Tag Archives: lyric

Our Mini Vacation

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Well, we’ve got the entire week off from work and decided that it was time for a mini vacation away from home.  After some thought and discussion between Bruce and I, we decided on a destination that wasn’t too far from home in case someone in the family needed us for some dire emergency – Monroe, MI.

We’ve been down here, it seems, every single New Years weekend for some dog event or another.  This will be the first time that we come here and there is absolutely nothing dog related in the works.  We’re staying at our favorite hotel, Red Roof Inn.  They’re dog friendly and have loads of room for the pups to romp around the room without being a pain in the rear to the neighbors.  We opted this time, thanks to coupons, for the suite.  Let me tell you this…it’s huge.  Two rooms, king-sized bed (perfect for the pit bulls, let me tell you..they’ve already tested it out!), kitchenette, and a ‘living room’.  The dogs (and Bruce and I!) are in seventh heaven.

We’re going to be here until at least Thursday, although we’ve been whispering back and forth about staying into the New Year just to ‘ be away’ for the rolling in of 2012, but we’ll see how that goes in the next 24 hours.  Tomorrow, if the weather isn’t absolutely horrid, we’re planning on taking a drive down to Luna Pier and taking some photos and letting the dogs romp on the beach for a bit.  They don’t seem to care if it’s cold, but we’re going to bring their Fido Fleece jackets just in case they get too chilly.

All in all, we’ve got a nice little mini vacation planned – even if the weather continues to stay gross and we stay grounded to the hotel.  Plenty of local flavors we can enjoy and places to go that aren’t too far from ‘home.’  I’ll post more updates later on since I get to go be the fun police to two brats that keep ramming themselves into the back of my computer chair like sumo wrestlers!

Happy 4th Birthday, Lyric!

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A day that started off shadowed in sadness for the loss of Ryker’s siblings, Sinbad and Hoover, who were murdered by Genesee County Animal Control four years ago ended in a bright future and four years of wonder and learning.

Lyric was born in Snohomish, Washington to Hitman and Trina (of Caragan Kennel) in a very large litter.  She was the smallest of the lot and while many folks would have given up on her, despite her strong-willed nature, Cheryl didn’t.  She saw something special in this feisty little baby and worked to make sure she thrived.  I saw her for the first time in photos at two weeks old.  I knew that, hell or high water, she was going to find a way to come to me.  Luck was in my corner and she was able to come to Michigan with the aid of Paul and his wonderful wife.  They were flying home with their beautiful boy, Simon, from the same litter and offered a ride to my little princess.

She came home with me on February 18, 2008 at the tender age of 10 weeks.  I couldn’t believe how tiny she was and how unbelievably naughty she was!  Simon outweighed her by quite a bit and she had no qualms body slamming him and shoving him around.  I should have known right then and there what I was getting into!

It’s amazing how far we’ve come over the years.  Lyric has never ceased to amaze me in what she is willing to do any how hard she tries to please her handler.  Here’s to many more years together, Tater Tot.  Momma loves you!

Gross Weather = No Training Time

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Unfortunately, my absolutely favorite place to train when the gross weather rolls in is out of commission for the month of December.  What does this mean for me and the beasts?  It means that we have to brave the sleet, the snow and the rain to get our training thing done.  This is fine for me since I can layer up and be nice and toasty, but the pit bulls believe that they will melt because they are made of sugar, spice and everything nice.  Convincing them that they simply will not die when they go out into the cold and the muck is a feat in itself.

The last few days we’ve been absolute slackers.  They’ve stayed in the nice, warm house and run on their Grand Carpet Mill and trashed the house with the massive box of goodies ranging from Wubbas to stuffies to Kongs and everything in between.  Let me tell you, getting beaten by a Mega Wubba is on my list of things I definitely do not like having repeated. (Thanks, Ryker!)

As it stands right now, I’m not going to be able to travel with my friend Jen to Kentucky in a couple of weeks to try again for Ryker’s Schutzhund BH because of the likely possibility that I’ll have to work a crap load of hours the week before Christmas.  I will be glad for the paychecks I get, but it just sucks because I wanted to go and had planned to for weeks because I think we are read – well, Ryker definitely is (my nerves suck!).

Lyric is coming around beautifully with her obedience and I’d love to start working more on it so that we can try for our URO1 in the early part of next year and possibly a UCD the following year if she’s ready.  I’m trying to keep it light and positive with her so she continues to enjoy it.  She is the kind of dog that starts loathing things if they become boring or restrictive because she is such a free-spirited dog.

Mika’s doing well and has the most phenomenal heeling for such a young dog.  We’re not really pushing her very hard because we want her to have fun and not rush things.  Being a title chaser can only be benefited if the dog enjoys what they’re doing and I can’t see the point of ruining a young dog like that for a piece of paper.  I’m very proud of Bruce for what he’s done with her and what he continues to do with her.  The bond between the two of them is amazing – especially since most of the dogs in the house prefer me and if she had to choose, it’d be him and not me she’d run to first. (Traitor!)

Luna and Duo, well, they’re just relaxing.

Luna’s enjoying the fact that she doesn’t have to constantly train and be conditioned for weight pull since I’ve retired her from pulling heavily.  We’re going to attempt UKC Rally next year, I think.  She knows all of the moves, so that won’t be a problem.  We’ll just fine tune those fronts and finishes before we go and be all set.

Duo, on the other hand, won’t be doing much of anything except snoozing with his Grandpa.  He stresses out when he leaves and his reactive behavior around other dogs leaves something to be desired.  In reality, he’d rather just hold down the bed or the couch than travel with his siblings.  The one-on-one time he gets when he stays with Grandpa, I think, is his favorite thing in the planet.  How else would he not look plumper when we return than before…because someone feeds him entirely too many goodies while we’re gone!

Ah, well…with any luck, the weather will clear and I won’t have to spend as much time complaining about the garbage weather and inability to train.  Heck, the possibilities of taking classes this winter very well may make my life a little less not busy (Ha!) and brush up on a few skills and basic behaviors and before the dogs and I know it, spring will be here again!

Training Trials and Tribulations

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I’ve been training as frequently as I possibly can since Ryker and I assassinated our chances at a BH recently. He knows what he’s supposed to do and so do I, but we have had to go back and connect where we needed to when it comes down to the nitty gritty of the whole training aspect. It’s taken us a bit of time, but I think I’ve gotten it…finally.

However, things change when I switch the dog I’m working with. In this case, Lyric. She frustrates me sometimes because she is always thinking. My friend, Jen, said it best. I’ve been giving her mixed signals when I ask for something and while she wants to please me, I’m confusing her. I feel like a complete idiot in this aspect and it’s good friends that help me see that I’m flat out being stupid and that it’s not the dog…it’s me.

Lyric is, and always has been, a thinker. She’s forever analyzing a situation and trying to figure out which way will best make me proud of her. When I get frustrated, I handle myself and her horridly wrong and I feel like a jerk after the fact – especially when someone I highly respect tells me I’m being a jerk (in a more elaborate example). I just need to reassess how I handle her and I think the first thing we need to do is go back to the basics – more for me than her. To do this, we’re going to enroll in a basic obedience class.

Now, Lyric has much more knowledge than what she’ll get in the basics class, but for me to remember that I have to work my sensitive little monkey in a better fashion. She’s not like Ryker who will go, “Whatever you want, mom!” and do it in the fashion I ask. She’s also not like Mika or Luna who will do anything for that toy. She wants to please me and wants me to be happy with her and to do that, I have to change who I am with her for her.

I’m still feeling like a complete idiot from today, but knowing that I can admit to myself and to her that I screwed up makes things a whole lot better. Tink (Lyric) – I love you, even when you do some of the stupidest things you make me laugh and I promise I’ll get better when we work together. I hate seeing the doubt in your face when I get frustrated.

Weight Pullin’ Fools

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After a week of recovery, the dogs have decided it’s time to drive me batty. We had a wonderful weekend at the Carnation City Kennel Club UKC-sanctioned show doing weight pull, sprint races, conformation showing and Canine Good Citizenship testing. It was brutally hot outside, but everyone worked together to make sure that all of the dogs were taken care of, hydrated and kept cool.

Unfortunately, since this was our first trip out to the venue, we didn’t even think to check if it was indoors or out! Next time, we will definitely remember to bring an easy up tent for our own dogs. Thankfully, however, we have wonderful friends who shared theirs with the four monsters who came with us.

Poor miss Mika was shut out all weekend in conformation, but she did have a good time of it. She had a good time romping with our crew in the hotel room and being a good little ambassador for APBTs. I wish there had been another CGC evaluator there because I’m sure she would have had an easy go of it this weekend!

Ryker was only shown in conformation once on Sunday in show two. He took the Reserve Champion ribbon, however, he chose to give a no pull that day like a goober. He did give us a nice pull the day prior and took Most Weight Pulled by pulling 1,300 pounds in 10.56 seconds for 24.53 times his body weight of 53lbs. He was quite the chunky monkey this weekend since he is normally around 47-49lbs during the nicer months when he’s conditioned for it.

Our little princess, Lyric, finally got her United Weight Puller (UWP) title this weekend when she pulled 520lbs in 11.06 seconds for 12.68 times her body weight of 41lbs. On Sunday, however, Lyric decided she had better things to do and only pulled 370lbs in 7.53 seconds for 9.02 times her body weight. Weights following she decided she didn’t want to pull and went on strike.

We’re absolutely proud of our little black minx – even if she was definitely the heaviest she has weighed ever. She normally is between 33-35lbs, but we’ve kept her heavy for showing in the UKC this year. Thank you, Cheryl Caragan, for giving us this incredible little girl. We think she’s finally ‘got it’ and will make a weight puller eventually!

And the best part of the weekend? Our little princess turned eight years old on Saturday and she pulled 970lbs in 9.4 seconds for 23.10 times her body weight – which gave her Most Weight Pulled (MWP) and Most Weight Pulled Per Body Pound (MWPP – which is based on percentage for weight pulled overall – this is most often won by smaller dogs who pull less, but weigh tons less than the larger dogs). We were so ecstatic that she got those…and on her birthday no less!

She finished the weekend with a bang, though, and didn’t quit there. She pulled 1,120lbs in 32.50 seconds for 26.66 times her body weight (she was 42lbs all weekend) and took home yet another Most Weight Pulled ribbon (but she got her but kicked for MWPP by a smaller dog…hehe). Way to go, baby girl!

We will be headed back down to the Carnation Kennel Club for their July show to do Canine Good Citizenship testing again and have another grand time. We can’t wait to head back down and see new friends and old friends. This is a phenomenal show for anyone who shows UKC. They make sure that a lot of wonderful events for all levels of competitors. Way to go CCKC.

Next weekend, we’ve got the Great Lakes ADBA Club’s first fun show and all breed weight pull. We are getting super excited because this show is going to provide a lot of fun for dogs that aren’t just registered, papered dogs, but valued members of the household – even if they came from a rescue situation. We’ve got a phenomenal raffle planned and another special raffle for some vintage pit bull goodies. This is going to be a GREAT adventure and we can’t wait to have fun on Saturday, June 4th.