keskiviikko 17. helmikuuta 2010

Still on a sickie



It is so great to see the boys playing together in the livingroom. Wagging tails, happy sounds. Great that tey are able to do that again. Not for long periods of time, but little interaction anyway. They have had a longish break in indoor-playing. Outside they have played a bit all the time.

Preety has now experienced eldery-hospice, and being just a perfect therapyboy to my grandmother, who has been admitted in a hospice. Shanti and my previous dog: calm, stable Irish setter Aida did visit my other grandma's place approximately twice a month, so Shan is experienced with eldery people. Pre hadn't been in, so I was interested to see how he behaves. This time we only visited my Nanna and he met some new relatives and nurses. He did so well, jumped immediately to my Nanna's bed, stayed in her lap for one hour, and observed nurses and happenings from there. I am proud of him, this is a good start. Yet, I wouldn't let stangers to come and stroke him yet, they can do that with Shanti, and Pre can concentrate on one his favourite person in the world, my Nanna.

My knee is not good at all, pain is getting worse. Sickie is on 'till sunday, and after that I will need to try to go to work. Last night went approximately one third of the night awake and in pain, 2 thirds of sleep. It is such a nice, sunny weather, and we all just wanted to race outdoors. Well I can't do that, but luckily Anniina is over and helping us out. She was at obedience with Shan yesterday, and was very delighted the way he worked. She also activated the boys with training and tricks, and the boys were utterly knackered last night. What a joy!

I was able to get some fully shoots at Pre, running outside, smiling widely. Hope to make a smile to your face too!

torstai 11. helmikuuta 2010

agility and obedience




Still on a sickie, but now for 2 days the pain has been tolerable, and I have started to put my nose outside. Yesterday it was with the help of mum, that the boys were able to go for a small hike on the ice. I got to take a few nice pics, as above.

Today my dear friend promised to give a hand at the agility, and the boys got to run a few tracks with her. They did that eagarly and easily, and it was a delight to sit and watch them. They were also able to train distance racing, and both of them are very talented in it. Pre has developed so much. Today our aim was to train the dogwalk, so that the boys will not steal the contacts, do it completely independent, stop at the end with 2 on 2 off, and remain there until I tell to proceed. That was done with the help of jump-wings at the both ends, so they had tour around them, to get to the contacts. At the end was a treaty-base, with some extra-yummy pudding on it. It worked out so well with both of them, they didn't need my support and realised very fast what I wanted them to do.

We did a bit of obedience (me limping, but it didn't seem to bother the boys), heeling, angles, staying while I proceed, laying down from heeling and staying while I proceed. I did only very little with Shan, since it is more Anniina's thing, and did bit more with Pre. I was very proud of my boys, they're so great!

Now they are on a cooling walk with Anniina and my friend Pia. Lucky me, to have such a great people around, to help out at this difficult time. Thank you so much!

keskiviikko 3. helmikuuta 2010

Sickie



Still on a sickie, luckily just me, not the boys. Even when I have had very non-moving days, boys have had lovely, active life. Yesterday they were taken to agility, where Kaisa (with kooikers 'Ella' Lentävän Luppakorvan Liitolikka) and Katri (with kooiker 'Hilppa' Bullbenz kooi Odine Sade) did great job with my boys, and they got to practise after a very long pause. It has been way too cold over here for weeks, around -20 - -30, so naturally agility has been out of qu for long time. Boys were full of energy and very eager to do things. Preety has never done the whole training with somebody else, and he was co-operating so well with Kaisa, I was delighted. Shanti, on the other hand, is very used to be handled with several people (due my kneeproblems), and he did very well too. It was a delight to know that boys truly got to enjoy.

Shanti's day wasn't over after agi. Anniina was already waiting to get him to our obedience-class. I naturally had to be absent, and therefore Pre couldn't attend either. But Shan did well there, even when he had been concentrating on Agility (and lovely kooikergirls) for a good time. They had practised heeling, stopping from the movement and staying and different turns. Anniina was happy about Shanti's progress, and I am encouraging them to start to plan competing. Only Shanti's heeling post is not the best, he has speen stepped over his foot by me too many times, and he is bit careful with that. That is the biggest thing to practise now, otherwise he starts to be rather secure.

Today the boys have been able to do very good hike with Jaani, my brother. They enjoyed the good, mild weather, and the stacks of snow for 3 hours. And all were very excited. Jaani took to dogs at his place, so my house feels very empty now! Luckily I will get my boys back again tomorrow, so it will not be a long break, but I assume that boys are deligted to get to hang out with more moving people than the owner over at home!

Thank you Kaisa, Katri, Anniina and Jaani for all your help!