CROSBY COACHES TO A CART

This is a video of Crosby coaching to a cart. This is the FIRST TIME Crosby had ever seen a cart or a horse & carriage. Betsy Smith brought her spotted mule and cart for the GWDC attendees to "try out".

I should also point out that this video was taken of Crosby AFTER he had just gone TWELVE AND A HALF MILES. Obviously, he is still sound, and in great shape! No wonder he got Best Conditioned Dog!

Crosby started this "test" on leash, to make sure he would not be afraid of the cart. Crosby fell right in to "hock", and was a "natural" at this! As we turned the cart back to the camera, I removed the leash, and Crosby completed the "test" off-leash. With no cart training! What a good dog!

THE BIG DAY (day 55) PART 2

This is a photo of Crosby's "win" - he now can add the title of "Road Dog" to his name! Pictured is judge Lorie McCrone of Port Crane, NY; Crosby; and myself.

I should point out that Crosby’s performance in the judged exercises was remarkable. He scored a 588 out of 600 points. Aside from a bit of forging on his hock exercise, he was PERFECT. I consider him totally trustworthy off-leash, and an excellent coaching companion! I credit Barbara with his early on-the-ground training, and with his breeding. He is built for coaching, and he has the instinct.

We completed the mileage by following a marked 3 mile course on the property of the Inn at Kelly’s Ford. Most of the trail followed a cross-country jump course (I was SO tempted to take a jump or two!). Crosby was a ball of fire, running up & back, investigating, and having a ball. He never strayed very far, though; he is a true Road Dog. The trail was well-marked and the scenery was breathtaking: fields of green, kissed with leaves of gold and crimson, bordered by a clear stream sparkling in the sun. One part of the trail wound through the crimson woods, down to the famous ford in the river, then back out into the sunlight. It was a glorious ride.

I tried not to catch up to the team in front of us – I worried that her dog would follow us in at the vet check (she was a 25 miler, so her vet check was at 12.5 miles, and my mid-point vet check was at 6 miles). Crosby and I completed the first 3 miles at mostly a trot so that we could walk most of the second 6 miles. Molly (horse) had a pretty fast walk, however, so we came in to our mid-point check in plenty of time.

Crosby’s mid-point temperature was 100.3 degrees F. That is amazing! The vet commented on what good shape he was in. Crosby’s final temp after 12.5 miles was 100.5. That is even more amazing! Dogs at Road Trials usually are considered “well-conditioned” if their “working temperature” is 101 or 101.5. Crosby’s working temp never got above 101.5!

Crosby ended up earning second place in his class (RD-B), second place overall (in the point scores), and he also earned BEST CONDITIONED DOG – which is quite a coup for a TEN YEAR OLD dog! I am very proud of this dog, and proud to have been a small part of his legacy!

THE BIG DAY - part 1

DAY 55 (Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009): THIS IS THE BIG DAY!

This first photo is of the Speed exercise. The dog must keep up with a galloping horse. Obviously, even at AGE TEN, Crosby has no problem with speed!

We got up early to be at the barn by 7:30 AM. Vet checks were to start then, with my team start time at 9:20. We didn’t get vetted in until about 8:45. Crosby’s resting temperature was 99, which is great. There was really no place to ride and warm Crosby up before our judging, so I was just hoping the training would hold!

We started toward the judging area at 9:20. Crosby was full of it! Unlike yesterday, when he was glued to the horse, today he was all over the place with excitement! I don’t know if it was all the other dogs, or all the people, or what, but Crosby acted like a kid in the candy shop! Racing from smell to smell, nearly bouncing off of the trees! We had about ¼ mile of trail between the barn and meeting the judge, and although Crosby was responding to my commands, he just could barely contain himself!

When we got to the judging area, another team and escort rider were circling the “waiting” area, so we had nowhere to go. I put Crosby in a sit-stay to wait for the judge. This worked well, but I was afraid I was “wasting” his one good response! When the judge came, we did the recall first. I needn’t have worried that Crosby wouldn’t leave for the recall – on this day he took off as soon as I released him! The judge gave us the “Call your dog” order before he got very far, and Crosby came smartly back to hock! Whew!

The next exercise was the Hock for 200 yards. Crosby was so excited, he just couldn’t stay back. He hocked beautifully, but he was at the horse’s shoulder or ahead the whole time. With praise and verbal corrections, he didn’t forge too much. It was a good performance, but I knew we would lose points for forging. He was just so excited!

Then we did a U-turn for the distraction exercise. The distraction dog was an Irish Wolfhound (I think) walking beside a hiker. Crosby looked like he was going to drift behind the horse and change sides, perhaps to get a better look at the Wolfhound, but a little growl from me and he stayed in his designated spot. Excellent distraction exercise!

The stay was next. Crosby sat smartly on command, and stayed quietly (no whining!) and alert for the entire 1 minute. I did not chance moving the horse away, because Molly (horse) had not been that responsive to my leg cues. So I took the chance that Molly might move (distracting the dog), and let her stand as we were, crossing my fingers the whole time! Molly stood stock-still, and our stay exercise was picture perfect!

We then turned back for the speed. Molly did not have a “slow” button, so I feared there was a chance we would leave Crosby in the dust. Not a chance! Both Molly and Crosby took off like a shot out of a cannon. Crosby kept up so well, I was able to put Molly into a real gallop. Wind in your hair sort of thing. We came up over the rise at full speed, Crosby keeping up like a racehorse himself. Boy, that was fun!

We had qualified! Then it was off to the trails for 12 more miles of fun.

ONE DAY TO GO!

DAY 54 (Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009): This was the day set aside for meeting the rental horses and having a judge’s briefing. Although I had already “met” my rental horse, this was my opportunity to ride her again and try Crosby out with her again.

In the morning, Crosby was entered in a conformation show in Leesburg, about an hour to the north. He had to be there at about 7 AM, so we left early without any real exercise. At 8:15 I handed Crosby over to a professional handler, whose son groomed Crosby. At about 8:30 Crosby entered the ring with the handler. The handler had spent no time with Crosby at all; he just grabbed Crosby off of the table and ran to the ring. Crosby did fine, but his down & back looked like an obedience exercise (he was looking up at the handler). I can’t say Crosby showed well for this man. He moved nicely and stacked beautifully, but there just didn’t seem to be any fire. If the handler had spent a few minutes with him, things might have been different, but it looked to me like Crosby didn’t figure out what was wanted of him until they were about done. Crosby didn’t win breed, so we headed back to the hotel. Then I took a nap until it was time to head to the barn.

At 1 PM we arrived at the Kelly’s Ford Equestrian Center. Some of the other exhibitors were there. The barn saddled our horses and 3 of us went out (without dogs) to look at the trail. The trail was well-marked and easy to follow. Dogs were not allowed in the judged exercise area, so we couldn’t try our obedience in the same area that we would be judged tomorrow. After about 45 minutes checking out the trail and trying out the horses, the other exhibitors and I separated and took out our dogs separately. I got Crosby out and practiced the speed, something I had not practiced with the dog yesterday. Crosby had no trouble keeping up with Molly (rental horse), and he performed a hock, recall, stay, & speed with good results. All were practiced off-leash. Forging a little again, but not too much.

Most of our riding without the dogs was done in a downpour. The rain stopped, thankfully, for a little while when we took out our dogs. I didn’t work Crosby very much. I wanted him to rest, and you can’t do a lot of corrections anyway when you are in the public eye. Crosby responded very well to all of my commands, so we kept it short and stopped on a good note.

At night, the exhibitors and the judge and the judge’s husband had a GREAT TIME whooping it up at Joe’s Crab Shack. Road Trial people are THE BEST!
MILEAGE: 1

DAY 53: HISTORY and HORSES

DAY 53 (Friday, Oct. 23, 2009): I basically had the morning off on this day. I broke Crosby’s crate down and lugged it back to the car for travel. We went to the AAA office in Fredericksburg and asked for directions to the nearest Civil War battlefield that would have hiking trails. Then we drove to Chancellorsville Battlefield, which had a lovely 4 mile loop walking trail through the BREATHTAKING autumn woods! I really enjoyed visiting the battlefield, and Crosby got his exercise.

The leash law at the battlefield, of course, said I had to keep him on leash. I did for a while. He was SO excited, and the woods were SO thick, that it was hard to keep him on the flexi. We practiced our stays and comes and heel. There seemed to be no other hikers on the trails, so I finally took the chance and let Crosby run off leash, just to practice an off-leash recall in a new and exciting place. He did not run off, but he did not respond immediately to my first call to come, either! So he got a VERY strong, growling command. Then he went back on leash for a recall and collar correction as soon as he responded slowly again. The second time, he seemed to “get it”… that he has to come RIGHT AWAY, even if he is excited! So then it was off-leash again, and he responded PERFECTLY. (I was still offering venison jerky as treats for every correct response). We walked the rest of the mileage off-leash, with EXCELLENT recalls and “not-too-far”s and EXCELLENT 2 minute stays. What a good dog! Lots of squirrel smells and exciting stuff, and Crosby was perfect. It was like he suddenly “got it”. We finished our walk as though he had been off-leash all of his life.

I put the leash back on him as we approached the parking lot (we were still out-of –sight in the woods until we got right to the parking lot. It was a good thing we put the leash back on, because in the parking lot were two other dogs waiting to hit the trail. Not that Crosby would have had a problem with the other dogs – but I might have gotten in trouble had anyone known we had been off-leash.



Later in the afternoon, we had an appointment at the stables to meet our rental horse. Crosby stayed in the car while I met the horse and went for a short training ride. My mare’s name was “Molly”. I am not fond of mares, but I tried not to be prejudiced! Molly wouldn’t canter in the round corral, so we went into the grass arena. Molly cantered very nicely when asked! Actually, it wasn’t a canter at all – Molly didn’t seem to have a “slow” button. She broke right into a hand gallop, and wouldn’t slow to a canter without breaking down to a trot, but she didn’t seem to want to buck at all, and gave me everything I asked for.

Then it was back to the car to get Crosby, and try him with Molly. I didn’t put the leash on Crosby at all, because I didn’t trust Molly with a leashed dog, and I didn’t want to let him drag it and get stepped on. I did put a “tab” (short leather leash) on Crosby’s collar just in case I needed to dismount and catch him and correct him. I also had my treat bag at the ready.

Crosby took to Molly without any problem. Molly, on the other hand, was a little wary of the dog, but she was tolerant. No flattened ears or swishing tail (those would be bad signs). Crosby stayed right with me and right with Molly, as a matter of fact, he wouldn’t leave for a recall, so we practiced a stay and a recall. On the Hock, his hock position was a little farther forward than I would like, but otherwise he was perfect. As soon as I had practiced all of the exercises, I gave Molly back to the barn, and we were done. I didn’t practice the Speed, though. I just forgot. We would ride again for a short ride again tomorrow.

MILEAGE: about 4

DAY 52: Planes, Shuttles, and Automobiles!

DAY 52 (Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009):

I woke up around 5:30 Am at the hotel in Billings. Crosby and I did a few laps around the parking lot, one lap at a trot (that’s fine for Crosby, but almost impossible for me!). We did about ½ mile, I suppose. When we got to the airport (very small airport), they were very friendly and accommodating, and said Crosby didn’t have to go into the crate until about 45 minutes before the plane took off. So Crosby and I went back outside in the airport parking lot, and walked for 40 minutes. It was probably about 34 degrees outside, with a brisk wind, but we kept moving and warmed up just fine. It was good exercise for a day we would both spend sitting on an airplane! I would guess the airport walk was about 2 miles.

Then it was on to the plane, and off to DC via Denver on Frontier airlines. We arrived in DC at about 6 PM EDT. Crosby survived the trip well. I was able to potty him in DC right outside the baggage claim area. It was quite a chore to lug his crate & my two suitcases to the shuttle bus to the rental cars, and then through the parking lot at the rental car area, but I had taken a crate dolly, and I broke down the crate when necessary and put it back together as needed. It probably took about 1 ½ hours to get to our car, and then another hour to drive to our hotel in Fredericksburg. We did a few laps around the Motel 6 parking lot when we got there. Mileage: about 3

DAY 51: And We're Off!

DAY 51 (Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009): I was able to walk the dogs in the AM before work in the dark (that’s 1.3 miles). Of course, I practiced a little “on-the-ground” obedience. Most important was the sit-stay. Crosby is performing it well now, even in our cold, wet weather. School got out early (just after noon), so I had hoped to come home and ride, but packing just took too much time! I spent the afternoon packing, and then it was into the car for Crosby and I for the 4 hour trip to Billings. In Billings we spent the night in a hotel so we could be at the airport early. Mileage: 1.3

DAY 50- ONLY ONE DAY OF REAL TRAINING LEFT!

DAY 50 (Tuesday, October 20, 2009):
This morning when I got up it was pouring rain. We walked (on the flexi) anyway (1.3 miles). We practiced one 2-minute stay. We walked in the dark and came back looking like a muddy mess. Crosby got dried off and then I was off to work.

After work, the rain had stopped, so I was able to ride. We rode for a little over an hour. The temp was probably about 45°. The trail was muddy. I asked for obedience “right out of the starting gate”, as usual. We practiced all the exercises, all in a row, with “down time” in between, just like what might happen at a Road Trial. I also gave no treats until all exercises were completed (although I did give lots of praise between and sometimes during the exercises). Crosby performed each exercise very, very well. A little forging on the hock; a little whining on the stay; but these are just points off. His condition is also good, and his conditioning seems to have paid off. I am just so thrilled with his progress.

I can honestly say that I feel just as comfortable with Crosby “off-leash” as I do with my own dogs. He responds to my commands all the time. Of course, the Road Trial will be a new location with new distractions, so we will see, but I am confident he understands what I want of him, and he wants to please me. MILEAGE: about 5

Perfect Hock!

This is a video taken on day 47 of the Hock exercise with Crosby (red collar, closest to camera), and Rad. It's a beautiful example of what Dalmatians do best!

I forgot to remove the "tab" (piece of rope) from Crosby's collar, so it is swinging while he gaits, and it probably affects his front action, but this is a lovely video of the hock exercise.
Video taken in my front hay field, in front of the house in Crane, Montana.

DAY 49: Training walk on the flexi in AM in the dark. After work it was off to the vet for a health certificate. Then it rained until dark, and it was a cold rain, so I decided not to saddle the horse. I did stop at the park in town in the rain with Crosby, and we practiced some quick heeling, come, and stay in the rain in a new location. MILEAGE: 1.3

SPEED! Keep up with a galloping horse? Not a problem!

This is a video taken Saturday, Day 47. It shows Crosby (red collar, closest to the camera), and Rad practicing the "Speed" exercise. Obviously, Crosby has no problem keeping up with a galloping horse!

SNOW! (Well, a little snow...)

This is a video of Day 45, the day we rode for 9 miles in preparation for the Road Trial. It was a cold day, and the cold turned into snow before we got done. I actually cut the ride short a little due to the weather. As you can see in the video, however, the cold does not seem to bother Crosby, as long as we keep moving!

DAY 44 (Wednesday, Oct. 14):
I walked the dogs in the AM, but didn’t have time to ride after work. We practiced sit-stays (2 minutes), random recalls, and heeling. Mileage: 1

Day 45: (Thursday, Oct. 15):
No school today, so I was able to ride. My goad was a good long ride; perhaps nearing the 12 mile distance. I walked the dogs in the morning, so that was about 1 mile. Then I mounted up Shadow for a long ride with Crosby and Rad. We went out to Gartside Reservoir, and then 3 or so miles up the canal road, and another mile up some dirt road, and back again. It started snowing on us about an hour into the ride. The snow then turned to rain, which is worse (if you don’t have raingear). I was not dressed for rain, so we headed home. Crosby practiced several recalls (staying recalls and free-run recalls), and several hock exercises, and three sit-stays ( two minutes each). He was PERFECT in every one. It was a good ride. The mileage we did today was a lot, but I needed to do it today, because I may not get another chance for high mileage before the Road Trial, and if I’m going to do “high” mileage, I need to do it at least 5 to 7 days before the actual Road Trial. Then a day of rest. Then “maintenance” mileage until the trial. MILEAGE: 8 or 9.

DAY 50 (Friday, Oct. 16): Crosby gets a rest today for muscle building. We walked in the morning (1.3 miles), and we practice stays. MILEAGE: 1.3

This is a video of riding in the Seven Sisters forest. It shows how close Crosby stays, even without a command.

DAY 43

DAY 43 (Tuesday, October 13, 2009): No walk in AM. Horse ride after work. Windy and cold, but above freezing. Successful 2 minute stay on the first try. Great hock, great speed, great stay. Crosby wouldn’t leave for a recall, but he did come quickly to hock when I called him from about 15 feet away. Later I made him stay for a recall. He wouldn’t stay at first, but performed a perfect stay-recall the second try.
Mileage: 4

Here Chicky, Chicky, Chicky...

This is a video of practicing the "hock with distraction". At a Road Trial, the "hock with distraction" exercise is where Crosby must remain at hock while we pass a hiker with another dog on leash. I don't have anyone to walk by with a strange dog to help me practice, so on this day we hocked past the cat and the chickens. The video was taken a few weeks ago.

DAY 41 (Sunday): A day of rest! I woke up late and didn’t even have time to take the dogs on a walk. This was a planned day of rest, anyway. When building endurance, the muscles need rest days to build muscle tissue.

DAY 42 (Monday, October 12, 2009): I walked the dogs at 5:30 AM in the dark. It was about 25 degrees outside, warmer than I expected. Crosby practiced one sit-stay with distractions. Again, he did not hold the sit for the entire minute while I waved my arms, etc. After one correction, however, he stayed for the full 2 minutes. After work I saddled Pate and we rode for about 3 miles. We practiced the judged exercises right “out of the gate”. Crosby did well in the hock (although he still forges) and the recall, and we had a GREAT speed, but on the stay, he got up almost immediately (as I moved the horse away). I did not re-command; I just quietly got off of the horse, calmly approached Crosby (who was standing), and grabbed his “tab” on his collar and gave a firm correction. After that, he did stay for a full minute and a half (all I required). Later, we practiced the stay again, and he stayed a full minute; then I moved the horse around behind him, and that was too much – he got up. I re-commanded, and he sat back down (positioning himself so he could see me). I feel we are making good progress here, but I will have to keep up the practicing with distractions, just to make him more solid on the sit. It was about 34° when we rode; the dogs were not bothered at all by the cold.

Mileage: about 4

HOCK WITH DISTRACTION and DAY 40

This is a video, taken last week, of Crosby (red collar on my left) and Rad hocking next to the horse as we pass a house with loose, barking dogs. Usually when I pass this house, the dogs come running out after me. On this day, they stayed on their own property and just barked. Crosby and Rad were very good dogs, and remained at hock. Crosby is totally off-leash in this video. He is wearing a choke collar with a "tab" attached (a piece of rope). At a Road Trial, Crosby will be expected to remain at hock while we pass a hiker with a leashed dog.

DAY 40: (Friday, Oct. 10, 2009): We walked this morning in the COLD. FRIGID would be more precise. It was 12 ° this morning when we walked. That’s right, TWELVE. And windy! Crosby handled it just fine. His tail carriage was good throughout the walk, so he was not particularly bothered by it. I didn’t ride until afternoon. The temp was up to about 28 by then. I took Crosby out by himself (so he doesn’t always cue off of Rad).

Today was a “maintenance” day, where my goal for mileage was to keep him in shape, but not do too much. He was a good boy. He still doesn’t understand the sit-stay. I think he has a “clock” inside his head, and he expects a treat or reward within about 50 seconds. When he doesn’t get that reward, he thinks he’d better try something else. I’m sure he is thinking, not just “disobeying”. He’s used to “asking for it”, so when I tell him to stay, and he stays for a while, but then he doesn’t get a treat right away, he begins to wonder if maybe he’s not doing the right thing, and he tries something else, to see if that will get him the treat. So I have to “reset” that clock in his head, to about TWO MINUTES.

We practiced “on the ground” stays again today. Not the classic type, but stays with distractions. As soon as I put him in the stay, then I begin to walk around, wave my arms, make meowing sounds, bark, kick my legs, etc. Anything that might make him wonder. Then, if he moves, I put him back in the sit-stay. This helps him understand that the “stay” means “forever” (or at least until I TELL him to get up… no matter what happens). This is very important for the RD sit. If the horse fidgets, or moves around, the dog must still stay (unless the dog is in danger of being stepped on). Today when I was practicing moving around and making noise during Crosby’s stay, I found that Crosby could stay through about everything – EXCEPT if I sat down. When I drop to the ground, Crosby drops! So let’s just hope I can stay on the horse. Then Crosby should be fine!

MILEAGE: 4

Long-Distance Recall

Finally! I got Crosby to "leave" me so I could call him back!

This is a video of Crosby in an open field in Seven Sisters Recreation Area. It is one of the few times he ever left my side on a 5 mile ride. You can see that Crosby found some sort of exciting smell (probably a dead animal - sorry, Barbara!), and he was engrossed in it when I called him. It is VERY hard for a dog to "leave" a great find like that, and return to the handler, but Crosby does it! What a good dog! I want you to notice, that Crosby not only "comes", but he comes to "hock". In other words, he could have come to the closest side of the horse - that would have been the "right" side of the horse. I expect Crosby to understand "hock" as coming to the LEFT side of the horse, and the left side ONLY. If Crosby had come for a treat on the right side, I would have corrected him and sent him to the left. (I teach each of my dogs to "hock" in a specific spot. Crosby's spot is the left side.) The fact that Crosby came all the way AROUND the horse to the left side shows he understands "hock"! I'm so excited! The video was actually taken last week, when the weather was still in the 50's.

Today was Day 39. The dogs and I walked in the morning. It was about 27 degrees outside. Crosby was just fine with it. His tail was out and wagging the whole time. Rad was cold by the time we were half done, and Rad's tail was hanging down. I believe tail carriage is a great indicator of the dog's physical condition. Not "show" tail carriage as in: "that dog carries his tail too high"; but tail carraiage as in: "that dog normally carries his tail a certain way, and but now the tail is down; what's wrong?" I have found that a very tired Dal, or a very cold Dal, or a Dal with an injured tail will carry the tail low or tucked or drooped. A Dal with a healthy condition and attitude will carry the tail "out" from the body. The tail carriage is a good indication of current physical condition. Crosby's tail carriage was good, even though it was REALLY COLD. We did keep moving, though!

I also practiced sit stays "on the ground". Crosby seems to have a clock in his head set at 50 seconds. (He needs to stay for 1 minute to qualify in a Road Trial). After about 50 seconds, he gets up. I think he is wondering why he hasn't gotten the treat yet, and he figures he must have misunderstood me, and maybe he should try something else! So we had to practice several times before we got a 2-minute stay (I always train for more than is required).

Later in the morning we rode the horse. It was cold and windy with snow flurries, but I was glad we did 2 1/2 miles in the AM, because the PM was WORSE! Crosby did very well. He sits well on verbal command now, but he is still questionable on the length of the stay. More to work on!

Mileage: about 3.6

DAY 38: Distractions and Diversions

DAY 38: I didn't walk this morning with the dogs - I wanted to get on the horse and get things done early. Yesterday I took Crosby out by himself - it is hard to leave Rad at home (Rad gets SO SAD), but Crosby needs to prove he can behave all by himself. Of course, Crosby was great. Today I took both dogs, and my goal was to ride for about 2 hours; making about 8 miles. Crosby did GREAT! The temp outside was about 38 degrees F. Pretty cold! I wore "hot hands" type warmers in my gloves and my shoes.

I practiced all the exercises "out of the starting gate". I've always felt the dogs need to understand they must obey at all times - not just when they are tired! Crosby passed all exercises with flying colors. He still forges a bit on the hock, and I wouldn't say he's solid on the stay yet. I need to practice more stays on the ground.

We had gone about 5 miles when we took a new route - and we passed a new construction house with a LOOSE DOG. It was a Corgi - so as soon as I saw the Corgi coming out to "greet" us (my Dals did not see him at first), I urged the horse (Shadow) into a fast trot, hoping the short-legged Corgi would give up and let us pass. We trotted for quite a while, and I thought we had lost the Corgi, so I slowed down.

I was about to reach down and put the leash on Crosby (so we could turn back, in case we passed the Corgi again), but the Corgi caught up to us. Ooops. I guess slowing down just let the Corgi catch up! Un-neutered male. Now, you are probably thinking we had a fight on our hands? No way! Both Crosby and Rad just turned and sniffed, and the Corgi certainly held his own. They got along just fine! I called Crosby to hock, and he came! Then I put the leash on Crosby just to make sure we wouldn't have any trouble (I was worried the Corgi would cause trouble - not Crosby). The Corgi followed us for quite a distance, making a nusiance of himself (mounting behavior). We turned back finally, and had a hard time getting the Corgi to stay home. He finally stayed when his owner came out to the path and grabbed him. I was very proud of Crosby, though, for not attacking the little dog, and for ignoring the little dog when I asked him to. That was a great Distraction Exercise practice! And a testament to the good temperament of both Crosby and Rad!

The cold is here to stay. I may make a coat for Crosby.

Mileage: about 7 or 8.

Time on trail: 1 hour, 50 minutes, with a short water break after 4 miles (otherwise, no rest time)

FURRY CRITTER SUCCESS!!!

DAY 37: Furry Critter Success! Crosby and I rode out to Gartside Reservoir, and just as we came in sight of the picnic area, a squirrel ran across the path up ahead of us. Crosby saw it, too. Crosby perked right up, watched it carefully, but stayed right by me! Crosby was not "at hock" at the time - he was "at rest", and basically had been given permission by me to run at will, but I was trotting the horse,and Crosby tends to fall into "hock" whenever I trot.

He was such a good boy not to chase the squirrel right off, that I gave him a treat. Then I slowed the horse to a walk, and again commanded "Rest", telling Crosby he could run. Crosby left my side immediately then to search for the scent of the squirrel. He had obviously found it, and was about 50 or 60 feet away from me, firmly tracking the scent of the squirrel, when I called, "Crosby, HOCK". Crosby returned to my side immediately, leaving the track of the squirrel! YEAH CROSBY! FURRY CRITTTER SUCCESS!!

I am still feeding treats generously. Current treats are deer jerky. Crosby still wears a choke collar with a tab (piece of rope hanging down), but other than that, he is off-leash.

Weather was bad. Cold and windy. It started to rain on us at one point, but the rain was light. Crosby was not bothered by any of it. Once the rain started, we kept moving to keep warm. I did stop at one point in the really bad weather to practice a sit-stay. Crosby wanted to move every time the horse fidgeted. I was riding Pate today (different horse), so that was good practice, but Pate does not stand still very well for the stay, so this is also good practice for Crosby. We had a good practice! And great responses! Mileage: about 5.

The countdown is on!

DAY 36 (Tuesday, Oct. 6): The countdown is on! Just a little over two weeks of training left!

I spent the weekend in Florida at my nephew's wedding, so no training for Crosby over the weekend! He got a 1 mile walk as soon as I got back yesterday.

Now that I am back, I took him out today on a leisurely ride to Seven Sisters. He was a very good boy. He still stays TOO close - he never gives me much opportunity to correct him - so I worry that some furry critter will distract him during the judged exercises, and we won't have had as much practice as necessary on that!

He seems to have survived the "weekend off" quite well. No lameness, stiffness, or lack of energy. He moved out nicely, and seemed to enjoy the ride without any sign of stiffness. We practiced all the exercises a few times, excepting the "distraction" exercise. Couldn't find any loose dogs! Mileage: 4

DAY 30

DAY 30 (Wed. Sept 30): Today was a GREAT day! We walked in the morning on the flexi, with the usual random comes and random sits. The weather has turned off cold, and the wind was so strong I had a hard time standing up. I must admit, it is hard to make myself "work" the dogs when the weather is that bad. I just want to finish the walk and get home!

Later in the day, though, the weather improved. Rain threatened, and the wind was blustery, but the temps got into the 50's. Because I am leaving for Florida on Friday, I needed to "put some miles" on Crosby TODAY. So Rad & Crosby & Shadow & I rode out to Seven Sisters (recreation area/hunting preserve) on the Yellowstone River. It is about a 5 mile round trip, so total mileage would be about 6 for the day (with the flexi walk).

We did a lot of trotting to keep warm. When you trot a horse, you can sit the trot, which can be kind of bumpy, or you can "post", which means you lift yourself up and down in the saddle to the beat of the horse, being careful to let yourself down gently, so as not to bump the horse's back. When I post, I sing a song in my mind. That song on the radio about "you belong with ME -ee- ee" is a great song to sing! ("She wears high heels, I wear sneakers, she's cheer captain & I'm on the bleachers..."). You have to speed that one up a bit to keep up with the horse, but it can be fun. If I'm all alone in the forest, I'm likely to belt out a line or two just to see if anyone is listening... but I digress.

With trotting more than 50% of the way, the dog is getting good conditioning. Moving along for a sustained amount of time at this speed can also raise a dog's temperature. A "working" dog (a dog that is moving quickly most of the time) that is in good shape will reach a plateau with his temp, or a "working temp". A dog's regular temp is about 99 (degrees Farenheit). An ideal "working temp" is about 101 to 101.5. Dogs that are worked when they are NOT in shape will have "working temps" that are at 103 or 104. On a very hot day, an out-of shape dog may have a working temp that is much higher, and therefore more dangerous. At the national Road Trial in Kentucky in 1993, when day temps neared 100, some of the dogs came into the vet check with working temps of 105 and 106. In other years, there are often dogs that come in with temps of 103 and 104.

One way to gauge conditioning is to take the dog's temperature. So today I took Crosby's temperature at rest, in the house. 99.3. I decided that was his "at rest" (or normal) temperature. I didn't take his temp again until we had been out on the trail for about 1 1/2 hours. I made sure I trotted him for a while just before I dismounted and temped him again. (That was quite a sight - me trying to tie the horse, get out the thermometer, temp the dog...). I am VERY HAPPY to say, Crosby's temp was 101!!! That's right! 101! That is a GREAT working temp! I'm so proud of him (and his breeder! At age 10, this is great!). This is AMAZING!
Admittedly, it was not hot outside, but still, for a 10 year old dog to have a working temp THAT LOW... well, all I can say, is, "This dog was BUILT for this!" (yeah, we knew that!)

Now I'm off to Florida for the weekend for a nephew's wedding.

LOOK CLOSELY! Wait for it... Hock video

DAY 29 (Tuesday, Sept. 29): This is a video of Crosby and Rad at hock. WARNING: There is a lot of “dead” time!  I have to sit the camera on a bucket, and then get on the horse, etc! So don’t watch it unless you really are a Crosby fan! Crosby hocks on the horse’s LEFT, so the first time you see us pass, he is closest to the camera. Crosby also wears a red collar.

I had to work in the afternoon, so I had to get all training done by 9 AM. Exercise walk on the flexi by 7 AM. Out on the horse from 8 – 9. Crosby did very well; he still doesn’t always sit on the first command, though. I still haven’t reinforced that better on the ground, I guess. He did complete two sit-stays at more than 1 minute each. Today we rode to Gartside Reservoir, a small reservoir about a mile behind our property (although it’s about a 3 mile ride round trip). It’s a mostly dirt/gravel road ride, so it is good for toughening pads without being hot. The weather was cool – maybe 50 degrees, and WINDY, so it was cold!

Crosby got right into the water at the reservoir. It wasn’t hot outside, so I doubt he needed the cooling, but he probably thought he was on a California beach! He did not drink the water at all, though. Crosby only got in about to his ankles. Sorry, Barb, he is not the clean, bright white dog you brought to me! Being a “Road Dog” means carrying a little bit of the “road” with you! I promise I will bathe him before the Road Trial!  Great practice today! Crosby hocked beautifully, and stayed pretty close on the ride. He performed a stay-come very well. He is doing so well!

MILEAGE: 5

Give The Dog A Bone (Drop that bone and come!)

DAY 28: (Monday) We are back home in Montana. This video is of Crosby off-leash while I was saddling the horse. This is the first time I allowed him to “run free” as I saddled (usually, he is tied to the water spigot). I wanted to try the “off-leash” free running so I could see if he would stick around, or if he would take the opportunity to run off and chase smells. Rad was also off-leash and free running. Crosby stayed very close. At one point he found an old bone, and was chewing on it. That is when I decided to try a recall, to see if he would leave his treasure (or bring it), and come to me! He did! YEAH CROSBY! I’m SO IMPRESSED.

The dogs got a walk (on leash for Crosby) for 1.2 miles this morning. Crosby responds very reliably to random sits and comes now (for food). He has started pulling again at the end of the flexi, so I’ve started teaching the “Not too far” command. When he gets to the end of the flexi, I plant my feet and give a correction (chain slip collar) and say, “Not too far”. When I am riding the horse, “Not too far” is a command I give that means the dog has to come back a bit, but does not have to come all the way in to hock. “Come” or “Hock” means come to hock, but “Not too far” means … well… it means don’t go too far! My dogs usually learn to understand this command over a long period of time, so I don’t know that Crosby will “get” this one in the short time I have him, but it isn’t a required command for a Road Trial; it’s just a useful command for dogs who actually go on trail rides.

Today was the first day we let the chickens out during the day. We have been keeping them in the pen for most of the day because they get in the garden and eat the tomatoes! But the gardening season is about over (we’ve had a light frost, and a heavy frost is expected tonight), so Brad let the chickens out this morning. That means they are running loose all around the property. When we first got chickens, my Dals wanted to eat them, and had to be taught that the chickens are like our cats – NOT GAME!. This was hard on the Dals, especially Caden, because I have spent all winter training the dogs to flush pheasants. When we are out walking, if they accidentally flush pheasants, I give them a treat and tell them “Birds! Find the birds!” Caden is a natural bird dog, and she now hunts pheasants on our walks, and as soon as she finds and flushes some, she comes running back for her treat. So you can imagine what she thought of chickens in the yard! She thought she had hit the jackpot! And if they were slow enough not to fly away, then they why not catch them! It didn’t take much to convince her that the chickens were “taboo”, but it did take some training (corrections). She seems to have learned the difference between free-ranging pheasant and pet chickens. She still hunts pheasant for me (Flushed 5 or 6 of them just today).

I don't WANT Crosby to learn to hunt pheasant! Crosby really perks up when we are out in the field and he sees birds or hears their chatter, so when the chickens were out today, I took the opportunity to do some off-leash (dragging the leash) heeling right around the chickens. Crosby was perfect! As long as I have treats, he could care less about the chickens!

We also rode for about 3 miles later in the afternoon. Crosby was totally off-leash, wearing a “tab” (a 12” piece of rope hanging from his collar, to make him easier to grab if needed). We still need some work on hock position; Crosby tends to forge (get out in front), but he responded quickly to EVERY recall and call to hock, and performed a 2 minute sit-stay. He acts like he was just MADE for this! Oh. That’s right. He was. MILEAGE: 4

Days 26 & 27

DAYS 26 & 27: These were travel days to return to Montana. 6 hours of travel each day, with a stop to spend the night and visit grandkids in Livingston, MT. Crosby got basic obedience on leash, and a ½ mile walk each day, but no real mileage, and no horse rides!

NEW HORSE! OFF LEASH! NEW LOCATION!

DAY 25 (Friday): TODAY WAS A GREAT DAY! This is a photo of Crosby hocking to a different horse, in a field of cut wheat. I am still “on the road” away from home, visiting our vacant former home to try to get it ready to sell. At 8 AM this morning, I took Crosby into town (Soda Springs, Idaho), where I met with an old “horsey” friend, Janis Ozburn. Janis has farm land in town, right by the high school, where she keeps her horses. She graciously consented to allow me to try out my “loaner” dog (Crosby) with one of her horses. Janis rides occasionally with her Border Collie, so her horses have had some experience with dogs, but they are not accustomed to a dog that hocks “so closely” to the horse’s hock, as our Dalmatians do. This means there is some “risk” to the dog – one never knows how a horse will react to a dog that “hocks”. Of course, that is the same risk you face when you rent a horse at a Road Trial, so the experience was a great opportunity for both Crosby and me.
Janis let me ride Dakota, her Quarter Horse black & white Paint. Dakota is a good, solid, well-mannered gelding, and he was a joy to ride! While we were saddling Dakota, I had Crosby’s 6-foot leash tied to my waist, so Crosby was always as close to the horse as I was. When we mounted up, I started with Crosby on leash. It wasn’t long, though, before I took the leash off of Crosby. I did not just drop the leash and let him drag it – although I like to do that because it gives me a “handle” to grab, I decided not to, because Crosby tends to get in front of the horse and the horse steps on the leash. So I just took the leash off completely, and Crosby was PERFECT! He was never more than 15 or 20 feet away from me, and if I broke into a trot, he fell right back into hock without a command (like an instinct!).
The field we rode in was a “stubble field” – in other words, a grain field that has been recently cut. When they cut the grain, sometimes they come back and cut and bale the stubble as straw, but this field had not been baled. The stubble is very rough and sticks up about as high as a Dalmatian’s belly. This means it is a rather uncomfortable run for the dog. The fact that Crosby took it so well, and trotted wherever the horse trotted, regardless of the rough terrain, shows that he is mentally tough and has the aptitude for the work! This was very encouraging! He also did a two-minute sit-stay, and good hocks and recalls. He never really wandered far enough for a good recall, so I finally tried one from a sit-stay, where I put Crosby on a sit-stay, and rode the horse away from him. I only rode about 30 feet away, and then called him to hock, and he performed perfectly! This is so great! Of course, there were no furry creatures running around in the stubble field, so I still worry that Crosby will not respond to the hock command if there is a “good” distraction, but we will see. I need to set up some good distractions! Any suggestions out there on how I can simulate a squirrel or some furry creature crossing our path?
Crosby performed perfectly with me on a strange horse, and in a new location. He was just GREAT!
This is a photo of Crosby and Dakota saying “hi”. If you notice, BOTH Crosby AND Dakota have their tongues out! They were SO CUTE!

DAY 23 & 24 (Wed. & Thurs.)

DAY 23: Today we left for Idaho to go back to our old house and try to get it ready to sell. It is a 12 hour drive. We took all four dogs, including Crosby. Crosby got plenty of “heeling” and regular obedience work on the trip, and about 1 mile of walking after we arrived. Mileage: 1

DAY 24: We walked on the flexi today with the usual random sits and comes. Crosby never misses a beat on these now. He comes every time, and sits well on command. He sat for the full minute twice today. We also practiced regular on-leash obedience. I don’t have a horse in Idaho, though, so we couldn’t do mileage on the horse today. Tomorrow I will go out with a friend on her horse. Mileage: 1

DAY 22

DAY 22: I had to work today, and didn’t get up early enough to walk the dogs, so Crosby didn’t get any regular obedience in the AM. When I got home from work, though, at early evening, I saddled up Shadow and headed out with Crosby and Rad. I can’t ride Pate with Crosby right now, because Pate (the Appaloosa) has thrown a shoe, and the farrier is out of town. That’s too bad, because I need Pate to push Crosby out of the way! Shadow is very careful of Crosby, but Shadow has just learned to step around Crosby. I guess that’s good, because Crosby doesn’t get stepped on, but it hasn’t taught Crosby to be careful! I use a command “CAREFUL!” that I SHOUT when the dog gets in the way, or when the dog is in danger. Crosby seems to listen to that command, and is learning what it means. If Crosby were my dog, and I had all the time in the world to train him, I would let the horse step on him! Yes, I would! If you are going to have a “Road Dog”, you need the dog to learn caution around the horse. Of course, if you let a dog get stepped on, he may learn something, but he also may get injured. The injury would most likely not be serious, and would heal, but I don’t have time for Crosby to get injured! (Besides, he is NOT my dog, and I don’t take risks with other people’s dogs!). So Shadow and I are very cautious with Crosby, and Crosby rules the trail.
We made two loops around the property plus we explored the “back 20”; an area we hadn’t ridden in before. It is a smaller hay field that can only be accessed from the canal road behind our property. The hay had been cut and baled, so we rode the perimeter. Lots of good smells to distract Crosby. Lots of deer run in that field in the evening, and plenty of pheasants. We didn’t scare up any live game, and Crosby once again stayed very close. No problems at all on the recall! This is such a good dog! Mileage: about 3

DAY 21: FIRST TIME TOTALLY OFF-LEASH

DAY 21: Cold today! Wasn’t I just sweating in Helena, where the high temps broke a record??? Now I come back home to Crane, and it’s cold and rainy! RAIN!!! I can practice in RAIN. So no staying home for me today! It is historically rainy at the GWDC Road Trial in October, and I’ve been worried that I would not be able to get in any practice in the rain. Violá! It was out in the rain we went!
We walked on the flexi for 1.2 miles as usual, with some random comes and sits. The rain had stopped by the time I got the horse saddled, but on our second “lap” around the property, the wind was nearly gale force, and a light rain was falling. Crosby took it like a trooper! No problem for him! I took him completely off-leash, and he had no problem staying with me. As a matter of fact, sometimes he wouldn’t leave me, so I couldn’t even practice a recall. That means I will have to teach him to do a sit-stay for a “formal” type recall. That is much harder (IMHO) than teaching a simple “release” and “recall”. I’ll need to practice that on the ground first.
We also practiced the SPEED exercise. I’ve loped a few times with Crosby on leash, but it’s hard to tell if he would keep up with the horse on his own. So today, with Crosby off-leash, I “whooped it up” and galloped. Crosby was right with me! And he loved it! Sure hope I can get a rental horse that doesn’t mind me “whooping it up”!
I practiced the sit-stay twice today, and neither one was very successful. When I told Crosby to sit (off-leash, me on horseback), he just looked at me. It wasn’t like he was running off or ignoring me – he really just LOOKED at me. This means he doesn’t understand the word yet, or he isn’t LISTENING to the verbal command. I think he is too used to responding to body language and hand movements – he isn’t really LISTENING to the actual words that come out of my mouth. So when I said, “SIT”, and it was not accompanied by fingers in front of his nose, or whatever, he just looked at me like, “What? What is it you want? Show me?” He was off-leash, so I couldn’t correct with a collar correction, and I couldn’t be too rough with him (that would make him run from me), so after repeating the command several times with no correct response, I dismounted (Crosby thought I was bringing him a treat) and gently put him into the sit. I need to practice more on the ground, and on horseback, making sure I’m not giving some sort of hand signal. I need him to respond to my verbal command. That’s the problem with teaching Rally. You can do so many double commands and signal/verbal combinations, that the dog doesn’t learn to respond to simple verbal commands. More work to do!
The second time we practiced the sit stay, he sat on command, but then he got up after 30 seconds. He just doesn’t understand yet that when I say STAY, I mean FOREVER! (Silly boy!). You have to admit, though, he’s doing REMARKABLY well for having been here less than 3 weeks!
We went off the path today and traipsed through some of the bottom land on the back of the property. Crosby flushed some pheasants, but I don’t think he knew it! Good thing! Mileage today: about 4.

Crosby in Rally Novice B

This is a video of Crosby on the last day of the Helena shows in Rally Novice B. Crosby did very well, but I lost points for him by forgetting to make him sit after the "come front, finish right, halt". The first come front we did had no sit (so we did that one correctly), but the second one was a finish right with a "halt", or sit after the finish. I almost forgot the sit, and I started to move forward. You are not supposed to move your feet on the finish, so when I moved forward, it cost bookoo points. After a half a step, I remembered the "halt", so I stopped and had him sit. I don't know if it would have been fewer points off if I had simply re-done the exercise, but I didn't think of that at the time, so we lost whatever points for moving my feet. Crosby earned 2nd place two days in a row at these shows, with scores of 86 the first day, and 98 the second day. On this day he earned a 90. This is a video of Crosby earning his last "leg" toward the title, so Crosby is now Ch Quicksilver Rhythm & Blues, RN. DAY 20: We walked a little way this morning, but only about a mile. Some obedience training.

Rad in the Rally Novice B class

This is a video of Rad in the Rally Novice B class yesterday (9/19/09), earning second place with a 98 (out of 100). I took 3 dogs to the show to enter in Rally, and all 3 dogs earned their title. I'm posting Rad's video so his breeder, Lynn Luikart, can see it. I'll post Crosby's video next.

DAY 19: Leg THREE and FINISHED for the RN

DAY 19: Crosby finished! He is now a "three-legged dog, and can add the "RN" title after his name! He finished with a score of 90; I made some handler errors, but Crosby was great! He's so smart! Caden also finished her title, and Rad, who finished yesterday, got second today! The Dals made a great showing!

DAY 18: Leg TWO for the RN title

DAY 18: Crosby qualified in Rally Novice again today, and today he did not lose 10 points due to my handler error! Crosby scored 98 out of 100 points today, and garnered 2nd place. He only needs one more "leg" (qualifying score) to earn the RN title. Rad took 3rd with a 96, and Caden qualified with a 93. We got in lots of Rally practice today, but not much mileage. So while I am in Helena, Crosby is not getting the conditioning I would like, but the test of his obedience is worth the interruption in the conditioning. Crosby has impeccable show ring manners! He is very attentive to me when I ask for it, and he doesn't try to mark anything indoors or try to drag me around. He is just a gentleman. Mileage: 1

DAY 17 & First Rally Leg

DAY 17 CROSBY IS A ONE LEGGED DOG! Crosby earned his first leg to his Rally Novice title today! I entered Rally with all 3 Dals (Crosby, Rad, & Caden). All 3 dogs qualified (in spite of their handler), and Crosby ended up in second place! GOOD DOG, Crosby! They all lost 10 points due to handler error! One of the stations required a "Stop and Down". I stopped, the dogs sat. Then I told them to down. Apparently, that is an "incorrectly performed station". In the "Stop and Down", the dog is supposed to DROP (from a stand to a down). I didn't know that! The dog is not supposed to sit first. My bad. That's OK, though. I'm learning! Wish us luck tomorrow! Crosby and Caden have to qualify all 3 days to earn their title. (Rad earned a leg at nationals, so he could finish tomorrow if I don't mess up!)

Off to Helena! & SIT-STAY video

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DAY 15: Leaving tomorrow for the dog shows in Helena! This video is of a sit-stay we practiced yesterday while on the dirt roads in Crane (the town where I live). I asked the dogs to sit and stay right in front of a fenced yard with two barking dogs behind the fence. Crosby sits very well (Cadence is slow to sit), but the horse was bothered by the barking, and when the horse moved to get a better look at the "distraction", Crosby moved, too (so he wouldn't get stepped on!) Crosby sat back down again as soon as I asked, so that was very good! I had to work today (I work as a substitute teacher), so there was no exercise walk this morning. After work, in the evening, I saddled the horse and took Rad and Crosby for a ride. It was still 92° outside, and Crosby had already worked himself up because I had put him in the dog run for an hour or so (and he spends that time complaining about his situation!). It was also unbelievably humid! This was great, though, because it will be humid at the VA Road Trial. It may not be hot (late October), but it is always good to train in as many situations as possible, and the weather is something you can’t special-order! Crosby’s tongue was already hanging low, but we headed out to circle the property a few times for about 2 ½ miles of trotting. Crosby did great. He was out in front most of the time that he was allowed to be – in other words, he wasn’t dragging behind, even though it was hot and he was already tired. I dropped the leash pretty early this time (let him loose, dragging the leash), and he walked in front of the horse (blocking the path; at risk of getting stepped on) a little less this time, so maybe he is learning. I was riding a different horse this time (Pate, the Appaloosa), and Pate is VERY GOOD with the dogs. When Crosby did get in front of Pate and they got too close, Pate put his nose down and actually NUDGED Crosby out of the way! I think that helped Crosby learn as much as if I had had a crop to tap him with! Pate is such a good horse! Now, if I could only get a rental horse with that much sense! After the ride, I tried to practice some obedience on the ground with Crosby, but Rad kept getting in the way, so I doubt it was very helpful. We did get in a good off-leash, on-horse 1 minute sit stay. Plus some other stays, and some recalls. Crosby actually recalled to the moving horse and fell into hock very well today, but that is probably because it was so hot and he was already tired. I need to get that response out of him “out of the starting gate” – when he is fresh and the weather is cool. We’ll work on that. Mileage: 2.6 Day 16: This morning I had to work, and I am leaving for Helena dog shows (7 hours away) after work. I ran each dog through a Rally routine before work, but there was no time for an exercise walk. Then work called and said I didn’t have to come in until 10 AM, so I have a little more time to pack the car. Maybe I should do the dishes.

DAY 14 and RECALL

DAY 14: The video shows a recall "off-leash" (Crosby is running free, dragging the leash), with an expectation that the dog will remain in the hock position once he is called. As you can see, Crosby understands the call to "hock", but does not yet understand that he is supposed to remain in that position once called. He DOES fall right into position, however, once I get the horse going faster (trot). Crosby is much better at hocking when the horse is trotting. It's an instinct. No walk on the flexi today – not enough time. I had to go to Williston and buy more shingles and be home by 1 PM, so after pottying the dogs, I just saddled up and headed out for Seven Sisters. Crosby was allowed to run off leash (dragging the leash) for most of the ride. He was on leash for the first mile or so – in the town of Crane (dirt roads), but once we got over the railroad tracks and between the corn fields, I let him go. He did respond to the come, but he didn’t stay at hock after the come, until I started to trot. When I trot the horse, Crosby just automatically falls into hock and stays with me. The “dragging the leash” thing is not working so well for me. If Crosby were a horse, I would say he “doesn’t respect my personal space”. Actually, Crosby does not respect ANYONE’s personal space. This is not a bad thing – as a matter of fact, show dogs are usually trained to “ask for it”, so I shouldn’t be surprised. It would not be a problem at all, except he doesn’t respect THE HORSE’s PERSONAL SPACE. In other words, Crosby is not afraid of the horse at all! Crosby’s preferred position when he was “off-leash” (dragging the leash) today was IN FRONT of the horse. The problem is, when the horse gets close to Crosby, the horse steps on the leash, which stops Crosby’s forward motion, and puts him at risk of being stepped on! It was a REAL problem today. I let the horse have his head, so he could put his head down and breathe on Crosby’s back (that’s what Shadow does when a dog is right in front of him), but Crosby wasn’t even bothered by that. And of course, if the horse is that close, and the horse steps on the leash – well, there’s that risk again of being stepped on, and not being able to get out of the way due to the leash. In the past, with my dogs, I’ve ridden with a dressage crop so I can tap the dogs to make them get back, or get in a better position. I’m going to have to start riding with a crop so I can warn Crosby to get out of the way. I just can’t afford to let him go with no leash at all yet. I still need a “crutch”, or something I can grab if I have to run him down. Today, without a crop to tap Crosby, I had to watch him every minute and there was a lot of stop and go, so the horse wouldn’t step on Crosby. A crop presents its own problems – not only is it ONE MORE THING I have to hang on to, but if the dog becomes afraid of the crop, the dog then hocks too wide, or is always trying to avoid the crop. Maybe I need to do some more work on the ground at the CD level, so that Crosby learns to heel off leash with a tab on or a shark line, instead of dragging the leash. I just can’t have the horse stepping on the leash! Today we didn’t walk our 1.2 miles on the flexi, but we did do the loop in Seven Sisters, and so Crosby did 6 miles on horseback. It was pretty hot, too. Probably about 80 degrees by 9 AM. Crosby held up very nicely. Even at the end of the ride, he was always out in front (as opposed to my 11 year old bitch, who lags behind). After the horse ride, I took Crosby with me in the car to Williston to get the shingles, so that I could stop at a park on the way home and practice Rally in a new setting. It was VERY HOT by the time we got to the park, and we practiced in the sun. Crosby was great! Very nice responses, although he was slow to put his elbows down on the down! Only two more days of practice before he competes in Rally!

Days 12 & 13

DAY 12: (Saturday): Walked this morning on the flexi. Great response on the recalls and sits. We practiced obedience after the walk, and Crosby did very well. I need to remember to practice the stays, though. Crosby still doesn’t stay as long as he needs to. It is early yet.
On the last leg of our morning walk, as we headed back up the driveway to the house, I decided to let Crosby run (dragging the leash). He stayed pretty close, and responded to the first random come I gave. Then, when he was out in front again, one of our cats crossed the driveway in front of Crosby. Now, Crosby has met the cats in the house, but he has always been on leash when he sees them outside. And we haven’t seen much “game” out on the walks – the other dogs often flush pheasant, but Crosby has always been on leash. Crosby did show great interest in some chirping once – and I wondered if he has some latent game or furry critter chase instinct that I hadn’t discovered yet…
Well, today I discovered it! When he saw the cat, he started after the cat. I called him, he ignored me. He chased the cat into the brush, back towards the house, back out behind a bush, back out into the hay field … all the while I was chasing Crosby and yelling at him… Oh yes! He has an instinct for game! And I have a training problem!
I finally caught up with him and stepped on his leash, and scolded him verbally and shamed him. But of course, the scolding after-the-fact will have little effect on his instinct.
It’s not that I’m so worried about the cats – they are pretty savvy, and there are lots of trees to climb and places to run. The problem will be at an actual Road Trial. Obviously, Crosby does not “value” my commands (or my treats) over his chase instinct! At an actual Road Trial, it could be a rabbit, or a squirrel, or deer, or whatever… but if Crosby chases something when he is supposed to be hocking, and he refuses my command… well, that would be a problem!
So, I need to do more “long-line” work around planted distractions! And I need to make sure Crosby understands that he MUST obey me! This is hard to do in just 2 months, I suppose, but if I work at it, we may get on top of it! How to “plant” furry distractions will be the challenge! Or how to be ready for the real ones!
There was no riding today. We (Brad and I) spent the day roofing the addition. Crosby spent most of the day pacing in the dog run. Mileage: 1.2 miles (plus pacing in the dog run!)

DAY 13: (Sunday). Walked this morning on the flexi. Good responses again on the random sits and recalls. I did let Crosby run (dragging the leash) for part of the walk. Brad (my husband) met us as we were headed back to the house, and I was impressed that Crosby seemed to recognize him right away as a “friend”. Crosby has such a nice temperament. No obedience practice or riding today. For conditioning purposes, this was a day of rest (muscle building). Tomorrow we will try a 5 mile ride again. Mileage: 1.2

Off-leash Recall

DAY 11: This morning, after our usual walk on the flexi lead, and then some obedience work on-leash in the yard, I saddled the horse and took both Croby and Rad out for about 2 1/2 more miles. I let Crosby run "off-leash" for some of the ride (he was dragging a six-foot leather leash). This is video of Crosby performing his first "off-leash" recall. The video is from horseback, so don't watch it if it makes you dizzy!
Mileage today: 4

DAY 10: Hock, Sit, Speed

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CROSBY!! Today Crosby is TEN. What better way to spend your birthday than learning about your heritage? (For a Dal, that means learning to follow a horse!) Here is a video clip of Crosby hocking at a walk and a gait, of Crosby doing a sit-stay, and then of how Crosby reacts when I try the Speed exercise, where I drop the leash and let him run. Crosby was already pretty tired when we got to this point, but he is SO CUTE. I love it when he runs up and sniffs the camera at the end. You know I told him to do that.
Today we went for our usual walk, and Crosby responded to every random COME and random SIT. This is great! I haven't let him run loose yet while I am on the ground; it is much easier to catch a dog when you are on horseback! He was still snatching horse manure on the walk - he is very sneaky! We practiced Rally, and he did very well. Then I saddled the horse and took Croby around for 1.3 miles more, all by himself. That is when I took the video. Sorry that it is so long - it's hard to do this by yourself!

DAY 9

DAY 9: We did our walk this morning, and Crosby was full of energy! It was cool outside (if I didn’t live in Montana I’d call it COLD – 41°!) He responded perfectly to EVERY random come and random sit. No limping or favoring of the foot, either.
I saddled Pate (the Appaloosa), and took all three dogs for a ride. I didn’t ride on the property today. Today I crossed the highway and headed through the small town (VERY SMALL TOWN) of Crane, to go to the public game preserve – here they call it a “Recreation Area”. It is about 1 ½ miles from my house to the Seven Sisters Recreation Area which runs along the Yellowstone River. Once you get inside the recreation area, there is a nice ride through the woods, but I didn’t make that loop today, because I knew there would be bow hunters out there, and although they probably weren’t hunting at 9 AM in the morning, they probably wouldn’t appreciate a horse and dogs crashing through the woods.
The trip to the Recreation Area is along gravel roads, lined with a few houses and mostly farm fields. About a mile into the ride, there is a long straightaway lined by a tall corn field on one side, and a ditch and thick brush on the other. Crosby had been hocking so nicely on leash all morning, that I decided to drop the leash, let him drag it, and let him “run” for the first time. This portion of the road is a low-risk area, because the dogs have plenty of smells right at the edge of the road, and the corn and brush keeps them from running off in a perpendicular direction. So I let Crosby go (dragging his 6 foot leather leash behind him), and I gave him the command “Rest”, which means “run free! Do your business!” Crosby knows what the command means (I use it on the flexi and on the 6 foot leash), so he looked up at me like, “Really?” Then he trotted a little faster, crossed in front of the horse, and began to sniff and run like the other dogs. When he got a little too far out in front, I trotted the horse to keep up with him.
After about a minute of “free time”, I called Crosby to “Come”. He responded immediately (as did the other dogs), but he only ran most of the way in, looked at me, and then turned away again. He didn’t even come close enough to get his treat! So the other dogs got their treats, and I spurred the horse toward Crosby. Crosby wasn’t running off – he was just too busy sniffing to bother to come to me. When I got next to him with the horse, he looked up, and then sat, like –“Oh, yeah. This is what I do for a treat, right?” So he got his treat, and I leaned over and grabbed his leash (I’m long-armed enough to do that), and we proceeded on.
Later, on the dirt trail inside Seven Sisters, I let him loose again, but this time I told him to hock, and I kept the horse at a trot. He hocked perfectly! I stopped the horse after a time, and told Crosby to sit (off-leash command), and he did! GOOD BOY! I worked him aother time on the road off-leash (actually, dragging the leash), and he came when called, and then I called him again when he was very distracted (obviously going for a scent), and he did not come, so I ran him down on the horse again. This may take a while, but he will learn he must obey when I give a verbal command – if he doesn’t, I can catch him! He is learning that! He hocked again off-leash very well. As we got back toward the houses in Crane, he was back on-leash.
I’m so excited! He did so well! Probably 5 miles today, and he is moving soundly and full of energy still. This dog is in great shape! This might work!

Days 6, 7, & 8

DAY 6: This is a photo of 11 year old Cadence and 10 year old Crosby at hock from horseback.
Obedience this morning. Crosby was great! He gets it! Today was the first day I felt he understood the “sit”. Not that he didn’t sit before – he did – under the right circumstances. But today, I felt like he understood the word when I say it (not just when Barbara said it), and he realizes it can get him a treat! He’s also starting to lean in toward my touch – showing signs of enjoying my company, and showing signs of wanting to please me. Great progress!
Walk on the flexi: Crosby responded to my random comes! And my random sits! WOO HOO! For those of you who do not know what I mean with a “random sit”: This is when the dog is distracted, and maybe at the end of the flexi or leash, and is not expecting a command like “sit”. It’s OK if the dog hears the command and comes running in – he doesn’t have to “sit” at the end of the flexi. He just has to HEAR me, LISTEN to my command, and RESPOND. Crosby did just that today – he looked at me, and came to me, and then sat. GOOD BOY! It is a “transitional” exercise, designed to help the dog understand he may be asked to obey a command even when he is distracted, or not in a “formal” obedience situation. This is very important for a Road Dog, and a new skill for a dog who hasn’t spent a lot of time off-leash.

DAY 7: Monday. Holiday! Crosby responded to some of the random comes on the flexi, but not every one. I then took Crosby out by himself on horseback. We did the usual 2 miles, plus an extra loop around the property (about another 1 ½ miles). It was cooler this morning, so no heat problems. Crosby responded well to the sits – but he doesn’t stay for a full minute yet. He also discovered horse manure. He hasn’t bothered the old manure that’s lying around here and there, but today, when Shadow left some fresh stuff on our way out, Crosby snatched a few gulps of it on the way back. Nothing but the freshest and the best for Crosby! That’s OK. It gives me another distraction to train against.
The wind was terrible today. Hot, strong, and constant – it took my helmet to the back of my head, and blew the attached sun visor off of the helmet. The wind limited training – Crosby could hardly hear me over the wind.
Later in the afternoon, Crosby was favoring his right front foot. I checked his pad, and couldn’t see anything. He grumbled at me when I handled it, so I know it was hurting him somehow (I have handled his pads before, and he has not grumbled). He just seems a little sore with it – he seems to forget it if there is something to run for, but it was obviously bothering him the rest of the day. I inspected it again closely at night. No grumbling, but no obvious injury, either.


WEEK 2: DAY 8: Crosby was holding that right front paw up in the crate this AM. Once out of the crate, he seemed to favor it for a few steps, then seemed fine. Close inspection reveals nothing. He doesn’t wince or grumble with palpation of the pad, foot, leg, or shoulder. We went for our 1 ½ mile walk. He did not favor the foot. I may hold off on horse riding today, however. Rest between exercise days is good – it allows the muscles to recoup and build more muscle.
Obedience practice went VERY well. Crosby responded on the flexi to EVERY random come. On the leash in the front yard, he performed a sequence of correct responses without a treat. I am working on random rewards, instead of constant rewards. This will help prepare him for the Rally ring, where he will not get his reward until after we leave the ring. On the sit stay, he still can’t make a full minute (which is what I need for the RD). Of course, it has only been a week, and he does not need a long stay for the Rally ring, so I need to be patient! After we practiced our on-leash obedience, we played with Crosby tugging on the leash. Play is an excellent reward, so I hope I can help him understand that play can come as a reward for a chain (sequence) of correct behaviors.

Crosby learns to "hock"

Here is a video of Crosby learning to "hock", or "heel" next to a horse. If you look closely, you can see the geese in the pen on the left, and chickens in the pen on the right. Lots of great distractions! Also, you can see my other horse, the Appaloosa, running in the corral. Crosby is wearing a 6 foot leather leash and a chain slip collar. I use the command "Hock", and I give him a correction when he wanders wide. He also gets treats when he is in the proper position.

Crosby's first outing on horseback

These are photos of Crosby's first meeting with the horse! I tied Crosby up while I saddled the horse, and, as you can see, he was a bit "vocal" about being confined! Crosby moves so nicely next to a horse! He was born for this!

Champion Quicksilver Rhythm and Blues: "Crosby"

Crosby is Champion Quicksilver Rhythm and Blues, a top-winning Dalmatian owned by Jim and Barbara Lyons. Crosby will be 10 years old this month, and has come to my house to be trained to "coach", or follow the horses. Crosby will be here for 2 months. If all goes well, Crosby will compete in the Greater Washington Dalmatian Club Road Trial in late October (2009).

I live in Crane, Montana. The GWDC RT will be in Virginia. I own two Dalmatians, a Lab, and two horses. I have competed in Dalmatian Road Trials since 1992. I have titled 6 different dogs in Road Trials; 4 of them earned both the RD and the RDX. Crosby has had some obedience training, and has had extensive show training. I will train Crosby to the RD level, and hope to compete with him at that level. I only have 2 months.

DAY 1: Crosby came yesterday afternoon. What a beautiful dog he is! And so adaptable! He has such a delightful temperament.
Today I got up at 6 AM and pottied him, then we worked on basic, on-leash obedience. I hope to be able to get a few Rally Novice legs on Crosby in 2 weeks.
Barbara Lyons, Crosby’s owner, has already taught Crosby the basics of heel, come, sit, and swing. With treats, I worked him on those maneuvers plus around and turns. He did VERY well. This is a very nice dog.
Crosby gets along with my other dogs (4 yr neutered male Dal; 11 yr female Dal; 9 yr neutered Lab) very well. He had no issues with them from the beginning, and the worst thing they all do is have a “marking” contest on every blade of grass. I am LOVING this dog’s temperament!

DAY 2: Today we did the usual AM routine: potty then obedience work on the ground, on-leash. Crosby tends to lag on the heel, so today we worked on this with lots of praise and encouragement. The automatic sit is not there, but Rally doesn’t require it, so I am working on sits on command. He learned very quickly with slight pressure on his rump. He responds well and learns fast. Good dog.
After breakfast I took all the dogs for my exercise walk (2 miles). Crosby did it on a flexi. I don’t allow him to pull, and he learned quickly just how long the flexi is, and how to use it without getting a correction.
After the walk, I put the Lab indoors (he is new here also, and doesn’t have the stamina nor the training to go for a horse ride), then I tied Crosby to a water spigot while I saddled Shadow (the horse). (The other two Dals get to run loose during this time, because they have been trained to stay nearby). Crosby was a bit vocal at first about his confinement situation, but a scruff shake with a verbal scolding took care of that (he learns quickly!).
With Crosby on a sit-stay on-leash, I mounted Shadow. Then we started at a walk, with Crosby at “heel” on the left of the horse. I began using the Hock command (instead of heel). Crosby didn’t even seem to notice the horse, and moved along well from the start. We did about 3 miles at a trot, then put the horse up. What a great time! Crosby took to this like a Lab to ducks! It’s lovely to watch his smooth, ground-covering gait. I couldn’t trot the horse slowly – that was too slow for Crosby. I had to move at a nice clip. It was a good conditioning session!
I live at an elevation of 2,000 feet. Although this is not very high, it is higher than what a California dog is used to. So I will condition slowly, even though Crosby seems in great shape.



DAY 3: obedience work at 6:30 AM. Crosby was more attentive today. He had a real “spark”. I think he’s discovered the treats, and how to get them. He was better about not sniffing, and about keeping up. We trained in front of the goose pen, while the geese hissed at us. Great distraction!
From 7 – 8 we walked. 2 miles. On a flexi. Crosby showed some response to the Come command today on the flexi, but there is still no immediate response. He has not yet discovered that a “come” means treats.
At about 8 AM I saddled and rode Pate (the Appaloosa). Pate is much slower than Shadow, and tends to wander when walking, so this gives Crosby experience with a different horse. Crosby did very well on his stays. He even stayed while Pate stomped his impatient feet and tried to get me moving again (I backed the horse away from the dog on the stay, so that if the horse is impatient, the dog is not in immediate danger of being stepped on). I took Crosby out by himself today, so that I could focus on him, and not confuse him with commands/corrections to the other dogs.
Crosby doesn’t seem tired by all of this exercise. He is in great shape, and came inside and wanted to play!


DAY 4: Same routine. Obedience training on leash on the ground (Rally). Then 2 mile walk on a flexi. Then a 2 mile quick horse ride at a trot. For the obedience training, I began trying “random sits”. I still get resistance from Crosby on the sits. He sits well with certain hand signals (when he thinks it comes with a treat), but for the RD I need him to sit without a signal, so I am working on voice recognition. Crosby obviously thinks treats are for standing (conformation stack), and so he tries that first. Sometimes he sat, but most of the time he seems unresponsive. Actually, he is responding; he responds with a show stack. Good dog, Crosby, just not what I want! When I try random sits in the house, I suddenly have FOUR dogs accosting me for treats. Do you know how many treats I am going through? Yesterday I cut about 75 hot dog chunks. They were all gone before the morning ride; I had to make more for the horse ride. I will continue to work on automatic obedience sits on leash, and random sits on the flexi and in the house.
On our horse ride I set up the camera for video and set it on an electrical box. I haven’t looked at it yet, but it should show Crosby learning the hock for a short span.
Crosby did the one minute sit stay from horseback (on leash) very well today. He completed it well two times. This is very encouraging!
Crosby’s house time is spent mostly tied to my waist. This reduces his counter surfing, and helps him attach himself to me (literally)!


DAY 5: Today Crosby got no real training. I got up early to be in a parade in North Dakota (about an hour away). I rode the horse sidesaddle, with Caden and Rad at hock. Crosby, of course, was not ready for a parade yet; plus the asphalt and the heat might be too hard on his pads at this point. It was a very hot day, but Caden and Rad did well. We were done with the parade before the temps got above about 85.
When I got home in the afternoon, I put Crosby, Rad, & Caden out in the dog run while I got up on the roof to help Brad (we are building an addition). I can see the run from the roof (and the dogs can see me). Crosby was very unhappy with me, and spent the afternoon proclaiming his displeasure. It was very hot outside (100 degrees), but the run has great shade, so the dogs were probably out in about 85 degree temps. Crosby kept moving the whole time, which is great, because I got to see how he holds up in the heat. He got plenty of exercise in the run – he exercised himself. And he seemed to have plenty of energy for the heat. He is inside now, and still has enough energy to play. So he got his exercise today , even though he didn’t really get any training. My, my, this dog DOES NOT act like he is TEN!