Preparing for the stage part 1. - ZickZack

Yet another trick that is mandatory in beginners class is walking between the handler´s legs. This is a little bit more tricky and it is important to use the correct leg when you start - otherwise your dog will have to go back a few steps everytime in order to avoid being kicked and to be able to walk between your legs the next time. I saw this a couple of days ago when a young girl practised with her American Cocker - it looked really strange and the dog struggled and just didn't enjoy it at all, candy or no candy -kicks are no fun.

So - the dog is placed on - say - your left side, that means that you start moving with your right leg. You have toys or candy in each hand guiding your dog to walk between your legs half way with one hand and then swopping to the other hand.

Preparing for the stage part 1. - Circle

This was Folkes first trick. Circling is not very impressive but he managed to impress some Pakistani exchange student guys down by Lake Trummen one night when I took him swimming.
He handed over the dummies like a god and shook afterwards on my command, I then had him do the circles and he got to retrieve the dummies as his reward. The Pakis were quite funny and came up to me and asked how on earth I got the dog to understand what I wanted him to do. They also said that they thought it was really strange that Swedish people brought their dogs with them everywhere as in Pakistan the only time you took your dog someplace was if you had a fighting dog and there was a competition.
We spoke for a while and I hope that Folke helped change their poor animal rights perspective at least a little bit. I think I might have hurt their masculinity though telling them to stop being such pussies around Folke - who completely ignored them and was all in on the tricks and retrieving. They were clearly not being used to any other dogs than fighting dogs and potential rabies carriers. I still think Folke got at least one inch of doubt into their stoneage values.

Circling is pretty easy to teach the dog - you use a toy or candy in front of the dog´s nose and then make a slooooow circle in the air so the dog follows your hand. Some dogs might take longer to understand that they are supposed to follow but as always the keyword is patience. I prefer to use hand plus word as that will make it easier to do the tricks from a distance but also to leave out the hand if you're up close and it doesn't suit the programme. Practice leaving out the hand some times and leaving out the word other times.

Preparing for the stage part 1. - Rolling Around

Folke and I are getting closer to beginners class in reestyle, or Heelwork to Music as it is also called.

We haven't quite started to do the tricks to music yet but Folke is a keen pupil and learns amazingly fast so I think we'll actually have something to put together to a programme. His newest trick is to roll around which he understood after about 3 times of being told to lay down and then getting slightly pushed on his shoulder.

Next plan is to have him roll around several times in a row without getting up imbetween - haven't introduced that yet but I'm working on my body language as I think it would look pretty nice if I bend down and kind of flow with him as he rolls, which will also help him continue rolling - teaching him to get up when I stand up straight again.

4.5h Easter walk around Lake Bergunda.

Easter has brought with it some beautiful weather. Margareta and I decided to try the walk around Lake Bergunda South. It is a really nice walk although you have to walk on roads on parts of it. I could definitely consider doing it again - especially as the track is only a 5minute walk from where I live, soooo love my new location.

We brought lunch with us and made a few stops to enjoy the sun and scenery, take some photos and let Folke swim.

Both Pintje and Folke draw people´s attention - which is fun. Where ever you take Folke for a walk where there is people around you always hear people making the sounds of sheep or calling him a labradoodle - nowadays most of it gets caught in my spamfilter....but at least one or two stops me to admire him and several people make comments on what ha beautiful dog he is and he is the most gentle boy when people wants to pat him.

FREESTYLE:

Folke and I have done some practising preparing for the freestyle competition in a few months. He now knows how to circle around himself, walk across my legs and roll around, a few tricks are under their way but not quite there yet. I've had some difficulties picking a song but it will most likely be "Destiny calling" http://www.youtube.com./watch?v=GOjoNmYj1qQ (not the official video though). It is tricky to pick a song that has to be no shorter than 1 minute and not longer than 3 minutes for beginners class, ok I could opt for any song and have them shut it off but at the moment an entire song just seems better. Might change my mind when I start rehersing to the music and find out how long three minutes can be....
After reading the rules and regulations I now - finally - understand why all these people competing in freestyle insist on having such tacky outfits and putting matching ones on their dogs, it's a part of the competition and you are given points on how well the outfits matches and also how well they match to the music. Shit! I have decided to add some detail or other - like a read collar on Folke and something red on me just to see how many points are taken off....if any are taken off I guess I will have to face humiliation and pick theme songs and start dressing according to it....Aladin?? - naaah Folke would hate the turban...hm .. I'VE FOUND IT!!!! And it is less than 3 minutes... Picture this: Folke and I both dressed in white and blue (I look really nice in blue), I'm sure Margaretha would help me sow a vest for Folke with the Finnish flag... theme? "Back to the roots - meeting Folke´s heritage" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4om1rQKPijI&feature=related .
Some photos from yesterday´s walk!

Pintje - Margareta´s Schapendoes bitch

Folke entertaining the crowd jumping off the bridge, why walk into the water when you can jump.

Folke???(!!!)

Folke handing over his dummy.

Margareta and Folke in action.

Buddies - the daredevil and the little chicken.

Jag å favvisHenke! / Me and favouriteHenke

Det har varit superfint väder de senaste dagarna och Folke har kommit hem helt utslagen, legat på samma fläck bredvid min sida sängen heeela natten utan att röra sig nämnvärt. Någon natt har han ylat i sömnen och flera gånger har han sprungit - drömmar från vardagen på Campus med Annica å Henke där den sociala kompetensen ständigt sätts på prov med allt folk och alla studenthundar - häromdan var det busorgie med 6 andra hundar nere vid slottet. Råder inget tvivel om att Folke och Kellie har det oförskämt bra om dagarna.

The weather has been great lately with spring around the corner. Folke has arrived home completely worn out, he has slept next to my bed the entire night without moving much, some nights he has woken me up howling in his sleep and on more than one occasion dream-running . dreams about his daily life on Campus with Annica and Henke, I´d say.
There is no doubt the dogs have a pretty darn good life while I'm at work.

Folke and Henke

Folke

Jag har ett par kvällar släpat ut Folke på tvåtimmarspromenader med bad. Isen lossade för nån vecka sedan och Folke gick inte att stoppa oh sedan låg han och cirkulerade i Trummen och njöt i säkert 20min. Jag fick fint finna mig i att titta på från strandkanten. Sedan dess har Folke badat i princip varje dag. Om jag hittade kamerakabeln kunde jag ju fört över kort på det till datorn och lagt upp det på bloggen. Kellie har under viss protest blivit nersläpad de få hundra meterna till Trummen några gånger när Folke ska simma, och väl nere har hon inte ångrat sig utan har skuttat runt och trakasserat Folke när han kommer upp med dummyn.

Folke and Henke

Show results - SSRK Moheda, March 1, 2009

Mitt i flytten bar det iväg till Moheda för att ställa Folke i juniorklass. Denna gången hade vi marginalerna på vår sida och Folke var 1dag från unghundsklass. 5 curlies var anmälda, 4 hanar och 1 tik.
Tiken - Aristocurls Havanna som gick i unghundsklass - blev BIR.
BIM blev Ringlets Nattfrost - en hane ur unghundsklass.
Folke blev 2a bästa hane med CK och slog två öppenklasshanar, Magriss Get It Right (1CK) och Oneiros (1).
Ringlets Nattfrost och Folke hade olika förtjänster, framförallt var den andra hanen mer mogen i sina rörelser och vann på det. Det hela kändes klart relevant, rättvist och bra dömt.

Swedish spaniel and retreiver show in Moheda, 5 entries, 4 dogs and 1 bitch:
BOB: Aristocurls Havanna (intermediate bitch)
BOS: Ringlets Nattfrost (intermediate dog)
Folke was second best dog and won over two Open dogs; Magriss Get it Right (1CK) and Oneiros (1). Ringlets Nattfrost and Folke had different strengths, the other dog was older and more mature in his movements which was why he won. The judging felt relevant and fair.

Folke var väldigt ivrig i ringen och har uppfört sig bättre, helt okay fram och tillbaka men när vi skulle springa runt var han smått övertänd och okoncentrerad, skuttade, galopperade, passade...ja smått bedrövlig..men glad, och jag anser fortfarande att allt som räknas fram till öppenklass är glädje i ringen - sedan kan man börja ställa lite mer krav successivt.
Folke was very eager in the ring and has behaved better, he was okay back and forth but running in a circle naah not so very well behaved....he jumped, went for the leash etc and was just the biggest clown...but happy as ever...and I am still of the opinion that everything before open class is all about having fun in the ring so I'm not all that bothered.

Domare var Ove Germundsson som var underbar i ringen - väldigt vänlig och helt super med hundarna. Första domaren jag har hört säga det han sa när Folke - som var först i rasen - gick in i ringen "Här kommer en curly och det är en ras så vacker så man kan gråta". Kul att höra!

The judge was Ove Germundsson who was just the lovliest person, he was friendly and easy-going and really good with the dogs. Folke was first in his breed and I have never before heard a judge say what Ove said as Folke entered the ring "Here comes a curly, a breed so beautiful you could cry".

Folkes kritik:

Typ och Helhetsintryck: Utmärkt

15mån hane av utmärkt modell. Underbart huvud och uttryck. Utmärkt hals och rygg. Runt kors. Kunde bära svansen bättre. Bra ben och tassar. En bra helhet, behöver utvecklas mer i rörelserna.

Folkes critics (my own translation):

Type and general impression: Excellent

15month old male of excellent type. Beautiful head and expression. Excellent neck and back. Round rump. Could carry his tail in a better way. Nice feet and bone. A nice overall impression but needs to develop in his movements.

Hundmassage / Dog massage

Idag har Folke varit hos Lotta Gadd, diplomerad hundmassageterapeut (http://www.vaxjoveterinarpraktik.se/ ), för att få en timmes helkroppsmassage till priset av 380kr. Det var inga större problem att få upp Folke på bordet och det tog inte länge förrän han himlade med ögonen och njöt av behandlingen.
Folke has been at a masseuse this afternoon for a one hour full body massage. Folke really enjoyed the treatment and it didn't take long before he let out deep sighs and rolled his eyes.

Massagen är tänkt i förebyggande syfte och för att vara säker på att han inte kompenserar pga ngn låsning eller stelhet någonstans.
Han var lite stel i ljumskarna på båda sidor och även något i höger skuldra. Även sätesmuskeln var något spänd och kort men inget som verkade onormalt eller anmärkningsvärt på något vis enligt Lotta. Allt ordentligt stretchat och utmasserat, jag fick även lära mig vissa bitar och även vikten av att värma upp och varva ner Folke samt stretcha honom inom en kvart efter motion. Kort muskulatur är ofta ett resultat av brist på uppvärmning, nedvarvning och stretching.
Strechade Kellie en del ett tag när hon var ung så den biten har jag rätt bra pejl på.
The thought behind giving him massage is to prevent injuries and also to detect if he compensates in certain movements and builds muscles in some places at the cost of musculature in other parts of his body.
The gluteus maximus was a bit tense as well as the muscles around his groins and right shoulder, which are now limbered up by the massage and I was also shown how to do it myself to a certain level.

Folke var helt groggy efteråt och enligt dagmatte och daghusse sov han resten av dagen.
Måste säga att det var njutning för egen del också att se hur Folke slappnade av, gick ner i andning, tog långa djupa suckar och himlade med ögonen.
Folke spent the rest of the day sleeping according to his dogsitters.

I must say I think I nearly enjoyed the massage as much as Folke did by just watching him.