Week 3 - 52 Weeks of Jasmine

Theme: Colours

You have no idea how grateful I am to my agility instructor right now, for having taught us how to "shape" a behaviour. It made this session soooo easier. After using a smaller basket to practice, I took out this larger basket for the photo shoot. On my command, Jasmine jumped right in, waiting for her reward. It took me a few tries to finally find something I liked. I borrowed this angle idea from the photographer at Muddy Pawz. I'll add the link to her blog to recognize her help in this.

I didn't centre the picture well. I'm hoping that by the end of the year, this off-centre situation won't happen as often. :-)

Week 2 - 52 Weeks of Jasmine

As you can see from this picture, I haven't mastered the art of editing yet

The theme, circles, got me thinking about all Jasmine's furry curls, her ears and....her nose. Muttsandaklutz suggested I use the paronamic setting on my camera to catch Jasmine's nose. Unfortunately, time wasn't on my side, and this is my weekly participation.

This picture was taken at my parents' house, while Jasmine was taking a nap. She didn't even open her eyes as the camera went "click".

And we're back!

After more than a two months' absence, Jasmine and I have attended our agility handling class.  I was very excited since this was supposed to be a "dog-filled weekend" and this lesson was just the beginning.

Our instructor set up a course where rear crosses, threadles, and serpentines were required.  All of these moves are challenges for us, so although I complained about it, I knew that it was for the best.

Rear crosses


The rear cross attempt wasn't bad.  I may not have been at the precise spot that our instructor was aiming for, but it was a rear cross.  I didn't slow down, neither did Jasmine, and we nailed it, twice I believe.

Threadles

It's unfortunate that I'm to embarrassed to ask someone to video.  I know that during our last run, two threadles were required, and I did the appropriate arm movements.  If it worked is quite another story.

Serps

The last run had a serp.  If I did it the right is still beyond me.  I have videos from last year where I'm practicing serps at the local agility field.  I can't make myself watch them.  It ain't pretty.

It's yer choice

Jasmine has been exiting the course ring early in trials, just before the last of second last jump.  The reason behind this is the reward she expects to receive at the end of the run.  I took the opportunity during this lesson to do some "It's yer choice".  Jasmine left the practice ring too early, again, and I called her back.  She had to finish her run before getting her reward, and even then, she had to play with her tug before.  I hope she'll remember this next weekend at the trial.

Overall result

Apart from my timing, which was off, things went very well.  Jasmine is responsive to my commands.  No zoomies manifested themselves.  What could I as for more?

Dog-filled weekend

I decided not to go at the January Fun Match offered at a local agility venue.  The forecast for 5 to 10 centimetres of snow scared me, and I decided to head home instead.  My weekend at my parents' was also cut short.  Sigh.  Driving during the day during a snowfall doesn't phase me.  It's the nighttime driving that gets to me.  I hate not being able to see the road.

Week 1 - 52 Weeks of Jasmine

This is my first contribution to the project. On a whim, I checked and found that I could actually *see* the assignments of the official flickr group, instead of inventing them on my own. Oh well, I'll know better next week.

I thought I'd start this endeavour by posting a photograph depecting Jasmine's personality. I ended up with this. Here she is, in one of her favorite spots in my new house. 

I often see her in this pose if I work around the house or on my laptop. Too lazy to follow me, she rests her chin on the edge of the bed to watch me move from one spot to the next. She also adopts this pose when we're attending agility class and she must wait in her crate while the humans listen faithfully to the instructor.

Jasmine, although very sociable to our cicle of human and dog friends, will likely growl at her first meeting with strangers. If she is ignored however, she quickly becomes your best friend.

Therefore, like a little turtle, Jasmine timidly (and safely?) pokes her head out of her bed to watch the world go by. Once she sees the coast is clear, she'll drown you with welcoming kisses.

Seperation anxiety???

What the heck?  My WFD is manifesting seperation anxiety!  The move isn't going well for poor little Jasmine.  At first, I didn't notice anything apart from her pooping or peeing in the basement.  That didn't worry me overmuch because that's a behaviour she usually falls back to in a new environment.  If I keep an eye on her, it isn't a problem since I can predict when it will happen.  This time, it's nothing as trivial.

First, it was peeling paint from the front door.

Then, it was scratches on the front door molding.

Finally, the botton of the molding was chopped off.  See picture below.

Yup, all this damage made by a little bichon mutt.  I did a "call out" on facebook and here are some of the suggestions that I was given.

• Put on radio.  Actually, it was suggested that I rig something up and make the radio (and house lights)  turn on 15 minutes before my arrival as a predictor.  However, since I usually turned the radio on when I left Jasmine alone, I decided to keep the old habit.  Time will tell if rigging something up will be necessary.
• Leave at random times of the day, and keep them short.  
• Put Jasmine in her crate.  Unfortunately, I never trained her to loooooove her crate.  She endures, but that's about it.  Therefore, the crate is up, all cozy inside with a fluffy blanket, and I'm hoping she'll decide it's her "happy place".
• Get some dog appeasement pheromone (DAP).  Done, and it's plugged in.
• Ignore Jasmine 10 minutes prior to my departure and after my arrival.  I pat myself on the back since that's a habit I've had from day 1.  In those days, it was to avoid Jasmine peeing in excitement near the front door.
• Last but not least, give her some wonderful long lasting reward when I leave.  Not easily done with a low food drive dog.  She ignores her treat until I come back, and I, the evil human, puts it away until the next time I have to leave.

Wish me luck!

Easy does it.....

It's finally done!  The condo is sold.  A new house has been bought in the community where I found my new job.  I moved into the new place last week during one of the worst rainfalls in history.  Several of my neighbours have had serious flooding in their basements, but that isn't surprising after 60 mm of rain fell in just 12 hours.  I count myself lucky after only founding a very small puddle downstairs and a leak in my fireplace.

Ever since I accepted the new job in late June, no real breakthrough has happened in agility, except for Jasmine's first try at standard courses in a trial environment.  I was a bit worried in July when she started limping down the A-Frame and even the front door steps at home.  Even so, I ignored the voice of reason and got into a frenzy of competitions in August and September. What I was thinking?  I finally scratched Jasmine from the trial at Dreamfields last month.  Too much going on and my sanity was being affected.  Not only that, but I decided I didn't want to invest hundreds and even thousands of dollars in vet bills later on.

Jasmine went on a complete break from agility for at least three weeks.  The result is no serious limping has been observed for at least 14 days.  Yay!  We participated at an agility fun match today and she did well.  No zoomies and boy, was she focused.  She did a good A-Frame but stayed on top during the other tries. The contacts could have been better.

What about flyball you ask?  Well.  After three (or is it four?) years of training, mademoiselle Jasmine has finally caught the ball while the box was triggered.

Sometimes, it pays to take some down time.....

September already?

It's amazing how time flies when you're having fun.  At the end of June, I applied and got for a job at a library about 85 km South of here, and it seems that I've been in a rush since then. The condo has been listed and sold.  Found a house at the new place and waiting for banking authorization and the house inspection.  On top of that, I went crazy a few months back and registered in a series of trials in September.

Indeed, not very good planning on my part.

In August, some of us planned a camping trip at Sharbot Lake Provincial Park.  A camping trip which comprised of 8 humans and 10 dogs.  Yes, very impressive.  The good citizens in all of us opted for campsites that were set a good distance from the others, making sure that our dogs were quiet.  Well, mission accomplished in my mind.  : )

Our digital and video cameras were clicking away the whole weekend, so here is sypnosis of the two days we were there.  I'll try to give credit to the right photographers, but I apologize in advance if that doesn't work out.

For the most part, these pictures have already been on facebook, but I still wanted to add them to the blog as well.

Tucker and Jasmine make sure that Lyne doesn't forget any important ingredient.

If Jasmine wasn't playing or sniffing around, she was napping.

Tarot time!

Tucker waiting for his handler to join the group.

Sometimes, you take pictures, but you don't expect to have such a cool finished product.

Picture 1 of my two favorites of the weekend.  Jasmine swimming to her floating toy.  Photographer : Mutts and a Klutz

Finally, this is my favorite.  Jasmine swam to retrieve a toy, and came back to me.  Now isn't that a proud puppy?  Photographer, Mutts and a Klutz.

I truly, truly hope this becomes a yearly tradition.