The Future of Dog Clubs

A dog trainer friend of mine once said, "I believe there is a place in dog clubs for non-competitive people."

This seems like a no-brainer to me, since one of the goals of an organization that trains dogs (including pet dogs) should be to mold pet dogs into good canine citizens and promote responsible ownership, which, in turn, will protect our rights to own our own dogs, take our dogs to public open spaces, compete with our dogs at various indoor and outdoor venues, regardless of breed, size, etc.

But apparently, to some, there is one focus and one focus only: winning and competing.

Hey, listen.  I compete.  I sure as heck like to win.  I am thankful to have the opportunity to train for competition-level activities with my competition-loving dog.

But recently, I heard a comment from someone that really bothered me.  A new student sent an e-mail asking whether her registration had been received for a pet obedience class.  However, she directed her inquiry to the registrar for competition classes, rather than the registrar for basic classes.  An honest mistake, but some people found this completely appalling and unacceptable, for some reason unbeknownst to me.  I'm still not sure what was particularly bothersome about it and, quite frankly, am a little surprised that a simple mistake elicited such a reaction.

Maybe it's because I'm not so far removed from those humble, confused beginnings in my dog club, in which I frequently sent e-mails regarding what classes to take, whether my information had been received or not, and things like that, but I didn't think it was a big deal at all.  The competition registrar simply directed the student to the correct person, and it was over.  No need for hysterics.

This recent exchange goes along with a series of negative things I've heard people say about non-competitive or less-competitive dog club members.. including that they are "clueless," and, my personal favorite, that "Rally is for retards" (which I don't think could possible offend a larger number of people!).

Coincidentally, another topic came up at the same time that this conversation unfolded.  Someone mentioned a kennel club that, essentially, is now defunct because the members essentially "aged out."  Now, a dog training club is slightly different than a kennel club, but the premise is the same - we need new blood!

By bringing in "pet people" (just like myself, when I started out two years ago), a dog training club accomplishes quite a few things.  For one, they make money; the money made on basic obedience classes is what  fuels the competition obedience and agility programs.  In addition to that, they potentially score volunteers to help run their events.  And, perhaps the biggest benefit of all, they stand a pretty good chance at reeling in some new people who want to train their dog in an advanced activity and can thus be active members in the club.

Some clubs don't offer basic classes at all.  That's OK - in that case, they've made their mission clear and can focus on the aspects of dog ownership that they enjoy or specialize in.  But, when a club does offer basic obedience classes, I feel that the new students should be welcomed and encouraged to participate rather than talked about behind their backs or treated as lesser.

I feel like many members of the dog training world are close-minded to new people.  Certainly not everyone is - we have a lot of dog club members who are very active in the pet training world and who handle themselves appropriately when discussing things other than competitive dog training. I don't think this is exclusive to this hobby - I've been a newbie in other hobbies before and can remember the difficulty in getting myself established, being taken seriously, and making connections with people.  But what is going to happen when my club's older member base is no longer active?  If we are not going to recruit new people, who is going to step up and help run our club?

Hoping to gain some insights from people from all different dog ownership backgrounds and have a little discussion. What does a dog club mean to you? Should it be a priority to draw new people in?  If so, how should it be done?

Being Nice

I'm in a bit of a hurry right now, so I'll leave you with this short-n-sweet post on this cold and snowy Friday:

On Sunday, at the Rally trial, Marge had the pleasure of meeting two Bearded Collie puppies and a Pyrenean Shepherd puppy.  She was hanging out by me while I was putting up scores on the easel, and saw them come in the door about 20 feet away.  She became instantly excited, and started play bowing to them wildly.

The pictures aren't great, but they're proof that she did, indeed, play with these pups.  She's usually not a fan of the young'ns.

We've Got Puppies

I had another post scheduled for today, but it can wait.  I received something special this week, and am excited and want to share it with you all!

This beautiful, hand-knitted, stack of pups was sent to me by Sue from The Portuguese Water Blog.  She sent them to me in celebration of Marge's big 2010, where we accomplished a lot of great things.

There is some backstory, here.  I thought that Sue was sending me a simple Christmas card.  However, it never arrived.  So, I asked Sue about it, and she told me that she did, indeed, send a package.

But, before I alerted her to the fact that I hadn't received anything, poor Sue probably thought that I had received it, but made no mention of it to her (which I would have never done - how incredibly rude that would have been!).

Anyway, long story short, the mystery package finally got here, somehow, after several weeks.  In the box was a nice card and a cute disc toy for Marge (which she will sample when the snow melts), along with my personal favorite item, the hand-made pups.  I think they are absolutely adorable, pudgy little guys!  And they are SO soft.

Marge was interested in them, too.  She thought that they were for playing.  She promptly knocked the poor guys over.

They're too special for her to put her grubby mouth all over, though, so they're safe and sound, high up where she can't reach them, on display (see the first photo).  Of course, I did pose her just once with them before moving them to their new home:

Thank you so very much, Sue, for your thoughtful gift.  It's so nice to have such a caring (and talented) friend.. and proof that blogs can far transcend the pictures and posts.

I'd better go sneak in a snuggle with those pups now.. it sure is cold here in NY.

Marge Gets ARCH'd

Yes, that's right.  The dog formerly known as Marge is now ARCH Marge!

We had a long two days of APDT Rally trialing this weekend.  On both Saturday and Sunday, Marge had four runs.  That makes for a total of EIGHT runs for the weekend - the most Marge has ever done in a span of two days.

We accumulated two double qualifying scores (QQ's) on Saturday.  Here is one of our runs.

Her effort in this run and an earlier run led to our designation as being the Highest Scoring Dog in Levels 1 and 2 for the morning trials, an honor known as "High Combined."

The excitement didn't stop there.  After four more successful runs on Sunday, Marge earned her APDT Rally Champion title.  Here is the final run.



Though Marge was less precise than normal with her heeling, her fronts and her finishes, she did show great control.  Our transitions in to the ring are getting steadily better and better.  And, normally the Level 2 jump (as shown in the video above) puts her in to crazy agility mode; however, she remained collected throughout the entire course... for all eight runs.

I knew Marge would get her ARCH, but had no idea it would happen this soon.  We did a lot of APDT Rally this January and it all paid off.  I think the trials were great experiences for Marge to get in the ring and have lots of fun.  I think it's clear in the videos that she's enjoying herself. APDT Rally has got to be one of the most welcoming, upbeat organizations I've ever been a part of.  I'm glad to have these opportunities to show with Marge.

Now: on to the ARCHX and Level 3.

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P.S. - Please pay a visit to Sara's blog today, she had to set her beautiful Misty girl free early this morning after a battle with bladder issues and congestive heart failure.  Run free at the bridge, sweet girl.  We'll miss you dearly - we feel as though we've come to know you so well after reading about you for all of this time. 

Day 937

That's how many days it's been since I brought Marge home.

The anniversary of this blog's inception, however, is much simpler - two whole years.

Can you believe it?  What started out as a training journal simply for my own personal use has become something much more... a place for me to connect with people all over the world, a place for me to jot down some of my innermost thoughts, a place for me to share my love of dog training, dog behavior, dog sports, dog ownership, dog love.

The main character's qualities have changed a bit, too.  I said it last year and I'll say it again: "Fear, which used to consume everything that we did, now is just one theme in a great book of adventures."

It's still there, like the familiar antagonist that keeps popping up every once in a while in a long novel, but we'd like to think we've got a better handle on it now.  I hope that you've learned and continue to learn from the experiences, successes, and failures that we've had.  I love sharing what we do with people who care about dogs just as much as I do.

Who knows what the next year will bring?  Guess we'll have to just wait and see. :) Thank you for helping make MargeBlog so special.

(P.S. - We're slowly catching back up to visit you all - it's been a long week battling this cold.  Hang in there, and we'll stop by soon to see what you've all been up to!)

Tuesday Training 43

So much for more regular posting and updates.

I've been sick as a dog for the past three days or so.  Horrible headaches, body aches, stuffy nose, swollen glands, aching ears, fever.  NOT fun.  I've cancelled a whole lot of plans in the past 72 hours (because for some reason, this "winter break" really hasn't been much of a break at all).  As such, I've had absolutely no desire to blog or do anything other than sleep.

I did, however, go to agility class on Sunday night.  I'm too tired to post much more than this, but here's one of the courses we ran:

My plan:

- Led out past 2 with Marge on my right to get her in to tunnel.
- Send her up the A-Frame, she's on my left until after Jump 8.
- Front crossed on the landing side of 8, as well as the landing side of 10 (of course, I put the number on the wrong side of the obstacle in Course Designer.. tire 9 - jump 10 should be a 180, not a threadle).
- Straight forward until the weave entrance.. and what a wicked entrance it was!  But, Marge and I nailed it on the first try.
- Then, the course ended the same way that it started.

Though this was not officially a class -- it was actually a group lesson that I organized with my teacher and some fellow students -- this was our first time training at the Excellent level (that is, with other Excellent level dogs).  We've moved on up!

Group Hike With Friends

Dear Marge,


Why are you so full of surprises lately?  Not that I'm complaining!..

My friend, whose dogs I often walk, asked me yesterday if I'd like to go for a walk with her in the woods that afternoon.  I thought it'd be fun and hoped Marge would think the same, so I loaded her little black self in to the car and met my friend at her house.  Another one of our friends from the dog club was also there with one of her dogs, a Border Collie mix.

They were all in the yard playing together, but I opted to keep Marge outside the fence and let her say hello that way.  She was a little unsure of what was going on at that point, and I figured that the excitement from an exuberant Golden Retriever greeting (Spirit LOVES me.. and, well, just about everyone) might send Marge in to snark mode.

We all got in to our cars, took a short 5-minute drive to the top of a deserted hill where we could get on the trail.

Marge had an amazing time.  Really, I didn't expect her to be so comfortable and so social with the other three dogs.

I quickly realized that the 6-foot leash just wasn't going to cut it, and let her out on her 20' line.  The other dogs were completely offleash. Eventually, I was brave enough to drop the leash and give Marge some freedom.  We reached a clearing and all of the dogs began to zoom all over the place with one another.

Allowed off leash?  In a place as fun as this? Yeah, I can't believe it either..

Yes, my shy, not-always-so-dog-friendly, squirrel-chasing, scent-loving dog was offleash on the trail, blazing alongside the other dogs.  She led the way, which was convenient because I didn't want anyone to trip over her long line.  Every time I called her name, she came running back to me like the good girl that she is.

Marge made fast friends with Ozzy, who is calmer and laid back.

She play-bowed and ran zoomies with all of the dogs.  She knows them all already, but has never had the opportunity to play with them this much!  I honestly did not know she enjoyed their company to this extent.  I think she snarked a total of one time.. at Bailey, the smallest and oldest (and, as his owner says, crankiest) dog in the group!

I am truly surprised at how much she adores Spirit.  Marge is not typically a fan of Golden Retrievers.  It's likely because Spirit is about as dog social as they get and has good doggy manners.  This is extremely encouraging, since we may be taking some trips to agility trials with Spirit and her mom in the future.

Why yes, that's MY dog sharing a sniff with a big happy Golden!

We set them up for an obligatory group pose at the end.  Unfortunately, all I had was my cell phone camera to snap with.

If that weren't enough, we all headed back to my friend's house after the fun for some hot chocolate.  Marge came inside the house.. she continued to be sociable with her new hiking mates, and got to meet one of the three resident cats. (She only nervously growled when the kitty emerged from the cat-sized cutout in the basement door.. I think she was perplexed as to how the cat appeared out of the wall!) She did put her front paws on the kitchen counter and nosed around every single room she could sneak into, but eventually settled down.

Of course, now that I know that Marge is comfortable taking hikes in a group, I'll be nagging my friends to go again soon!  What a special day.

Tuesday Training 42

Mother Nature's dealing us a crappy hand this week, which means we'll need to stay inside and weather yet another snowstorm in the next 24 hours. That leaves lots of time for potential training.

I totally stole this trick from Sara & Oreo.  Despite the fact that I knew cards would get punctured, slobbered on, and bent in the process (Marge is not as elegant and gentle with her jaws as Oreo is), I just had to try it for myself.

I first shaped Marge to pick a single card out of my hand using a clicker and treats.  Shaping it didn't take her long, as mouthing an object is usually one of the first behaviors that she offers.  She did have some trouble when picking one card from a hand of multiple cards, though.. I guess since the slobber made them stick together a bit..

At the beginning of the video, Marge was mildly distracted by Layla, who was hopping up on to the furniture to get as close to the heat vent as possible.

So, where to go with this simple little trick? Leave it as is, or build on it to teach Marge something more complex?

Let me know your ideas!

Question and Answer (Pet Blogger Challenge)

I saw this questionnaire posted on Champion of My Heart and thought it'd be fun to play along.  It's a part of the Pet Blogger Challenge, in which we're to think critically about what we want to get out of blogging.

1. When did you begin your blog?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009.  The day has no particular meaning; I toyed with the idea of starting a blog for a long time and after securing the URL name and everything, finally wrote my first post.  I didn't have consistent readership for a few months after that.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
It was solely a place for me to log my training progress with Marge.  I was just finishing Beginner Obedience at my dog club and aspired to do so much more (and ultimately was able to do so much more.. in a shorter period of time than I originally anticipated).

3. Is your current purpose the same?
In many ways, yes.  I try to have posts about all of the "big" things Marge and I do.  That varies from agility class, to Rally trials, to trips to new places, and lots of things in between.

But, at the same time, it's definitely changed somewhat... because I do enjoy when my comment box becomes an online auditorium for debate and discussion with fellow dog enthusiasts.  I also greatly value the many relationships I've made with people through my blog and enjoy reading their stories and seeing what they think about mine.  So, the "social" element of my blog is something that's evolved and is still evolving.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?
Mostly whenever I want to.  I admit, I do get a little antsy when it's been a couple of days and I have no new material to put up, but I'd much prefer not blogging than putting up a post about something I haven't given a lot of thought to.

I average around 15 posts a month, but they usually come in bursts (and then I go silent for around a week or so).  I'm trying to increase the number of posts I put up and be more regular in my posting this year.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?
Absolutely not.  I would be interested in advertising if a company whose products I like approached me, but I don't think I'm "big" enough yet for that.

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?
The things I like the most about my blog is the richness and variety of the content.  I never post "just to post."  And, I like to vary things to keep a diverse readership; I post pictures some days, and others my posts are more wordy and technical. Sometimes I talk about fear issues, other times about dog sports, and  now I've begun incorporating the story lines of some other animals who influence me - Layla and Taco.

This may help or hurt readership - I'm not sure which.  Sometimes I think that some behavior/training and dog sport folks overlook my blog because I post about many topics and not JUST those things.  Other times, I think that my decision to have a lot of dog and animal related topics brings more people from all different walks of life to read my blog.  Marge's life is part pet, part recovering fearful dog and part athlete.  I want that to show through my blog.

What I like most about blogging in general is the community that develops; there are lots and lots of people whose input and comments I greatly value, and they've helped me to grow as a dog trainer.  It's also heartwarming during times of need when all blogging animal lovers seem to come together and give each other support.

7. What do you like least?
I don't like when blogging becomes a popularity contest.  If I comment on your blog, that means there is something there that I truly enjoy.  Be it a picture, a common interest, a thought-provoking post, or even just an interesting activity that I've never been able to do myself.  I want my readers to feel the same about my blog; I want them to be reading because they enjoy learning about Marge.  Sometimes, I see comments on blogs that seem to scream, "I didn't really read this post, I'm just commenting your blog so that you reciprocate and comment mine."  And I don't think that's cool at all.

In terms of my blog, the thing I like least is the fluctuations in the amount of time I can devote to my blog.  There are some days where I am able to visit other blogs every few hours, and other days where my reader piles up with new posts that I won't get the chance to look at.  Such is the nature of the life of a college student!

8. How do you see your blog changing or growing in 2011?
In 2011, I hope to continue to diversify my content and get on a more regular posting schedule.  I hope to continue to meet like-minded dog owners, follow their adventures and learn from them (and maybe them from me).  I want to do more series of posts (multi-week posts about specific topics) and continue things like Tuesday Training more frequently. I'm toying with the idea of giveaways and/or contests as well.

That's about it.  I'm very happy with how my blog has grown.  If you have any suggestions about what you'd like to see on MargeBlog in the future, please do not hesitate to let me know!

Surprise, Surprise

Imagine my frustration when I found out that my club's APDT Rally trial had filled.

Imagine my amazement when I found out just a few days ago that a couple of runs opened up and I was able to show.

Imagine my sheer JOY when Marge showed successfully in all three of her runs, boasting two first places and a second place, one perfect score, finishing one title and double qualifying for the first leg of her first championship title!  That's a mouthful!

I had a blast today; Marge was a LOT of fun to play some Rally with.  Unfortunately, I have no video because I went by myself and was paranoid that if I asked someone to record me, I'd jinx myself and we'd NQ.  But, take my word for it: Marge was really phenomenal!

The trial stress stuff that she sometimes experiences was really kept to a minimum.  In fact, I'd say she was more calm in the ring at this Rally trial than any of the others that I've gone to.  She had a couple of spacey moments (her second run of the day probably felt the worst of the three - I did jokingly say "brains! brains!" out loud to her as we heeled between two signs, as a reminder for her to not lose her mind and have some fun), but over all, her eye contact was good, she was responsive to me, and she stayed that way for three runs!

Our recent expeditions in to formal obedience training definitely helped tighten some things up.  Her finishes were much more accurate, and she seemed to be trying hard to find that perfect spot to sit.  To me, that tells me that she was definitely thinking about what she was doing instead of, well, just plain old doing.

I did a couple of things differently than usual.  For one, I brought new treats out for the last couple of runs of the day.  I took a piece of mozzarella from the giant hero sandwich I picked up for the trial, which worked out really well in the last run.  Marge's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw a ball of cheese heading for her mouth.

I also ran the course with her physically faster than usual.  Faster times lead to higher placements in the B classes of APDT Rally, so I gave it a try and it seemed to improve Marge's focus and keep her motivated and on her toes.  I have been told that I "babysit" her too much, in both obedience and agility - so I moved a little faster with a little more spark in my stride, and I think that she liked it.

Several people commented on how well Marge did and, more importantly, how happy she looked to be doing it.

One of the judges, who has never met Marge before, called her "dynamite."  What a compliment!

The whole day was super pleasant and super unexpected.  We're going to have another opportunity to trial in APDT at the end of this month, so stay tuned!

Making Someone's Day

It feels really nice to make someone's day.  I had a couple of errands to run, so I picked up my grandmother so that she could tag along, get out of the house, get some groceries, etc.  I told her that I planned on taking Marge to the park for a short walk, and asked her if she wanted to come.  She said she would.

We only walked for about a half hour (it was cold and getting icy), but my grandma, who is very young and spry for her age (late 70s), was happy to get some fresh air and see the park.  When I dropped her off home, she thanked me profusely, and told me how nice it was, how much she appreciated it, and that we'll have to go again.

I spend a lot of time with my grandma - I see her a couple of times a week, at minimum.  But, I'm usually at her house, or she's at mine, or we're in the supermarket or deli together.  It was nice to spend some quality time with her away from the usual.  It's too bad that most of her other grandkids (and some of her own kids, for that matter) don't do the same, but such is life, and at least I was able to make her happy.

Marge enjoyed the change of scenery as well.  I haven't exactly kept to my promise of taking her to different parks every week (though we have been walking around my neighborhood every day due to the snow in the field across the street, which is still a huge change for us), so this was our first park outing since the last time I blogged about it.

She chased lots of squirrels.  There were TONS of them, including an all black one.  I've heard about black squirrels before, but have never seen one personally.  We also saw some hawks hanging out in a tree, which was very exciting!

Marge's experiences in this park have ranged from the very good to the very bad; the park itself is awesome because there is both a fair amount of foot traffic and a fair amount of places to move away from that traffic.  It's the perfect hybrid between city park and secluded getaway.  Of course, it resembled more of a secluded getaway today with the low temps, but that's okay.

However, the surrounding communities, for some reason, are very noisy!  We've heard construction sounds within the park on a couple of occasions, which has NOT make Marge happy.  Thankfully, except for a few loud noises (likely from the sanitation trucks collecting heaps of garbage following this snow storm), it was very quiet today, and Marge fared well.

Marge was still raring to go when we were back at the car, but, with my grandma along, 30 minutes was enough time for the day.  Hopefully, we'll get back there soon.

The Breed For Me

As the member of a dog club where many people own purebred dogs, I'm in an interesting position as the owner of a mixed breed; if I do, one day, choose to make a purebred dog a part of my life, I've got lots of choices, and the dogs I'm around certainly make an impact on my opinions of various breeds.

I thought it'd be fun to take a slew of Dog Breed Quizzes online and analyze the results a bit.

Animal Planet's Breed Selector told me the best choice for me would be an Australian Shepherd.
PuppyFinder.com's Breed Selector also gave the Aussie as the top choice.

Good Housekeeping's Breed Selector told me a Rottweiler would fit well into my home.  (Marge vehemently disagrees, as they are, unfortunately, her least favorite breed.)

Breeder Retriever's Breed Selector put the English Setter in the number one spot for me.

ShowDog.com's Breed Selector returned the Bearded Collie in the answer list.

Eukanuba's Breed Selector selected the Bouvier Des Flandres as the best dog based on my answers.

Purina's Breed Selector returned no matches - I guess they don't think I'm fit to own a dog!

And, lastly, SelectSmart.com's Breed Selector told me that no purebred fits my lifestyle and that I'd be best suited to a mixed breed.

Obviously, these tests are bogus, but breed suggestions sure are interesting when you've never owned a purebred dog before.  I'd also be interested in hearing the results that some of these tests return for some of you, especially if you already own purebred dogs and know what types you like.

I have to be honest.. with the exception of the Australian Shepherd (and, of course, a good ol' mutt), I don't think I'd like living with any of the breeds that these tests suggested to me.  They do seem to have it narrowed down to Herding, Working, and Sporting dogs, though, which are the type of dogs I prefer.

So, what do you think?  If I were to get a purebred dog, what type of dog would suit me well? You know the type of dog I like - an athletic, smart and responsive medium-to-large sized dog, with high but not over-the-top exercise and training requirements.  Should be able to tolerate the extremes of a New York climate.  The dog doesn't have to be extremely friendly with strangers and strange animals, but should be able to accompany me to a wide array of places comfortably.

(This is all just for fun, of course.  I won't reveal them yet, but I already know at least a few breeds that I'd be interested in owning!)

Fear issues (and heat intolerance) aside, I've basically described Marge's qualities to a tee.  No wonder I love my girl so much.  She's my "perfect dog" at the moment!

Year of the Cat

Layla snoopervising as I do some school work on my laptop.

Layla's been doing OK since the last time I posted about her.  She had a brief spell last week where she didn't want to eat very much, but her spirits remained high and her appetite has since improved tremendously.

Unfortunately, it does look like the ear infection which caused her stumbling last month has come back.  Her ears are horribly itchy and they seem to be hurting her, too.  Thankfully, she is not wobbling all over the place like she did last time, but she does seem to lose her balance a little bit when she shakes her head.

I have no doubt that it will be cleared up again with another round of antibiotics, but what is worrying me is the source of the infection: I, personally, think it's being caused by build-up in her ears as a result of a food allergy.  That would mean that the food she is eating is indirectly causing the infection.  I'm not sure if this is really possible, but it's my best guess, because nothing else has changed that would cause the infection.

Her current menu consists solely of Royal Canin Veterinary Duck & Green Pea kibble.  This is not my first choice at all; I would have preferred for her to eat EVO 95% Canned Duck exclusively, but her intolerance to wet food (likely an allergy to the thickeners) rendered that impossible after her nose blew up from it.  Royal Canin does not cause her digestive or respiratory problems as some other foods have, but it does seem to be making her ears awfully itchy.

My next step will be to call the vet on Monday and ask him what I should do.  One option could be re-trying one of the kibbles we sampled over the summer (perhaps Natural Balance); it's very possible that because she was eating so many different things at the time, not all of them were making her sick.  Another option might be taking Layla to a special nutritionist, who might have alternative feeding suggestions.  Or, maybe he'll simply opt to do another round of antibiotics before making any diet changes.

In the meantime, she's hanging in there, and certainly plenty fiesty - as evidenced by the demanding meows she bellowed up to me this morning, asking for her breakfast!  My most important goal of all for 2011 is to keep that happiness in her for a long, long time.