I’ve been writing a lot of articles on Squidoo and Wizzley. I just finished one on my week of hunting for my lost dog, Rueben. It’s on HERE.

 

Bird Shot

I’ve gotten a new dslr camera thanks to a friend who had upgraded. It looks like a miniature space ship with all the buttons and doors and whatnot. It’s a really good thing she sent the manual although reading it puts me right to sleep. I’ve been having fun taking good pictures. Still have a lot to learn about this camera though. Yesterday I took some bird pictures, but the camera focused on the trees behind them. And I discovered it’s hard to try to take pictures when holding onto two dog leashes.

I’ve been putting up a whole slew of pictures on RedGage under the name Ragtimelil.

Progress

We have made progress with the car chasing issue. The other day a motorcycle came by and if Moss hadn’t been on the leash, he would have gone after it. I was very discouraged since I was using a clicker to try to distract him and to get him to focus on me. What was happening was that as he was going for the treat, his eyes would slide around to try to see the car. As soon as he got the treat his head would swing around looking for it even if it was already down the road.

This is something not to be trifled with. A dog that chases cars can end up a dead dog. So I got mad. I got mad for him pulling on the leash, and I got mad at him for watching cars with that look in his eye. I don’t have to do much to let him know I’m mad. Mostly it was just speaking harshly to him.

Tonight he was a star. No pulling on the leash at all. I didn’t even have to say anything. And when I told him to leave it when a car came by his ears went back and he looked at me. Then I could click and give him a treat. He has sheep he can run after. Not cars.

A little dog was loose in the yard as we walked by. I told Moss to leave it. His previous reaction would be to hit the end of the leash with all his might to try to meet the new dog. He walked on like a well behaved boy.  He is learning.

Lying in a Ditch

Moss has all the signs of becoming a car chaser. Unfortunately, the only place I can walk them is on the road. I’ve been working with him with redirecting his focus. I back up, call him and give him a treat. Today it was working pretty well, until I didn’t notice the ditch behind me and found myself sitting on the ground….

I took Moss out for this third session with sheep. We have several issues to work on. One is just acting crazy when we get there. He’s lunging at the end on the leash, barking hysterically and generally being a pain. The barking is really bad. He is not intimidated easily and just ignores any attempt to quiet him down. I tried using a water spritzer today. He ignored it. I tried postive clicker training. He was way beyond that. Finally we had some success with keeping him behind a car and closing the mouth when he barked and constant praise when he was quiet.

He has gotten very stubborn about lying down though. He just refuses. I’ve been working with him in the pen with the sheep and only letting him have the sheep after he finally does one lie down on his own. He wasn’t bad on sheep. He does the usual puppy stuff, cutting in and chasing one sheep if they split from the flock. He’s giving us more attention though and even did a couple of lie downs while working.

Feeling Sheepish, O Yeah

Saturday, May 12, 2012

 

 

Moss and Doc are still tired out from an exciting day. We met some folks only 2.7 miles away who have sheep and Border collies. We went to visit and took a LONG walk down some trails and then Moss got his first introduction to sheep. He sniffed around for a while, visited with the other dogs and people and then, all of a sudden, he turned on to the sheep. He was running nice and wide and circling and even dashing between the sheep and the fence. He had a ball! I was estatic! Looks like I have another working dog to train.

Doc got to go and and just move the sheep around a little bit. He had been watching all day long and it was only fair to give him a turn.

After a week of driving slow, we landed in the little rv park that I had found on the Internet. It’s small and nothing fancy, but it is right on the lake and they didn’t blink at my old camper. I have electricity, sewer hookups (a real luxury) and a water faucet right beside the camper. The water pipes in my camper have been cut and the water resevoir was removed  so I’m using water jugs for now. At some point I want to get a faucet hooked up in the bathroom. I’ve started a Lens on Camper Living too

The NH to TX Saga

First day –

I didn’t get very far, but we didn’t get on the road until 5:00.

The tires on the camper got changed ok, but the truck needed some attention too.

The speed sensor rusted away and the results were scaring me.

So we only got as farm as Bennington Vt. By 9 pm I was bleary eyed and pulled off into a business strip and what should my wandering eyes behold but a Wal-Mart. And, yes, it was one that allowed overnight parking. The courtesy lady told me where to park and I pulled over and pretty much fell into bed. It was a cold night, windy and traffic noise but I slept and dreamed of an elf that was sort of like Elmer Fudd.

 

Another night – another Wal-Mart. I’ve said goodbye to the White Mountains, waved to the

Green Mountains, crawled through the Berkshires, and Poconos. Finally in

Ohio, I made good time on the flat land. We crossed the Hudson;  it’s been a long time since I’ve been on a bridge that long crossing a river that wide! Holy Cow. Then the Susquehanna, the Ohio and assorted other rivers.

 

Pennsylvania has more road-kill laying around than any place I’ve ever been except Mexico. I drove into a town where there was a young deer laying in the gutter. Do they hit more animals there or just don’t believe in cleaning up their roads? Kentucky is the prettiest place. I know I’m headed south. I got “mam’ed” today.

 

Last night stopped at a truck stop. It was hairy parking in a lot crammed cheek by jowl with big rigs and when they idle, they idle for HOURS. Finally fell asleep anyway. I had to get up twice to clean the floor. Doc was seriously ill. He seems ok but I’m not feeding him today. Moss is doing fine.

 

Minor repair needed. I stopped to let dogs out and found that one of my chains to the camper was broken. I spotted Roger’s Muffler and full service and trundled on over. The guys not only got my chain repaired, but sympathized about my money situation and went out of their way to keep it cheap for me. This was inWinchester, Kentucky. I must remember to list them on the car talk web site too. (note: I did)

 

Doc is fine today. Moss is a touch under the weather now, but not as bad as Doc was. I think it’s the cheap food I gave them. It all got wet anyway so I’ll probably have to dump it.

 

We made it all the way across Tennessee and crossed the mighty Mississippi. I never realized Arkansas was so flat in places. I saw something I haven’t seen in YEARS. A sun sinking, not behind a mountain or to the other side of a hill, but below the horizon! And it’s getting hotter. Girls in their very short shorts. Camped in Wal-Mart of Lonoke AK. I think we gained an hour. I noticed it was still really light at 7:00.  We must have crossed a time zone somewhere. Driving has become a blur, I don’t even remember where we started this morning. Lots of birds, lots of cardinals and air in KY and TN perfumed with flowers.

Should make TX tomorrow but don’t know if I’ll have the money until Friday to pay for a camp site. I’m trying my best, but I have to buy gas or won’t get there anyway….