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DragonDogs March Review
March flew by and caninely speaking it was wooftastic. Andrea and I took the dogs to a number of local disc dog events as the season kicked off. The focus of the month was definitely freestyle routines. We got kicked out of all our local parks so TF practice was a no go. We had some puppy play dates with the Ford family. And we found a new yard for the dogs to play in. The best part of march for me was rediscovering fun with my dogs. Now for the details.
Choice of Discs…The Dilemma
Choice of discs has been a new point of contention in the DragonDogs house. When we first started playing disc, there was only Lilli – and she has a VERY hard bite. We started with Fastbacks cause that’s what everyone used. Long story short…Lilli had a bloody mouth every time we played and she would trash a disc in 5 throws or less.
Finally Flippin in Puppyville
We’ve shared over and over about how Leilani is developing very slowly as a disc dog…slower than we’d like. For about 6 months, she’s been eating grass in the middle of very short sessions, even right in the beginning of sessions. She still loves the disc, but the disc practice outside has been very unproductive. We’d settled in that we’d focus on her being our “trick dog” since she loved shaping so much and didn’t seem to stress at all during long shaping sessions. We were hoping that in the next 6 months or so, she’d settle in.
Leilei Cuteness Caught on Tape
We’ve been practicing religiously lately – at least once a day with each dog plus shaping in the evenings and posting NONE of it to the blog… Sorry folks.
Emily requested a Leilani fix today – so shall she receive.
Results are in…Canis Major #2
Saturday was Canis Major #2 – our second of 5 freestyle events for Jason and Lilli in Plant City, FL. Kai also debuted in her first D/A event with me as her handler.
Choosing a Superstar – Kai Bear
Have you ever seen that movie Sliding Doors? The movie basically points to the notion that each little choice you make can completely change the future. I think about that concept a lot.
DragonLilli on the FS Scene
This past weekend Lilli FINALLY had her first competition freestyle event at Canis Major #1 in Plant City, FL on Saturday. Jason is the handler for the 5 part competition series – he and Lilli have been gelling really well and he handles pressure and crowds like a pro!
Long Legged Leila Monster
Leila has been a great teacher to me. When we got Lilli, she was already 4 months old and didn’t go through the puffy 9 week old bear stage or the basics of interacting with humans. She was already sound and chill and had a strong foundation with lots of time with her momma. In Lei’s case, I was essentially her momma – she was so fragile and teensy when we got her – yet inquisitive and very doggy. She LOVED her big sister.
Frisbee to Shape Contacts
When we first started training Lilli in agility it just sorta happened. We did obedience classes first and agility sounded fun so we took that class then kept going. We thought it would just be something fun to play with between frisbee trainings. In our advanced agility course, I brought the disc out once as a reward motivator while in class and Lilli went bonkers and wouldn’t work. I decided then that we needed to keep the two sports separate and never even brought discs to the field when we went to practice agility.
My Dog Can Do What?!
Since we’ve moved to our new house and have a huge yard to train the girls, Lilli has just blown up. Even her body is intense now – no fat at all – solid muscle and bones. Her endurance, even in the 95 degree Florida summer, is fantastic and she demands play at least 2x a day.
