Hi! It's Cinnamon.
I am doing a post for our One New Trick A Month Challenge again!
This month I learned to catch a toy with my front legs.
I am very good at sitting pretty. Whenever I want treats, I appeal by sitting pretty to show how adorable I am! So, this trick was not very hard for me to learn.
I hope you enjoy watching the video of my new trick "Catch a toy" :-)
Friday, 27 July 2012
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Friday, 13 July 2012
Finally back in competitive obedience after a long break!
Hi! It's Cinnamon.
In a recent post I wrote about agility and Rally-O competitions, but Mint and I didn't compete in Obedience for a long time. However, late last month we went to an obedience trial for the first time in the past half year.
Mum didn't take us to obedience trials for such a long time, because she thought that both of us had lost interest in obedience. Yes, she was right. I didn't enjoy competing in obedience, feeling bored every time Mum took me into the competition ring, as I had to do the same things all the time.
Although we didn't compete for a long time, we kept doing obedience training. I still get bored sometimes, but I am starting to enjoy it a little bit.
In the first obedience trial after a long break, I entered the Elementary class and Mint entered the Special Beginners and Elementary classes. In fact it was Mint's first Special Beginners round. The exercises in the Elementary class are Heelwork (on lead with about and right turns), Recall, Sit Stay (30 seconds), and Down Stay (1 minute), while those in the Special Beginners class are Heelwork (both on lead and off lead with about, right, and left turns), Recall, Sit Stay (1 minute), and Down Stay (2 minutes).
In the Special Beginners class, Mint did wonderful heelwork but broke the sit stay. However, as many of other competiters didn't perform as well as they usually did, Mint still got a fourth place.
In the Elementary class I did the heelwork pretty well, without sniffing the floor as I often did. My recall was so so. On the other hand, Mint's heelwork was not as good as what he usually did. In the stays which Mint and I did together at the same time, Mint lay down when we were doing the sit stay, while I did both stays without problems. After all, I got a 2nd place!!
Two weeks later Mint went to another obedience trial. I didn't enter this time, because the Elementary and Special Beginners classes took place at the same time. If I had entered too, Mum would have panicked.
In the Elementary Mint didn't do the heelwork as well as he usually does. But, he didn't lose points in the stays, and he WON the class!! As it was his second win in the class (He got his first win a year ago), he cannot enter the class anymore.
In the Special Beginners he did the heelwork pretty well but broke BOTH stays!! How stupid he is!! So, he didn't get any placing...
Now that Mum knows that Mint's stays are a problem, she has been practising stays with Mint every day!
In a recent post I wrote about agility and Rally-O competitions, but Mint and I didn't compete in Obedience for a long time. However, late last month we went to an obedience trial for the first time in the past half year.
Mum didn't take us to obedience trials for such a long time, because she thought that both of us had lost interest in obedience. Yes, she was right. I didn't enjoy competing in obedience, feeling bored every time Mum took me into the competition ring, as I had to do the same things all the time.
Although we didn't compete for a long time, we kept doing obedience training. I still get bored sometimes, but I am starting to enjoy it a little bit.
In the first obedience trial after a long break, I entered the Elementary class and Mint entered the Special Beginners and Elementary classes. In fact it was Mint's first Special Beginners round. The exercises in the Elementary class are Heelwork (on lead with about and right turns), Recall, Sit Stay (30 seconds), and Down Stay (1 minute), while those in the Special Beginners class are Heelwork (both on lead and off lead with about, right, and left turns), Recall, Sit Stay (1 minute), and Down Stay (2 minutes).
In the Special Beginners class, Mint did wonderful heelwork but broke the sit stay. However, as many of other competiters didn't perform as well as they usually did, Mint still got a fourth place.
In the Elementary class I did the heelwork pretty well, without sniffing the floor as I often did. My recall was so so. On the other hand, Mint's heelwork was not as good as what he usually did. In the stays which Mint and I did together at the same time, Mint lay down when we were doing the sit stay, while I did both stays without problems. After all, I got a 2nd place!!
Two weeks later Mint went to another obedience trial. I didn't enter this time, because the Elementary and Special Beginners classes took place at the same time. If I had entered too, Mum would have panicked.
In the Elementary Mint didn't do the heelwork as well as he usually does. But, he didn't lose points in the stays, and he WON the class!! As it was his second win in the class (He got his first win a year ago), he cannot enter the class anymore.
In the Special Beginners he did the heelwork pretty well but broke BOTH stays!! How stupid he is!! So, he didn't get any placing...
Now that Mum knows that Mint's stays are a problem, she has been practising stays with Mint every day!
Friday, 29 June 2012
One New Trick A Month - June - Weave through arms
Hi! It's Cinnamon.
Time flies!!!! Another month has passed!!!
Yes, this is another post for our One New Trick A Month Challenge 2012.
This month I learned a trick that we had seen Ashleigh and Pudsey, the winner of Britain's Got Talent 2012, doing and really liked. The trick is 'Weave through arms.'
When I saw Ashleigh and Pudsey doing it, I thought it should be easy to learn, because I was very good at weaving through legs. But, I have to say it was not that easy. I could learn to walk under Mum's upper body very easily, but then I didn't know where to go next. So, I tried all sorts of things, such as turning back, walking backwards, and even kissing Mum! But, finally I figured out what I had to do.
Here is the finished product!
Monday, 11 June 2012
It is not only our human who's been working hard!!
Hi! It's Cinnamon.
I know that my blog posts have been slack again, but it is not only our human who's been busy and working hard!
Last month Mint and I went to two competitions, one agility competition and one rally obedience competition, and on Saturday we went to another agility competition. And, tell you what! We brought back at least one ribbon from all of these competitions!!
On 12th and 13th May we went to NorWest Jumpers Championship. Both Mint and I entered six Jumpers C rounds, and Mint got one clear round each day and I got two clear rounds on Saturday and one clear round on Sunday. In one of the two rounds from which Mint got clear rounds, he even got a 2nd-place ribbon!!
On 27th May we went to Manukau Rally Obedience Championship and entered the Novice A class.
As we hadn't done any rally obedience, Mum was very worried how we would perform. I have to admit that Mum's concern had a reason. In the last rally obedience competition, she was upset by my performance, as I wandered off many times, ignoring her commands. But, this time I enjoyed my round and did much much better than the last time, and I got a 2nd-place ribbon as well as my second qualifying certificate!
Mint also did very well despite the fact that it was the very first rally obedience competition for him. When our rounds finished, Mum actually thought that Mint had done better than me. But, later she realised that she had done something wrong in his round. She had forgot to make him sit before laying down, when she had to do so. So, Mint lost ten points for that mistake. However, he didn't make any fault otherwise, so he managed to get his first qualifying certificate.
Last Saturday we went to Counties Agility Ribbon Trial and both of us entered Jumpers C, Starters, and Elementary A.
In Jumpers C we both did very well but weren't fast enough to get a ribbon. When ribbons were given up to the 3rd place, I got placed the 4th and Mint the 5th.
In Starters Mint did extremely well and WON the class!! Well done Mint!! But, I didn't do so well. I was so excited at the start that I didn't wait until Mum said 'OK', and when I started running, Mum was so upset that she forgot how she had planned to run, resulting in three faults.
In Elementary A we couldn't run as fast as we usually do, as we were already very tired, but it seems that many other dogs in the class were feeling the same way. As a result, Mint got a 2nd place and I got a 3rd place.
Now that Mint has got a win in Starters, he has graduated from Elementary A, which means that he will be entering Starters and Novice in the next competition.
Besides competitions, we demonstrated dog dancing with another doggie at a primary school last week.
It was great fun!! Over a hundred kids watched it, and they were a wonderful audience. As their teachers had told them to stay calm and quiet so that we dogs didn't get over-excited, they didn't rush toward us to pat us like children often do when they see dogs. Also, unlike other public displays, there was no one eating something and there was no food around us. So, I could concentrate on my performance, although I wandered off a little bit at the beginning of my routine, and I could hear the kids laughing every time I did a trick.
Mint did well too, although Mum didn't look happy with her own improvisation for the last part of Mint's routine. The audience also enjoyed watching a limbo dance by our dancing team mate, Fletcher.
What I thought was wonderful was that between our dance performances a teacher demonstrated clicker training with a couple of volunteers from the young audience. The children really enjoyed it, and later I heard that young children had been doing it for the rest of the day.
I know that my blog posts have been slack again, but it is not only our human who's been busy and working hard!
Last month Mint and I went to two competitions, one agility competition and one rally obedience competition, and on Saturday we went to another agility competition. And, tell you what! We brought back at least one ribbon from all of these competitions!!
On 12th and 13th May we went to NorWest Jumpers Championship. Both Mint and I entered six Jumpers C rounds, and Mint got one clear round each day and I got two clear rounds on Saturday and one clear round on Sunday. In one of the two rounds from which Mint got clear rounds, he even got a 2nd-place ribbon!!
On 27th May we went to Manukau Rally Obedience Championship and entered the Novice A class.
As we hadn't done any rally obedience, Mum was very worried how we would perform. I have to admit that Mum's concern had a reason. In the last rally obedience competition, she was upset by my performance, as I wandered off many times, ignoring her commands. But, this time I enjoyed my round and did much much better than the last time, and I got a 2nd-place ribbon as well as my second qualifying certificate!
Mint also did very well despite the fact that it was the very first rally obedience competition for him. When our rounds finished, Mum actually thought that Mint had done better than me. But, later she realised that she had done something wrong in his round. She had forgot to make him sit before laying down, when she had to do so. So, Mint lost ten points for that mistake. However, he didn't make any fault otherwise, so he managed to get his first qualifying certificate.
Last Saturday we went to Counties Agility Ribbon Trial and both of us entered Jumpers C, Starters, and Elementary A.
In Jumpers C we both did very well but weren't fast enough to get a ribbon. When ribbons were given up to the 3rd place, I got placed the 4th and Mint the 5th.
In Starters Mint did extremely well and WON the class!! Well done Mint!! But, I didn't do so well. I was so excited at the start that I didn't wait until Mum said 'OK', and when I started running, Mum was so upset that she forgot how she had planned to run, resulting in three faults.
In Elementary A we couldn't run as fast as we usually do, as we were already very tired, but it seems that many other dogs in the class were feeling the same way. As a result, Mint got a 2nd place and I got a 3rd place.
Now that Mint has got a win in Starters, he has graduated from Elementary A, which means that he will be entering Starters and Novice in the next competition.
Besides competitions, we demonstrated dog dancing with another doggie at a primary school last week.
 |
| This photo was taken at home before we went to the school for our demo |
It was great fun!! Over a hundred kids watched it, and they were a wonderful audience. As their teachers had told them to stay calm and quiet so that we dogs didn't get over-excited, they didn't rush toward us to pat us like children often do when they see dogs. Also, unlike other public displays, there was no one eating something and there was no food around us. So, I could concentrate on my performance, although I wandered off a little bit at the beginning of my routine, and I could hear the kids laughing every time I did a trick.
Mint did well too, although Mum didn't look happy with her own improvisation for the last part of Mint's routine. The audience also enjoyed watching a limbo dance by our dancing team mate, Fletcher.
What I thought was wonderful was that between our dance performances a teacher demonstrated clicker training with a couple of volunteers from the young audience. The children really enjoyed it, and later I heard that young children had been doing it for the rest of the day.
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