Echo does a "thing" that I have never experienced with any other dog.
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Let me back up.
I've known, since I was in kindergarten, that dogs are sensitive about their feet, and, not too particular about their genitals. As opposed to us.
The point is dogs consider their feet their "private parts".
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So, I am trying to figure out Echo.
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She has been sleeping with me, since our first day together. In fact, at the start of this blog, there is post about the first night we were together.
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Now, she sleeps with her head on my pillow, with her back against my chest. (I sleep on my side)
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She has started dong this "thing". I know what she wants from me, when she does it. I'm not sure why she chose this particular thing to express it.
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The first time it happened, we settled in to bed, together. ... and she groaned. It was the "all is right with the world" groan, and we were fine, for a while.
THEN, she, without moving her body, or disturbing the arm I had over her, started FLAILING her legs.
When she, finally, settled, the pads of her back paws were on the heel of the palm of the arm I had thrown over her, and the backs of her front paws were tucked in the part of my palm between my thumb and forefinger.
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At first, it was occasional. NOW, she does this, pretty much, daily, and she wants to be held, in this fashion, for about 30 minutes a day.
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Don't get me wrong, I like it. It has become "Dad" and "Little Girl" "cuddle time".
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I have questions, though:
A) Is this a "collie" thing?
B) Is it an "Echo and Kevin" thing?
C) Or is it something else?
Friday, February 20, 2015
Sunday, February 8, 2015
CGC
I mean no offense to anyone reading this, TRULY.
From the time that Echo came to live with me, I have felt like the "Canine Good Citizenship"(CGC) certification from the American Kennel Club has been hanging over my/our head.
Echo's breeder has told me how her "smartest dog EVER" had to do it twice ... and how much Echo is like that dog.
On the day that I received Echo into my home. Jeanmarie Kautzman talked to me about the INCREDIBLE task I had taken on, in getting her to CGC certification.
From day one, our trainer, Ursula Pettyjohn, RIGOROUSLY pushed us toward the test, and had HIGH standards.
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Then, "my little girl, and I, took the test today.
Going in, I was MUCH more confident in her, as an obedient dog, than I was in me, as a competent "handler".
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I thought it was going to be just one other dog/handler "couple", and us. I was hoping to go first.
I was wrong.
The first of two other handlers showed up ... with two dogs to test.
The second showed up with THREE dogs to test.
... and Echo and I were chosen to go last. .... dammit!
---
After working with various trainers, since September 2012, I had this concept in my head about how difficult the CGC certification was to achieve, and after 2+ years of training, I wasn't sure that Echo and I were up to the task.
I thought we were REALLY close, though. Just enough that I decided to give it a shot.
---
Then, I saw the other 5 dogs go through the test.
2 of the 5 passed.
As I was watching, I couldn't help think that, in training, my dog and I were held to a MUCH HIGHER standard, as a pup, than these dogs are being held to at this moment.
---
And, for the first 9 (out of 10) tasks, Echo was ... there should have been videos put on YouTube of Echo demonstrating how to pass those tasks, PERFECTLY!
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The final task, we had to do twice.
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Echo is a VERY friendly dog.
In fact, in the 2+ years I have had her, she has only met ONE person that she has not liked. She regards ALL dogs as potential playmates. ... Our trainer, on more than one occasion, has called her "an incorrigible flirt".
---
When confronted with doing "reaction to another dog", for the second time, Ursula pulled me out of "dog handler" mode, and told me to re-engage Echo like I always do ... "my little girl".
I trusted Ursula, and did what she said.
And, once again, Echo gave a "text book" performance of how that task is supposed to be done.
---
So, here we are:
From the time that Echo came to live with me, I have felt like the "Canine Good Citizenship"(CGC) certification from the American Kennel Club has been hanging over my/our head.
Echo's breeder has told me how her "smartest dog EVER" had to do it twice ... and how much Echo is like that dog.
On the day that I received Echo into my home. Jeanmarie Kautzman talked to me about the INCREDIBLE task I had taken on, in getting her to CGC certification.
From day one, our trainer, Ursula Pettyjohn, RIGOROUSLY pushed us toward the test, and had HIGH standards.
---
Then, "my little girl, and I, took the test today.
Going in, I was MUCH more confident in her, as an obedient dog, than I was in me, as a competent "handler".
-----
I thought it was going to be just one other dog/handler "couple", and us. I was hoping to go first.
I was wrong.
The first of two other handlers showed up ... with two dogs to test.
The second showed up with THREE dogs to test.
... and Echo and I were chosen to go last. .... dammit!
---
After working with various trainers, since September 2012, I had this concept in my head about how difficult the CGC certification was to achieve, and after 2+ years of training, I wasn't sure that Echo and I were up to the task.
I thought we were REALLY close, though. Just enough that I decided to give it a shot.
---
Then, I saw the other 5 dogs go through the test.
2 of the 5 passed.
As I was watching, I couldn't help think that, in training, my dog and I were held to a MUCH HIGHER standard, as a pup, than these dogs are being held to at this moment.
---
And, for the first 9 (out of 10) tasks, Echo was ... there should have been videos put on YouTube of Echo demonstrating how to pass those tasks, PERFECTLY!
---
The final task, we had to do twice.
---
Echo is a VERY friendly dog.
In fact, in the 2+ years I have had her, she has only met ONE person that she has not liked. She regards ALL dogs as potential playmates. ... Our trainer, on more than one occasion, has called her "an incorrigible flirt".
---
When confronted with doing "reaction to another dog", for the second time, Ursula pulled me out of "dog handler" mode, and told me to re-engage Echo like I always do ... "my little girl".
I trusted Ursula, and did what she said.
And, once again, Echo gave a "text book" performance of how that task is supposed to be done.
---
So, here we are:
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