TRAINING CHALLENGE WEEK 1

First off I have to BRAG again, and I am not embarrassed to brag because I have really been working hard to LOSE A TOTAL OF TWENTY FIVE POUNDS!!!! Yippie, skippie. I am feeling great and considering having to run with the dogs in this heat I am not missing that huge chunk of extra weight. My body sure is not as good at losing weight as it is at gaining it and this time around it is holding on tight. It is hard to not get discouraged but reaching this first goal really gives me some more fuel to go on.


Ok Ricky's mom has issued a challenge and it is open to anyone.....how much fun is that? So go to Ricky's blog and say you want to play with us if you do... http://rickyitsadogslife.blogspot.com/2010/08/hiking-in-hocking-hills-and-training.html The challenge is to just do something to challenge your comfort zone in training each week. You can post about it on your blog, or video it, or what ever you want to do.

We decided to get working and took the dogs to a park they had never been to and did restrained recalls, IN THE 103 degree heat. I think I should get extra points, and I am giving myself extra points for training in the heat, LOL.
Cricket did fantastic, as did Breeze. Breeze does have a little issue in that I use a ball to train with and get her excited...she is not a tugger. The problem is that I throw the ball and it gets her really excited, but it does make her focus more on running past me and not concentrating on GETTING TO ME. This is not a huge problem because Breeze just has a really nice, natural strong recall with no training. But since we are training recalls I did find one toy she will tug with and figure, I will work on it.

Lizzie, Lizzie is always special. On the video my daughter is definitely luring her to come to her which I would rather she didn't....but I am so grateful to my daughter for helping so...luring is good enough. This was a new place, and Liz tends to do stress zoomies, so I left her on leash and did just some back and forth recalls to start. I would step on the leash to make sure she could not zoom off. She did GREAT, so I progressed to some shorter restrained recalls, again...she did great. FANTASTIC, I am celebrating that. Of course right as we finish, I go to grab Liz to leave and she takes off. A MAJOR zoomie. I was so scared because the bad girl was seriously looking for holes under the fence and staying way away from me. She would not even look at me. Ughghghghg. I know there are a lot of holes and there is so much land out there I was so scared she would get out. I guess she has earned herself more shaping sessions at that park, more little recall work and a LONG LINE.




BREEZE
Just a quick update. Breeze seems to feel a lot better after I figured out her back was hurting. Her eyes look great like she feels ok, I get the feeling she is ok, but she has a really roachy back, and her shoulders are all hunched up. Everyone notices she does not look right, even just standing. My husband who has never noticed anything with gaits or behavior or anything said she looks like a little old lady. That is something if he notices. I am not sure what is up but I have not really worked her and she has not done any weaves. She is off to the vet again to see if she just needs another little adjustment or is there something else going on? So keep your fingers crossed for us that her back is just still a little out of alignment and that is causing the shoulders to go out of alignment??? I am just seriously a little tired of the physical issues to tell you the truth, Poor Breeze.