Rorythekelpie

Scoop That Poop!!

2013-09-23T12:22:00.001-07:00

I know I am guilty of not always picking up Rory's poop. I've always known it was bad, but now I am motivated to scoop up his poop!

There actually are consequences to not clean up your dog's droppings, and they do affect you!

(Sugar, The Golden Retriever)

If dog poop being a pollutant isn't bad enough, this is! Many parks, trails, and beaches that are dog friendly sometimes stop allowing dogs because their poop is all over the place. 

Dog owners everywhere need to spread the word! Scoop that poop!

#Scoop That Poop. Follow @Scoop_That_Poop on twitter

and check out Scoop That Poop Campaign site.

Also check out the other participants.

The World According to Garth Riley, Oz the Terrier, Terrier Torrent, My GBGV Life, Pawsitively Pets, and Boing Dog. 

And don't forget to check out Sugar, the Golden Retreiver. Dogster.com

Rory and Shiloh

2013-09-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

A year ago I thought he'd never be able to sit near her...

Major Update!

2013-09-11T10:23:00.003-07:00

I've been away, but I'm back now! Here's a brief update of what has happened to Rory this summer.

Nosework:
Nosework started in the spring and ended in May. There weren't any classes during the summer. I missed the deadline to sign up for the fall Intro to odor class so for now we will do Nosework at home.

(Rory and my brother's friend)

Sheep Herding: More like sheep chasing. Rory enjoys separating the sheep and chasing them around the pen. (He doesn't bite them, just chases) At his last lesson he finally understood what to do! He circled the 5 sheep once, then laid down. It was a big improvement! He is so bad about chasing the sheep and not wanting to change directions that my instructor has been out working with him, I just watch. He has lessons every Thursday, so this week I may end up being out with him and the sheep. It's really caotic, that's why I never video taped it. (And because I can't focus with a camera) It's honestly not worth watching. So much for having the perfect little Lassie dog… X)

Prozac: Rory is the perfect dog on Prozac! All of his behavioral problems have gone away since he's been on Prozac. I probably would have had no choice but to get rid of him if I was never suggested to give him Prozac. He was really that bad....

(Rory reading Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out. It's a training book for dogs like him.)

Rory & Other Dogs: Rory is still separated from Shiloh and Delilah. BUT, he has improved dramatically! He is close to being able to be with her off leash! He is learning that she doesn't want to constantly play. He will be calm around her, then try to get her to play with him, but she has no interest in Rory. I'm just having them meet everyday like this now, and soon he will learn that she doesn't want to play. He can wear a regular collar near her, he isn't frothing at the mouth like a rabid dog, he isn't barking like crazy, and he is 90% calmer than he would have been a few months ago.

If he just got along with other dogs, he would be the perfect Kelpie!

Trick Training: Rory is a challenge, even with trick training. Sometimes he will over-think while trying to learn a new trick, and sometimes he won't think at all. He has learned a few new tricks though, like the reverse spin, to take my socks off, beg, and bow. He hasn't grasped the concept of fetch yet, so all retrieving tricks are a work in progress. He has learned a few agility obstacles, but he prefers to make up his own parkour obstacle course. I'm not joking! He jumped into the back on my dad's truck with the back lid\trunk thing closed\up!! It was unbelievable! When he runs in the yard, some times he will decide to take a path where there is a log for him to leap over, or he will jump over the porch steps. If only he was safe off leash, then I would take him places and make parkour videos!

T keep track of Rory's weekly progress, here's his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Rorythekelpie

Any man can win when things go his way, it's the man who overcomes adversity that is the true champion. -Jock Ewing

Rory VS Sheep Part 2!

2013-06-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Rory had another herding lesson, finally, and things went well. Actually, the whole lesson was exactly like his first lesson. He has a lesson scheduled for every Thursday now, and hopefully we won't be rained out for tomorrow's lesson.

Not surprisingly, Rory isn't a very efficient sheep herder. He purposely separates the sheep so he can chase them around. Our instructor doesn't seem too concerned, he only tried it twice so maybe he's getting the hint. Tomorrow is his last lesson with his trainer and him out with the sheep. Next time I will be out there guiding him along and teaching him his cues.

One thing Rory has been good about lately is not pulling me! At his herding lesson he cannot pull me down to the sheep, so I've been working with him at home on loose leash walking, walking around the block, and having him lay down randomly. (I'm having him lay down in weird situations so he will pay more attention to me around sheep.) I have a feeling he might actually turn out to be a good sheep dog! :)

Rory finally met sheep!

2013-05-09T21:30:00.001-07:00

I like to expect nothing from my dogs so if they fail, I'm not disappointed, and if they succeed, I'm thrilled.

At Rory's herding lesson today, I expected him to act like a crazed animal. I thought his eyes would be glued to the sheep and he would ignore me. Well luckily, I guessed wrong. :)

Rory did exactly as he was asked to, he would go out around the sheep and didn't bite them. I was very concerned he would try to bite the sheep, but he didn't! Once, one of the sheep left the group and Rory took off chased after him, cornering the sheep by the fence. He was able to get the sheep back to the group without using his mouth. I was so relieved!

It seems like Rory is going to make an excellent herding dog!!

I actually still have some good news! Rory had an unexpected meeting with my other dog, Delilah, again today. I told my mom Rory was outside but she forgot and let Delilah out. The second Delilah saw Rory, she ran to the front door. :[ Rory followed at a distance, and I called him and he came to me! He didn't try to sniff her or anything. He had no reaction that I could notice. He somewhat ignored her. Tomorrow I will continue his training and have him 'watch me' while Delilah is at a distance.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how Rory behaved today. :)

It's been a while

2013-05-05T11:56:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated this blog! Let's get started!

Rory has started Nosework classes, we go every Wednesday and so far we're on our 4th class. All he has to do is find treats that are hidden in boxes, it's easy and he has a blast! This class is perfect for reactive dogs like Rory, only 1 dog is searching at a time, the other dogs are crated in another room while they wait. Rory has seen a couple dogs while he was there though, and I had to just drag him away.

I had Rory signed up for a private herding class but she facility kept making me reschedule the lesson. I ended up going to a different place for sheep herding, I met a woman who is a herding trial judge at a Dog & Pony show I was at, she is going to give Rory herding lessons. Our lesson is scheduled this this Monday!

Rory hasn't improved much around dogs. I'm able to have him watch me while we are near Delilah, but only at a far distance. I'm just going to keep on taking baby steps.

Rory starting Nosework and Herding will hopefully somehow help with his reactivity towards dogs. My dad hasn't said a word about re-homing Rory (he doesn't really like him) so it seems like he is here for good. Rory is slowly improving, I bet him getting older has a lot to do with it. He is still a puppy, mentally. He isn't as wild, he now has calm moments. He also isn't always jumping on people! This little puppy still has a long way to go….

Rory has an enemy

2013-04-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

It seems like every time Rory takes a tiny step forward, he then takes a giant leap backwards.

Today, for example, instead of him calmly watching the goats he was growling and lunging at the fence. Oh, and he also had a fight with Shiloh. I was outside with Rory, my younger brother, and mom when out of the blue Shiloh charged Rory. It looked like she was attacking him because he was trying to walk away from her but Shiloh was on top of him. Once Shiloh was grabbed he then tried to go after her.

Delilah was outside with Shiloh too, and this time she wasn't scared of Rory, the whole time she stood at a distance watching. The front and back doors to the house were both closed, Shiloh opened my brother's door, which wasn't locked, and that's how they got outside.

Now Rory has a "friend" and an enemy.

Because Rory has been limping on and off on his back right paw, I haven't been able to take him on a long walk then train him near Delilah. I might just take a risk and try right now....

Rory's New Friend

2013-03-29T22:33:00.001-07:00

If a friend is someone who can tolerate the craziness of a person, I guess Rory might have a new friend.

Rory and Delilah accidently met, off leash! I let Rory outside while Delilah was sitting on the steps by the front door. Surprisingly, Delilah didn't bite his head off! Rory was too exited for my liking, he really wanted to play with her and wouldn't keep out of her space. He was also a little too intense. Delilah was pretty freaked out, but handled it well. She patiently sat by the door waiting for me to free her from the weird monster.

Since my last post, this is the first time I've had any type of success with him and another dog. My plan is to have Delilah by the door again and have Rory next to her, on leash, and treat him when he looks at me or is some what calm. I have a feeling this might work!!

Prozac Update

2013-02-25T22:00:00.001-08:00

Great news, I have a some what normal dog now! And he cuddles!

Rory's vet agreed with us that Prozac is vital for his training. For a week now, Rory has been getting his pills, and I already notice a difference in his behavior!

Rory will obnoxiously nip and jump on me when he is bored or ready to play. Today, he glanced at me as if he was *thinking* of flinging himself onto me, but instead he snatched his ball. I was amazed!!

He also slept in my bed with me for the first time! Usually he just won't sleep unless I send him to his crate. Last night he was snugging with me, and amazingly he didn't leave the bed!

I'm thrilled to see such an incredible change in only a week! The dosage is low, so he isn't and won't act drugged or sleepy all the time. The full effect will take place in a few more weeks, then we head back to his trainer.

I'm so so happy to have a dog that snuggles! My mom says he is a real dog now that he has calmed down a tad. Having a real dog is nice! :)

(The pictures are of him sleeping on my lap. Never once have I ever dreamed of this happening!!!!!!!!)

Wordless Wednesday!

2013-01-30T09:31:00.001-08:00

He didn't like wearing the hat. :p

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Rory's Evaluation

2013-01-29T11:52:00.002-08:00

Rory met his new trainer last Thursday. Not a lot happened, we mainly talked, then she brought in a dog to see his reaction.

I did learn that Rory is not aggressive, he just has no clue how to behave around dogs. He wants to play but is unsure so he goes wild. She said it's probably good I didn't let him greet my other dog off leash because there probably would have been a fight. He would have been too rough and wanting to play, and my other dog would have freaked, and Rory wouldn't understand that she wants him to stop.

For those of you interested in the first half of Rory's new training 'plan', here it is!

First, I need to make a vet appointment for Rory. I'm highly considering giving him Prozac, so I'd like to talk with his vet.

It takes a couple weeks for the full effect of the medication. In the mean time, I will be teaching him to be calm in a crate that will be put in the living room.

Then we will head back to his trainer for a lesson.

And, I might start a nosework class with him!

Christmas in January!

2013-01-16T12:04:00.001-08:00

I obviously have procrastination issues. I'm only now showing you pictures from Rory's Christmas. :p

Rory got a bunch of toys, and he loves them all!

Here's a video of the chaotic morning.

http://youtu.be/2xLL8gFsKsY

Rory's Christmas Tree

2012-12-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

Since Rory can't go into the living room, I put up a tree in my room just for him!

Did you notice the clicker on top!?

I just had to add a sheep!

And he LOVES ducks so I added them too!

Happy holidays everyone!! =)

2012 Christmas Photo Shoot

2012-12-17T21:05:00.001-08:00

Who would have guessed taking pictures of a dog and a boy would be so difficult!?

When Rory is finally paying attention to me and staying still, my brother is not looking at the camera.

And when my brother is ready for the picture, Rory is either wandering off, trying to steal his hat, or searching me for treats.

It didn't help that the curtains kept moving around. D:< At least I got a few nice pictures.

I guess I need to do some more modeling work with Rory! He looks fantastic in these pictures! =D

Temporary Foster Puppy

2012-11-29T21:11:00.001-08:00

My local library is like a community center. Well, yesterday, the main volunteer found this puppy in the bathroom. According to the vet, she's about 3 months old, possibly some sort of Rat Terrier or Jack Russell mix. No one was able to take her until we find her home or a temporary foster home, so she's in my brothers room. We have Bailey, my foster dog, and Rory separated from the living room, it's just too much work. (The puppy is being kept in my brothers room.)

I have 3 people interested in adopting her, and a great friend of mine has offered to foster her until she finds a home. :) At the moment, things are pretty chaotic here. Rory doesn't know she's in the house, so all is good for now.

I've been working on the Surprise Party Game with Rory, and he is getting the hang of it. I'll be practicing with some distractions tomorrow, and if he behaves, I'll start with the dogs at a distance. I have my fingers crossed!

Once the puppy we found gets adopted or a new foster home, I'll go back to my regular routine with Rory. For now, he has to deal with no playtime with my brothers. That will be awful for him.

Love at first sight

2012-11-20T22:00:00.001-08:00

I knew the instant Rory began to play with his Cagey Cube that it was love at first sight! He hasn't lost interest in it yet! I'm going to start rotating his toys just to be safe.

Sunday and Monday I felt very weak and sleepy. I did walk with Rory on the 3 mile trail, but it was exhausting, and usually it isn't. Today I was full of energy, and of course so was Rory! I worked on a few Control Unleashed exercises with him, that's about it training wise. Once he learns to calm down, I can continue trick training. Obedience just isn't the same as tricks though. :(

There's a possibility we may go on a hike or to a park tomorrow. I'll post an update to Twitter. I'm trying to use it more often. I'm actually not sure how it works exactly, or what I should be tweeting about. Oh well. :p

Rory's Twitter: Twitter.com/Rorythekelpie

Toys!!!

2012-11-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

Our package from The Clicker Company arrived today!

I ordered 2 puzzle games, 1 cagey cube, a clicker whistle, and a target stick. I thought the clicker whistle was genius! Rory, on the other hand, could care less, he was obsessed with the cagey cube.

I'll be making some short review videos for each product. They will be just quick videos showing Rory interacting with them.

Today was like Christmas for Rory!! Shiloh and Delilah had no interest in any of the toys. Now this has me thinking about buying him a Christmas present… I found some adorable pjs in the Doctors Foster and Smith's catalogue. It's probably best I buy something that he'll enjoy though. And something that will keep him entertained, like the cagey cube! He's been playing all day with that toy!

Happy Birthday Rory!

2012-11-10T21:35:00.001-08:00

All I know is that Rory was born sometime on November... So happy Birthday Rory!

Tomorrow I'm having a 'Puppy Party Palooza' celebrating me getting a new dog, but so far only 1 of my friends is coming for sure. Rory will be happy with that, he actually LOVES my friend who is coming. The park has a giant field so he can run around (on leash); he will have a blast! He won't even know the party was a fail. :p

His nipping has stopped a little bit, but he is still just too... crazy. I've been working on a few calming exercises which don't seem to work. I received a reply from the trainer I've been in contact with, so maybe he can also help me out with that. He's better than a week ago, but he's still crazy.

Good Job Rory!

2012-11-05T22:45:00.001-08:00

Rory behaved less like a psychotic dog today! Yay!

I did a bunch of training sessions through out where I would treat him when he was calm. This advice was given to me from a great Faceboom group called 'Beyond Cesar Millian'. I'd suggest to anyone interested in positive dog training to check it out. :)

Rory ran off leash in the fenced in yard
for a good amount of time, and I then brought him for a two and a half mile walk.

Later in the yard, I tripped over nothing because I'm a clutz, and he began to play tug-o- war with my shoe. I 'grounded the leash' and he stopped bitting at my shoe.

Rory's favorite part of the day was probably playing with his cong ball, trying to lick out all of the delicious treats. He seriously loves that cong ball!!!

Rory only nipping me once is progress... And on the very first day is great! I know there are going to still be more ups and downs, but I'm ready for it. All I truly needed to know was why he was nipping me, and how to stop it.

A few other owners I've chatted with also had this problem. It was very stressful and emotional for them, but overtime by keeping positive and being consistent, their dogs stopped nipping. I can't even begin to explain how relieved I was to hear that I'm not the only one with a crazy, nippy dog!

(The picture is of Rory watching the cows we passed on our walk)

Changes

2012-11-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

There's nothing worse than being annoyed with your own dog.... That's how I've been feeling lately. Rory had been soo nippy these past few weeks. Luckily, I've been given some super advice on how to calm him down and prevent him from nipping.

Basically, I'll be planning out my whole day, adding in extra walks and training sessions. Changes will be made, good changes! I'm going to finally order Controll Unleashed, and contact a dog trainer I discovered after months of searching! I even used my $50 gift card from The Clicker Company, from Rory winning Pet of The Month, to buy 2 treat toy puzzles, a whistle clicker, a target stick, and a box & ball puzzle toy.

Tomorrow, I start my new plan. I have a great feeling about this; I bet Rory will enjoy it too!

Happy Halloween!

2012-10-31T14:06:00.001-07:00

I wasn't able to film a Halloween video this year because my brother had a horrible case of posion oak... All over his face for 2 weeks! He was looking and feeling better last night until he got food poising. I will be working on a Doctor Who video though!

I just ran Rory around outside. At 6 I'll be trick or treating with my friends, so I'm trying to tire him out!

Rory is looking great with his costume on! Are you dressing your dog up for Halloween? If so, what is he/she going to be!?

Another Wordless Wednesday

2012-10-24T18:01:00.001-07:00

Rory The Centurian

2012-10-21T20:53:00.001-07:00

Rory's costume is complete! It's not only a Halloween costume, it's also his Doctor Who cosplay costume!! I can't keep this secret anymore; I'm going as Amy Pond, and Rory is going as Rory! One of my brothers is the Doctor, so I'm taking advantage of this and creating a Doctor Who Halloween video! If you've never watched the BBC show Doctor Who, you probably think I'm insane. Go on Netflix and watch it! There's a reason it's the longest running sci fi show!

That's it for today. Other than being followed by a dog on a walk, nothing exiting happened.

I forgot to mention that his costume is homemade. That means it will need some work. :p

Busy!

2012-10-19T23:29:00.001-07:00

I'm currently teaching Rory self control instead of tricks. Amazingly, I was able to walk with him behind a boy and his mom who where jogging yesterday. Rory kept an eye on them, but he didn't pull! We also passed by a dog park and I witnessed a dog fight.... I kept a good distance away from the dog park after that....

I contacted a trainer that's an hour away, and she is charging $150 an hour for reactive dog training sessions... I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous! So, I e-mailed another trainer, and she no longer does reactive dog sessions... Now I'm having to search for trainers that are an hour and a half away. Who thought finding a positive dog trainer would be so hard!

October is booked for me with Halloween volunteering. These next 2 weeks will be hectic, but I *will* update this blog!

Wordless Wednesday!

2012-10-10T16:33:00.000-07:00