Driving across the country.

Written on Wednesday the 22nd:
    On Monday we decided to go to the east coast to visit family.  We are especially going to see my great-grandmother.  We unexpectedly left early Tuesday the 21st.  I am blogging from my mom's phone while we are driving across Illinois.  We are making amazing time and are completing the trip in two days.  I drove for 5 1/2 hours yesterday and we got into Columbia Missouri around 12:30 am and got a hotel.  We all got showers and were back on the road by 8:00.  (9:00 local time but we are still operating on colorado time.)  We saw a pretty big fire somewhere in Kansas or Missouri.   We are traveling via I-70 and there is a lot of construction at various points on the interstate.  We were stuck in stop and go traffic for about 20 minutes at one point.   Right now we are driving through construction with a 45mph speed limit but a semi is pushing us to go faster with construction workers really close.
    After we visit my great-grandmother we (or just my mom) will probably be headed to North Carolina and Virginia to look for housing before we come back to Colorado.

UPDATE:  Written on Thursday the 30th.
   My Great-Grandmother is doing way better now!  We are at my grandparents house and having fun.  My mom went and looked at a house here in Ohio this morning that we might consider moving into.  We're still considering looking in Virginia and North Carolina.  I'm SO SORRY for the lack of posting.  Scheduled posts are officially taking a break until things are settled enough for me to start blogging again.  Hopefully it wont be too long.  Right now I want to enjoy family and not be glued to the computer.
    Today is my birthday and I am turning 17!  I almost cant believe that I will be 18 in a year.  I hope ll of you are having a great day!

Tuesday Training Tip Number 11. Indoor potty training advice.

    Hi I adopted a mini-dachshound 2 weeks ago, I'm going crazy with trying to pad train. I live in a high rise building. She does her business all over the carpet and has not used the several

pads I have around. I won't be taking her out much just when I feel like it.  Help did I just make a mistake? She is adorable, red dapple. I like her a lot, wish I could figure this out. - Gayle

    First of all, I would like to clarify that having multiple pads all over the house does not help your puppy learn where to go.  It seems helpful, but really, it is very confusing for dogs.  If there are multiple pads ending up in different places it will be incredibly hard for her to learn where she is and isn't supposed to do her business. 

Supplies:

Potty pads. 

Potty attractant.  Some potty pads come with attractant in them.  If not, you should buy a spray and spray it onto the pads to make her interested in using them.

Deodorizing product.  Use a special product to deter dogs from re-soiling where they have gone before.   Dogs have a tendency to do their business where they have previously if they can smell it.  So whenever they have an accident, make sure the smell is fully eliminated.   Here is an example. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=1092

Step 1.  Decide where her one "potty spot" will be.  It is up to YOU and not her where her potty spot will be.  When you decide where she will go, it is potty training.  When you put pad wherever you catch her going, it is giving up.  

Things to consider:  Placing her pads on linoleum or tile will be better than carpet.  It will be easier for her to distinguish the edge of the pad from the ground.  And also, if her aim is off it will be easier to clean the floor.  Past that, it is up to you.  Some places are less desirable given the "yuck factor".  For example, the kitchen, by the bed, or by the door.  In my opinion the best place is the bathroom if that works for you.

   Keep in mind that pad training her will probably take longer than training a dog to go outside.  The difference is harder for her to realize.  But I'm sure she will get it with time if you are consistent in using a good method.  When you first start you should put a few pads in her potty area so it is about 4' x 4'.

Step 2.  Decide what training method you will use.   You have the option of confinement training or crate training.  With crate training you will probably see results quicker but this will only work well if you are home a lot.  Confinement training is great for if you are away at work or you don't wish to purchase a crate.  However, it might take a little bit longer for her to get the idea.   

Confinement Training.  You will confine her to a small area that has her potty area and a small other area with food, water, and bed.   This is where having the potty area in the bathroom is very helpful because you can just keep her in the bathroom while she is learning.  If her potty area is somewhere else you can close off the area with an exercise pen or baby gates.  She will stay in this area unless you are watching her.  She should be in here after waking up, eating, or drinking.  When you let her out of this area you should start by taking her into it every 15 min and keeping her in there for about 5 min.  As time goes on and she gets better your visits can be further apart and eventually she will go to her potty place on her own.  Whenever you leave the house she should be in here until she can be home all day without having accidents.

Crate Training.  For crate training she will start out in the crate most of the time.  She will sleep in the crate and be in the crate whenever you are not supervising her.  Dogs almost never soil their sleeping place unless the crate is too big and she creates a separate potty place inside.  Whenever she comes out of her crate you will take her straight to her potty area until she does her business.  Since you will probably want her to be out often you will have to be very attentive and take her to her potty place a lot.

Correction and praise during potty training.  The reason I have stressed so much that you have to be with your puppy whenever she is loose in the house is that you can only correct your dog correctly when you are present when she has an accident.  If you are watching when she has an accident, say "NO" loudly and firmly and take her to her potty place.  If you notice later that she has had an accident there is nothing you can do.  Trying to discipline her or stuffing her nose into it will not do any good.  Every accident that she gets away with, when you cannot correct her, will influence her.  Try to be around when she goes on her pads.  When she does praise her profusely and offer her special treats that she only gets for peeing on her pads.

    Lastly, she should go for walks.  Because she is small and young doesn't mean she doesn't need exercise.  Taking her on walks will help her overall behavior, intelligence, and mental health and make training easier.

Friday Fashion Tip Number 10. Dressing for Show Jumping.

    Show jumping has an almost equal emphasis on presentation and safety.   You will wear everything  that you wear for dressage and also a medical armband.   You are also allowed to use a riding crop.

Tall black or brown boots

Black or navy blue hunt coat

White or tan breeches

White show shirt

Stock tie

ASTM/SEI approved Helmet

Gloves

Spurs

Riding crop

Medica armband with up-to-date information

Thursday Inspirations Number 10. First impressions.

#1.  You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

#2.  When you see a person, do you just concentrate on their looks? It's just a first impression. Then there's someone who doesn't catch your eye immediately, but you talk to them and they become the most beautiful thing in the world.  - Brad Pitt

Wednesday Comedy Number 10. That awkward moment when.

#1.   “That awkward moment when you stop in the hallway or on the sidewalk to let somebody behind you get in front of you, and the person doesn’t move, so you’re both standing there like awkward looking like idiots.”

#2.  “The awkward moment when all your classmates are talking, and when you start talking, the room goes silent.”

This happens ALL the time to me.

Tuesday Training Tip Number 10. Teaching dogs to pick objects up.

    "I have a rescue dog and we have to teach her to pick up things for me. I have a disability bending to pick things up. I try treats some she will like others no. But I can’t get her to pick up. Can you help me?" - Sue

    Teaching a dog to pick objects up can be very challenging.   It really depends on your dogs personality and your patience level.  The best advice I can give is to take it slow.  Moving too fast and stressing out your dog can lead to a permanent aversion to picking objects up.  Making sure your dog is happy during training sessions is very important.

Supplies

Clicker.  This is INCREDIBLY HELPFUL for this exercise and I would not recommend attempting the exercise without it.

Treats.  Make SURE these treats are something your dog LOVES!  They should be small and soft.  They need to be small because your dog will be eating a lot of them and you don't want her to get full.  They should be soft so she eats them right away and isn't wasting time chewing on them.  You should put time and effort into choosing the right treats.  The outcome of your training depends on this, especially if your dog is picky.  I recommend Zuke's Mini Naturals or Bil-Jac Training Treats.

Objects for your dog to pick up.  When you begin teaching your dog to pick things up, the object should be very easy and comfortable for them.  If you train your dog right, you will teach them to LOVE picking up objects at your command.  Then they will be happy to pick up more difficult objects.  This object depends on the size of your dog.  Generally something lightweight and round works best.  For smaller dogs, you can use a chopstick.  For larger dogs you can use an empty toilet paper roll or sock stuffed with fabric.  You can also use a dog toy if your dog is very reluctant to pick things up.  If your dog is very playful I would not recommend it.  Your dog needs to learn the difference between work and play.  If your dog is non-mouthy you may need to use a food-like item at first.  Rawhide bones are great for this and come in lots of designs and sizes for every dog.

Notes

    Using your "pick up" command.  Regardless of what command you use, you should NOT begin using the command in training until your dog is reliably picking up the object.  Using your command before the dog is trained can cause stress.  It can make your dog associate the command with stress and shut down mentally when commanded to pick something up.

    Clicker Training.  In all the following steps you will use clicker training to reward your dog.  The moment your dog does something right you will click the clicker and follow up with a treat for her.  Your dog will soon learn that the click means food.  After that, she will learn that the click means she has done something right.  It is VERY IMPORTANT that the click happens exactly when your dog performs the desired behavior.  Many people wait a few seconds to grab a treat and click right before the treat comes.  This does not help teach your dog anything.  The dog does not need a click to know she is going to get food.  The dog needs to know WHAT it was that was good so she will want to do it again.

    Starting training.  If your dog has a tendency to walk away from you, you can sit with her and put a leash on her at first.  After you have trained her to pick up objects while you are sitting, it may take some time for her to get used to picking up objects while you are standing.  When you first start standing while training you may want a helper to encourage her until she gets the hang of handing things to you.

    

How To Train Your Dog Using Shaping

    Shaping is a training method that rewards your dogs natural curiosity.  This is how you will use shaping to train your dog to pick objects up.  It is very important that your clicks with the clicker come exactly at the moment she is performing the desired behavior.  That is the ONLY way she will know what she is being shaped into.

This video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVYcGocAHRQ demonstrates the following method. Few dogs will learn this skill within 10 minutes.  Just be patient and work at your dogs speed.  Perfect Partnerships Dog Training is not affiliated with All Positive Dog Training or The Crossover Trainer in any way.

1. Look at the object.  Introduce the object to her and reward her every time she looks at it.  Make sure your click comes WHILE she is looking at the object and not after she has looked away.
2. Touching the object.  After a while, she will be looking at the object a lot because she has learned that it will get her treats.  Stop offering treats for just looking at the object and wait for her to do something else.  She will probably sniff or paw it.  When she touches the object in any way, reward her for it.
3. Touching the object with muzzle.   Some dogs may have already been touching the object with their muzzle.  Other dogs will have just been pawing it.  If your dog hasn't been touching the object with her muzzle, now is the time to transition to that.
4. Nudging object.  After she is reliably touching the object, wait for her to nudge the object harder and reward for that.
5. Opening mouth.  Once she is very interested in the object and nudging it hard, wait for her to open her mouth a little bit before rewarding her.   The mouth doesn't need to be open very wide at all.
6. Opening mouth wider.  After some time, wait for her to open her mouth a little more on the object.
7. Grabbing object.  If you have made it this far, good job!   She should easily transition to grabbing the object.  Once she is picking up the object you can start using your command every time she picks it up and start introducing new objects.
8. Holding object.  Start waiting to reward her until she has held an object for a little while.  You can gradually increase this time and teach her to hand the object to you.

A Second Shaping Method

    The following video demonstrates this method https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg1yDpM_vbc.

Perfect Partnerships Dog Training is not affiliated with zsainz1 in any way.

 This uses the same principles but takes a slightly different approach that may appeal to dogs that are less mouthy, food motivated, or easily exited.

Helpful video especially for service dogs adding in the "give" command.

    This video shows some more steps that will come later in training.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5phL604aZDA  Perfect Partnerships Dog Training is not affiliated with Donna Hill in any way.

Friday Fashion Tip Number 9. Dressing your horse for cross country.

This is what your horse should wear for competing in cross country.

English Jumping Saddle.

Saddle pad in any color.  A half pad can also be worn for extra protection.

English Bridle.  The bridle chosen for cross country often has fancy nosebands that offer more control.

More variation of bits are allowed when riding in cross country.  Including hackamores and gag bits like the one shown below.

Your horse should wear a breastcollar to keep the saddle from slipping over the jumps at high speeds. A martingale can be attached to this if your horse needs it.

Your horse should wear protective boots on all four legs to protect his tendons.

It is also a good idea to have your horse wear bell boots on his front legs so he doesn't cut his front legs with his back hooves landing after jumps.

Your horse should have studs on his shoes.  These are the horse version of cleats that help your horse keep solid footing.  They come in different designs for different types of footing and screw on and of the shoes.  You DONT want to be stepped on when your horse is wearing studs.

A-Z stuff about me.

   Wow.  My title looks like the title of a children's book.   A blogger I follow posted this about herself so I redid it for myself.

A- Age:  16 

B- Biggest fear: Getting hit by a train or attacked by a shark.

C- Current time: 10:07

D- Drink you had last: Water

E- Easiest person to talk to:  My best friend Prairie

F- Favorite song: Almost all songs.

G- Grossest memory: I got dog poop stuck under my fingernails.  :P

H- Hometown:  Everywhere. 

I- In love with:  Jesus.

J- Jealous of:  People who are married for 50+ years.

K- Kindest person you know:   My grandmother.

L- Longest relationship:  16 years 11 months.  (My mother.)

M- Middle name:  Not sharing.  But my initials are JEM.  I thought it was really cool until I just saw the ad for the movie JEM.  :(

N- Number of siblings: Also, not sharing.  

O- One wish: To have a wonderful family with lots of foster children and biological children.

P- Person you spoke to on the phone last: My best friend Bethie.

Q- Question you’re always asked:  Is my mom my mom or my sister.

R- Reason to smile:  When a guy smiles at me.

S- Song you last sang: Rise Against by Savior.

T- Time you woke up: 8:55

U- Underwear color: Pink

V- Vacation destination: France

W- Worst habit: Being overall annoying and infuriating.

X- X-rays you’ve had: Dental.

Y- Your favorite food: SUSHI!!

Z- Zodiac sign: Leo

Thursday Inspirations Number 9. Mistakes.

#1.  "The worst mistake you can make is walking away from the person who actually stood there and waited for you." - Drake

#2.  Your best teacher is your last mistake.

Making Jam. Cherry and Apricot Pineapple.

   The other day I went to my friends house so we could spend some time together before I have to move.  We made freezer jam while I was there and it was really fun!  I like making freezer jam more than regular jam because you can skip the whole canning process.  You just put it into containers and freeze it when you are done.  It also tastes fresher that way.

Cherry Jam.
5 cups chopped cherries.
2 T lemon juice
2 1/2 C sugar
1 C water
1 packet Sure Jell

Remove stems and pit cherries

Grind in food processor.

Heat water, sugar, and Sure Jell until it comes to a boil and cook for 1 min.

Pour sugar mixture into fruit and stir well.

Pour into containers and let sit open until cool.  Then transfer to freezer.  Remember to leave some room in the containers so they don't burst in the freezer.

Apricot Pineapple Jam.

1/2 C canned pineapple.  (Or fresh finely chopped.)

3 1/2 C Finely chopped apricots. 

2 T Lemon juice.

3 C Sugar.

1 C water.

1 Packet Sure Jell.

    The proportions of pineapple to apricots can be altered.  You must have 4 full cups of fruit.

Pit and slice apricots.

Grind in food processor.

Heat water, sugar, and Sure Jell until it comes to a boil and cook for 1 min.

Pour sugar mixture into fruit and stir well.

Pour into containers and let sit open until cool.  Then transfer to freezer.  Remember to leave some room in the containers so they don't burst in the freezer.

Wednesday Comedy Number 9. Spelling errors.

#1.  God does not make misteaks.  (This was posted in front of a church.)  If he is going to make a steak I certainly hope it turns out good.  He is God after all.

I just hope the literacy teacher wasn't the one who put the sign up.

Yeah.  Just yeah.

Our school system at its finest.  Maybe the road system shouldn't hire those people who didn't go to school any more.

Trimming rabbits.

The Lionhead rabbits (Avalanche and Penelope) were getting really hot.  We decided to trim their hair to help them stay color so I went to work.  I didn't do the best job ever but they have been way more comfortable.  :)  Here are before and after pics of Penelope.  Avalanche looked way better than her because he is totally white.

Before

After

Tuesday Training Tip Number 9. Living with and training a blind dog.

    "Hello. I just adopted a 7 year old Shih Tzu that about 3 weeks ago had his eyes removed. I am trying to supply him a safe and loving home. I also have him working with me and my depression, PTSD, anxiety and predicted my seizures. He has been doing this on his own. My question is do you have any advice or pointers to help with training and home life for a blind dog?"  Karen

   The first thing I will cover is that, in training, dogs rely on body language much more than sound.  This helps understand the potential troubles you may encounter when training a dog entirely by voice commands.

Make sure your dog knows when you are addressing it.

    As the day goes by, you are sure to say plenty of words that could be commands for your dog.  You want to make absolutely sure that your dog knows when you want something of it, and when you do not.  In order to do this, you need an attention command and a release command.  Your dog will usually be able to tell if you are asking it to do something by the tone of your voice.  It helps to have your dogs complete attention though.

    Attention command:  This indicates to your dog that you want it to pay attention to you and you will ask it to do something.

    Your dogs name is the perfect attention command.  If you wish, you can use another command.  To start, you will say this command in an exited voice near your dog and then give him a treat.  As he is near you and paying attention to you, you will continue giving him treats periodically and then release him.  As time goes on, offer fewer treats during the time before you release your dog.  Start incorporating commands (sit, down, other) during this time that he is paying attention to you before you release him.  If he turns his attention elsewhere during this time repeat your command and touch him to get his attention back on you.  While your dog is at attention they should stay near you.  If they are struggling with this, you can put a leash on them while you are training and guide them back to you every time they leave.  Use your attention command anytime you are going to command your dog so they know you are talking to them.

    Release command.  This indicates to your dog that you are done giving him commands and he is free to wander around again.

    You may want to have two different release commands.  One release command will be to release your dog from a command (i.e. sit stay).  Most people use the command "okay" for this.  You could use the same command to release your dog from giving you its attention as well.  However, if you want to release your dog from a command but have him keep his attention on you, you will need a second release command.  A good command for this could be "done" or "you're free". 

To clarify.  This is how an "attention" session might go as far as commands.

"Fido"  "sit"  "stay"  "okay"  "down"  "okay"  "done".

• Clicker training can be great for blind dogs since it is consistent.

   

Helping your dog orient himself in the house.

•  Whenever you are going to add or move something in your house, have the dog come over so he can explore it with you instead of running into it later.
• Putting a mat under the dogs food and water will help him identify his location.
• Using a running water fountain helps your dog find water by the bubbling sound.
• Set up a "base camp" for your dog in the house.  This can be where his bed/crate, food, and water are.  If he gets disoriented he can come back here.  (If you have a water fountain here it will help lead him back.)
• If you pick up your dog you should put him down where you picked him up.  If you set him down somewhere else it can be very disorienting.
• It can be helpful to give your dog a large rug as a play area and keep it cleared of everything but his toys.  He will learn what the edges of the rug feel like and that he wont run into any obstacles while on the rug.
• Having a radio or television on can help your dog orient himself.  Especially when you are gone.
• If your dog is having difficulty recognizing obstacles and finding doorways you can use scents to alert your dog to these different things.  You can get bottles of different essential oils and place a drop on the floor to mark different obstacles.  Places you might want to mark are doorways, top of stairs, bottom of stairs, and places your dog runs into often.   You want to have a different scent for each type of place.  Soon your dog will learn what each scent means as he walks around the house and it will also make the house smell good.  Only use 1 drop in each place as essential oils are very potent.
• Putting real or fake plants by hard corners can help your dog not run into corners.
• If your dog uses a crate, tie the door open.  This way your dog wont accidentally close the door when he tries to go into his crate.
• If your dog is getting startled by people/other pets in the home you can attach a small bell to yourself.  Bells can be tied to shoelaces or put on an anklet or bracelet.  If you want to, you can give each family member a different type of bell so the dog can distinguish everyone as they approach.
• When introducing your dog to a new space it can help to sprinkle kibble on the ground.  This way your dog moves slower and has a chance to explore the area.
• You can use the "watch" command when an obstacle is in your dogs way.  Eventually your dog will learn to slow down and avoid whatever is in front of him.
• You can also teach the "step" command when there are stairs in front of your dog.

In the yard.

• Placing a wind chime by the door will help your dog find its way back to the house.
• Fence off ponds, pools, or other hazardous areas.
• A 2' border of mulch around trees, buildings, and other obstacles helps alert your dog before he runs into them.  Something other than mulch could be used as well.
• Harnesses are better than collars to help lead your dog.
• Remember that your dog cannot read the body language of other dogs.  So be ready to intervene if another dog is getting aggressive.
• Walk your dog regardless of blindness.  They still need exercise.  A vest that says "I'm blind" can help if you have issues with people on walks.

    Good luck to you and your little man!  I hope he adjusts quickly.

My first professional videos.

Here are two videos that my dad was kind enough to film for me.  This first video demonstrates "guarding" food from your horse like I mentioned in my post on feeding your horse treats.  The second video is a video of me working with Charlie and is a promotional video for Perfect Partnerships Dog Training.

This video corresponds to TTT5 for giving your horse treats.

This is a promotional video for Perfect Partnerships Dog Training.

I sat on Rio for the first time!! My best friend got a horse!

I got to sit on Rio for the first time yesterday.  I wasn't planning on getting on her back at all until she was at least two and a half.  The story is a little different than expected.

   I was longeing her after she had played in the pasture.  Because she had just been out to pasture she got tired quickly.  When she got tired she came over to me and laid down.  It was really cute.  Since she was laying next to me and she was really comfortable I took the opportunity to lightly sit on her.   She wasn't surprised at all and just laid there for a few minutes.  Then she got up and went back to work.  I've ALWAYS DREAMED of having a horse that asked me to get on it the first time and it was an AMAZING and MAGICAL moment for me!!  We are developing a great bond and I am very privileged to have the opportunity to raise a young horse.  I can already tell that we will do a lot together when I can ride her!
   Some days can be really discouraging like last week when it seemed like absolutely everything went wrong.  But then moments come along when I can see that we both just need to push through and everything will be fine.

Here are some pictures of her running in pasture.

    Something else exiting happened this week.  My best friend finally got a horse of her very own!!  She has leased a horse and always loved them but she finally has one that is totally hers.  She is a beautiful 6 year old buckskin mare.  Her name is Meg.

Friday Fashion Tip Number 8. Dressing for Cross Country.

   Dressing for cross country is much more about safety and less about presentation.  Rules about colors are way more lenient but safety equipment must be up to date.

  Riding shirt of any color.  Must be long sleeve.  Many people have shirts that display their barn colors.  

Breeches of any color.  (Even though any color shirt and breeches are allowed many people opt to go with the traditional white shirt and tan breeches.)

An ASTM/SEI approved helmet with helmet cover.

Gloves of any color.

Black or brown tall riding boots.

Chest protection vest.  (I already own one of these even though I can't ride Rio yet.)

Medical armband.  This gives paramedics/coroner all your info without having to wait to open your file.

You may also wear spurs and use a riding crop if desired.

Thursday Inspirations Number 8. Self Worth.

#1.   The moment you realize God had greater plans for you that don’t involve crying at night or sad Pinterest quotes.  - Shannon L. Adler

#2.“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.”  - Zora Neale Hurston

  Self worth and self esteem are different.  Self worth is allowing yourself to be comfortable with who you are, respect yourself, and strive to be better each and every day.  Self esteem puts you above others and has potential to decrease their worth in your eyes.  Self worth is not about putting yourself above others.  It is about making all people equal and that includes yourself.