Tasha's Training Diary

Tuesday, December 22,1998
My Movie was On TV
Last time I wrote in my diary I was just going to work in a movie. Well I did it, it was hard work but it was on TV on December 13. It is called Murder She Purred. Mom said it was on ABC on the Wonderful World of Disney. She got real excited cause I was in it a lot with my buddy, Rawly. He's the handsome almost black GSD and my friend.
Mom said that she didnt think they would leave in as many scenes with us as they did...she got to see me and Rawly doing lots of things like barking and sniffing and opening doors and then we got to chase a cat!!! Well not really...we just had to run but when they put it in the movie it looked like we were chasing the cat and the other dog in the movie.
I hope it'll be on again. So if you see it on tv, watch for me...I'm the black and tan GSD.

Friday, July 17 1998
My Movie
Hey did I tell you I am going to be in a movie!!! Guess I forgot. Mom says we start taping it next week so I will let you know how it goes. We have been practising at home and at Sherri's. I get to be in it with my GSD friend, Rawly. We are playing two German Shepherd Dogs..original eh??
I think my name in the movie is Amadeus..what a silly name..I like Tasha much better.
Mom wants me to do things like chase a cat...wow that could be fun!! I have to open a door and stand in it too..no problem there. Rawly and me have to bark at the cat...yippee!! We also have to lie still with our heads on the ground and just look at her, then we sit and watch her and talk about her. Mom says in the movie we will really be talking..now that I gotta see!!
There's other stuff too...like we knowck down a guy with a cake and it lands on us..they say we arent allowed to lick it off..yeah right!!!
Mom says its a good thing they dont want us to crawl...thats the one trick I wont do...it isnt dignified Mom says my cyber buddy, Cheyenne, crawls and I should too. But I wont so she can stop trying!!!
Mom says the movie will be on tv on the Disney show so I'll let you know when and you can watch me.

Friday, July 17, 1998
Agility class
Mom took me to class real early today cause it was so hot outside. She made me do lots of weaving...at first I kept looking at the gate..thats the way to the car..and there was another dog watching me with his mom and dad...his class was after mine.
Mom said I had lost my brain...I hadnt..I knew where it was...it was fixed on that car..I was ignoring mom and then she yelled at me and told me to "Weave Now!!!" ..I figured she really meant it so I did...she got excited cause I did it right..sheesh, mom I know how, I just dont feel like it sometimes!!
Anyway she got me doing jumps, and running through the tunnel adn then the weaving again...Guess i did ok cause she started throwing my ball for me and telling me I was good.
Once I didnt know where she wanted me to go..the jump or the teeter..so I decided the teeter...I did it good too..but guess what..she wanted me to jump!! Boy moms should make up their minds sooner.

Thursday, July 16, 1998
Schutzhund Training
Had a lot of fun tonight, even though it was real hot. Mom did obedience stuff with me...she wanted me to play more but I was too hot to run much. The she started spitting hotdogs at me..hey I like this game...sure I'll watch you mom!!
After I rested a bit and the other dogs worked on the field, she came and got me for "protection" This is the fun part where I get to play tugs.
After we did the same stuff...mom ties me to the long line,Bernie puts the sleeve thing on and jumps up and down and acts silly in front of me, and then runs away and I get to chase him and grab the sleeve. Then he gets down and we play tugs until I win.
But tonight we did something new!!! Mom took me off the line and held me. Bernie did the silly stuff and then he ran away down the field. Mom let me go and told me to catch him. Hey you bet!! I ran after him and jumped up and grabbed my sleeve..of course I got it right away and he had to let go of it. Mom let me carry it to the car...boy did I strut!!!..I really liked that part of the game..hope we do it again Sunday. Mom says we will go tracking again then..I cant wait.

Tuesday, July 14, 1998
Tracking
Tonight we didnt go to training cause mom had work to do for a big meeting on Wednesday. I was gonna be mad but she took me with her when she had to take some pictures of houses. When she finished, we went to a big field and mom did a big track for me to follow. It was fun...she made it go all the way to the big road where lots of cars and trucks were...she thought I would want to watch them but I was too busy sniffing that track and finding the hotdogs that she put there (she's getting stingy tho...I find less every time).
We used to go in nice straight lines but this time mom made it curve all over the place....first time it did i got a bit lost but mom helped me back on and then I was fine.
Mom was pleased with me ...I had fun but wished we had been able to do more...I really love tracking!!!

Monday, July 13 1998
Agility stuff
Mom wants me to tell you about what I've been doing in agility. I have gotten so good on the teeter..mom is real proud of me. I go slow when she tells me to and wait until it tips...hey this is easier than I thought!! It helps that mom talks quietly to me..she used to yell"slow" and I thought she meant go faster..moms can be real silly some times.
We went to some trials in June and I did real good. In one of them, I got 2 qualifing ribbons and a big Rosette for Second Place. Mom sayd I only need one more little ribbon in that (jumpers) to get a title...dont know really what a title does...you cant eat it or play with it but they make mom happy.
Then we went to a trial at the place I play agility at. I did good there too...got 2 more qualifying ribbons and a Fourth Place BIG rosette. I did so good in that one, mom was sooooooo proud of me..she kept telling me how good I was.
The next day I was too hot and tired though and it was hard to listen to mom so I kept looking at other things..like the judge..so we got no more ribbons. But we are trying again in 4 weeks - maybe I can do better then.

Sunday, July12, 1998
Schutzhund Training
Mom took me to a new place today. She said we would be meeting new people and new dogs. There were some of my club friends there too...we did tracking and mom let me sniff for a longer way than usually..I love tracking and could have gone farther. At the end of the track mom tried to get me to play with my tug, but I wasnt interested in it..hey I much prefer to sniff the ground..might find more goodies. One of the new people started stomping the grass away from where we finished...I followed him and sniffed where he was stepping..he was going pretty slow though and it was easy to catch up to him...but there were no treats on the grass :(
Then we got in the car and drove to another place. Mom left me in the car awhile and then we went to the field...she tried to get me to play but I was too hot and anyway, I didnt know where I was. Then this nice lady took my leash..I went with her but kept my eye on mom to be sure she didnt go away. This lady made me sit beside her and watch her face...it was fun...she spit hotdogs at me...Yum!! The mom did it..I think I like this game..hope she does it more often.
Later I go to play with the tug and sleeve...lots of fun stuff, running and jumping and I got to take the tug to the car..I showed that guy whose it was!!!
We got home real late and we were noth tired but dad had saved a chicken neck for me so I was happy...I slept a lot that night.

Sunday, April 26, 1998
Schutzhund Training
Today mom slept in a bit cause we werent doing tracking at the Schutzhund club place...I heard her tell dad that they had to move something called "blinds" and would be real busy. Mom took me tracking anyway on the way to the club place. This was a hard one cause the grass was longer but I found the different smelling grass and found lots of treats.
I was real happy to get to the field...mom took my tug thing and played with me a lot. I didnt mind heeling with her cause when we stopped I got to play tugs. Then this nice man held me while mom ran away with my tug...she was waving it and yelling for me...then she stopped and yelled "heir"...the man let me go and I ran real fast to mom, just as I got to her she swung the tug behind her and I had to go real fast to get it. That was lots of fun and I won it away from mom.
Mom let me climb over the big wall again and I got to jump the big jump ..remember I told you about the one with trees on it.
Later I got to go into a bigger field to play tug with the other man. Mom held my leash and I tried to catch the tug...it was harder this time but I got it and held on tight... The silly man thought he could get it from me but I was stronger and got to run with it....then one time after I took it from him, mom let me run away with the tug..I took it to the car but mom made me give it back again...one of these days I'm gonna take it home with me..you wait..I will
Mom gave me a pig ear to chomp on while she went to watch the other dogs in the field and then we went home...I was pretty tired by then...

Friday, April 24, 1998
Tracking and agility What a busy day I have had. First thing this morning mom packed up the car and we went up to the tracking field. She left me in the car and I got to watch her walking in the field. She kept bending backwards and puting something where she had walked....aha I knew it would be something yummy. So I got all excited and barked at her to hurry up. Then she came and got me and let me sniff the ground again. I found lots of yummy stuff and then I started moving away from the flag thing she had stuck in the ground...the ground smelled different and in all the parts that smelled different there were liver treats..yum!!!
Mom let me pretty well go on my own and I found lots of goodies..then at the end I found a whole lot of treats. I kept looking but guess thats all there were.
Mom made me go back to the car and she moved down a bit and did the same thing. Then I got to do the sniffing and finding and eating part all over again...mom was real happy with me...guess she thought i did something special...heck..using my nose comes naturally..doesnt she know that?
We went back home and mom had some lunch and then she put me in the car again. We drove to the 'gility place. I wasnt too excited about being there but mom played with me a lot and threw the tennis ball so I got happier.
We did lots of jumping and I heard the teacher tell mom we were doing better..thats cause mom didnt trip over me as much :)
Mom and the teacher got real happy when I did the teeter..thats the thing that tips when you walk over it. Mom told me "slow" she said it real quiet so I knew she meant it and I walked up real slow, I let it tip and then walked down the other side real slow...I wasnt scared at all and mom was smiling a lot. Did that 3 times and then mom let me chase the ball again.
I had a scary thing happen tho...mom told me to go over the dogwalk thing and I went part way up...then I got scared and jumped off. Mom and Annette werent happy and made me do it again...I was too scared and kept jumping off. Then Anette held my collar and made me go over it. I wasnt watching and I fell off in the middle right on to the tunnel. I wasnt hurt tho and that made me feel ok. Mom told me I was a "silly billy doggie" and played with me...she didnt get mad or upset or nothin' so I guess it was no big deal. Next time when she asked me to walk it, I did and ya know what...nothing happened...so I did it more times and mom got happy again Dont know why I was scared the first time...pretty silly, huh?
When we got to the car mom let me have a "chushi" stick..I love those ...they are yummy and crunchy but I saved it 'til I got home and then ate it all up. Then I went to sleep cause I was so tired after my very busy day.

Sunday, April 19, 1998
Schutzhund Tracking
Let me tell you about this new stuff I did today with my mom...she called it tracking but its really just sniffing the grass and finding treats...kinda like an Easter egg hunt :). Mom left me in the car while she stomped through a field, then she came and got me. She took me to a place beside this funny flag and told me to "zuch" or something like that..she said it real nice so I knew this would be a fun this. I started sniffing and ya know what!!!! she didnt tell me not to sniff. "Hey mom are you sure I can sniff, really????wow neato"...so I kept on sniffing and I noticed that the grass smelled different in places and in those places I found pieces of hotdogs..wow just for sniffing..no wonder she doesnt let me do this all the time...she doesnt want me to get all the hotdogs.
So I sniffed and ate and sniffed and ate and then I found somthing that was different...it smelled like my mom!!! It wasnt a treat but I coulnt figure out why something that smelled like mom was in the grass so I picked it up for her..maybe she losted it. Mom got happy and then told me to platz...did I do wrong?? Nope she praised me and got all smiley like moms do. Then she told me to "zuch" again and I found more hotdogs...then pretty soon after that I found a whole bunch of them....yum. I like this tracking stuff..when can we do it again?
Then mom put me into the car and we drove to the place we were at last week...she got me out and we went into the field and did heeling stuff again..but this time mom had a tennis ball and a tuggy and when she was happy with me she threw the ball and we played...hey nobody told me this obedience stuff was fun!!!
I got to jump over the jump with the trees on it and go on the big wall again too...I like them and wasnt afraid this time. Mom left me and called me from a long way across the field and she was really happy when I ran fast to her...then we played with the tuggy thing.
Later mom took me back into the field and tied me to a long leash. The man with the funny pants came and swung the tug toy near me. I couldnt get it so I barked at him and he made it move. Every time I barked it moved and then I caught it and we played tugs. I was stronger than he was and I got it out of his hand...he tried real hard but I won!!! We played a bit like this and then mom put my leash back on...we played some more and this time when I won it from the man, mom let me keep it and I ran to the car...but like last time mom made me give it back...guess the man would miss his toy if I took it home.....mom says we will do this lots more....I like this Schutzy thing...I get to eat treats and do fun things....

Saturday, April 18, 1998
Training at Home
Today started real good. My dad went to the store and came home with a big bone for me from the butcher man...I dont know what a butcher man is but I think I like him. I took it outside to my favourite lying spot and licked and bit it 'til I got all the yummy stuff out of it. Then I ate big pieces of the ends of the bone. My mom was surprised how small it was when she came out. "What big teeth you have Tasha" she said. Ha -- I think she reads too many books :)
Later I played out front with my squeecky football...and then I ran and played with my bestest dogface friend Brandon. he lives next door. he's a golden 'triever and he is older than me. He growls at me and tells me he is boss and I let him to make him feel good. But I know I'm the boss of him :)
Later when it was nearly dark, mom and dad took me to the dogpark. There were no doggies there but we played a fun game. Dad held me and mom ran a looong way away with my ball. The she stopped and called "Here" Dad let me go and I ran sooo fast to mom. Just as I got to her she threw the ball way behind her so I kept going. Then we both ran back to dad. Mom was panting but I was having lotsa fun. We did this lotsa times...I heard mom tell dad it was training me but I think she's kidding..this is way too fun to be work.
Then dad and I walked way far across the park and mom called me. It was dark by then and she had a flashlight but i woulda found her anyway. Mom was tired so we went home. Mom says we have to leave early in the morning to go tracking so I better get to bed now.

Friday, April 17, 1998
Back to agility class
I didnt have as much fun. The grass was wet and it was too cold to go outside so we were in the inside hall. Mom made me jump and do the tippy thing...and I was real good this time. I went slow and stopped when it tipped me and ya know what....it didnt throw me off it :)
We did lots of weave poles but I wasnt fast....I made a big mistake and mom made that "eh" noise so I thought I had done wrong things and got sad...she tried to make me happy again but I didnt want to...i kept going to the door "I wanna leave mom". The teacher lady threw the ball when I did it right and that was fun ...but I was afraid I would do something wrong and mom would get mad so I didnt want to do anything....mom said she was sorry and played with me. Made me feel a bit better but she isnt getting off that easy....I was happy to go home and we went to the park later and played with my dogface friends.

Sunday, April 5, 1998
Schutzhund Club
Today was way different. Mom got my training bag ready and we went to the car. She said we were going to a Schutzhund club to train. I didnt know what she meant but it sounded like fun. On the way there she told me all the things i would get to do...by the time we were there I was raring to go.
We didnt go to a park...we went to a farm with some other dogfaces and their moms and dads. Mom went to talk to the other hoomans and left me in the car...I didnt like that one bit.
But then she came and got me and we went into this field. She took me in the middle and told me to heel. We did lots of heelin' and I was real good. I even looked at her sometimes --funny that makes her happy..guess she like that. Then she heeled me in and around other hoomans that were just standin around . Theye werent scary so i just looked at them.
We did more heelin and then mom tied me to a line and told me to "platz". I know that means lie down even tho thats not what she says so i lay down. She told me to stay and I did ....for a while. Mom went and sat down to talk and I got mad at her for leaving me so I barked to tell her to come and get me. I got up even and she came back....see it worked!!! But she wasnt happy and told me "No..stay" Hmmmm guess i better. So I did..for a while again...and then I got bored again and got up just to remind her I was still there "Hey mom dont forget about me". It worked again and she came back to me..but made me stay again. And all this time other dogs..puppies got to play ball beside me...not fair ..I wanna do that too.
Finally mom let me up and then she let me climb this new a-frame...hey I liked that. The she took me to a bigger a-frame I was gonna climb it but then I saw it didnt have slats for my feet and it was real high so I stopped to check it out. Mom said it was ok and made me run to it again. So I climbed over it for her and down the other side. Hey thats easy!!!
Then momtold me to jump this wall with trees on top of it. I couldnt see through it or over it...it was pretty high so I ran around to check out the other side. Mom said that was wrong and took me back. and I ran around again. next time I ran to it and put my paws up on it so I could see over...hey it isnt so big...so next time I just jumped right over. Mom was happy and jumped up and down and hugged me so i did it again for her....boy moms get happy at easy stuff dont they.
Later that day mom took me back into the field and I met this man who had a big cleeve on his arm...I've seen one of those before.. I get to bite and tug it.. he told me to so i did and he let me have it...easy stuff!!
Then he put it away and got out my favourite thing - a tug toy...a big one with a leash on the end that he held. When I barked it moved so i tried to catch it..and I did sometimes. The man tugged and I tugged back... "Hey thats mine...let go!!" I opened my mouth to get a better grip and he stole it right outta my mouth! So next time I got it, I held on. The he let go and i got to carry it to the car...."Its mine. I won it!!!" But mom made me give it back so other doggies could play too.
Then we went home and I was real tired so I went to bed and slept. Mom gave me a raw turkey neck for dinner but i didnt eat it..it was too big and I wasnt hungry and she wouldnt let me eat it in her bed..so she took it away...hope she kept it so I can eat it later..

Friday, April 3,1998
Agility Class
Today was Good Friday and my mom and I went to my 'gility class. It was warm and sunny so we got to work outside. First the lady that teaches me, Annette, told my mom to run me around the outside of the training ring. My mom told me not to sniff the grass - "Is she nuts?? GSDs always have to sniff so we know who's been here before us. But mom made me move fast so I didnt get too much sniffing time :(
Then my mom told me to do stuff on the 'gility things. I got to jump, go on the a-frame (thats my favourite) and the dog walk. I used to be scared of that one but my mom and the teacher lady taught me to stop on the way off it and I gots treats when i did it right. So now it doesnt scare me anymore. That makes my mom happy - she gets all 'cited and tells me I'm good (I like it when she gives me treats too).
I had to go on the tippy thing called a teeter. Mom told me to go slow but I knew it was gonna tip me off so I hurried and jumped off before it could throw me. Mom didnt like that and made me do it again - this time she held on to me. But I hurried again and my back legs fell off halfway over so i gots real scared and didnt want to do it. But mom said I hadda do it so I did. This time I tooks a big breath and went real slow ....and it tipped and I stayed on and i didnt fal off and it didnt throw me off ...mom was happy and gave me hugs and a treat...then we stopped and went to the jumping field.
Mom told me to jump lots of different ways and I got to go in the weave poles too. I knew mom was gonna throw the ball so I came out early so I'd get the ball sooner ,...but she didnt throw it and made me do it right....I was getting bored and mom said I had "attitude". Dont know what that is but didnt sound good. We did some more jumps - and I did them ok so we got to stop. Mom is silliy -- how could she make me doo that stuff when that golden retriever I know was playing ball in the field with her mom ....thats where I wanted to be..
When we go in the car mom gave me a pigs ear and that made me verrrrrry happy. That was it for training that day.

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