513045_8930092323290349074_n The workshop attendance was great with many different breeds of dogs.

Barb letting the dogs sniff the rats in the pen.

The Eastwood Sisters, Gambler and Rizzo the Rat Terrier checking out the rats.

Polly talking about the event.

Barb putting the rats in the tubes.

First Barb and Polly passed out the Barn Hunt Association booklet along with papers explaining each level of tests. They then talked about Barn Hunt, they explained how it came about, explained that the rats are family pets and that they are taken care of and handled with the utmost care. Once they were done explaining about Barn Hunt Barb brought her two rats around in a aquarium with a wire top so each dog could smell the rats and get a feel for what they would be sniffing out.

Josey checking out the tubes.

Rizzo, Josey’s brother checking out the tubes.

Preacher & Gambler checking out the tubes.

One of the pvc tubes with holes in it contained the rat, one was empty and one had rat bedding in it. The three tubes would be placed in the “mock barn hunt” area. The dog is suppose to find the tube with the rat in it and alert you of it. If they alert you of the correct tube then you pass, if they alert you when at the empty or the tube with the bedding in it and you call rat you will fail so you need to watch your dogs body language closely so you know if they really have the tube with the rat in it.

Gambler doing his mock trial run.

Intense Gambler.

Josey doing her mock trial run.

Polly and Billie Jean doing their mock trial run.

Each handler and dog got to go into the “mock barn hunt” area to try their paw at finding the rat. When your dog alerts you and you are confident that they found the rat you yell RAT. A rat wrangler will come over and pick up the tube and let you know if your dog indeed found the rat. When your dog is doing the hunt they should start out on a slip lead then the lead is taken off, the judge tells you that you can start, the hunt is timed so you get your dog at it and find the rat as quickly as you can. Once you yell rat you can put your arms around your dogs chest to hold them from attacking the rat tube while the rat wrangler comes in and gets it. You can not scruff your dog at anytime. Your dog can not beat up the rat and tube at anytime. These are live animals and care needs to be taken for their safety. Dogs can not pee or poop in the ring either if they do you are disqualified.

Barn Hunt Basics: The different titles – Instinct – Novice – Open – Senior – Master

Elements to complete:

Instinct Title (RATI) – Qualify once. This is an optional title. Go Through Tunnel – Short, No Turns, Climb On Bale – both of these elements are optional for this title, Find The Rat. There are 3 tubes in sight, 1 empty, 1 rat and 1 litter.

Novice Title (RATN) – Qualifying 3 times. Go Through Tunnel – Short, No Turns, Climb On Bale (Bales stacked up to 2 high on course), Find The Rat. There are 3 tubes hidden, 1 empty, 1 rat and 1 litter.

Open Title (RATO) – Qualifying 3 times. Go Through Tunnel – 1 Turn (either direction), Climb On Bale (Bales stacked up to 3 high on course), Find All Rats. There are 5 tubes hidden, 1 empty, 2 rats and 2 litter.

Senior Title (RATS) – Qualifying 3 times. Go Through Tunnel – 2-3 Turns (judge’s choice), Climb On Bale (Bales stacked up to 4 high on course), Find All Rats. There are 8 tubes hidden, 1 empty, 4 rats and 3 litter.

Master Title (RATM) – Qualifying 5 times under 2 or more judges. Go Through Tunnel – 2-5 Turns (judge’s choice) may have more than 2 entrances, Climb On Bale (Bales stacked up to 4 high on course. At least 1, but nor more than 2 places), Find All Rats. Handler tells judge when course is clear of all rats. There are 8 tubes hidden, 1-5 rats and 3-7 litter (to make 8 total).

Tired Preacher.

This was a fun day, there will be one more workshop that we will be attending in March and then once a Barn Hunt is near us we will be going and competing which will be May 14-15, 2016. It will be at the Dodge County Canine Club UKC dog show held at the Dodge Cty Fairgrounds.

Thanks again Polly and Barb for all your hard work.

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Preacher Starting Hunt Test Training

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Preacher has been doing some hunt test training for a few months now but just here and there learning to retrieve a bumper on a long line and come back to us. We just started incorporating a duck since when she was younger all she wanted to do was pluck and eat it. Now she is understanding the concept of retrieving so she isn’t as interested in eating it as she is bringing it back.

Boy oh boy are we going to go train?

Hi Mom, I guess I best get used to you taking pictures.

We started out throwing the bumper so she knew that she needed to retrieve it and bring it back to us. PicMonkey Collage2

After three retrieves with the bumper we moved onto the duck and she brought it back with some encouragement with the leash. She really doesn’t understand the “here” command yet so we don’t set her up to fail, we set her up to succeed so we keep the leash on her and “reel” her in when we say “here” that way she learns when we say “here” it means come to us and bring the duck with you. She is doing really well. It’s all about repetition just like any training, you need to set up a schedule and just keep at it each day.

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Happy New Year 2016

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Happy New Year from the Sand Spring crew. Hope this is a wonderful year and you all make some pretty fantastic memories.

Today is FitDog Friday so we are joining in on the fitness fun. Last week we still had warm weather and no snow. I took the dogs down to the pond to check it out and of course Glory had to get her swim in. She just loves the water. Nellie and Preacher ran, Gambler carried his long lost wet wubba and played keep away with it. It was a great exercise day all around.

Glory Swimming