Tag Archives: Booker

Not on the agility course, dude!

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Fran on Friday

booker_play_bow_041616I’ve written about Booker’s training. My frustrations and successes, the endless hours of training and classes (well, it seems like endless hours!). Yet I know that no matter how many hours I put into training, something will happen that I don’t expect. It’s inevitable. You can’t plan for everything. You can think about any contingency, but something will happen out of the clear blue sky.

Case in point: Booker playing keep-away at the end of a run. Really? He’s 3 years old. I know he loves me and likes to be with me. Yet at the end of a run, Booker won’t let me grab him and put his leash on. We’ve trained so that he knows he’s not going to get treats until his leash is on, so I don’t understand it. Does he want to run more agility? Does he like the attention?

I tried to train him to play with his leash, but then he won’t leave it alone when I take it off of him. (You can’t run agility with the dog on a leash.) So I’m trying to train him to jump up on me on command. It works for my Tango – but he’s much lighter than Booker is. Hopefully we’ll figure it out. It’s a work in progress.

Visitors calling?

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Fran on Friday

101615_tngobkrWe had a great opportunity this morning to reinforce some training! A couple of friends stopped by to get some toys for another friend’s new dog. On Fridays I work alone here at the shop, and bring Tango and Booker (because Hope doesn’t want them at home! kidding…). We are usually able to fit in a few short training sessions during the day. Fridays tend to be less manic than other days. Tango has a history of being hostile to visitors here, but he loves being a host at home. So I turned the tables on him!

I decided that we’re home here, and he should behave himself. I armed myself and my friends with a handful of treats (very small treats so we could give a lot) and made Tango do simple behaviors. Sit, down, spin. and in no time he was responding beautifully. No insane barking. No jumping up. He watched for the next command so that he could get a treat! And of course, Booker was great as well – aside from a little shoplifting!

So, the moral of the story is – take every opportunity you can to reinforce your training. If you have visitors and they’re amenable, draft them to help with the training. Most people are more than happy to oblige!

Vent hogs!

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Fran on Saturday (we were off yesterday!)

022714_ventYou wouldn’t know it by the temperature most of this season, but it’s winter! The temps have been unseasonably mild, and most of us here in Chicagoland are not complaining. It makes up for the last two years of Polar Vortexes that started in December. It is kind of raw out, and the furnace has been cycling. Our dogs have short hair and they feel the cold, especially if it’s a gray and gloomy day. Booker and Teddy, especially, love to lie in front of the vent when the furnace is on and soak up the heat. Torque doesn’t seem to be as sensitive as his “brothers,” though. Once in a while I’ll see him stretched out next to his siblings. I’m not sure, though, if it’s for the heat or the companionship. They’re certainly cute, but they’re blocking the heat from getting to the rest of the room! My bedroom is their favorite room to lie in front of the vent. I have to remember to turn the light on when I go in my room to get something, otherwise I’m liable to trip over one of the dogs! The vent is right by the door, and if I’m just getting something off the shelf or dropping something on my bed to put away later, I may not turn the light on! I have to remember to tread cautiously!

Peace reigns

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How do all your dogs get along?

Booker, Teddy and Torque

Booker, Teddy and Torque

It’s a question we hear a lot – between Fran and me, there are four dogs around; her Boston Terrier Booker and Brussels Griffon Tango, and my French Bulldogs Teddy and Torque.

The truth is – they get along great, for the most part. Tango is the oldest and really enjoys pouncing on Torque, growling and, apparently, biting him. Tango doesn’t actually have many teeth, so Torque thinks it’s pretty funny and bounces right back for more.

Torque likes to chew on ears (both human and canine), which the other dogs find annoying and let him know. He’s also the youngest, most easy-going of the bunch, and least likely to sulk or take anything to heart.

Teddy is kind of a cuddly blob. He doesn’t instigate any mischief, but is the object of both Booker and Torque’s teasing play – they’re always trying to get Teddy to join in the fun.

Booker is the most active dog in the house – which makes sense, because he’s a Boston Terrier. If you want a couch potato – this is not your breed. He’s also sweet and playful and incredibly soft – if you can get him to sit still long enough to be petted.

We haven’t (knock wood) had any serious battles among this crew – but that doesn’t mean we’ve always been immune. Many years ago we had a couple of male dogs that would, on rare occasions, get into real, serious spats. Fran made the mistake one time of reaching in and trying to pull them apart. A couple of stitches were her reward.

Ever since then, we’ve had a “puppy battle protocol” which we actually practice, just like fire drills. When you hear a dog fight, raise your hands over your head, wave them around frantically, scream like a banshee and run in the opposite direction.

It astonishes the dogs so much they break off what they’re doing and follow to see what the heck you’re up to. Works every time.