Shanti - the canine psychotherapist

What a great beginning of the week! I decided to travel to Tampere with Shanti. I had my psychotherapytraining (solution focused) at Tampere, and we're towards the end of our 3-year programme. Pre stayed with my brother and enjoyed 'boys days out and in'. Pre has always loved Jaani's company, and since he has finished his finals now, he has plenty of time for Pre. They have had long, free-running hikes, mostly at some unknown swamps. Apparently they have had top time, which I am delighted!

Catching the train went well. First train was an old-fashioned blue carriage. It was wobbly and noisy, and Shan recognised it first, but rather fast he calmed down on the ground and had some good sleep. We changed trains, and this time it was intercity - with THE smallest cabin for animals. There were only few seats and apparently 2 cats (oh dear), and 4 other male dogs, with two being very alert and manly terriers. Luckily I was the first one to enter, and I put up the cage for Shan. He was all calm and relaxed throughout the trip, even when the males started at him and grawed and barked. He was such a topboy! No probs what so ever, and he managed to sleep at his cage on our way to Tampere.

Hanna was fetching us up from the station. Shan was happy to meet her, even when they don't know eachother so well. Well, even better followed when Shan realised we are going to spend next 2 days with kooikerhondje Dina, Manta's lovely sister! Shan tried to act like a proper boyfriend for the first night, yet he realised soon enough, that it is better to be buddies than lovers. So things went on well, and the dogs got on well together. I got two kooikers sleeping next to me at night :)

Next day it was Tampere kooi-agility. With Shanti and Dina there were also Aida (Cavalriina's Sandra Sinatra) and Olly (Bullbenz kooi Olly Sade). Estonian Liisu (Chriskooi's Liisu) also paid an eager visit and it was so nice to see all these kooikers and their owners. We did one track. Aida is naturally talented medi3-agidog. Olly is beginner, but OH DEAR how fast he is. You can clearly see that Olly and Hilppa are full siblings. The eagerness and speed was absolutely great. Olly is also very, very promising agilitydog, and it was a pleasure to watch it. Shan worked wll with the distance handling and Dina practised speeding with the help of sausage-ball. That worked out well! Thank you for the good time at the field!

On tuesday Shan got to join in our psychotherapygroup, since we took the train immediately after the day. I put up his cage, but he seemed to be so happy, stable and calm around, I didn't close the cage at all. Shan charmed the whole group, there were over 20 of us! He let everybody stroke and handle him, took it so calm, openly and happy. He followed me well, but also was independent enough, got to play with some of the trainee's. On our break we went for an hour-walk, did some tricks and enjoyed the time. The most hilarious thing was Shanti's behaviour when we applaused to the presentations of final dissertations. There were several dissertations introduced this time. At the end of each, we all clapped our hands for the author. Every single time Shan thought it was time for him to appear in the ring, thank for the applauses, and then disappear. He did that every single time. What a showstopper I have! We all laughed our heads off :)

Later on we took the train home. Everything went on fine again, naturally. We did some clicker-training, the train was nearly 2 hours late, so we had plenty of time. Yesterday Shan only enjoyed a lengthy speed-hike with my friend, and today we went for a walk in the nearby forest. Tomorrow we are going to fetch Pre up, do some agility before my labour-day guests arrive. Finally got to meet up with my German friend, after long break. Hope it will be nice weather and lovely labourday. Have nice 1st of May everyone!

Searching...

Springy days are so great! Yesterday we finally got to go to the ruins and did some informan human-searching. Shan was more hippy-style with his searching, runned around doing twists and turns, but eventually found the target 4 times from very demanding spots (e.g. from the cellar underneath the lid, up the ladder from the box). Pre was more bullet-straight, doing excellent work, finding also the target 4 times (i.e. underneath a fallen ceiling, deserted house). He is the topsearcher, and I so hope we would find some time to join in the small-team for human searching. Yet, at the moment, our weeks are so packed with agility, obedience and showtraining, that I decided to drop the human-searching to the informal-level, and do it just for fun. Maybe later on we can rejoin the small-group.

Pre has proceeded with showtraining, yet a small setback happened last week. Luckily we were able to recover very fast, and tested two other judges, and it went ok. I doubted for a long time whether to enroll him to Joensuu INT dogshow at the end of May. Nat show I decided not to, since - can you believe - there is the same judge for the 3rd consequtive local show! She didn't like Pre in the past two shows, so I assume he hasn't changed in 1,5 months enough for her to start liking him. But what a mistake from the organisor (same kenneldistrict for the all 3 consequtive shows) to put the same judge on again. Luckily another one is on Sunday, and we'll test that one out too. Shan will skip the shows this year, and give space to Pre :) I have also enrolled boys to two shos in Estonia over the summer. Hope for the best!

Today Shan will get some western-Finland winds. I will take him along to Tampere, since I am again going for therapy-training. We will stay with beautiful and sweet Dina-kooiker (full sister of our buddy Manta), and we'll get to do some agility on monday with her, Hilppa's brother Olly and Aida (Cavalriina's Sandra Sinatra). Hopefully will get some photos too, Hanna has promised to take her camera along. So soon we will catch the train and start our full-day journey. Pre will stay with my brother this time.

Training proceeds

We have had springy activitypeak on training. Showtraining FINALLY started again, and Pre is proceeding so incredibly well. How great is that. I consider enrolling him to Joensuu shows, yet, the judge has been changed, and I want to wait to see the new judge before I decide enrolling. But it feels so nice to see, how Pre enjoys the ring, stands well and behaves himself great. I am delighted!

Agility has continued too. We have had kooikeragility and our small team changed a bit for summerseason. Three members changed groups, and there is only 3 of us, and we all have 2 dogs each. On the other had, you get to focus more tightly on each dog, on the other hand, making the tracks takes so long time, with only three of us, and me being lousy carrier with this brocken knee. Anyway, I am satisfied with the group and I have gained several good tips on how to proceed. Sometimes it feels frustrating just to walk the track, yet both of the boys are so good and talented to run when I walk, I am amazed by their skills. Pre is still practising slalom: other side goes on well, other doesn't. He is also practising the swing. He does it, but slowly and is not completely ok with it. Once he handles those two obstacles, and if I get to run soon, we might even test few unofficial competitions over the summer. If they go on well, why not start competing too. But that will probably not happen, since this bummer-knee is not ok yet. I hope Shanti gets to race too, he has 3 starts in Joensuu and 3 starts at Kuopio for free, changes and winnings from the previous competitions.

Snow has melted, and we have enjoyed hikes in the woods too. Boys got to test human-searching, and oh dear, how much they love it! Obedience is getting on too, both are doing better and better in it. Once Pre gets his jump right, he might be even ready for unofficial competitions. He just shines at heeling and taking my commands. Great!

Boys have met their friends. What was great, he got on so well with Pyry (Wishdecoy River Olivia), even whey they both are on their teens. That was so nice to see.

Some pohtos over the activities:

Handsome young Pyry


Handsome Tico, who is just enrolled to our studlist :)


Kati racing with Shanti


Preety has developed so much!


Charming-Shanti


My boys posing together


Pre the Jumper


Today is a rainy, dull day. We might cheer it up by joining Kaisa and Ella (Lentävän Luppakorvan L) and drive up to hall, to do agi or obedience. We'll see!

Last Holi-Day

Today was my last holiday until summer. We naturally spent it at agilityhall, obedienceclass and just resting in general. Katri came to pick us up in the morning. She had Hilppa (Bullbenz Kooi Odine Sade) and Her just named baby-daughter along. Boys went naturally crazy when they saw Katri driving to the yard. Soon they all were fitted in, 3 dogs in 3 cages, one baby and us. It was great sunny day, and first Hilppa got to race with Shanti.



After that the best buddies, Hilppa and Pre got to run around. Oh dear, they had speed and joy!


Boys did some distance-tracking, and they did it well. Shanti is so full of confidence, and he can race even 3 obstacles ahead me, which I'm really proud of. He follows my body so carefully, even small movements make him alter his path. I'm so grateful to have such a star! Pre is doing so great too - I almost forget that he is just a beginner at agi. He can do distance-agi so well too. He is following carefully both my body and verbal commands. He also has great self-esteem, but today made it clear, how much he enjoys it, when the handler is running along. Pre seemed to have enough, so I asked Katri just to treat him with a jump or two. They ended up running much more, and Pre really lighted up again. I need to pay attention, that if there is anybody with me at the hall, I need to ask them to run a bit with my boys.

What a lovely holiday! Tomorrow starts showtraining, which I am looking forward to!

Kooiker-agility

Easter has continued in a lovely way. Yesterday we had kooiker-agility, Shanti's littlebrother Fido (Callitris H) and little Fayza-girl (Royal Fayza v. Dyjadin) came for a holiday from eastern Finland. It was so great to meet up with them again, it has been about 6 months since we last met well. We hired the agihall for 1,5 hours, and Saija really got to train agility! She ran with Fido, Fayza and Shanti. With Shan she tested agi for the first time, and she had to race full speed, and both of them were really excited and satisfied on the track. When we were finishing our thing, Kati came together with Kaisa, and they had Tico and Ella along. I stayed and watched their training as well. Further, Pre did some fast obedience.

Lovely Fayza:




Shanti just loves Fay:


Ella waiting for her turn to race agi:


Sweet and handsome Tico:


My boys got to have a few hours' break, and after that we went to get some private guiding to obedience. Pre did just very little, and he was again the topman! Shan did more, and his heeling was much improved and we had fun together!

Today has been calm, boys had some 5km hike with Pia, and I left Pre to rest at home and took Shan along to my grandma's nursery. Last time it was Preety's turn, so now I decided to take Shan along. Shan behaved so well, was happy to meet nanna and the staff, and some small kids too. He walked naturally next to wheelchair, well he has been used to that anyway, since I have been on crouches for many months, in several times and one clubshow I even entered with the wheelchair! So great therapydog I have in Shan, and he cheered Nanna, the animal lover, up so well.

Happy easter and holidays!

We have had lovely, active but relaxed holidayweek behind us. We have just been doing activities, meeting and visiting friends and calming down at home. Today we spent my birthdaymorning with my family, five of them came for a visit. Boys loved the visitors, and toured around people, getting strokes and cuddles. After that it was the time to drive over at nearby woods, and meet up with lovely Manta (Cavalriina's U). We haven't seen her since Christmas, because she has been on a heat. We knew already, that Shanti will be head over heels after her, since he just loves her smell so much, even when she is on false-pregnancy. Pre took it calmer, and toured mainly around the woods. This time Manta wasn't so interested on playing, she was very into finding treats that army had left behind from their camp in the area. Here you can see some pics from today.
Manta and Pre posing so well together:


Shanti loving Manta:


And more:


Pre looking puzzled on what is going on:


Manta is more keen on this can than my boys:


Finally we ended up getting one nice face-pose of lovely Manta:


What else we have done over the week is agi-obedience-agi-obedience-agi... It has been great possibility to drive to the agilityhall, do some smaller tracks and some obedience. One day we were there with my lovely friend and her son, my godson of 6 months. Pre has become so keen over him, because he has learned that this little boy beolongs to the hall, this cool mother, and further, she has these two lovely poodle-bitches Pre loves. What a handy way to habituate Pre to babies. On the other day we also had some sweet baby-company at the hall, since Katri was with her 6 week old daughter and her kooiker Hilppa (Bullbenz Kooi O) at the hall. Later on came also Kati with Tico (Milfeddyg M) and Kaisa with Ella (Lentävän Luppakorvan L). So some serious kooi-agility. Oh dear, I nearly forgot, we also got to meet Shanti's bride Beta (Estaika's C) and their daughter Pimu (Estaika's B). Naturally we took several pictures of the family together, and lovely mini-sized Pimu. That time we had Hilppa on us, since we took her to the showring just before meeting with Beta and Pimu.

Shanti and Beta's beautiful daughter Pimu, who has fully inherited his father's speed and activitylevel:



In the end Preety and Hilppa got to play together with full speed:






We have also been getting private guiding on our obediencetraining, which has been so intersting. Thank you Reija so much! Tomorrow we have another intersting kooikerday, when Shanti's halfbrother (Callitris H) and Fayza (Royal Fayza v.Dyjadin) come for a visit and agilitytraining together. Later on also Kati with Tico and Kaisa with Ella will join us. What a lovely easter!