Rory - An Agility Greyt

Rory

07/01/1997 - 02/24/2009

I am sad to report that Sharon Smith's "C-ATCH 3 Subtle Breeze OAP MJP ChSN ChST ChJU ChFH ChCL ChWC PJ1 PS1 NAC NJC TDI" (Rory) passed away at the age of 11. He fought meningitis for a year and a half and even felt well enough to compete in agility periodically during that time. However, Rory was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and despite every effort, he did not respond to treatment.

Sharon adopted Rory after he was returned to the adoption group by 3 separate adopters due to separation anxiety. Sharon persevered with Rory and he repaid her by being a wonderful agility partner.

Sharon believes that Rory is the most titled agility greyhound to date and I think she is right. They competed at events organized by AKC, USDAA, NADAC, and CPE. Each has its own titling system. I only do AKC, so I couldn't begin to explain the titles from all the venues Rory succeeded at, but he was quite successful. His agility career did not begin until the age of 7.

I got to meet up with Sharon and Rory at a Harriman, TN trial and a Nashville, TN trial. It was so much fun to have several greyhounds at one agility event. Rest in peace, Rory. Hopefully you and Travis are causing some trouble in heaven. Hang in there, Sharon.

Bikejoring

During Ray's visit, he introduced us to bikejoring. He has found bikejoring to be an excellent way to exercise his border collie, Nap, because it allows the dog to travel at a speed the dog desires and the human can easily keep up.

Ray uses a sled dog harness (custom made for each dog) and attaches it to the front of the bike. I imagined it to be an accident waiting to happen. I assumed if a deer crossed the trail, the dog would jerk off to the side, and pull the bike out from under you. The truth is that you actually do have quite a bit of control. You can stop the bike by applying the brakes. You can maintain your position on the trail even if the dog is pulling off to the side. Obviously, the stronger the dog is, the less control a lighter person will have, but the average dog and person manage just fine. An occasional squirrel or deer on the trail up ahead keeps the prey drive stimulated and the dog moving forward especially during initial training.

Ray allowed Stephen and I to each have a turn with Nap and we both had a blast! Ray and Nap will sometimes bike for miles.

Naturally, I was hoping to find a greyhound who might also enjoy this activity since Ray enjoys it and has easy access to miles of trails with good footing. We hooked Jet up to the bike and he did really well his first time out. It helped that the girls and I were jogging along with him. It remains to be seen whether or not Jet develops a desire to pull or not.

I think Riley would be very good at bikejoring and I think it would be a great way to exercise her at a faster speed. Reagan... not so much, but she could free run along side. We discovered that we have an excellent trail for bikejoring. It is flat and has excellent footing for the dogs (this is not something you would want to do on asphalt, concrete, or a near a road with vehicles.


I think bikejoring would be a great way to exercise coursing greyhounds who I fear are almost always not fit enough for how hard they run. If you had a suitable trail and a greyhound who enjoyed the pulling, I think you could really get some good aerobic exercise and work the galloping muscles over quite a distance.


All in all, Stephen and I had a good time getting to know Ray. We took him to see some lure coursing and he and I talked a lot of clicker training and agility. Ray was able to see Katie, Riley, and Reagan work and picked up some tips for working with Jet. Not exactly a vacation I could package and sell, but I think Ray enjoyed his trip thoroughly.


Jet is settling in with no problems and has won Ray's wife and daughters over (thank goodness Jet has a good personality :-). He has taken Jet out on the bike twice now, I believe, with mixed results. The second time was much better than the first though. Jet seems to be mastering everything Ray has been practicing with him, but is also a nice companion for just watching TV in the evenings.

Ray's Greyhound

Most of you are aware that I was greyhound shopping for Ray. Click here to find out why. Well, I am happy to report that Ray adopted a greyhound I fostered for 3 weeks. I wanted to tell all of you sooner about the progress we were making, but RL's Black Magic (nka Jet) was not very attractive. I did not want all of my readers to feel sorry for Jet if Ray chose not to adopt him.


For some unknown reason, Jet has lots of missing hair. Bald patches of skin can be found on his face, ears, neck, sides, front legs, flanks, and, of course, the thighs. He is not low thyroid and the skin otherwise appears healthy. To add insult to injury, Jet had to have his tail docked after an unsuccessful "happy tail" surgery.

I tried to scare Ray away with pictures and videos of Jet. I did not want to ask Ray to drive 9 hours to see this greyhound, but his other qualities were hard to ignore. Ray was drawn in with my reports about Jet's training progress, personality, drive, and motivation.


Jet is a 2 year old male with an eager, curious, and adventurous spirit. He is energetic, food motivated, and fearless. There is also something thoughtful and intelligent about him. During my evaluation, I took Jet on long hikes, jogging, PetsMart, the farm, an overnight visit with my sister, and even a dog show (I made him wear a coat to that :-). He handled everything as I had hoped.


I introduced Jet to clicker training and he was an excellent student. He quickly learned to touch a target with his nose, sit, down, and make eye contact.

So on Valentine's day weekend, Ray came to Atlanta to meet and adopt Jet. Most adopters would have passed over Jet and Ray's local adoption group passed on him. I think its fitting that the two rejects were a match.

More about the visit and updates to come...........

Ask and You Shall Receive

Maria, this is for you. Here is a fine example produced by Reagan earlier today. I placed a sweet gum ball next to the pile so you would have a size reference.

I think Dr. Susan Wynn (known for her advanced training in herbal medicine) said it best. She believes that one diet does not fit all. For example, if a particular line of dogs is often fed ABC food, the breeder is most likely going to breed dogs that thrived and did well on that particular diet.

Raw diet advocates will often point out that commercial pet food has been around for less than a century.... hardly enough time for dogs to have gone through any evolutionary change in their digestive systems. OK, that makes sense, but Susan's point is that people probably have selectively bred dogs to do well on the type of food they wish to feed. I think that makes sense also. If the breeder feeds kibble, her line of dogs are being selectively bred (probably without thinking about it) to thrive on kibble.

I think this might explain why racing greyhounds seem to do best on a raw food diet, in my opinion. For one, they are fed raw meat prior to being adopted. It would make sense that the racing industry probably breeds greyhounds that thrive and do best with some raw meat in their diets.

With that said, you just have to do what you feel is best. There is no way for us to know the exact nutritional needs of each individual dog......... and I don't think nature really intended on perfectly balanced meals.

I would encourage everyone feeding kibble to add some variety in the form of some fresh, raw food occasionally. You can save a small portion of the vegetables and fruits you purchase for yourself..... carrot or strawberry tops, a chunk of your banana, a bit of broccoli, or a handful of spinach. Check your fridge regularly for the fruits and vegetables getting close to losing their freshness. Throw it into a food processor and puree it as much as possible to maximize the nutritional value. Add the mixture to your dog's regular food. If there is not enough to mess with, start a collection in your freezer. Once you have enough fruits and vegetables stored up, thaw it out, and grind it up. Also a turkey neck once a week is great for the teeth.

Proof is in the Pudding

***WARNING*** This is a poop post.

And no that is not a picture of poop below.

Its no secret that many people who feed raw food are proud of their dogs' poop..... myself included. I do not know much about the other breeds, but poop from many kibble-fed greyhounds is foul. In my experience, most greyhound-kibble-output stinks from quite a distance, the pile is huge, and it often has the consistency of pudding.

One of the biggest benefits to feeding raw food, is the poop quality. Stools are firm, small, and far less foul, in my opinion. Without fail, Jessie, Teresa, Katie, Travis, Stacker, Julie, and Allie made the switch to raw food with no complications and have produced poop to be proud of for years.


Much to my dismay, Reagan and Riley did not follow suit. From the beginning, both have had pudding poop. Both have been thoroughly wormed and treated with a round of metronidazole with no lasting results. I blamed it on the wide variety of training treats I use. I figured I was causing digestive issues from the constant switching.


Finally.... I took my own advice and remembered that fat loosens up the stools. I feed chicken backs primarily and the backs have huge chunks of fat on them. Fat that, up until now, all of my greyhounds have needed otherwise they are constipated (I warned you this was a poop post :-). Being a creature of habit, I assumed Reagan and Riley needed the same.


So I began trimming the fat off Reagan and Riley's chicken backs (pictured at the top) and PRESTO... they immediately have perfect poops. I just wish I had tried that months sooner.

Not So Hot

Katie (age 10) is not her usual self these last few days. If she were just a house dog, I would be none the wiser, but that is not the case with a hound usually so active.

Her anxiety about traveling in the van has escalated to full blow resistance and panic attacks. Katie is not just uncomfortable, she is now panting and shaking and refuses food. Katie has NEVER refused food before now. She also resists loading and is clearly indicating that she would prefer to be left behind. I hate that she feels this way.

Katie, by nature, is sassy, confident, and fearless, but that greyhound has been gone for awhile now. Over the last year, I have seen fear and anxiety start to wash over her. Her sensitivity to noise has gone from nonexistent to significant. Her confident attitude has diminished to one of caution. I attributed the caution to her Fibrocartilaginous Emboli. I can understand how not having full control over your body's movements can be scary at times, but this is starting to be excessive.

Last week, I had blood work done. I was most interested in Katie's thyroid since that sometimes can produce strange behavior. Her blood work looked great, but her thyroid levels are low.

Today, I had Katie chase a lure on a lunge whip. Normally, she chases, catches, and hands me the lure. Its great exercise because I can make her travel in both directions to ensure she is working her muscles evenly. Unlike the youngsters, she is not a maniac for this game anymore, but she enjoys the fetching aspect of it since I trade her a treat. Her halfhearted attempts today were pathetic.

So I tried throwing the stuffy Frisbee. Normally, Katie will try to take the toy from me, chases the toy with a lot of enthusiasm, and gallops back to me. But not today. She fetched each time, but not with her usual gusto and she trotted back leisurely every time.

I am going to pursue thyroid treatment and a session of acupuncture. If there is any back pain, hopefully the acupuncture will provide some relief. Other than that, the blood work and exam gave me nothing to check further. From a physical standpoint, she is in great shape.

Tea for Dogs?

I have started drinking green tea lately. I'll be honest. I don't think it tastes very good. I would much prefer to drink Dr. Pepper, but Dr. Pepper is not healthy. I am also just not a water drinker, so tea has been a good way to get me drink more water. After learning about the healthy properties of green tea, I started thinking that green tea might be good for dogs too.

I have always heard that alfalfa is an excellent clean source of vitamins and powdered alfalfa is one of the few supplements I "sometimes" add to the raw food diet. Well, I found an alfalfa tea and not surprisingly, it tastes a little like hay. I also found a tea made from Rooibos Leaf that is high in anti-oxidants and also caffeine free.

I have been creating a mixture of 50% tea and 50% water and so far my greyhounds have found it to be very drinkable. Allie and Reagan seem to like it especially and have to be chased away from the punch bowl once they have had more than enough.

Tadpoles

The last three times Katie has gone to swimming rehab, I have also had Riley and Reagan swim. Katie swims for 30 minutes and the youngsters each swim for 15 minutes.


I would love to have another greyhound that loves swimming as much as Travis did. It would be so cool to have another one that would retrieve and dock jump, but I will settle for just swimming. Travis was probably far too special to have a repeat.

Katie has gotten very comfortable with swimming as you can see below. At times, it appears that Katie avoids getting within Eva's reach. She will turn and swim away from Eva who forces her to rest periodically. I would love for Riley and Reagan to be as comfortable.

Last summer, we tried to teach Reagan to swim with no success. She did not enjoy it at all. She has not enjoyed the swimming sessions either and at times appears to be clinging to Eva for dear life.

I figured that forcing Reagan to swim would either teach her that swimming is fun or scar her for life. Sessions 1 and 2, I would have told you we were scarring her for life.

Session 3 had a major break through. She started out as expected. Clinging to Eva or trying to get out of the pool when released. However, she started to swim along the side of the pool for treats. Even turning herself around like Katie does to follow me. I could not have been more pleased. It was a huge turning point.

Riley started out shell shocked as well. During Session 1, she would only accept salmon burger bites and refused all other treats. During the second Session, Riley had a little break through and started to swim for treats rather than trying to climb out of the pool. She did even better the third time.

I am really hoping that this summer, Riley and Reagan will swim along the dock like Katie does. Its such great exercise especially when it is hot.

A Year Gone By

I met Reagan about one year ago...... I actually picked her on my birthday, but had to wait almost 2 weeks to get her. Back then she was the nameless "I" pup and the alpha bitch of 7 other 10 month old puppies. Reagan and her littermates had never worn collars or been outside of the sandy run they called home. I never realized how much I take leash walking for granted since my dogs (before Reagan) had come mostly leash trained already. It was interesting to say the least. Click here for the whole story.

Reagan's sassy attitude and bold nature edged her in front of my second choice. Both liked food, but Reagan was in every one's business and she was more willing to investigate the farm property than any of her littermates.

There have been times when I have wondered if the "B" pup would have been a better choice. I tried to find her a performance home, but no one was interested at the time. I am not sure which adoption group she went to, but she is probably enjoying her new life as well.

In the last year, Reagan has really developed nicely and I could not be happier. We met when she was queen of the littermates and ruler of the sandy kennel run. Well, her current housemates don't take her antics and growls very seriously, but Reagan still subjects them to puppy piling. She likes to be close.

No one is safe from Reagan's head resting.

Reagan just has to be in the middle and touching someone. Her habit does not make her popular with the other hounds.

Reagan's on leash impressions of a hooked fish have turned into willingness to follow along and moments of brilliant heeling.

Life together started with some silly puppy fears (the scary paper weight) and some noise sensitivity, but now she can slam noisy teeter boards to the ground.


I thought she would need more mental maturity before tackling the weave poles, but just under 2 years of age, she nearly has them mastered.


The greyhound pup from an unremarkable litter is well on her way to a successful agility and obedience career.

Recent picture of Reagan's mom, Task Spring Buds, below.

Wait For It

I am currently teaching two greyhound clicker training classes. About three or four times a year, I offer a basic obedience class for greyhounds using the clicker.

One of the things I have noticed is that handlers are sometimes desperate for their greyhound's attention. Class is a distracting environment. The dogs are pulled in all directions by the attractive treats, the other dogs, and the sound of clickers.

This time, there is one hound in particular that is very stressed, but she is working really well for short bursts despite her anxiety. She can be very frustrating to work with because she is either jumping on her handler or pulling away from him and putting 55 pounds of pressure on the leash. The handler tries to get her attention by repeating her name and pulling her back.

I experience something similar with Riley at times, especially at PetsMart. The squeaks, chirps, and small animals smells are almost too much for her to handle. It is stressful for Riley to not be able to get to what she is hearing and smelling.

When Riley has switched to high prey mode, I know that her training has taken a giant leap backwards. Instead of asking her to do things she may fail to respond to (such as her name), I simply wait for her to come back to earth. I let her look, listen, and smell from one location (I do not let her lead me around the store). Since she is not given access to the animals or the toys in the store, the looking, listening, and smelling behavior never leads her to a reinforcement.

Eventually, Riley starts to realize that her action is not working for her and she may turn to look at me... click and treat. She makes eye contact again... click and treat. She might offer another behavior, a down perhaps. Click and treat. Now she is listening and I can start to make requests.

I much prefer to allow Riley to exhaust her curiosity and then "choose" to see what I have to offer. Some trainers teach a "watch me" command. I have never done this with my greyhounds nor have I felt the need to. I find that eventually they become quite attentive and just eventually keep their eyes on me without being asked.

I think a similar strategy would work for the greyhound in my class. Just wait for it. Let it be her idea. I am eager to see how she and her handler progress over the weeks.

A Lucky Year

When I was a kid, my family took a vacation to Lake Tahoe one summer. One of the activities included renting horses for a guided trail ride. We arrived at the stables and I noticed the white horse immediately. I asked if I could ride the white horse, but so did all of my cousins. All of the kids wanted to ride the white horse. The man asked us all to pick a number between 1 and 10. I chose the #3 and won the chance to ride the white horse. Since that day, the #3 has been my favorite number.

I am turning 33 years old today. I have decided that this is going to be a lucky year. I can't do any better than two 3's at the same time in a lifetime..... I'm not planning on living till age 333. So Happy Birthday to me!

Beautiful Weekend

Wow, what a beautiful weekend and my camera was in a good mood (I probably just lucked out with correct settings)! Great weather for taking some action pictures. Above - My sister, Denise, riding her horse, Lester, with her greyhound, Peanut, not far behind.

The hounds and I traveled down to Newnan Georgia to visit with my sister, eat pizza, watch movies, and enjoy 60 safely fenced acres. Above - Reagan pouncing on a toy. Below - Katie says throw it again!

So I did!


The farm has one 12 acre section fenced. It provides an excellent opportunity to practice, proof, and reinforce recalls. Everyone did great this weekend.

Although, Riley continues to show her independent side and thinks nothing of going off on her own. She was better at checking in with me though. It is interesting to observe their tendencies in a huge, safe enclosure without the fear of losing one.

Reagan, especially, loves to run around and thoroughly enjoys the freedom, but she is very good with checking in. Even when she is led astray by Riley and takes off after her, Reagan quickly returns to check in with me.

I'm starting to notice that Riley can be a bully. Several times, I noticed her running Reagan down and about to chomp on an ear. So she wears a muzzle if she is running with others now. Below - Reagan looks about ready to mule kick Riley. :-)

We can't wait to do it again!