Time, where has it gone?

So it's becoming pretty obvious to me that this blog isn't going to be a daily chronicle of our training. Apparently I just don't have that kind of time! I swear I'm working/training my dog more then I post on here.

Yesterday we went out to Ft Steilacoom park- a lovely local park, to let the kids play and work my dog some. Kids were at the playground, and I was working Koenig around the outside, doing OB and playing fetch (pretty high value reward for him). After I'd worked him 10 min or so, I realized that a small group of people were totally staring at us. Ft. Steilacoom has some pretty snotty people that like to call the cops about dogs off leash, so I kept Koenig close for the next few minutes, just doing OB. Eventually, one of the guys yells out to me "Are you a handler?" This really made me laugh. In the sense he meant, no, I am not a handler. He was asking if I was a Military woking dog, or Police K-9 handler. When I laughed, and said "Thanks for the compliment, but no, I'm not." He asked if Koe was a K-9. :) I explained that he's not, he's just a pet, and we train in a sport called Schutzhund, he came over and said he used to be a MWD handler, for 20 years, and I "have a very very fine animal right there" (as he points to the blazing brindle going after his ball). Pretty high compliments, IMO. I have a great amount of respect for K9 handlers, and the dogs. To be compared with one, in that mans eyes was flattering. Made me grin, as I worked my dog, enjoying all the stupid stuff he was offering me.

I got a couple short, fairly dark videos of him. It was all pretty basic OB. I'm going to bring touch pads out today when I work him, and start to get picky on stationary position changes.






I'm off to train with a friend now. Someone who's got experience in SchH, Herding, Agility, and AKC OB. I'm stoked. :) I feel like I'm totally taking advantage of her knowledge!