Training's Coming...

http://www.dogbarkcollar.com/


Hi friends!

I know it's been way too long; I've been on excellent adventures that I will update you on in a brief moment. First, I need to write a post about the dogs...
It's getting cold in Colorado. Cold and dark. It seems much harder to get out of bed now; even if it is the same time, I preferred waking when it was light out. It's taking the dogs a second to get used to as well. Before, as soon as I opened my door, there would be a chorus of barks insisting that I hurry up with the food. Now, everyone is still a little groggy as I walk up the hill with the buckets. However, it only takes a second before they all wake up and commence the nagging.

So many eyes...

The cold is affecting them as well. Dogs that were once lazy and lethargic from the heat are now in full on running mode. Jumping over barrels, jumping on me, jumping at one another. They are balls of fur and energy!
We've had to put off training by a few weeks, due to Bill and I both running off on vacation. As soon as we're ready, the dogs are going to be ecstatic. There's a slight chance I pulled a harness out in their view the other day. Bad idea. Everyone in the yard went nuts.
One dog especially is getting excited. Oly is a 4 year old in the prime of his racing career. He is an incredible animal with a special love of the sport. As soon as he saw that harness, his whole body started to shake. It starts with a little nod of the head, some impatient stamps of the front paws, a little wriggle in the body. Soon, Oly was running in circles, yowling at the sky because he just wants to go! Oly is one of the three "crazies" at the bottom of the yard. These three, Lynx, Oly, and Spit, are all incredible athletes...they just get a little too over enthusiastic. Oly, in his impatience, will jump and nip at me. Last year, he wasn't this aggressive. It seems that as he got more used to me, the more attention he wants (makes sense). He never means to hurt, he just wants me to put a harness on him so he can run. Unfortunately, until I do that, he's going to keep tripping me, jumping onto my shoulders, and nipping at my shirt. He's caught skin a few times, never broken through, but damn it still gets sore.

I can't wait until I can get some energy out of him. When Oly is on the line, he's nothing but a professional. True, when I first start walking him to the line, he has to be held up on his back legs so he doesn't drag me...but, once we get there, I only have to say "wait" and he will sit down patiently until I have fitted the harness and hooked his lead line. As all the other dogs are lunging around him, Oly waits. He doesn't move until the ATV is started. Then he bursts forth with all his power; sometimes, I swear he could move the whole team on his own.
Oly is an unbelievable team dog. He is certainly intelligent, just not to the level that a leader must be. He's tall enough to carry the heavy weight in the back, but fast enough to keep up with the lead dogs. A rare dog to find. He lives to run and until training starts, he's going to take it out on me. I'll give whatever affection I can to him...it's just hard when a 90 pound dog comes leaping and nipping at you!