Behind every crumb of success is a massive amount of training training training! I try to do short sessions, with very specific goals in mind. Today was Dolphin 🐬 and Noodle's 🍝 turn. On the agenda was first and foremost tunnel verbals. The verbal command "Tunnel" means take the end of the tunnel in the direction we are facing. "Here" means turn away from me and take the opposite end of the tunnel. My goal was to get them to take the correct end of the tunnel with minimal movement by me - standing in one spot.
Dolphin, being a 92 pound monster, has to work extra hard on his weave entrances when they are not straight on. It takes a lot of collection to turn and make the entrance in the first "hole" of the weaves. My goal today was to send him to the weaves from all different directions, working on getting him to recognize when he has to collect and turn hard to make the weave entrance. Collect - turn - get in the weaves - weave fast! I also did a little work moving laterally away from the weaves and even layering them as he weaved.
Nuts and bolts training are one of my favorite things to do. It's harder to get done since it's now winter and we are dependent on being able to rent indoor time to train. You can tell it's a bitter cold day by the 100 layers I am wearing ;-) There is nothing like creating a bond with your dog through training, even if you are just training basics! I love it!
GCHS CH Poet N Arokats Pretzels For Breakfast BN RN JHA NA NAJ OAP OJP NF OFP SIN CGC TKA SD NRD V - "Pretzel"
March 7, 2012 - October 24, 2024
I am very sad to announce that our beloved Pretzel passed away from cancer last week. I don't know how to encapsulate in words what this dog means to me, or how he has changed my life.
Pretzel and I did agility (he was so wild and out of control in his younger years, but oh so much fun!), rally and obedience (he hated heeling unless I cheered him on, but he did it for me), field work (he had the MOST dramatic point, and photos of him on point have been used by many organizations as graphics and silhouettes because he was so stylish). His biggest accomplishments came in the show ring. He was my very first show dog. He took me to #1 owner-handled Weim in the country, #1 owner-handled sporting dog, and for most of his life he was #1 owner-handled Weimaraner in lifetime points. He won best of breed at the NOHS finals in 2016 in Orlando. That same weekend he took an Award of Merit out of 40+ specials at the AKC National Championship show. He won several (regular) group ones, many other group placements, 2 NOHS best in show and 3 NOHS reserve best in show. He and I traveled all over the country together, slogging those miles in our old 2003 Ford Explorer (usually with Mark) hitting shows in new states and places I had never been. Every weekend we would find a place to hike after the show was done. I got to see so much of this country with Pretzel by my side. Out of only 3 litters, he sired 4 champions, a futurity winner, and two maturity winners.
It's so hard for me to accept the fact that he is gone. He has been my constant shadow, my confidant, the dog I could always count on. He taught me patience, he taught me about unconditional love, he taught me that there are no boundaries when you set a goal and that anything can be achieved with a lot of hard work. He taught me the joy of just 'being' - laying on the grass together wa
#weimaraner #weimaranersofinstagram #abouttimeweims #allyoucaneatspaghetti #masterhunter #
Best of Breed at the specialty
Pizza 🍕 doing a little honoring! #pizzamyheart #weimaranersofinstagram #weimaraner #abouttimeweims #masterhunter
The 90 degree days are making the dogs stir crazy, so I took Pizza out one morning to do a little field work (she hasn't been on birds in a month). Temps were already in the 80's, and the humidity was so thick, everything was soaked. This made scenting conditions terrible, but it was a great opportunity to work her in less than ideal conditions. Pizza, of course, loved every hot minute of it!
Dolphin on point, Pizza honoring from a nice distance. Dolphin stayed steady on a bird running in circles in the heavy cover. Pizza was rock solid on her honor. I don't usually train these two together as they are best buds and they don't always respect one another, but when we came across a bunch of random chukkar, they were ALL business!
