I know other people have blogged about this too, but just in case anyone hasn't seen it...
The National Sheepdog Finals are being broadcast live this weekend! It's all Border Collies, but these talented dogs are a blast to watch.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Bored Aussie
Wow, it's been a long time since I updated this blog. Things have been pretty quiet for Iris and pretty busy for me. I've been putting all of my free time into getting my photography business off the ground while Iris has had a relatively uneventful summer. She's had some allergies off and on for the last couple weeks, but other than that she's doing pretty well. She still has seizures on a pretty regular regular basis (damn 4 week mark!), but at least she's very predictable.
For the last couple weeks, my company has been moving into new building so I've had to leave Iris home during the day. And I've been spending nights and weekends working on my photography. The result? A very bored Aussie. I've noticed that the last couple nights she's been very antsy. I think she's just really not getting enough mental stimulation. To top it off, we've battled against Iris' weight gain all summer, and she's actually looking pretty good right now. She's lost 4 lbs since the beginning of the summer. I think she could still lose a little more, but right now I'd really like to get some more muscle tone on her too. But the combination of more time by herself and feeling better physically might drive me insane before it drives her insane!
I've been thinking about ways to get her out of the house for some mental activity. I did some clicker training with her tonight and she threw herself into it. Literally. Like, throwing her entire body into it. I haven't done much training with her this summer, and it seems like someone misses that. Our last herding lesson was in June. It's been five months since I had her in a class (Control Unleashed). It's been over a year since we've done any agility. That's the one I can't believe. My plan was to take the CU class and then put her back in agility in the spring.
Her seizures became more frequent last spring before we decided to increase her meds. The meds have such a negative effect on her balance and focus until she adjusts to them better. I've really gone back and forth on whether I should be pushing her to do anything. Her last couple of herding lessons haven't really gone well. She just really lacks focus. I'm not sure she had the intensity ro drive for it anymore. If we tried to take a 6 week agility class instead, it's very likely that we'll only be able to make 4 or maybe 5 out of every 6 classes because of her seizures. I'm also not certain if the meds would have a more noticeable effect on her balance if we were doing something like agility (a rather large factor in why we haven't gone back to agility).
I've been thinking about putting her back in the reactive dogs agility class I had her in at Dogs! Learning Center. It's about a 30 min drive from here so it's not terrible. Something closer would be easier with my work schedule, but the reactive agility class runs continuously and you pay as you go rather than paying for a 6 week block. So that would be a lot better for Iris. I have NO intention of ever trialing Iris, so I'd like to do a sort of "agility lite" class for her. I want the chance to work her around other dogs and get her some mental and physical exercise. But I don't care of she's jumping full height or doing every single obstacle (weave poles.......)
For the last couple weeks, my company has been moving into new building so I've had to leave Iris home during the day. And I've been spending nights and weekends working on my photography. The result? A very bored Aussie. I've noticed that the last couple nights she's been very antsy. I think she's just really not getting enough mental stimulation. To top it off, we've battled against Iris' weight gain all summer, and she's actually looking pretty good right now. She's lost 4 lbs since the beginning of the summer. I think she could still lose a little more, but right now I'd really like to get some more muscle tone on her too. But the combination of more time by herself and feeling better physically might drive me insane before it drives her insane!
I've been thinking about ways to get her out of the house for some mental activity. I did some clicker training with her tonight and she threw herself into it. Literally. Like, throwing her entire body into it. I haven't done much training with her this summer, and it seems like someone misses that. Our last herding lesson was in June. It's been five months since I had her in a class (Control Unleashed). It's been over a year since we've done any agility. That's the one I can't believe. My plan was to take the CU class and then put her back in agility in the spring.
Her seizures became more frequent last spring before we decided to increase her meds. The meds have such a negative effect on her balance and focus until she adjusts to them better. I've really gone back and forth on whether I should be pushing her to do anything. Her last couple of herding lessons haven't really gone well. She just really lacks focus. I'm not sure she had the intensity ro drive for it anymore. If we tried to take a 6 week agility class instead, it's very likely that we'll only be able to make 4 or maybe 5 out of every 6 classes because of her seizures. I'm also not certain if the meds would have a more noticeable effect on her balance if we were doing something like agility (a rather large factor in why we haven't gone back to agility).
I've been thinking about putting her back in the reactive dogs agility class I had her in at Dogs! Learning Center. It's about a 30 min drive from here so it's not terrible. Something closer would be easier with my work schedule, but the reactive agility class runs continuously and you pay as you go rather than paying for a 6 week block. So that would be a lot better for Iris. I have NO intention of ever trialing Iris, so I'd like to do a sort of "agility lite" class for her. I want the chance to work her around other dogs and get her some mental and physical exercise. But I don't care of she's jumping full height or doing every single obstacle (weave poles.......)
Friday, July 30, 2010
And We're Live!!!
I know I haven't been around much lately, but it's because I've been pretty busy with another project. Building the website was a much bigger project than I anticipated. But it's finally live!!!
Check it out, pass it along! Also, I'd really appreciate any feedback people have. My target audience is pet owners so what you guys think is important!
- Is everything loading ok? Loading quickly enough?
- Does all of the text make sense? Is there anything that's confusing?
- How does the gallery work for you? Do you like the format? Does it load quickly? Do you like the way the thumbnails look? The way the images open in a new window?
- Is there anything you think I should change? Anything that isn't there that you'd like to see?
And just in case anyone is wondering, yes the logo is Iris. :) Who else could represent the business besides my little red dog?
Friday, June 25, 2010
Bring Your Dog to Work Day
Officially "Bring Your Dog to Work Day" is today, but lately it's been every day for Iris.
I got in the habit of bringing Iris to work in February when I was working late every night on a project that basically involved a lot of walking around Boston taking photographs. Iris was more than happy to be my walking partner, although there were more than a few nights when we both staggered back to the car exhausted. That project is finally over. As much as I like the city, February isn't really the best month to be walking around Boston at night. The red dog took it all in stride and at the very end of the project, I did manage to get her in one pano.
Since she's been such a help around the office, I've just continued bringing her with me a couple times a week (ok, sometimes more than a couple times a week).
She's likes to help with testing lenses.
The other day, I left my desk for a few minutes and she hopped in my chair to help with some QA (I suspect she got some help from the guys).
Mostly, she's pretty content to hanging out under my desk acting as the resident foot warmer.
Since today is "Bring Your Dog to Work Day," I thought we'd share a few tips that work well for us.
I got in the habit of bringing Iris to work in February when I was working late every night on a project that basically involved a lot of walking around Boston taking photographs. Iris was more than happy to be my walking partner, although there were more than a few nights when we both staggered back to the car exhausted. That project is finally over. As much as I like the city, February isn't really the best month to be walking around Boston at night. The red dog took it all in stride and at the very end of the project, I did manage to get her in one pano.
Since she's been such a help around the office, I've just continued bringing her with me a couple times a week (ok, sometimes more than a couple times a week).
She's likes to help with testing lenses.
(click on photo for larger view)
Mostly, she's pretty content to hanging out under my desk acting as the resident foot warmer.
Since today is "Bring Your Dog to Work Day," I thought we'd share a few tips that work well for us.
- This probably goes without saying, but make sure all of your coworkers are comfortable around dogs (and not allergic to them) before you bring you dog with you. I'm very lucky to be at a place where everyone loves dogs. Iris isn't the only dog who comes to work on a regular basis!
- Dog proof your workspace. We learned this the hard way after Iris sat on the surge protector under my desk and turned off my computer... and the two other computers that are daisy-chained into my power strip. Maybe more important than dog-proofing is making sure your coworkers have a sense of humor. Other things to watch out for besides electrical cords are poisonous plants and toxic office supplies such as permanent markers.
- Make sure your dog has a comfortable place to hang out. Iris loves hanging out under the computer desk at home, so it was easy to train her to hang out under my desk at work. If this isn't something your dog does naturally, it's something you might want to train beforehand. Most people who come into the office don't even notice there's a dog under my desk. Some alternatives would be training your dog to hang out on a mat, a bed, or in a crate. We also love frozen kongs and bullysticks for keeping Iris busy.
- Don't give your dog unsupervised run of the office. I keep Iris tied to my chair so she doesn't wander off. Even if it seems like all of your coworkers are okay with you dog wandering around, you should still keep a close eye on your dog. Just because your cubicle is dog-proof doesn't mean your coworker's is (or that your coworkers even know what "dog proof" means)!
- I keep a jar of treats on my desk for people to give Iris. Dog lovers are going to want to feed your dog. Since Iris is on a strict diet for her seizures, having a jar of "safe" treats is a good compromise. Also, having appropriate treats (and appropriate sized treats!) will keep you dog from looking like a beach-ball.
- Teach your dog to drink out of a cup. I know I should bring a bowl, but sometimes I forget. In a pinch, Iris will happily drink out of a paper cup so my forgetfulness doesn't really matter.
- Teach a down-stay. When I leave the room to use the kitchen or bathroom (my office shares a bathroom and kitchen with two other companies, so I do not bring Iris into the shared space), I put Iris in a down stay. Since she's tied to the desk, she will fidget and whine if I just walk away. If I put her in a down-stay, she'll hold the stay quietly. I think she feels more secure if she knows exactly what to do.
- Get your dog out for a walk at lunch time. Tired dogs are quiet dogs! Also, make sure that your dog potties in an appropriate place (the garden next to the door is probably not appropriate) and that you ALWAYS clean up after your dog.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Herding Lesson
Iris had a herding lesson on the 5th. Actually, it was a pretty full day for her. We went to a horse show in the afternoon (Iris was crated in the car in the shade) and had a lesson at 5 pm.
Iris did do better than last time. First, we worked on driving to try and build interest. Then Diane had us walk straight up to the sheep in a corner (holding them still in one spot). Iris was on a short line and when we'd get close, I'd encourage Iris to look at the sheep. After she looked at the sheep for a few seconds, we turned and walked away. Taking Iris away from the pressure was her reward for focusing for a few seconds. We did quite a few repetitions of this, moving the sheep around to different corners of the pen.
Next we worked a little bit on fetching. Iris likes to dart in for a few seconds and then checks out again. This had been a chronic problem for Iris, but lately she checks out so much it's like she's quit completely. Diane had me get Iris interested and as soon as Iris started running around the sheep, I'd walk backwards toward the fence. Because Iris had already started going around, she'd end up on the opposite side of the sheep and bringing them to me. To keep Iris from checking out, I had her on a really long line that I looped around one sheep's neck. When the sheep started coming towards me, got tugged along behind them. I was walking backwards in a circle around the pen. I had trouble getting Iris to follow the sheep because she wanted to follow me instead. Because she was focused on me, Iris kept wanting to come inside too far, instead of walking directly behind the sheep. I tried to push her out more with the rake, but I didn't have much success trying to juggle the line around the sheep, the dog, and the rake. Oh well. At least she was "working." Or doing something beside eating sheep poop.
After Iris' lesson, I chatted for a bit with Diane. We ended up talking about Iris' epilepsy and her medications. Diane really thinks that the meds are affecting Iris' working ability. Damn. I've been suspecting the same thing. Iris just doesn't have the same focus she used to, especially since starting the Pb. Actually, she doesn't have the same focus for training in general. This last lesson was better than the previous. That previous lesson was only a few days after a round of seizures (and the medication changes that go with that). Even though I thought it had been long enough for Iris to be back to "normal," it clearly wasn't.
This last lesson was better. It was also later in the day, which is a factor we're going to experiment with. Iris normally gets her morning meds around 9 am. For a 10 am lesson, maybe she has more drugs in her system and is more spacey in general? She doesn't get her evening dose of keppra until 6 pm and her Pb until 9 pm. Maybe a 5 pm lesson has her more focused because she has less drugs in her system? I'm not even sure if AEDs work that way. I'll have to ask her vet. It is something to think about. Even if Iris never gets to the point where I could trial her, Diane pointed out that I'm learning a lot and I'll be a better handler for a future dog (Diane asked when I'm getting a puppy! Ha! My roommate would kill me if I brought home another crazy dog).
We have another lesson this Sunday at 6 pm. This Wednesday is also Iris' 4 week mark since her last round of seizures. We're cutting it close. If she has any seizures towards the end of the week, I'll cancel the lesson.
Iris did do better than last time. First, we worked on driving to try and build interest. Then Diane had us walk straight up to the sheep in a corner (holding them still in one spot). Iris was on a short line and when we'd get close, I'd encourage Iris to look at the sheep. After she looked at the sheep for a few seconds, we turned and walked away. Taking Iris away from the pressure was her reward for focusing for a few seconds. We did quite a few repetitions of this, moving the sheep around to different corners of the pen.
Next we worked a little bit on fetching. Iris likes to dart in for a few seconds and then checks out again. This had been a chronic problem for Iris, but lately she checks out so much it's like she's quit completely. Diane had me get Iris interested and as soon as Iris started running around the sheep, I'd walk backwards toward the fence. Because Iris had already started going around, she'd end up on the opposite side of the sheep and bringing them to me. To keep Iris from checking out, I had her on a really long line that I looped around one sheep's neck. When the sheep started coming towards me, got tugged along behind them. I was walking backwards in a circle around the pen. I had trouble getting Iris to follow the sheep because she wanted to follow me instead. Because she was focused on me, Iris kept wanting to come inside too far, instead of walking directly behind the sheep. I tried to push her out more with the rake, but I didn't have much success trying to juggle the line around the sheep, the dog, and the rake. Oh well. At least she was "working." Or doing something beside eating sheep poop.
After Iris' lesson, I chatted for a bit with Diane. We ended up talking about Iris' epilepsy and her medications. Diane really thinks that the meds are affecting Iris' working ability. Damn. I've been suspecting the same thing. Iris just doesn't have the same focus she used to, especially since starting the Pb. Actually, she doesn't have the same focus for training in general. This last lesson was better than the previous. That previous lesson was only a few days after a round of seizures (and the medication changes that go with that). Even though I thought it had been long enough for Iris to be back to "normal," it clearly wasn't.
This last lesson was better. It was also later in the day, which is a factor we're going to experiment with. Iris normally gets her morning meds around 9 am. For a 10 am lesson, maybe she has more drugs in her system and is more spacey in general? She doesn't get her evening dose of keppra until 6 pm and her Pb until 9 pm. Maybe a 5 pm lesson has her more focused because she has less drugs in her system? I'm not even sure if AEDs work that way. I'll have to ask her vet. It is something to think about. Even if Iris never gets to the point where I could trial her, Diane pointed out that I'm learning a lot and I'll be a better handler for a future dog (Diane asked when I'm getting a puppy! Ha! My roommate would kill me if I brought home another crazy dog).
We have another lesson this Sunday at 6 pm. This Wednesday is also Iris' 4 week mark since her last round of seizures. We're cutting it close. If she has any seizures towards the end of the week, I'll cancel the lesson.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Karate and Friendship Award
We got an award from Julie at Run - Jump - Herd - Heal. Thank you Julie! It's the "Master of Karate and Friendship" award.
Fun fact, I was in the Shotokan Karate Club while I was in college. I stopped taking karate classes after I graduated because I could really only afford one "class" at a time and I wanted to put the red dog in agility!
And now to pass it on:
Diana at Four Dog Craziness
Nicki at Borderblog
Fun fact, I was in the Shotokan Karate Club while I was in college. I stopped taking karate classes after I graduated because I could really only afford one "class" at a time and I wanted to put the red dog in agility!
And now to pass it on:
Diana at Four Dog Craziness
Nicki at Borderblog
Paw It Forward
We got a "Paw It Forward" package in the mail from James, Niche, and Monty! We actually got the package last week and Iris' bad mum has taken too long to post photos. But Iris has been enjoying the treats all weekend.
Hey Iris, do you want to see what you got?
Fine. If you won't pose with the packages, I can find other ways to make you pose.
Hey Iris, do you want to see what you got?
Yes yes yes!!!
Do you think you could look at the camera? Just for a second?
All of the cookies belong to me!
I know where you sleep. I will get my revenge.
Away with you, crazy lady.
I am done with posing for your face-box now. Time for nom!
Away with you, crazy lady.
I am done with posing for your face-box now. Time for nom!
A very happy red dog says THANK YOU to Katrin and her boys!
Now for the next part of the game. I'll send a "Paw It Forward" package to the first two people who reply saying that they want to play. Then after you get your package, you "paw it forward" by sending packages to two more people. Very cool! Anyone want to play?
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