Dock Diving!

May 21, 2011
Jersey, GA

That was some training day today. The bird work didn't go all that well. First off, I helped my friend train his puppy, and the plan was to then take Tessa and follow the advanced teams to work on backing/steadiness. That was cut short when a friend's dog suffered a snake bite and I rushed them off to a nearby vet. Back at the plantation, we caught the tail end of field work before everyone proceeded to the water, as it was getting hot.

There was too much serious duck work going on at the duck search pond, so I took Tessa to the puppy pond where she had a blast jumping off the dock on the far end. She's done it before, but not as much as that day - she absolutely loved it. Once she got to shore, she raced up to the dock, ready to jump again, just like a kid at a pool.

We are planning on entering in a dock diving competition in July but there are two things we need to work on: jumping into a pool (blue water instead of muddy lake water) and running into the jump, rather than stopping at the edge of the dock for push-off. Access to blue water is a problem for us - the Canine Ranch, a training facility near Canton, GA, is a 2-hour drive away.

Walking on water? No problem!

Soon, Tessa was joined by a bunch of Vizslas that got all excited about watching Tessa jump, and Tessa actually managed to talk some of them into following suit!

Straightjacket Fits

December 13, 2008
Sandy Creek Park, GA

Per vet's suggestion, we had to order new gear - a harness. I am not fond of harnesses as they encourage pulling and hinder training, but Tessa had some unexplained pain last week and was diagnosed with possible whiplash or muscle strain in her neck caused by her incredible exuberance when out and about. The vet was unable to reproduce the pain during a very thorough exam and seeing that it took four people to hold her down just to get her temperature, while she was trying to spread her love among all of us, the diagnosis of muscle or neck sprain was made, in absence of other symptoms and findings.

The recommended course of action was 5-7 days of rest and no walks unless I can put her in a harness so as to not further strain the neck. Probably a good idea for her to wear one past the 7 days until she is able to control her love for the world. After some research I decided on the Ruffwear Web Master, and I am very impressed with its construction and functionality - it's simply incredible. These harnesses are marketed for hiking dogs, but also used in Search & Rescue where dogs need to be lifted in and out of boats and helicopters (yes, it has a handle, and it is fully padded). I think it will come in handy in many ways. Thankfully, she does not pull much more when in it and is easier to maneuver when over-excited around people.

"I can see Beijing!"

The Ruffwear harness allows free range of motion, and in no way hinders the Big Dig underway at the beach.

Tally Whoa!

November 15, 2008
Sandy Creek Park, GA

Just another day at the park...lacking a yard, this is where we like to hang out for work and play, often a combination of the two. Tessa's favorite command is "whoa". Of course, it's a long road to perfection, but her puppy whoa is pretty solid and I often take the chance to get some shots of my otherwise fast moving dog.

The next day, we did our first track and retrieve of Tessa's quail-feathered dummy. Just trying to keep things interesting for her.

Did I say interesting?

November 16, 2008
Big Yak Inspection