UPDATES HERE FOR OUR HOOSIER BOXER BASH!

Hello All!
Sorry for the lack of posts but I am keeping them on notes in my handwritten log and will post them very soon! We've been so busy with organizing our Hoosier Boxer Bash coming up Sept. 26, 2004!

If you are a Boxer dog owner in Ohio, Indiana, or Kentucky check out our site and sign up for an awesome day of fun meeting other Owners of Boxers and their dogs! The dogs will have a blast playing since we have a 135 acred farm!

There's going to be door prizes, games, lots of food (human and Canine!)and many Surprises in store for all!

So go sign up, join our mailing list for updates and other Boxer Meet Ups and Boxer Bashes in your area!

There's also lots of information on: Service dogs, deaf dogs, Handicap Assist dogs, Meet Ups, Boxer Bashes, Multiple Sclerosis and local support groups, Great places to shop for great prices on pet supplies and specialty service dog and deaf dog equipment, pet pagers, vibrating collars, and tons of fun stuff like free pet or Boxer dog postcards, games, contests, sweepstakes, more!

Warmest Regards to all our readers,

Mindy, Kenny, & Skyler

P.S. Please post any comments, notes, etc... All inappropriate posts will be deleted immediatly so please be courteous. :)

GEE MOM, YOU'RE AWEFUL SLOW AT THIS TRAINING THING!

Today I was in the kitchen cleaning up and she kept going over to the towels that are hanging over my oven door and pulling them off so they dropped to the floor. I told her no several times and then she gave me that 1/2 cocked head like "What? I don't understand?" Then, I realized she was thinking she was supposed to pull them to open the door like she does when I tie the knotted rag on the cabinet doors, drawers, and refrigerator when I want her to open them. haha... She thought she was doing a good thing and couldn't figure out why I kept telling her no. So, I showed her the knotted rag and tied it on a door and said "this one, you pull" then showed her the regular towels hanging on the oven door and told her "these, you don't pull". She seemed to understand almost immediatly and didn't pull the towels down again.

UUHHH OHHHH... SHOULD I HAVE TO WAITED?

I have already taught Skyler that when I get her food and put it in her bowl she is not to jump on me or lunge for the bowl as soon as I set it on the floor. She waits for the "go ahead" command and does this consistently. Well, this morning I was busy, doing so many things at once. She was outside on her lead going potty and I put the food in the bowl and put it on the floor, not even thinking about it. Well, I let her back in and she knows the routine... next comes breakfast. She went over to the bowl and started eating. I thought about the fact that I forgot to keep the bowl out of reach and make her "wait" but thought, hey, she's so good about that all the time, just let her eat it, it's already on the floor waiting for her. But just then, she backed away from the bowl all of a sudden (about 2 feet back) and sat down. Then she looked at me with this sort of guilty look that Boxers are so good at. ha-ha... she was waiting for the command to "go ahead and eat it" so I told her "wait", "yes", "good girl" and gave her the okay. It was funny.

SLOPPY, WET BOXER KISSES ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE DEAR!

Today, my step-daughter came over with her 6 month old baby since I am training her to work for me part-time. Skyler had a hard time controlling herself around Baby Brittany. She didn't jump on her but wanted to keep licking her hands and face. Baby Brittany thought this was funny but I knew it would get very old to her after a while so I had to keep telling Skyler "no, don't lick". Boy, it was a long day dealing with that but I think it will be a good training lesson for her now that they'll be coming over a lot so we can get her to stop doing that to everyone she sees. After all, not everyone enjoys a big, sloppy, Boxer kiss! So we're teaching her it's okay to lick us when we first come home or when we ask for one. She loves giving her daddy kisses when he gets home from work! And that's okay, as long as she doesn't keep doing it over a minute or so. :)

WATCHING ALL THOSE RERUNS OF MAGNUM P.I. MUST HAVE PAYED OFF!

We've been working on the "turn around" command and she's finally getting it! Also, her "stay" command is coming along great. I was having trouble getting her to stay as soon as I was out of her sight so I figured out an easy way to see her when she couldn't see me. I had her "stay" in the kitchen and I walked around the large counter into the dining room where I could see her reflection in the front of the stove. I am such a Private Dectective. Think I should get a license? teehee... So, each time she would start to get up I would immediatly go right back in there (only a few feet away) and correct her and make her go back to the same spot and "stay" again. Poor thing, mommy taking advantage of her being deaf again. HEY, YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO! It only took a few times doing this and now she's staying for up to almost 3 minutes at a time (Give her a break now,okay? She doesn't have ADD, she's just a baby!) ha-ha

Another thing we've been working on is I tell her "stay", "you wait here", "I'll be right back". Then I would leave the room and close the door. She used to scratch at the door after a few minutes but now stays in there and waits for me for up to @ 10 minutes at a time and doesn't scratch at the door. I always reward her with special treats and lots of hugs and kisses. :)

Would You want YOUR DOG doing this???

Every morning when we get up, I let her outside my back sliding glass doors with a 25' lead attached. I feed her out there and it allows her to enjoy the morning scenery including our dog, Abby who stays "mostly" outside by her choice. She's @ 25 yards away in her doghouse. when Skyler wants in she will scratch at the door to let me know. Today, however, was very different...

Not 1 but 2 Major Breakthroughs!

I was in my office down the hall when I heard her walking around in the kitchen! SHE OPENED THE DOOR AND LET HERSELF IN! Hhhhmmm... How did she get in the sliding glass door? Well, I'm not sure but she DID! And not only did she do that but she went to that kitchen cabinet door again, opened it, and got her treats! (She also pulled out a trash bag that was left laying on the floor but undisturbed.) I gave her the "Wow, Great job!" sign again. She still looks at me with that guilty look like she's not sure why I'm so happy about this. teehee... She has no idea that this is a beginning skill that will be used later on to have her go and get things out of cabinets, refrigerators, etc... for me when I am unable. But, lots more training involved to get her to that point.

THE SNEAKY LITTLE THIEF MADE ME SO PROUD!

A Major Breakthrough!

While my husband and I were eating dinner I heard her bumping the cabinet in the kitchen, then heard her chewing on something. I went and looked and, behold! She had figured out how to get into the cabinet! Since I didn't actually see her do this I wasn't sure what technique she used to do it, the towel, or maybe pushing the handle or pawing at the door itself. I sneaked up on her (not difficult to do since she's deaf). I think at first she thought she was in trouble but I quickly gave her the "wow, great!" sign and rewarded her with hugs, kisses, and a jackpot of more treats. She did it one more time during dinner but I still didn't catch her doing it so I'll be closely spying on her in the next week to see how she's actually doing it. :) But, I rewarded her in the same way so hopefully she'll learn this is a good thing that I want her to do.

I will note that this is a situation where I will have to do some rearranging of my cabinet contents to make sure she doesn't get into anything she's not supposed to, that could harm her, or something that she might chew up and destroy (she's never done that but there's a first time for everything! So, I am taking precautions...
Time to "Baby-Proof" the cabinets! But... SUCCESS! :)