21.......... close!

I’ve never been able to train Mac according to any instruction manual - habit has just become behaviour.

Mac knew exactly how long my arm was. He was always too nervous to come into my space and for his first 2 years with me, if I needed to do anything with him, I had to go into his. He would respond to his “let’s go” recall immediately but stop almost 2 metres away from me. I would then have to advance into his space and collect him. This was even the case getting to the start line. He would wait outside the ring and I would have to carry him to his measured distance before the first jump.

Because of the gap he was creating, treating him was difficult. He would stretch himself as much as possible and sniff suspiciously before accepting any. This made working with them as a reward too slow and therefore unproductive.  If he was under the slightest stress, he wouldn’t even look at a treat. I remember clearly how exited I was when he took a step towards me to accept a piece of chicken. I couldn’t let out a big yay; but he got his first “close”.

He loved retrieving but would drop whatever (obvious articles only) I had thrown and drop it a few feet away from me. Close started helping here, inch by inch.

Tugging was a definite no-no. If he picked up a tug toy and I grabbed the other end, the slightest pull would make him release it. Pressure on the other end obviously meant he wasn’t supposed to have it in his mouth.

Feeling the need to alter this “my space v his space” issue, I started revving him up so that he would jump up on me. To most other handlers this would have been against the ‘etiquette rules’ but it was all I could think of. The first time he jumped on my legs I think he got a bigger fright than me. Just touching me by choice was new to him. All he got from me was a yay! Good Boy! Again and again and again. It started paying off after a few weeks until a year later he was doing it to people he knew well, Lindsay, Chantal, Marlize, Annaret, Linda and Megan were his favourites and lucky for us they all understood and for the most part allowed it and praised him for it. That’s true support! Thank you girls.

This advance in his behaviour prompted me to teach him a few “dance moves”.

I started off with getting him to weave through my legs. With the aid of a tennis ball, this was an instant hit as he loved weaving and he loved tennis balls. He weaved while I walked, he weaved while I stood still, and he weaved for a warm up exercise and when I needed to relax him on the start line. I then introduced his left and right commands with the weaving and in a short while we had a little weave routine going.

“close” is something he now understands and albeit it sometimes a creep, he does come right up to me.

Now, how about we work on something even closer?  - "touch" or even “kiss” would be good!

Mac and Me

C’est la vie

20.......... on the home front

Progress on the home front was a lot slower. He appeared to be more relaxed outside when he was busy/occupied either while doing agility or playing with other dogs, but indoors ...............

A doorway was still a source of fear for him and was a problem for us as the 2 outside doors were on large hooks to enable dogs to go in and out at will without us having to get up each time they needed to go outside. He was convinced the doors were “out to get him” and would just stand there.

This presented yet another issue - Mac is the quietest dog ever! We don’t hear him on the laminated flooring and he would be standing waiting for a while before we noticed that he wanted to go outside. We just stopped getting up to open the doors and he eventually snuck though the gap. This was a huge step for him and was great to see after more than a year of living with us.

He almost never barks and gave us quite a scare when he eventually did - he was already 2 years old! He still only barks watching other dogs doing agility, or to coax another dog to play with him, but almost never in the house. What a pleasure!

He still spent all of his “home time” under my desk. I would have to call him outside to train or just to get some fresh air. I really wanted him to sit with me while I worked in the garden, but as soon as my attention was diverted, he would creep back inside again. I remember sending Lindsay a sms to let her know that Mac had ventured outside on his own accord and was lying down next to me. A beautiful moment and one that I could not acknowledge - a loud ‘‘yay!” would have sent him flying back inside.

Thanx to all the interaction he was getting with agility handlers, he was starting to warm to people visiting. He would come when called, and creep off again. He was still uncomfortable around Charlie who, unfortunately, made a comment every time Mac scuttled like a scared rabbit when they happened to pass each other in the passage;  re-in forcing unwanted behaviour?!

House training was still messy! I did try and give him the house at night, but the slightest noise would make him nervous and he would choose the lounge (carpet) to let me know. Many mornings were unpleasant. “Time out” meant back to sleep in a closed study and rewards a few nights later would be with the door open again. It was during one of these nights that Mac crept into our bedroom and lay down on the floor at the base of the bed. This was a huge step for him as our bedroom door was kept open only with a soft door stopper. He had to have actually pushed the door open to get into the room.

This is today his ultimate security space in the house. It’s the room furthest away from activity and no one really knows he’s in there. But just the fact that he let me know I am his security is more than OK.

Mac and Me

C’est la vie

19.......... jumping the ladder

The year following our first “Q”, I continued to grab every opportunity to compete.

Travelling presented a few new challenges. He already realised that being in the car meant something good was coming, so the actual road trip was never a problem. Staying in a strange house wasn’t too bad either as long as he had “his pack” (Lindsay’s dogs) with him. Most venues were acceptable, while on course, unless an aeroplane happened to fly overhead or the judge insisted on running alongside the contacts to judge them, he started notching up the clear rounds!

His on course speed was never in question and he has reached 4,93m/second to go clear in jumping.                                                                           

                                            

The World of Cats and Dogs came to Cape Town and entering was a huge risk. An indoor venue, a ring surrounded by vendors and cheering spectators, carpeting in place of grass underfoot, and my nerves competing against competitors from all over SA. No one was more gob-smacked than me when he won the Gamblers event.

(It was at this event that he ripped his crate for the second time trying to escape. It also made me realise that he wasn’t panicking to get out but was more excited to get to the agility ring. This did, however, mean that I would have to somehow, resort to getting him used to a metal crate).

He was being noticed and recognised as a dog with possibilities in the agility ring. Slim and trim, his build was commented on as being perfect for the sport and his demeanour towards people and other dogs was exemplary.

He was really enjoying the world of agility and the “social side” was attractive too. Dylan, the cute Brittany is still his favourite and is always responsive to his attentions. Rocket, another shy Border Collie gets him all gooey and Chinzi too - only the best for this blue-eyed boy! With his ears up high, with the tips actually touching (a sign of flirting in dogs for the un-informed), Mac would prance around the girls encouraging them to return his advances or to play. Watching this trim (he was 14kg) Tri-colour behave like a puppy at this age always made me teary.

He progressed relatively quickly through the ranks and by the end of 2010 he was in the top grade for 3 out of the 5 disciplines. A year later, he was in the top grades for the final two disciplines.

Mid 2011, it was 3 years since DAY #1 and had taken him only 2 years to conquer all his “on course issues” and not be distracted by “off-course issues”.

Mac and Me

C’est la vie

18.......... Kit-Kat

Yup, there’s a cat too..........

Kit-Kat was a 21^st birthday gift to Victoria. From D.A.R.G., he was 2 weeks old when he was saved from being crayfish bait and had to hand reared. Thinking this would make a good choice for a friendly pet he turned out to be anything but. He “disappears” when we have visitors; even regular family members don’t meet him every time.

Victoria got engaged to her Marine and was whisked away left to live permanently in USA at the beginning of 2009. Kit-Kat wan't invited to go with and was left with us.

He is indoors most days and out hunting during the night. We have been woken many times by initial squeaking noises followed by crunching sounds and have to dispose of the leftovers in the morning. If he catches something during the day, he makes a point of "screaming" at us to notice.

"Screaming"? Unfortunately, a big unfortunately - I taught him to “talk”.

Easy to do and impossible to undo. Every time he meowed, I meowed back.

Today he calls us to continually give him fresh kibble. The most expensive cat food on the market (of the light variety due to him subsidising his diet with fresh meat), he refuses to eat the pellets if they are crumbly.

He "screams" at us when he wants water and only from the bath tap in the boy’s bathroom. I have to admit that initially he did have us running between both bathrooms. I eventually decided enough was enough and ignored him calling us to the far bathroom ....... he got the message!

He also stands meowing at us in front of the cat flap.
Needing to go in/out, he would prefer that we open the door that the cat flap is in rather than him have to push it open to get in/out! Unfortunately, Charlie can’t stand the noise, so gives in. And I thought I ruled this house!

He was already 4 years old when Mac arrived and loved him from the start. “WOW another non-reactive Border Collie!” This, because, true to character, Emma ignored the cat too and would just bark at him if he came too close to her. Kit-Kat even looks like one a Black and White too!

Today Kit-Kat and Mac are great buddies. They play together (actually I’ve had to stop them playing while Mac is in rehab) and the "3 Border Collies" go together every night for their "pre-bed walk"..

(And now I gotta go. Kit-Kat wants water and I can't concentrate with the background noise).

Mac and Me

C’est la vie

17.......... Let's Go!

The very first time and each and every time thereafter that I called/fetched Mac from the day he arrived home, I had said “let’s go”. (It was almost all I said to him!) This consistency became his recall and it is phenomenal! (I emphasise regularly how important a dog’s recall is). I had no idea what to expect when a rescue dog panicked and it is impressive to see him respond to "let's go!".

We have always taken advantage of living within a 10 minute walk from the beach and Emma looked forward to this as part of her Sunday routine (if there wasn’t a show). Even now that she is retired, this is something I needed to keep up and Mac, of course, had to join in. (I don’t do “single” well.)

This turned out to be really hard work. He put his head down, dug his paws into the ground and just walked! Like a person in a bad mood – he just stormed ahead! He had no idea where he was going and just pulled in the direction I had him facing. Anything or anyone on the pavement (including dustbins fixed to poles), would make him dart into the road; if a truck/bicycle/motorbike or even a noisy car went past he darted in the other direction and down the bank on the verge. (Hout Bay is not popular with immaculate sidewalks).

Once he became familiar with the route and knew where it was headed, he was in an even bigger hurry. Not the picture book Sunday strolls. This went on for too long and was just too risky so we resorted to driving down to the beach. This is the only time he “talks” in the car. The strangest guttural sound, progressing to actual barking.

Once there, he had a wonderful time. Not near the water, but space and dogs and dogs and space; and then stupidly (or not), I combined the tennis ball with the beach. (This was some time later as I waited until he was bringing it back to my path). Stupidly: he was so focused on the ball he stopped interacting with other dogs; not stupidly, he would always leave when asked to as I had the ball.

Having a reliable recall meant I could take him anywhere for a walk and off lead. He enjoyed all the new forest and mountain walks and the dogs he met along the way. He was always immediately responsive to a “let’s go”.

Today, I can call him off a squirrel - if he knew what one was, but it works with cars!

Just like every other BC owner, mine doesn’t chase cars, he herds them: he sprints (on the verge for what it is dodging rocks/poles/molehills) alongside the car for a few metres and then “barks and drops” when it gets away = herding. Thankfully only on the Estate. This ritual has been discontinued and a strong leave gets him to down and wait until it’s out of sight.

(It has been remarked that he thinks his name is “let’s go” rather than Mac as his response to "let's go" is instant!)


Mac and Me
C’est la vie

16.......... the first Q

First time out was a fun event which he won and 11 months after Mac and I met, we entered our first official competition. During the next 7 months we entered every KUSA show and SADAA Trial that was on the calendar and each one gave us yet a new issue to work though. Different venues added to the list of “what ifs ...?” or “he’ll never....”

At our very first outing, the hazard tape cordoning off the competition ring was his first demon - who would have thought; a few weeks of hazard tape flapping on my lawn sorted this out.

Umbrellas, gazebos, banners and flags, equipment, judges wearing hats, raised voices (mine included), excessive barking and, of course, the wind. (In Cape Town the wind is relentless; in Summer it’s the South Easter and the North West in Winter.) Almost anything was a possibility to make him “shut down”. This behaviour resulted in him thankfully never running off, but rather becoming totally deaf to my on course commands. Without directional commands he would just take whatever obstacle was in his path. (Weave poles, however, were a different matter. He was obsessed and once having done them on course would inevitably do them again. Handler error would give him the opportunities – too often).

I also noticed his panic at not being able to “escape” when left tied to a stake. (This was too often at shows as I have the habit of getting involved and needed to leave him for too many minutes). All he wanted was to get into the back of the car. This was not always close enough so I investigated the advantage of crating him and bought his first crate - fabric. Crate training was attempted with the clicker again - the noise just made him jump again and again. Treats maybe? - Not interested. OK so just tell him to get in his box - done deal! He was too intimidated to disobey.

It took me a while to actually “read” when I had “lost him”.

Breaking his start line was a dead giveaway. I started asking him to weave through my legs to “get him back”. Sometimes it helped but if the admin table was set up directly behind him on the start line – it left his back exposed and was just too much for him. The tennis ball was also a bonus and could almost distract him from the current demon.

Unfortunately, a judge running alongside contacts meant creeping and side stepping off the contact area. This would become an entirely separate training issue but for now I just let him “have the contact” to get his agility confidence up.

Fellow competitors and stewards (competitors themselves), were considerate and amazed at what we were accomplishing. Every new venue was a challenge to Mac, but we took that 1 step backwards to be able to move 2 forward.

There were tears of joy (from myself and fellow competitors), when after just 7 months of competing, he clinched his first Q (qualification) in Jumping. This was followed quickly the following weekend with his first Agility Q.

It was the end of 2009 and Mac was just over 2 years old.

Mac and Me

C’est la vie