KeePawNotes

Cooper's first show

2012-01-29T19:58:00.001-08:00

Cooper is finally old enough to enter in his first show. There has been a lot of preparations up to this point. We train every day. Even though we go on walks and have done different kinds of training, when I put the show chain on him, he acted like he had never been on a leash before. It was bucking bronco time. So, time with a show collar and lead is now a regular part of his training. He stacks (stands) like a pro now, but I still am unsure how he will react in a ring with all the distractions and noise of a real dog show.

Grooming also requires training. I have to say that I have been a bit lax lately with grooming and nails. So, I fear that it is going to take me a while to get him show ready. My original plan was to use the Dremel on his nails at lease every other week just so he would be used to having it done. Well, that hasn't happened. He does pretty good, but he still seems stressed because he is not sure. He will get better at being still with practice. I hope.

His coat is very thick. On Sunday, Sadie was given a bath and completely combed out. Her coat gets a little soft after bathing so it has to be done at least a week before a show or it doesn't look right. Cooper still has that wooly puppy coat that is hard to comb. He will get a bath (to get rid of that stinky boy smell) probably Monday or Tuesday. I will do nails on both probably Friday then both will get spritzed and fluffed right before the show. Hopefully, neither will roll in anything between their bath and the show.

Update:
Cooper had his nails and feet done Friday morning. I then went to the store to get Super Bowl snacks and got rear ended on the way home. Back and neck sore for the rest of the day. Cooper took this opportunity to dig and roll in the dirt. So, Saturday I had to wash his legs and groom him again.

We got to the show site at noon and the ring time was 2:05. We had plenty of time to walk around and get Cooper used to the sights, sounds and smells of an indoor show. He really didn't like dogs in crates barking at him as we walked by. The floor is very slick there and he had trouble walking. It took a good 10 minutes for us to go more than a few yards. The vendors that were by the front door got a good laugh at his legs going 100 miles an hour and his body going nowhere.

Ring time:

Cooper went into the ring first. The judge proclaimed him the "wiggliest puppy". He was so excited and happy. His tail never stopped. I don't think the judge got a chance to actually go over him especially his bite. At least he didn't jump up on the judge or lick him in the face. Thank goodness for small favors.

Sadie decided she didn't want to show for Tiff. I don't think she was as bad as she can be. She at least moved well. She looks good and what's not to like about that sweet face. She is always interesting in the ring. You never know what you are going to get. Are you going to get the one that can wow the judge and all that see her? Or will it be that "other" one that is horrid or just not interested in being there?

Cooper got both a blue and a purple ribbon. Of course, he was the only one there. So, he got both first and last place in his class. He really likes the blue ribbon, not so much the purple one. Sadie got Best of Winners and Best Opposite Sex by default.

The ribbons were not the point. The goal was to get Cooper to a real show for some experience and to remind Sadie. Goal accomplished, bring on Denver!

New Show Leads

2012-01-29T19:34:00.001-08:00

Now that I am no longer working, I have time to try different things. I have been making some new show leads. Some are braided leather with beads and some are braided satin cord with beads. Not sure which I like the most. The satin is a bit thicker than the leather and comes in lots of bright colors. It is very soft in your hand and seems to be very strong. The leather is more traditional. Because it is more natural in color, the beads really stand out and make a statement. I plan on making a lot of different ones and maybe see if I can sell them. Or, I could make some to match every show outfit I have so the dogs and I could match.

White Sands

2012-01-16T16:54:00.000-08:00

No, all that white stuff isn't snow! We went to White Sands National Monument. Cooper seemed to be a bit disappointed because he thought it was going to be like snow, but it wasn't. He got the hang of running and playing pretty quickly though. We hiked and took tons of pictures. It was so warm, at least in the 60's. It was so cute to see their paw prints on the white sand where there were no other marks.

Cooper's First Snow

2011-12-27T20:50:00.001-08:00

Wow! Who knew how much fun snow is to play in? Certainly not Cooper. For his first snow, he was unsure, but quickly discovered how to run and tunnel with his nose. Of course, after a while of playing, he got snow balls stuck all over his fur. His legs were covered so that he could barely walk.

Cooper "Trades"

2011-12-05T18:23:00.001-08:00

One of the first commands I teach my dogs is to "trade". They give me the toy they have and I give them another toy of equal value. Works well to exchange a wet, slobbery toy for a drier one, or my husband's good leather work gloves for a special toy. (you would think he wouldn't leave those on the floor after numerous times like this). Cooper came into the room with one of my sheepskin slippers. I traded with him and went to put the slipper back in the bedroom. There, next to the left slipper, was his favorite toy. He had taken it upon himself to "trade" his toy for my slipper. He knew he wasn't supposed to go in there in the first place and he is not to play with my slippers, but evidently it is okay if you trade something of value. He is sure keeping me on my toes.

Training

2011-10-25T12:40:00.001-07:00

Copper is now 4 months old. A typical puppy, he likes to play and chew and play some more. He has been going to Puppy Kindergarten for a little over a month now. It is amazing how quickly he is learning.
We started out with "sit" and "down". Because there are treats involved, he has learned these two things very quickly. He really likes the "come" command. He will go to anyone with treats. He doesn't even care if he is not the one being called. We also learned the importance of "social handling" where you look at the teeth, mouth, ears and feet. Also the pup needs to get used to someone holding him while getting an examination. Now at home we are working at "stay" and "stand". Both are still a work in progress.
He is also learning some agility while at class. He loves the A-frame which has transferred nicely to the ramp he will be shown on. He can also do a tunnel and a tire. There has been no jumping yet, so as to not damage growth plates.
The keys to good training are patience, consistency and repetition. It is important that he practices every day. Something I need to remember as well.
Next I think I will teach him to "high five" (or is it 4?)

Fall Pikinik

2011-10-18T17:52:00.001-07:00

Sadie and Cooper went on the annual fall piknik today. Sadie has gone every year but this was Cooper's first time. He is only 4 months old. The weather was great and the colors were beautiful. We got some great pictures. Cooper of course found a whole patch of plants filled with stickers. As owners of fuzzy dogs it is always "Have brush will travel". Still took quite a while to get rid of all those stickers.

Sadie's big adventure

2010-08-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

Miss Sadie is going on an adventure. She is going to some dog shows by herself. We have always said that she could show herself. Well, she won't be "completely" by herself. She is going with a handler. Sadie has met him before but has never been away from home before by herself and has nevi been shown by anyone else either. Today she had her nails done and a comb-out. She looks really great so hopefully when she gets back, she can be called "Champion!".

Extra note this was last year but we forget to to hit the post button. Sadie did go and got reserve to a five point major. Brought back bling but not points.

I Don't Remember Signing Up For This!

2010-05-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

People have said the Keeshond is a very vocal breed, and where I have seen good examples of this, our girls are not. For the most part our girls are quiet. Yodi only barks at moving things like people walking by, deer, and bears, you know things that are bigger then her, that are moving near her house. Poor Sadie doesn't know how to bark, she tries but doesn't quite get it. DeDe only barks at us, or if she is outside to be let in, because heaven forbid she spends a day outside.

DeDe has the three of us in the family that she will bark at and that is all. She can be by herself when a stranger comes up to her trying to talk or pet her and she won't say a word, or let them pet her for that matter, this was problematic one night. She will bark once I get home, if she is trying to annoy me, or I have her locked up somewhere where she knows where I am and can't get to me.

There is one other time she will bark. That is in her sleep, she is a sleep barker. Now, when she does sleep, she prefers to sleep on me, using me as a pillow. Somewhere I don't remember us talking about that or agreeing to it. She can use me as a pillow, but it doesn't work the other way around. When she sleeps really deeply I can hear muffled barking and growling and she kicks too.

Starting off, she will be curled up against my back leaning against me, and I wonder why my shoulder hurts in the morning. After some time, she stretches out and lays half her body on top of mine, and if I move and whack her she turns and glares at me like "how dare you," and moves away. If I lay still, some times she will start to have nightmares. I call them nightmares because I have never heard her growl when she is awake.

There is still come comfort I can offer her even in sleep to calm her. If I whisper to her or very lightly pet her I think it wakes her a little to stop the nightmare but doesn't wake her fully. If I startle her fully awake, she will try to bite me that half second before she is aware of herself, so she puts her mouth on me but doesn't bite down. I guess that is like trying to stop a sleep walker without waking them.

Some here along the way it was said that she can lay on me but I can't on her. I comfort her during her nightmares and she barely tolerates comforting me during my day mares. Somewhere the scales are not even, and I would like to find it and set it straight. I don't remember volunteering to be a pillow or to be a pillow to someone who is going to kick me in the end.

Smokey Bear Days

2010-05-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

This was the weekend for the Annual Smokey Bear Days in Capitan, New Mexico (birthplace of Smokey) It was cold and a bit windy, but everyone had a lot of fun. There was a parade (of course) and a longhorn cattle show this year. Sadie and Yodi both had a great time getting attention from everyone. They loved getting the left over Kettle Korn off the ground. Not very many people around here have ever seen keeshonden, so they are always a hit when we go places. Amazingly though, quite a few of the people recognized the breed because they had "watched a dog show on TV."

Happy Barksday Yodi!

2010-04-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that 13 years ago I picked up a precious ball of fur. I bought her sight unseen and she was delivered to a truck stop along I-40. I really didn't know what to expect since I had never even seen a picture of her. Her little ears did not stand up yet. But then when they got big enough to stand up, they seemed to never stop growing! She had some major bat-wing ears! I prayed that she would grow into those things or she would blow away. Luckily she did grow into those ears and became a great show dog.

Yodi was a great mom. She was only bred once and had three puppies. But she mothers everything she can catch. The cat was not safe when she was around. Yodi caught him and would proceed to clean his ears and totally slime him from nose to tail. That cat hated to be washed!

For her birthday, Yodi and Sadie got Peanut Butter Paw Lickers. Those are peanut butter bone shaped treats that they both love. I think Yodi would walk over hot coals to get one.

2010-04-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Now that some info has been given about the breed and the main subject of this blog, a little bit about the writers. This is a mother/daughter team and will be mostly about their three girls. The oldest and youngest dogs live with the mother and the middle one lives with the duaghter as an only child. The oldest at 13 is lovingly refered to as the "old lady" but her name is Yodie. Next in line is DeDe, who is more spoiled and spends more time inside than out. With six months separating the youngest two, the baby is Sadie who is the most timid of the three but because of this works as a therapy dog helping people to read. She is also called "hussy" for she is also the most boy crazy of the three. DeDe is the most self centered, which is why she is an only child, and she prefers to have little to do with others, short vists are fine but nothing long term.

The girls are all show dogs, though some show more then others. Also, there might be some talk of other dogs, past and present, but these will be the three main ladies. There will be lots of information shared but it is not going to be all serious all the time, for the girls are not serious themselves.

Sadie is on the left in the picture (you can tell because of the smile), Yodi is in the middle and DeDe is on the right.

Very Short History

2010-04-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Keeshond, pronounced Kayz-hond, is first and foremost a companion dog. The name derives from a late 1700s Dutch Patriot Rebel leader by the name of Cornelius de Gyselaar. The breed became a symbol of the Rebel Party and was very popular with the common people. When the rebels were overthrown, it was no longer popular to own such a symbol.

The breed was still used on Dutch farms and on barges. Their jobs included chasing vermin and taking care of children. The keeshond was brought back to popularity by Mrs. Wingfield-Digby after her family purchased two puppies to take home to England in 1905. The "Dutch Barge Dog" was first shown in England in 1925.

Today's keesonden are friendly and outgoing. They do well in any activities where there is human interaction, even if it is just being a couch potato. Because of their intelligence and eagerness to please, they do well in agility and rally. Don't be surprised that sometimes, because of their intelligence, they have been known to make up their own rules as they go along.

2010-04-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Studies show that having a pet of any kind is very good for you. Just petting soft fur can lower your blood pressure and give a better sense of well-being. A pet of any kind can teach responsibility to a child and give companionship to the elderly. Pets are cheaper and more effective than therapists and personal trainers (an overweight dog is a sign of an overweight owner). I am sure that all kinds of pets give the same kinds of benefits, however, here, we will talk about dogs in general and specifically keeshonden (the world's most perfect pet).