Tutorial: How to Get a Puppy off Your Bed

Step 1: You are moving. What can you get rid of so it doesn't have to be brought along?

Step 2: Oh! I know! Remember how you ordered that big, really cool, expensive bed for the dogs and you somehow ended up with two of them and had to put one in the garage because they just take up so much stinkin' space? Maybe you could get rid of that? You could even sell it and then you would have less stuff to move and more money. Good deal!

Step 3: Wait. Erie might like. Wonder if she'll be able to use it.

Step 4: Better let Erie try it. It might take you a few weeks to remember to let her.

Step 5: Get the bed out of the huge box it's being stored in in the garage. Set it up in the living room and grab some dog cookies.

Step 6: Show the cookies to Erie. Lift up the top of the cave bed and throw it in for Erie to get.

Step 7: Realize that you'll have to do a better job tossing in the cookie because all Erie had to do was stick her head in, not climb to the back.

Step 8: Throw a few more cookies in till Erie realizes how she's supposed to use the bed.

Step 9: Leave bed in the living room the rest of the day. Stare dazedly at your dog on said bed who is being much better behaved than normal as she doesn't want to vacate her position.

Step 10: Bedtime. Place bed in little, tiny, no-room-for-it-space in bedroom because you feel bad taking it from the Vizsla puppy.

Step 11: Go to bed. The puppy will not attempt to get on your bed again. Why bother? You have a hard, flat bed. She has a soft, cushy cave.

[Erie in her cave. She's not very deep in it, but the top part is over her back and part of her head. Her pink crate door is in the frame next to her and she is looking directly at the camera.]

[Zoomed in shot of the previous photo. Erie is more prominent.]

Be sure to try it out at home and let me know how it works for you!

Just Keep Swimming . . .

Erie has had several opportunities now to go swimming. And well, she's never done very well. Until this week!

[Erie just behind Rosie in the pool. Rosie has a ball in her mouth.]

A few weeks ago, we finally got her to go in to the pool of her own free will and choice by having her follow her brother, Charlie, but she didn't swim too much. She did a lot of standing on the top step and then jumping right back out and very, very minimal swimming.

[Erie mid-turn. Rosie turned faster than her and took her by surprise. She kinda reminds me of an otter.]

She played with Rosie this week and it took a little patience and some encouragement but she ended up following Rosie in the pool. And eventually she was playing in the pool. And then she was getting in even when Rosie didn't.

[Rosie in front again, still with the toy. They are right by the side of the pool and Erie is just stepping up onto the underwater ledge.]

She wasn't to keen on using the stairs either to get in or out. She dove in from the side, meaning she was fully immersed every time she got in. She also climbed out from the side ledge, quite a feat for a not-yet-very-large puppy. That probably contributed to her total exhaustion that night and the next day.

[Erie still swimming behind Rosie. She is just not as fast.]

Seriously, total exhaustion. The next day was the first time in the five months I've had Erie that I've had all three dogs loose in the house all day with nary a tie down, drag line, or baby gate insight. She was calm and collected and left the other dogs alone. I'm in love with exhausted Erie!

[Erie finally got the toy before Rosie. I threw it for Erie while Rosie was distracted.]

[Erie standing in the yard behind the pool, with a ball at her feet, just daring Rosie to come take it.]

In the last month . . .

Erie has been really cute. . .

This sweet old girl, Cami, was diagnosed with cancer. . .

She hid from the fireworks. . .

Erie won her sweepstakes class and didn't win her regular class at the Monterey Peninsula Vizsla Club Specialty show in Carmel where I handled her myself (scary!) . . .

She got to go to the beach for the first time after the Carmel show . . .

Where she was in turn interested in and frightened by small children . . .

And then decided that she was to good to sit in the back of the car . . .

A trend that continued the following weekend on our way to a show in Portland . . .

Where she won her class both days and took Winners Bitch on Sunday for her first 2 points!

Erie & Charlie

[Photo shamelessly stolen from the Budha/Szari Litter FB page where Liz posted it]

Have I explained about Charlie on this blog? Dog relationships are so confusing . . .

Erie's (dog) mom is Kezza. Kezza was bred to Budha. They had Erie (and six other puppies). Szari is a puppy from Kezza's first litter. That makes Szari and Erie half sisters. Szari is owned by Judy, also Budha's owner. Judy bred Szari to Budha a few months after Erie's litter. Charlie is one of those puppies. That makes Erie Charlie's auntie (on their mom's sides) and his half sister (on their daddy's side). WHEW! Did you get all that? (Even more confusing for me to figure out . . . Kezza's full-sister Stella just had puppies with Budha. I think those puppies are Erie's cousins and half-siblings but I'm not gonna guarantee I thought that out properly).

Anyhow, I met Liz and her family when Erie was just like five weeks old or something, the first time I went to Kit's house to meet the puppies. They wanted a vizsla and were in the process of deciding on breeders and litters. Getting a puppy from that same litter didn't work out but last month Liz and one of her sons traveled to Utah to pick up Charlie. I didn't realize how close we lived until they brought Charlie home and Liz suggested play-dates.

Today was our second one and we went to the mostly fenced but not completely, kind-of a dog park but not exactly grassy field area in the housing development Liz lives in. Liz had a lot going on at her house with family so I was only there for about two hours I think and I believe the dogs ran for about 45 minutes.

I had been really nervous to let them play in this area as it's not completely fenced but Liz and Judy convinced me to try it. I left a long line on Erie and made sure she realized I had her bait bag and let her go. Scary!!! I only had to call her back about five times when she made us nervous by getting to close to the exits (I don't think she realized she was though) and SHE CAME BACK EVERY STINKIN' TIME!!! She did blow one of them by running past me before returning for real but I was such a proud doggy mommy. Erie is, in my opinion, easily the best behaved dog in her obedience class, (as well as being the youngest) but real life is so different than class. All you GDB people aught to understand that. Just like PITs know the jacket means they're working, Erie knows that when we're at class we're working. It is so gratifying to see that training play out in real life situations.

The above photo was taken in Liz's yard after the run. Charlie is quite the handsome guy. We're all looking forward to another play-date soon.

My dog loves me

You can't see me but I'm what she's looking at so intently. When she does remember to offer eye contact she has the most intense gaze ever. Being a 6.5 month old puppy, though, she doesn't always remember.

I saw this on Judy's website last night and asked her for it. It's from the dog show (see previous post). I'm not sure who took it or I'd give them credit. It's Judy's camera! :)

"Best Puppy"

Two weekends ago was the annual four day long "Woofstock" dog show in Vallejo, California. For all you people from here, that's pronounced "Valelle." If you're not from here, go ahead and use its Spanish pronunciation.

The show was Thursday-Sunday, with Erie turning 6 months old on that Saturday, making it the very first day she could be entered in a show. It's also the day of the Vizsla Club of Northern California's Specialty show. Essentially what that means is that within the all breed dog show, the VCNC sponsored extra classes and prizes for Vizslas. There are a lot more dogs at specialties which means more points are up for grabs. The VCNC specialty is one of the largest in the country.

Erie was handled by Judy, the owner of her daddy Budha. She came all the way from Draper, Utah for the show. Judy also brought two of her dogs, Budha and Szari, Erie's half sister (they have the same mom) who just had her own litter of puppies go home a little over a month before the show. She did show both of her dogs but Budha was also here to meet some people who are interested in getting puppies from Kit (Erie's breeder) who just bred two of her dogs- that came into heat within a week of each other- to Budha. There are lots of Budha puppies now, a good thing in my opinion because he is a stunning dog.

We had lots of fun. It was hot and I was tired but I enjoyed spending time with vizslas and vizsla people. So did Erie. The pictures aren't fabulous but neither is my camera!

Judy handling Erie (center) with Kit (owner of the mom and breeder of the litter) handling Zoe (right), Erie's full sister, in the Sweepstakes Puppy 6-9 months bitches class. The puppy on the left (who is cut off) actually won this particular class but because it was the sweepstakes class it works a little differently. I'd explain except I don't fully understand. The gist of what I know: in sweepstakes you don't win points but you do win part of your entry fee back.

Judy stacking Erie. I think this is the sweepstakes class again.

After the sweepstakes the regular show began. These are the classes that count for points. In order to put a championship on a dog the dog must earn 15 points, with at least two majors (a win worth three or more points). The number of points that a win is worth is based on the number of dogs entered (I think- it might actually be based on the number of dogs entered in that show the previous year). Only the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch earn points. This is a picture of Erie in her Puppy 6-8 months bitches class. She won and moved on to the Winners Bitch judging (which she did not win).

After all the regular classes were over, there were a few special classes offered because it was a vizsla specialty. One of them was Best Puppy. There are six puppy classes: Dogs and Bitches in three age groups. The winner of each class is eligible to compete for Best Puppy and Erie won. The professional pictures will be delivered in the mail later but this is a picture of Erie and me with all her "spoils" from winning two puppy classes (she won on Sunday too- this picture was taken right before I left for home on Sunday) and her Best Puppy win on Saturday (Best Puppy was not offered Sunday since it wasn't a specialty).

Before I left we took photos of (left to right) Erie, her daddy Budha, her mommy Kezza, and her litter mate Zoe.

Erie held an excellent sit-stay for these photos. I was so proud. Maybe even more proud then I was of her wins. People were literally climbing over her to get their dogs back in their spot and she just sat there. "Good girl!"

She was exhausted when we got home. I had to hurry up and get ready for church because I was teaching Relief Society that day so she got to stay home and recover while I ran off to give what I hope was a decent lesson given how sun struck I was.

That's all. I'll post her professional photo when I get it. I'm planning on entering her in another Vizsla specialty in Carmel, California in a month. I'd be showing her myself which makes me nervous but it would be a good experience. We've got lots of practicing to do. Best Puppy wins are fun but we want points!

Erie "listening" Really Well

I uploaded this video so that Erie's breeders can come watch it. The rest of you might not find it all that interesting. I was trying to get Erie to play with her jolly ball and instead she was being a little nerd and ignoring me. She was up on a ledge in the backyard and I was filming and there really wasn't much I could do to insist she follow directions and it kinda seems like she knew that.

Sorry for my annoying voice. Ugghh.

Erie weighs 38.6 pounds today.