Special Saturday edition of tRicky T-Day!

It's a stretch but can you kind of see how Saturday is a T day?

I am still learning how to hold an object ( a dumbbell ) and do various tricks while not dropping it. The blooper video that could've accompanied this trick video would've been the way longer movie! But for now here is my progress:

(I want you to know that I offered the BANG! all on my own!)

Am I getting closer to being able to hold the blanket and roll over with it? When mom gets brave enough to try again, we'll see! :)

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Progress Comes In Tiny Steps

Here is a short video of our next training session on holding that darn dumbbell and lying down. I went from sit to down to sit several times! But now don't ask me to stand from a sit - LOL!

We tried the tea towel holding that Pepper suggested to us - it didn't go so well the first day so I am sure mom will be working with me on that.

Hope you all have a great Saturday!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

We have a YouTube friend named Sian who is now a facebook friend of our's too and she has a dog training facebook page - the other day she posted that if anyone needs help with tricks they are working on, she would be happy to try to give some advice. So mom told her that we have been working on my rolling up in a blanket for a long time and that I can't get past "hold the blanket, drop it, and roll over." Here's her advice:

ZsianZ1 Animal Training "

Well have you tried training other tricks such as beg or spin while holding something? the problem with the roll over is that it means going upside down with it in their mouth so starting off with something easier first might be the way forward, also start with something smaller in the mouth such as a toy that is easy to hold and then get the roll over with that first. ohhh and another thing is to make sure there is plenty of slack with the blanket... if the blanket is going too tight it can put the dog off, so have him sit further in on the blanket and then hand him the corner. and one more idea is train him to lay on his side and back, that way you can ask for the roll in stages and this should help".

Since the dumbbell is sort of the thing that I am most comfortable holding at the moment, mom is trying to get me to do something other than walk or sit with it in my mouth. The very first day we tried it, I did left and right. But after that, I wouldn't do it any more - I just kept dropping the dumbbell. The most progress we have made is I will lie down and not drop it. Goofy I know, but somehow this whole concept it tough for me! (What happened to the font and size I was using to write this - it changed when I put in the quote from Sian and now I can't get it back).

Some day I hope to have a really good trick to share on tRicky T-Day. We are trying every day, believe me.

It's a beautiful day outside right now - need to get back out there! :)

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Moving my Dumbbell Work Outside

Today is cold and raining. I haven't even been out for a walk around my neighborhood and it's already after lunch time. I am soooooo bored. We got spoiled by a few really nice days last week when it looked like winter was over and spring was here to stay. But this rain is supposed to turn to snow later. Yuck.

When we did have those nice days, I got to do lots of stuff outside. Mom finally got to try me on a dumbbell retrieve out in the yard and here is a quick video of my first attempt. I am pretty cute and do a good job even if I drop it too early - but I do pick it up on my own!

I have class tomorrow - the last one of the session - so we will run a course. Not usually my forte, but we'll see. And then I have two weeks off until the next session starts.

Gotta zoom (unfortunately it's really gotta go lie on the couch some more)!

Ricky

Fun Agility!

We did go to the club for agility practice this morning and I had fun! No agility in 10 days seems to have agreed with me! I did FAST weaves and teeter and tunnels and had no hesitation on jumps including the double. Mom didn't babysit me at the double today either - she ran past it and she made me do it as part of a 180. Of course, I am really comfortable in that building but I am still proud of myself!

Wish we had video of my agility but we don't. Mom also had me practicing with my dumbbell. I am not very confident there yet and won't go and retrieve it. But I did get better at walking with it and we got a little video of that. We need to practice in other places a lot more so that I can feel confident outside of the house.

Now for something non-dog related - mom and dad are playing a concert tomorrow night that is supposed to be a gala celebration of the orchestra's 60th birthday. But because nothing ever is really easy in the music world around here check out the controversy surrounding the famous soloist for tomorrow's event:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2011/01/26/politics-intrude-on-symphony-concert.html?sid=101

This concert should be totally sold out but as of Saturday there were still many tickets available. Crazy. Too bad people don't realize what they are missing!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

Look at what I learned to do the other day!

Pretty exciting, huh? Can you believe I went from not being able to walk or to sit holding the dumbbell and now I can jump with it? We can't wait for nicer weather to be able to try this outside!

I scared mom this morning by not wanting to eat! I threw up a little white foamy stuff when I got up (my tummy was too empty) and then didn't want to eat (I did eventually). I was very subdued and quiet and mom was worried. Grandma and grandpa came over for awhile to help with a plumbing problem while mom and dad were at work and they kept me company. By the time mom came home for lunch, I felt a lot better and mom was really relieved!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

Ta Daaaa!!

I can WALK and SIT while holding the dumbbell!!! Major progress has been made! But we promise that in 2011, not all tRicky T-Day videos will be of me holding the dumbbell! LOL!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Sunny Saturday

I love the jump in place exercise in the video - I could do it all day! What could be easier - stand, boing, get treat, repeat! LOL! For my agility guru foundation friends - does it look like I push off from my back legs and jump like I should? (same video but with some slow motion editing here)

Yesterday I made major progress with my dumbbell (you'll be relieved to know that there is no video of that!). Mom stood up straight and acted more confident and I held on to that DB and walked in a circle a few times (on leash). I only dropped it once. We haven't tried it yet today but I am sure we will.

It was sunny and 25 this afternoon and we went on an awesome walk at the park! Even though mom hates winter, she does like going to the park in the winter. There are very few bikers (there was one though on a snowy bike path - crazy) and joggers (there was one of those too) and cars and people. We got to walk in some places we never go - like on the bike path. We saw an opossum out in broad daylight - poor guy was maybe hungry and hopefully not sick? I met a miniature American Eskimo dog that I had met awhile ago but hadn't seen in months and I actually PLAYED with him a little (until he annoyed me and I had to growl to get him to stop). It was all very fun!

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend! I finished my annual holiday video yesterday so I'll post it soon!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

Second verse, same as the first!

Not really but mom seems to be OBSESSED with the dumbbell! Maybe that is really where the word OBedience comes from!

Mom got some advice from my grandma Catherine and also watched my uncle Dax's latest puppy training video and here is the progress I have made. Baby steps but still progress!

We got more snow today! Unbelievable! But at least the temperature was in the 20s and we could go for our walk. It sure is icy and slippery though! It is not even officially winter yet!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

Sorry but we really ain't got nothing! LOL! Mom has been working with me on signals - you know, for open obedience - where I am a little distance away and I sit, down, come on hand signal alone. Some times it seems like I know what I am doing and some times I don't! And we have been working more on holding the darn dumbbell! Look at the video - mom says I know what "hold it" means but she can't at all figure out how to get me to WALK while holding it! (this is a new video from today but it is very similar to our other dumbbell videos - I'm beginning to think mom or me is the actual dumbbell!)

Yesterday we went to open agility practice at the club for the first time since June! It was so cold outside and we needed an indoor activity. I got to practice lots of doubles and triples. Two other people there with their dogs were also having trouble with the spread jumps. Those dogs were crashing them - especially the one dog. If her mom ran with her, she jumped fine. But if her mom lead out and was standing there without moving, then she totally came crashing down right on top of the triple! We're sorry to say that her mom got mad at her for knocking down the bars. We think the dog is doing the best she can but maybe we are wrong since we really don't know them at all. Mom ran with me each time and I once again didn't fly freely over like I used to maybe last year, but I didn't refuse and I didn't knock the bars down. Mom also changed the way the jumps looked by adding extra jump standards or on the triple she took all but the highest bar off and then added the bars. We also had fun doing some obedience in the warm up area. It was good for us and we are going to try to go every Wednesday this month.

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

I know we usually do our tRicky T-Day on Thursdays but mom said she would be too busy to help me this Thursday so we had better do it today! We put together a little video showing you my limited progress with retrieving the dumbbell. I am going to get it and bringing it about half-way back but seem to be like those people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time! I can't hold it and walk at the same time! LOL! Forget about holding it and sitting. Mom has tried to get me to do that and I can't! Any advice?

My leg is the same we think. I am not allowed to jump or do stairs (mom has been carrying me up and down most of the time but it's pretty difficult in a tri-level house - stairs to go to bed and the computer room, stairs to the kitchen, stairs to go outside). I am still going on walks and doing some very minimal playing (no jumping). Diana suggested heat 3 times a day so we are doing that. We contacted my vet but haven't seen her for an exam yet. We're hoping for that soon - she said she would have to see me to get a better idea if it is knee, hip, back, or leg. One thing mom realized is that for a long time now when she brushes me, I twitch that right leg and pull it up closer to my body. She thought I was being a weirdo and never dreamed that I could be injured. Until I stopped jumping the other day, that is the only sign I ever gave her of anything being wrong and she didn't really see it. It hasn't been too bad to rest the past two days because it has been raining here. It will be harder when the weather gets nicer again.

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

This week's tRicky T-Day trick is more of the same old thing - get it and hold it - this time with a dumbbell. I used to hate to pick up the dumbbell, so just the fact that I am doing it willingly in the video is a good trick. Mom read or saw somewhere that you could backchain the retrieve by putting the object in something and starting there - the dog picks it up and then eventually learns to bring it back. You'll see that mom is not very good at keeping to her criteria (or perhaps she's not sure what her criteria is) and we go from picking it up and trying to put it back in the bowl to bringing it to her hand. Oh well, I am smart and can handle the confusion - LOL!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

A lot of work and a little training

Mom has been busy at work this week, so she hasn't been able to help me type until today. She's glad for the work, but I am not used to spending so much time alone. I have been a good boy though and just sleep until she gets home. For her part, mom has made sure we go on long walks in the morning before work, and she comes home at lunch to see me and to let me go out.

We had our second advanced obedience class with Deb on Thursday night. I am pleased to report that I was more focused on what mom was telling me to do than last week. When we got inside the building, the first thing mom did was a little heeling with me and then a sit/stay. I held it too! So that was a good sign. When the class actually started, we did some more heeling trying to work on attention and straight sits. We did it on leash and then tried it off leash. Mom and I practice off leash heeling at home all the time. Combine that with the agility training we do and it makes me pretty good at staying by her side. We also worked on military and around finishes - I'm already fairly good at those. Then we did some out of sight sit/stays and down/stays. I am king of the down/stay and did well on the sit/stay except I have trouble staying there on mom's first command. After class anyone who wanted help with dumbbells could stay late. So we did and mom learned some more about getting me to take it, hold it, and drop it. I had to sit in heel position and then mom had to gently force me to take it, then tip my head back and hold under my jaw to keep me holding it, and then the drop it was a piece of cake. So with practice we should get it. We are working this week to get a 15-sec. hold.

Today we had our first hummingbird in the yard! A female came to our feeder but didn't stay long. Probably the water was too dirty. Mom and I changed it and are all excited that maybe this is the beginning of seeing a hummingbird regularly at our feeder.

Gotta zoom!

Ricky