Men in hats

I was going to title this post "We gave Fizz away today" and head it up with the photo of Fizz and Jeff...........it was sooo tempting!  :)  But that wouldn't have been very nice.   :P

We ran errands this a.m. and came home to find a tree cutting crew, including a large crane, right outside the house.   This was VERY exciting for the kids, and it soon dawned on me that this was a great training opportunity.   Loud things, unexpected crashes as limbs fell, odd smells, BIG huge trucks moving about, men in hats, gloves, goggles, etc.    Why miss out on a training opportunity????

Got Fizz out and worked a bit of short heeling, focus on me, and then sits and downs.   Downs became VERY difficult as the kids ate PB&J sandwhiches (this cool event rated a 'bottom of the driveway' picnic!).  All of my dogs are peanut butter junkies, to the Nth degree.  

After our 'work,' Fizz just hung out with the kids, relaxing and enjoying the show, despite our blazing heat.   And of course, who could pass up the opportunity to have a good stick chew when bits of tree are flying about??   

I was able to spend some time talking to the officer working the detail, and it turns out he used to train K9's in the nearby town.  He knows the Billings, Kenny Ballinger, and a host of other people from my former life in Working dogs.   We had a great time chatting.......had to laugh about Jagermeister in the live blind....ah the memories! :)

Fizz was not bothered at all by any of the men, wiggled and wagged to meet everyone of them, no matter what they had on their heads, eyes or hands.   I was very thankful that she didn't think Jeff's beautiful white gloves meant "game on!"  :) :) 

Every day presents us with new training opportunities, ability to socialize and just add yet another thing to the list of "oh yeah, that's just life."   I'm so thankful to the trainers in my life who have opened my eyes to this way of thinking, and encouraged me to seize such opportunities.   THANK YOU! :)    

Fizz goes tailgating

So we have Patriots' season tickets, and today was the 2nd to last home game of the regular season.  Decided that since my parents were watching the kids, I'd bring Fizz to the pre-game tailgate in order to get her out of their hair.   For two hours we walked about meeting people in all stages of sobriety (and non....), dodging grills with yummy smelling sausages and hamburgers and of course, working on some of our training games.

The parking lot we use is not that far from the stadium, so thousands of people walk past on their way up to the game.   Fizz and I hung out at the entrance, she easily met 200 new people today and was a doll for all of it.   Many people told us of their current or former Rottweilers.   And I will admit, I heard one of the most unique comments to date, in owning this breed.   "You can tell she's fullblooded by her eyebrows!  Just look at those eyebrows!"   Smile and nod yes.   :)    (The only statement that tops that was made about 10yrs ago, when someone asked me if Bort, at about 18mos, was a Beagle.    Ummm..............)

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, and much joy in 2012!!

Fizz with hubby, our friend Peter, and his friend from Switzerland, Marc.

2 layers of pants, 1 turtleneck, 2 fleeces....ah yes, that's how we stay warm! :)

Fizz wearing my season ticket.

Fizz's fans include Santa!

Visit to Home Depot - 14wks

This morning we headed to Home Depot, hubby needed a few plumbing parts (eventually it was easier to just buy a whole new toilet!) and I decided that Fizz was going to have a great socialization outing.  I hadn't planned any real training, just a chance for a new environment and lots of new people.

Fizz entered like she owned the place, and within  a minute, I had her playing games with me and earning treats.   We started with simple nose touches, and progressed to calling off distractions (new people are about a Level 14 on a scale of 10 for Fizz)....including new people, dust bunnies in corners, and cords hanging down from poles.   I was amazed to see her leave a new person, and thrilled to see that she put the value in me over the new person, as I know how much she adores meeting new people.

After making our way to the back cross-store aisle, we worked some RZ, first in one-step forward increments, and then several 180 turns.   She nailed it, and was pushing me hard with her eyes to keep working, to keep earning reward.   LOVED seeing this from her.   No luring, no begging on my part.   Just a simple response to her awesome choices.    She was totally focused and wanting to work.   I released her from work to go say hi to at least 10 different staff members, and several customers.   Each time, she came back ready to work again!

We worked in aisles on Its Yer Choice.   I forgot the rule of "it's a new environment, be sure to set up for success" and just started working on the level of distraction that we work at home.  I asked for a sit, tossed her most favorite tug over her head (from behind), squiggled it along the floor in front of her, and tossing hot dog pieces onto the floor so that they bounced right towards her toes.   Not a flinch.   Yep, old hat for this old soul.   A truly brilliant puppy!   BIG reward and party for such awesome work.   Lots of tugging, and I had a mother/son team watching from the end of the aisle, with Mom narrating the puppy's training session (I think my enthusiasm was not very quiet!).

We had several hard fast recalls, raced the length of empty aisles, and worked more Its Yer choice with the tug.   When it was finally time to select our new toilet, I put Fizz in a down (this is not on verbal cue yet) and fed a few times to build duration, and then just waited.    She put her chin down and completely relaxed.   Released her to greet some new people, then back into her down.   Finally, got her up on the flatbed cart with the toilet box and asked for a sit while the cart rocked forward onto the fore set of wheels.

I think what amazed the most was the intensity with which she worked with me, despite this new, exciting, and highly distracting environment.  I felt like the training sessions we've been doing for the past many weeks were suddenly coming together and I had a puppy who was happy and willing and eager to work, starting to really generalize behaviors and pushing me for more.  Absolute JOY! :)

A busy week or so

Prep for the Thanksgiving holiday (and the 5k that I ran that morning) has kept me quite busy, and a little slower in Fizz's formal work.  We're still doing a lot of things for socialization, and sneaking in 4-5 short training sessions per day, but none has been recorded.

Fizz has visited friends at church after the service, met people and dogs at the pet supply shop, hung outside of a grocery store the night before Thanksgiving, meeting lots of last minute shoppers.   While there we checked out both the squeaky-wheeled shopping carts, and the auto-open doors.

About a week ago, Fizz had her first bath.  I usually try to bathe puppies in their first week home, but timing just did not lend to that.  She was fine with the water, being scrubbed and being rinsed off.   After she was out, I definitely saw the beginnings of the characteristic "Rottweiler run amuck" behavior that seems to occur after all baths.   You know.......when the still wet dog runs itself across every piece of furniture, cabinets, and anything else upright that it can find, leaving a trail of fur and "wet dog" smell.    Yeah, we saw the beginnings of that in the bathoom (rubbing into the rug, snorting..........all very cute.........but!).

Last weekend, Fizz had her first weekend away, out in the Berkshires.  She's a wonderful car traveller, just goes right to sleep and doesn't make a peep.  She got to enjoy some trail walks with Vikka around the old Christmas tree farm, and had a blast visiting the S. Egremont library.  In addition to adventures, we worked on some known behaviors and also dremmeled her nails.......something I do about every 2-3 days.  

 Being called in by James and Emilie

 Meeting Cathy, the Asst Librarian

Getting treats from the Librarian, who is known to my kids as their Mimi.  :)

Fizz is getting very pushy in her chin heeling, which I love.   Her tuck sits are getting fast, and she's already showing anticipation in the set-up behavior, trying to turn around into a sit as fast as she can.   Its fun to watch the brain work and figure out how to make me reward her.  She sits for crate door opening now, and is also sitting for doors to open on a regular basis.   Games such as "play with MY toy" are going well, she's very willing to switch from one toy to another, even if she has the more favored toy. 

On Thanksgiving, Fizz came with me to the city of Providence in Rhode Island.  I ran a 5k race, and then brought her out to socialize afterwards.   We had parked in a parking garage, and lots of people were leaving to get home to cook.  All the noise and echoing went unnoticed.   Every person we saw, she happily greeted and the look on her face regarding those who passed us by.......well, how could the miss such a cute puppy???   We met the camera man for the local ABC station.  Thankfully she did NOT eat the spaghetti pile of cords sticking out of his bag.  Before we headed back to the car, we found a circle of chairs with see-through wire mesh seats.   She was completely unbothered by being able to see through this odd footing, as I asked her to walk the circle of chairs.

After downtown, we stopped in at a friend's house to see one of my C litter boys, and to catch up.  Had a wonderful visit, and Fizz even got to play with Calvin (who is now 6).  She had a blast playing with someone that looked like her (and was very tolerant of her puppy antics).  As we were leaving, their son was out front playing with bubbles, and oh BOY was that fun!   Almost as much fun as the winter moths we saw and chased about tonight.

Today Fizz finally met her 'cousin,' Spencer.  Spencer is an almost-2yr old yellow Lab.  He likes to play and can be quite rambunctious, so they only met on leash, and then went for a nice walk together.  While out for our walk, we worked set-ups (getting into heel position) in a totally strange environment, I rewarded for all heads-up eye contact (while in RZ)......boy can this girlie move out at a trot and give awesome eye contact! :) :)    I worked recalls off some fairly high-distraction scents (including dead vole), and she came promptly with good attitude each time.  Thank you Susan Garrett!!!   Can't wait for Recallers 3.0!  :)  

Final trick of the day was hand targets, haven't worked them much recently.   Started with basic ones, and then decided to put it above her head, a la Susan G.'s new method of teaching stand (and with the intent of maybe teaching 'sit pretty' from it too).   I was really impressed with her willingness to pop up to my hand and touch.   Bet we can get that fun stand figured out in the next session or two!   Will try to video tape.

I know you need some puppy cuteness, so I share with you some of Fizz's funny sleeping choices.  This puppy never just sleeps on her side.  She's either upside on her back, sometimes with her neck at a horrendous angle, often with face mashed against the crate, or she's burrowed under the bed.   Enjoy!