Monthly Archives: August 2013

Pretty fly for a min pin

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1 word. FLYBALL

 It’s like drag racing…for dogs! It’s a super high intensity sport that requires intensity, focus, energy, speed, and fun!

What it consists of:
2 dog teams of 4
2 lanes 51 inches long
4 jumps spaces 10ft apart

The Point:
Each dog runs down the lane, hurdling all four hurdles to get to the ball box, when they hit the box a sping loaded tennis balls shoots out, the dog then grabs the tennis ball, running back down the lane over the four hurdles to the starting line. Once the running dog passes the line the next dog may go. All four dogs go and the fastest team wins!

flyball_ring_sm

Team of dogs
Starter or Lead- Normally given to very Intense focused dogs
Height- Hurdles are only as tall as the shortest dog 😉
Anchor- The backbone. Steady and Dependable.
Closer-  fast, Fast, FAST!

Some of the dogs that partake in flyball have clocked at almost 20mph?! WHAT!?!

Regions!
The U.S (and Canada) are broken down into regions. 

So Sounds pretty cool huh? I agree!  The best dogs for this awesoms sport are high energy dogs. Not only is Artemis high energy, she is focused AND she is the fastest thing I have ever seen on four legs for her itty bitty 8lb size. When we play fetch, she almost always beats the ball and catches it out of the air. She’s insane. Whenever we play fetch I tell her “zoom zoom” because I promise there is like a smoke trail of burning grass behind her! On top of that, she could literally play fetch for HOURS. It’s hands down her favorite thing whether it’s a rope, a tennis ball, a squeaky she doesn’t care. As long as it hurdled as far as it can go and she can go retrive it, she’s content.

I think this would not only be AWESOME for Artemis to do, to burn energy and build confidence, but this something that whole family could do! I know the boys would LOVE to do this with her..even hubby may get a kick out of it. She is such a human-pleaser and I know she would love to use this as an excuse to play fetch and make us happy at the same time. I want this for her. I want her to be apart of something awesome and positive. After coming from such a crappy situation, I want her to see the world IS okay and that her new family DOES love her.

AWESOME Videos!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgm4q7M3Gjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=hdLs_bH7vLI
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=v5TAp-q0eZE

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Accidents Happen?

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Artemis had an on purpose accident tonight
I am trying my very hardest to not giggle just a little.

Every night, at bedtime, John, Artemis and Myself go upstairs and start our bedtime routine. While John was downstairs brushing his teeth, and I was upstairs in the shower, Artemis was iher bed….or so I thought. She apparently hopped onto our bed, which she has NEVER done. {except once when it was thundering and she tried to snuggle with me and I put her right back in her bed) While up there, she may or may not have peed a little in John’s spot of the bed. hehehehe.

She got shown what she did, and she knew she was in trouble. John said she couldn’t sleep in here tonight, which broke my heart.

She knows what she did, and while I protest it was an accident, I know deep down it was her picking on John for being the occasional butthead to her because he isn’t a dog person. hehehe that’ll teach him! I mean *ahem*.. Bad Dog.

Walk before you can run

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I decided that instead of taking Artemis on her normal Morning/Night walk, I would take her with me on my run. She has so much energy, and loves to run so why not?! It actually turned out amazingly successful. She was so pleased with herself for keeping up, and she slept through the night without a single peep! I’d say it’s a success.
When I took her out for her evening walk, I realized then, that there are some definite dominance/obedience traits and that we need to work on. Walking being one of them.

While she heels…most of the time. I know the importance of keeping a dog at heel, it not only shows them you are in charge, it’s actually said to takewalk the stress off the dog and let them relax and enjoy the walk making it more beneficial for them. When the dog leads, it makes them assume they are the pack leader, putting more mental responsibility on them, and not allowing them to burn energy. Apparently you’re not supposed to let them just pee whenever they want, or pull and sniff, or go nuts at other dogs…Oops. As you can see in the picture over there… heeling, was NOT happening. I just let her roam and sniff and see what the outdoors was about. Seeing as her old owners never apparently walked her, I felt bad not letting her sniff around *sigh* I know… I know..

So, to help myself and rest of you dealing with your fur baby’s walks…I found some tips!

1. The Dog Comes to YOU
When it’s time to walk your dog, call the dog to you, do not go to the dog to put the lead on. Make them sit calmly before putting on their lead or collar. (oops!)

2. Lead the Way
Make the dog sit quietly and wait for you to say when it’s time to go. Do not allow the dog to bolt out the door. You also need to be the first one out the door. (whoopsies. I tend to let her go first so she doesn’t run inside or get tangled when I try to close the door!)

3. Praise and Glory
Do not praise your dog for walking calmly. This only creates excitement and you are more likely to pull your dog out of his calm, submissive state. (I FAIL at this completely. My walks are FULL of “Good Girls” and whatever other words I can coo at her)

4. On your Mark
The dog should not sniff the ground and relieve himself where he pleases; his job while walking is to concentrate on following you. The person walking the dog decides when the dog is allowed to sniff or pee, not the dog. (Uh, what?…definitely not how walks go…)

5. Mind your P’s and Q’s
If you pass a barking dog or other distraction, keep moving forward. If your dog averts its attention to the distraction, give a tug on the lead to avert attention back to the walk. Keep Moving you set the pace. (YES!! That’s two that we do right!)

6. Confidence is Key
Walk at a good pace, keeping your shoulders back and your head held high. Walk proud, like you are a strong leader. A dog will sense this and respond to it. (Wooo Hoo!! That’s three!)

7. After party
Reward AFTER the walk. The best time to give your dog their evening meal, is after their evening walk. This makes the dog think you have allowed them to “work” for their food. (Yes! Four!!)

 

Okay, so 4 out of 9 is still failing…we’ll get it down. When Artemis is walking heel, she almost looks up and smiles at me, she is very content. I just have to get her to do it all the time. That and stop marking everything. Oh, and no more cooing…

 

Some of the Sources I used, along with talking to some of the pros! :
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