The Chronicles of Rollick

25/08/2023

Happy brothers. Hookie is almost 12, but Rollick is keeping him young.

21/08/2023

Today’s Skills and Drill class at Lowe’s Firewheel. Did someone say “distractions”? The Big Handsome got to work off leash for a bit. Thanks for the fun skill-building games, TC Cappel!

15/08/2023

05/08/2023

Swimming lesson #3 went SUPER well today. He swims calmly and effortlessly. He just needs to figure out the transition part from land to water. And he looks pretty pimpin’ in his new life jacket!

26/07/2023

Chin-up! Mom will get a better squeaky-worm for you soon. Interesting morning doing heel work on the tennis court while a game was going on in the court next to it. We’ll be working on more of these new environments…like yesterday’s class at Lowe’s.

08/07/2023

Got to do a new thing today…swimmies! Thank-you, Krista Doyle, for my very first lesson. It was safe, positive, and kind of fun! I’ll be even braver next time.

11/06/2023

I get by with a little help from my friends…

10/06/2023

Started a new class this past week that will focus more on formal obedience skills. This is our Tuck Sit homework. He knows sit, but this will be much more polished. My, he’s a lovely dog.

21/05/2023

Just for giggles, Rollick got to step in a rally obedience ring for the very first time after Hookie’s class. Loads of distraction (“hullow, Golden fren”, and “who IS that handsome rake in the mirror? Oh silly me, it’s ME!”) Not bad for just throwing it at him out of the blue. He’s going to be so fun at this! Such a happy boy.

27/03/2023

The Big Handsome made some new friends this week—one being this particularly playful pup, Pronto.

13/03/2023

…continues. I’ve been truant in my training, to be sure. At the agility trial we had several nice sessions so we took it indoors with more distractions. He was doing nicely, but when we started filming the distractions grew quickly ( like the vendor in the background packing her booth), which merely tells me to take it down a notch, but to do more…much more of this.

24/01/2023

Rollick is channeling the spirit of Shakespeare:
"Thou odoriferous stench, sound rottenness,
Arise forth from the stolen fried crawfish potato ball of last night..."

16/01/2023

Second session at home. My timing was off at first because he KNEW what we were about to play. I had to switch to a higher value treat for him to release on the “get it!”s. It also helps when the treat doesn’t roll into the bar area… Sent some throws to either side, and just starting to put a word on it. Will test his understanding if it after a couple more sessions. Audio tells me it’s also Dremel time! 😉

13/01/2023

GOOD boy! He aced IYC, recalls, sit/Down and more. Onward and upward with this very sweet boy. 🐾💕🌞

03/01/2023

First big road trip! A long New Years weekend in Tulsa to see our besties was a great experience for Sir Longshanks, The Mystical and P5. The Gathering Place, TU campus and and Kendall Whittier neighborhood and our Air BnB provided all kinds of experiences and challenges. I’ll give it an A minus, but what a great time was had by all, and so many good outings (and compliments!) for the Rollick-star. He’s still an excitable boy, but the improvements are evident. And for our OSHA(Our Spectacular Housebreaking Achievements), a pristine record in this new environment, or…”4 days without an accident”. To be fair, we own the last fail for not managing it. He really is working to be good. Wishing everyone following love and growth in the New Year!

03/01/2023

It’s been a long holiday season. “Somebody” is ready for a long winter’s crash.

16/12/2022

Turns out "Rollick's" first class was actually just for people. Loads of info, and homework. 'Looks like I WILL be clicker training, at least for now, while taking this class. Clickers DO accelerate learning, but I've been a little bit of a hard-head (thanks, Dad) about using a marker "word" instead. I'm not consistent enough with it (tone, volume, etc.), so it's time to train the trainer a bit. This is session 2, nose touch, using his raw food breakfast on a spoon. This boy is SO much fun...so eager.

14/12/2022

When you win the lottery of love, you get to choose any toy you want to sleep with…or 2…or 3…or 13. Each was carefully curated, individually placed, and squeaker tested (just once, of course, ‘cause it’s bedtime, y’know) by Monsieur Crevate, himself. There now. Time for sweet dreams.

14/12/2022

Where’s the time going?! We are 99.99% housebroken (safe to leave loose in bedroom while we’re gone, but still doesn’t indicate when he wants to go outside). Trick training every single day is going well. And he did not-bad at the DAWG trial crated inside the building (extra credit for Santa photo session). Why his he jumping for joy? Because, we’ll, tbh “breakfast” but also starting basic obedience class tomorrow. Just watching him get more and more confident each day makes me smile. And he’s a magnificent snuggle bug who nearly Marmaduked the sofa table last night (SO much love, lol!). I found myself saying out loud “ Who WOULDN’T want this dog?”

28/11/2022

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS...
Rollick survived Thanksgiving with lots of new experiences, new people, being left alone outside of the crate (in the bedroom), and being a PERFECT gentleman when it came to avoiding the temptation of people eating. We're ready to get deeper into Pattern Games & LAT (Look at that) and vary his environment to create more confidence and relaxation. This morning's walk was soooo good. We first encountered a familiar dog (Rich and Pearl) for which he only let out a bit of a whimper and kept four-on-the-floor while we visited. The second dog was off leash although under control, but the burst of speed was a bit exciting for R, responding with some barking and jumping. He quickly calmed down, though. And then we ran across John and Misty with their pack. He barked, pulled, and jumped with less intensity than the day before, and even Misty gave him a compliment of "doing better!" He's responding better to ear rubs and did a ton of relaxed, casual sniffing, and offering a loose leash. I feel it's just a matter of time before he gets his head together. In other news...my cordless dremel arrived! So now I can keep up with nails better, and not have a dusty mess in the house.

15/11/2022

Huh. "R" doesn't know how to "shake hands". It's probably high time we work on this simple trick.

In other news: I think we nailed down his registered name. In keeping with the poodle's German heritage: "Second Chance Farm Happy Wanderer". After all, he DID come with just a little "baggage". Thanks to Ray for springboarding the idea for this. And after all, the title in German is "Der fröliche Wanderer"...or as several folks have said to me when hearing his name, "'Frolick' without the 'f'?"

I love to go a-wandering
Along the mountain track
And as I go, I love to sing
My knapsack on my back
Val-deri, val-dera
Val-deri, val-dera
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha
Val-dera
My knapsack on my back
I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun
So joyously it calls to me
Come join my happy song
Val-eri, val-dera
Val-deri, val-dera
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha
Val-era
Come join my happy song
I wave my hat to all I meet
And They wave back to me
And blackbirds call so loud and sweet
From ev'ry green wood tree
Val-eri, val-dera
Val-deri, val-dera
Val-deri, val-dera
Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die
Oh, may I always laugh and sing
Beneath God's clear blue sky
Val-eri, val-dera
Val-eri, val-dera
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha
val-dera
Beneath the clear blue sky
Beneath the clear blue sky
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Antonia Ridge / Friedrich Wilhelm Moeller
Happy Wanderer lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

14/11/2022

It's been a bit of a hiatus with working long hours at the early voting polls and on election day. And it did cause a little backsliding in some of our training. But we're ready to catch up now. We're starting to add "stand" to our verbals. And per Bevy's excellent recommendation, we started box work for back feet awareness. This is our second session. In the first (two days ago using a tub lid) two feet on the lid were not an issue. I recognized that we needed a box with higher sides to make him *think* about where his back feet are when he lifts them inside. Thanks to my wonderful spouse, we have this tool...which will be modified to be even smaller after another session or two. This can translate into all sorts of great tricks, as well as body awareness in obedience and agility. Viva la Corrugate!