#9 Practice with Sheryl, Threadles, Serpentines, String Cheese Disaster

I don't actually know if I'm numbering these Sheryl sessions right because they don't include practices at the field, only the ones at my house.  So, we've practiced a lot more together than the numbers indicate.  And it has paid off handsomely for Sheryl in her recent 3-out-of-4 Q trial weekend in Kiln.  It's paid off for me in other ways besides improving my handling.  I enjoy figuring out lesson plans, setting up problems to practice, analyzing how to improve on the training methods others have taught me.  I enjoy observing and teaching.  It's what I've done all my life.  It motivates me in ways I wouldn't do just for myself.

Threadles and Serpentines: For today's practice, with both our legs injured and not wanting to stress them much, I set up 4 jumps end to end in a straight row for Threadle  and Serpentine Practice.  The illustration of this exercise is self-explanatory.  Anybody with a doggie can do this at home, and would be surprised how D's are programmed to follow arm change ques.

Divits: I also set up 12 weave poles right over a divit in the ground at the 3rd dog step thru.  I have to teach Maxie to be comfortable with the inevitable divits the larger dogs dig on soft courses, especially in the weaves.  He's NQ'd at least 3 times refusing to step into a deep divit at the weaves.

Practice went fine thru serpentines and weaves until my mostly whole, still wrapped in plastic, string cheese fell out of my pocket, Charlie ran off with it and the harder we tried to catch him to take it away, the harder he tried to scarf it up, until he finally swallowed it whole.  Charlie, mind you, is a 12" high Boston Terrier that weighs about 12 lbs.  The string cheese is 1/3 the length of his whole body.  We were teriffied he would choke to death or need surgery to remove it. 

I called the vet, who recommended 1 tsp. hydrogen peroxide to make him throw up.  We tried administering that a few times with a Cajun Injector, with Sheryl holding him on his back and mouth open, but he coughed it up.  It went flying in the air and landed in his eye, so we had to get a damp rag and wipe it out for fear of blinding him as well.  We were afraid to give more and he never threw it up, but I found out at class last night we could have given much more hp.  The vet also said Charlie would probably pass the item within a few days with no problem.  So now we wait. 

That ended our training session prematurely, though, and Sheryl just wanted to take him home.  Can't say as I blame her for that.  I would be beside myself if Maxie swallowed an entire string cheese, still in the plastic wrapper!!!!!  I would be wanting desparately to reach in and get it out of there.

You just never know with kids, cars and dogs!