Hound Racing Club on TV!

Tell you what! We appeared on TV yesterday, in a programme called "Animal Academy" presented by Olympic Gold Medallist Sarah Ulmer and Wildlife Park Ranger Jeremy Maguire. In yesterday's programme they featured the Hound Racing Club that Cookie and Cinnamon belong to.

In February a TV crew came to our coursing to film us (Click here to read about the coursing), but at that time I didn't know what they were filming for. All I was told was that the crew came from Christchurch, so I thought they were filming for a local television there. But, it was actually for a popular animal programme on a county-wide channel.



At the time of filming, Cinnamon was not allowed to run, only a few of weeks after she had a mysterious sickness (My very first blog post was about it), so she stayed in a crate while we were there on the New Zealand Kennel Club Auckland Exhibition Centre Grounds that day.



The TV crew were interviewing some members of the club, but they didn't talk to us at all, so I thought we wouldn't appear on the screen. But, Cookie and I actually did! If you are in New Zealand, you can watch the programme online here (The Hound Racing Club appears in the latter half of the section 1).

You can only see us briefly several times. But, we can say that we were on the screen, can't we?


As many of you know, our blog friend Honey the Great Dane appeared on TV and showed dancing performance with her human in July (Click here to see her post about it). But, it was not the only TV appearance of our friends.

Our agility club mates Buffy the Miniature Schnauzer and her human (They were our partners in an agility relay competition in July) were also on TV a while ago! In the programme they were taught how to solve her separation anxiety. You can watch the programme here (I don't know whether you can view it from outside New Zealand or not. If you can't, you can read the full story here).


Are all our doggy friends appearing on TV in turn?

Well done, Cinnamon!!! (Continued)

Yesterday the owner of a cat that Cinnamon helped find when he was missing (See here if you haven't read about it) brought this orchid plant in appreciation of our help with the search (To be honest I don't think we did anything special except that Cinnamon showed us where to search. So, it should be credited to Cinnamon!). The cat owner said that her cat, Oscar, was doing well and now he was afraid of going across the road where he had been hit by a car.


I will show you how determined Cookie can get. He has always been like this. Once he decides where to go, he doesn't move in any other direction. At this time I had to lure him with a treat stick to make him move toward home, as he was still not allowed to walk a long distance.

Cookie, now you can walk!

Cookie had his first short walk after a two-week complete rest.

This morning Cookie looked so bored and unhappy in his crate that I decided to take him for a very short walk.











His walking looked almost normal when he was walking fast. He was really enjoying the walk and wanted to walk more. He was so determined to go across a busy road in front of our house that I had to pick him up and bring him back home in my arms!



As Cookie was not allowed to walk outside for the last couple of weeks, Cinnamon had walks alone without Cookie. It though was a great opportunity to do walking obedience training with Cinnamon. She in fact walked very nicely, maybe partly because I was using an Easy Walk Harness on her, although she still couldn't resist putting her nose to the ground sometimes.



She also enjoyed running around with other dogs she met at parks to make up for not being able to play with Cookie at home.



There is something I recently noticed about Cinnamon. I have been trying to train her not to bark at other dogs she meets in her walks. At first I thought she was barking at other dogs from overexcitement, but it seems she is actually barking from fear and anxiety, which she seems to have difficulty in dealing with especially when she is on the lead. When she is off the lead, she is much calmer and barks much less.

Another couple of days...

Many thanks to everyone who has kindly sent Cookie get well wishes! I am glad to tell you that he's doing much better now. Although his walking is still a bit wobbly, which might have now become a permanent condition, he looks much more lively. Being bored staying in his crate most of the day, he has been saying 'Grrrr' and scratching the net screen from time to time.



He has even found a way to open a zipper of his crate to get out!!



Cookie, stay there for another couple of days, and you can begin to have short walks again!!


Well, as many of you already know, our great blog friend Honey the Great Dane is having the Spectacular Slobber Contest. The entries have now been closed and the voting has begun! If you haven't voted yet, visit her blog and vote!! The voting will close on Sunday 30th August.

Practising 'Rear Cross'

We have been practising 'Rear Cross' for a few days. I felt the need to master the skill when we couldn't switch the sides smoothly in our 'Clear Round' run at Tauranga Jumpers Championship. In the run I intended to switch the sides with 'Front Cross' right after a tunnel, but I couldn't do it smoothly as Cinnamon came out of the tunnel much faster than I had expected.






In the agility class this week, I had trouble switching the sides again. This time, again, I was thinking about switching the sides right after a tunnel, because I didn't want to slow Cinnamon down by doing a switch before a tunnel, one of obstacles that she is often reluctant to do.



I started practising 'Rear Cross' with shadow training without Cinnamon and then brought Cinnamon in to do ground training without using real jumps. Things went well up to this stage, but I found the next step using real jumps really hard. A problem is that Cinnamon sometimes spins in a wrong direction after doing a jump right after rear cross, before going to the correct side. Now I am thinking about using a toy or something as a target in order to make her turn to the correct side without spinning in a wrong direction.

I hope to be able to report some progress in our next post.

Noble dog, Cookie

It's been nearly three weeks since he yelped from pain when he tried to jump on a couch. As it was thought to be just a sore back at first, I still took him out for short walks everyday for the next two weeks, while I restricted his exercise by keeping him in a crate or on the lead. But, without seeing a significant improvement in his condition, we went to see a specialist surgeon through a referral by our vet, and then he was diagnosed to have a slipped disk in the neck. Since then, he has been kept in a crate all the time except when he goes to toilet or has a meal.

It must be hard to be confined in such a small place all the time. But, don't you think he looks noble lying behind a net?



During the Heian Era (794 to 1185) in Japan, 'a court lady would conceal herself behind a screen when speaking with a man outside her immediate family' (Wikipedia). Cookie in his soft crate reminds me of pictures of such ladies behind a screen like this:


* Source: Wikipedia

Well, I am pleased to report that Cookie is doing much better now. He even tries to run to the gate together with Cinnamon, when he sees somebody passing by while he is in the front garden for toilet.







Cinnamon seems to know that Cookie is not well. Although she often bumps her hips into Cookie, trying to invite him to play together, she hasn't done it since Cookie became unwell.

Cookie, be patient and you will get back to your normal self soon!

Our first dog dancing!!

Can you believe it? Cinnamon and I did dog dancing(?) in front of an audience!

It all started when I asked our friend, Honey the Great Dane, when she and her human were doing canine freestyle (dog dancing) next time after we missed the chance to see them dancing at a pet shop we always buy dog food from. When they told me that they were going to dance at a competition on the coming weekend, they also invited us to participate in an event called "One Minute Busking," where participants with no experience in canine freestyle can try out doing tricks to music.

As I decided to take part in the event the day before, we didn't have much time to practice. And first of all I didn't know what the event was like. So, I asked Honey and her human to give us some tips, and at their house we tried dog dancing to music for the first time. It was great fun! Both Cinnamon and I enjoyed it!



And today we actually danced (or should I say 'doing tricks to music'?) in front of an audience! After we watched Honey and her human's fabulous performance, I took Cinnamon outside for a short walk, thinking there was some time before the busking event commenced, and just when I was going back inside, I heard our names being announced! So, we dashed to the ring without knowing what to do. Once we were in the ring, we were told to listen to the music for twenty seconds and then start after five seconds.

At first Cinnamon was distracted in a new environment, but after a while she began to focus on me. I think she did very well, although we couldn't do everything I had planned to do.





Hsin-Yi and Honey, thank you so much for giving us such a great opportunity!!

Staying at "Ritz Carlton"

When we went to Tauranga for a championship last weekend, we stayed at a motel called Ritz Carlton Motel. Although the name might sound familiar to some of you, it actually has no resemblance with the world wide hotel chain, The Ritz-Carlton.

When I was looking for accommodation in Tauranga, I found two pet friendly motels in the area (I later found another one after making a booking at the Ritz Carlton). I chose Ritz Carlton over the other one, because the motel has a hot therapeutic mineral pool with each unit. Although the other one also has private thermal pools, not every unit in the motel has one, and the rate for their unit with a thermal pool was more expensive than that of Ritz Carlton.

As soon as we arrived at the motel, Cinnamon started checking the rooms and the hot pool area.





When I looked at photos on the motel's website, I thought that the hot pool was indoor. But, it was actually in an outdoor space, adjacent to the unit (the unit has a large window with curtains on the pool side) and enclosed by high walls. It was so nice and relaxing to be soaking in the warm mineral water, stargazing!!




At the motel, guests in the units on our both sides had a dog or dogs. A couple staying in the unit on our right had a basset hound and they were also from Auckland. They said that they were thinking about moving to Tauranga. And a woman staying in the unit on our left had more than one dog. When we saw dogs in crates in her van, my husband and I said to each other, half joking, that those dogs might be competing at the agility championship that we were going to (At that time we didn't see the owner of the dogs). Then, the next morning, when we were loading our luggage in our car, a woman, who I had remembered from previous agility trials, came out of the unit!

***

Update on Cookie's condition:

Today we were sent to the Veterinary Specialist Group (VSG) pet hospital, after I reported our vet that Cookie's condition was not getting better. When I rang the pet hospital to make an appointment for a consultation, a receptionist said "I remember you!" in a cheerful voice. But, I didn't know whether I should be pleased to be remembered or not. VSG's specialist fees are so expensive that we always tell our dogs not to go there whenever we pass by the pet hospital.



At VSG we saw the same surgeon who had done an initial consultation when Cookie had a slipped disk two years ago. After letting Cookie walk to see how he walked and examining his body carefully, the surgeon gave a diagnosis, another slipped disk in the neck. But, this new one seems to be much less acute, so he doesn't need to have an X-ray or any medication at this stage, let alone an operation. All that is required for now is a complete rest. Thus, he will have to stay in his crate for another couple of weeks.

Tauranga Jumpers Championship

We took part in our first championship on Sunday. As the venue, Morland Fox Park in Tauranga, is over 200km away from Auckland, we went to Tauranga on Saturday and stayed in a motel that allows dogs in the units.



Do you want to know the results? We entered three competitions, Jumpers C1, C2, and C3, and got a run with two faults, a Clear Round, and a DQ. After we did our first run in Jumpers C1, I felt a significant improvement in Cinnamon's concentration. At our second run in Jumpers C2, we finally got our first Clear Round in a championship!



After the first two runs, we had to wait for four hours and a half before our final run in Jumpers C3.



After having a nap in the car, I started warming up well before our turn by doing obedience exercises and tricks, in order to concentrate again. But, it seems it was a shallow idea. When our turn came around, both Cinnamon and I were already exhausted. Look at this. Everything went in a bad way. No focus!!



However, it was a fruitful experience and I am satisfied with our results.


****

Update on Cookie's condition: His walking still looks unsteady, but he doesn't shiver from pain any more. It seems he knows he should avoid jumping.

****

Finally I would like to show you Cookie's entry to Honey's Spectacular Slobber Contest.



If you click the pic to enlarge it, you can see how his slobber is bent halfway :-)

Not young forever

What is Cookie doing in a crate?

Last week, when he tried to jump on a couch, he yelped and started shaking. Such an incident happened twice in the last week, and the symptom at the second time was worse than the first time. When he became like that the second time on Saturday, his shivering continued nearly half an hour. At that time I thought "A slipped disk? Not again!!" But, unlike the time he had a slipped disk in the neck and had an operation, his condition didn't deteriorate.

This week I took Cookie to the vet for an annual checkup, and then I told the vet about Cookie's condition. To my relief, the vet's diagnosis was a simple back pain that has nothing to do with spinal injuries.

Just in case, I will keep him in his crate most of the day and take him out only for shot walks on the lead until Monday. But, it seems Cookie doesn't mind it, because he spends most of his day having a nap anyway.

Beagle Walk in the Auckland Domain

We went to a Beagle Walk at the Auckland Domain on Saturday. The Auckland Beagle Club holds Beagle Walks every other month at various places in different areas around Auckland.

Although rain was forecast, we were lucky enough to make a full circle around the big park before it started raining midday.

We met at a car park near the duck pond.



Set off for a walk at 10:40am.



Cinnamon was so excited that she couldn't stop barking at first.



The first stop at the Valkyrie Fountain.



A group snapshot in front of the Auckland War Memorial Museum.



Cookie's snapshot.



The last stop at the Wintergardens.



Soon after we got back in our car to go home shortly after midday, it started raining.

Well done, Cinnamon!!!

Cinnamon did a great job this weekend!! Not in Agility though, but she helped find a missing cat.

When we came back from our morning walk, a couple were looking inside the gate of our next-door neighbour's house, which I was looking after as the owners of the house were away. So, I asked if they were visiting the owners of the house. Then, the husband said that their cat had been hit by a car and their neighbour had seen the cat getting into the property right after the accident. We looked around together after I took Cookie and Cinnamon home, as the cat would be scared of the dogs. But we couldn't find him at that time.

In the evening just before sunset I went over to the property again, this time with Cinnamon. I was thinking she might be able to sniff out the cat, as she has such a good nose that she often starts tracking the scent of a dog that has passed by before we see it. As soon as she entered the backyard, she started sniffing around a bush beside a deck. She even tried to climb over the bush to poke into under the deck. It was an unusual behaviour for her. I had never seen her do that in the neighbour's backyard, which she had been to many times. However, we still couldn't find the cat.

And first thing in the next morning I heard the owners of the missing cat calling his name, Oscar. So, I went out and looked for the cat again together with them. The red eyes of the wife showed that she hadn't had much sleep. In the afternoon, the wife visited us and said she wanted to have a look under the deck later with a torch after her husband came back from work, because she remembered I had told her that Cinnamon was keenly sniffing around that area. Actually, later it turned out that, behind the bush, there was the only path to get in under the deck and to under the house, where we at first thought was unreachable from outside without opening a locked door to the basement.

And, yes, the couple finally found their cat under the house!! At that time I wasn't with them, as I didn't want to disturb their search. According to the cat owners, when the cat was found, he seemed to have a sore back but looked all right otherwise.

Cinnamon did a great job, didn't she!?


*****

On the weekend we visited an official measurer of the New Zealand Agility Committee to have Cinnamon measured. In order to enter Championships as Midi or Mini dogs, dogs must be measured by an official measurer and get a certificate for the height class.



It was not easy to measure Cinnamon, as she was scared of the measuring instrument. But, luring her with a dog biscuit, the measurer managed to measure her height at the shoulder bone. Her measurement was 375mm, which falls into the Mini category. Now we are ready to enter Championships!!