The Calm Before the Storm

We didn't reach this week's homework quota. Insert sad face. We did, however, manage to do some rounds of all the homework on the list. I guess that counts for something!

This is just an idea of how my homework tracker looks like. GAH! So much red, so little time! That's not even all of the things we have to accomplish this week! We're gonna have to do a daily marathon to get this done. Not to mention, I'm gonna have to edit as if I really know how to edit.

I'm pretty thankful that this week's submission was moved to today instead of last night. I finished editing last night and finished uploading them by 3AM so all I have to do now is embed. Procrastination reduced exponentially! The next deadline is on Friday night though so GOOD LUCK TO US. Well, lucky for Odie, he gets to rest and play with other people after we shoot. The human has to export, edit, upload, and write a blog after shooting. So yeah. I am my own producer, director, talent (I appear in some videos, after all), video editor, and writer. Do I love Odie? Do I?

Here's our submission for Session 4:

Sit with Distance: at Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Down with Distance: at Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Stand with Distance: at Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

So thankful that I didn't have much trouble getting these done. I didn't know I've been doing distance exercises with Odie so this didn't need rehearsals. Yes, sometimes I do rehearsals before shooting because it's a waste of camera battery and memory if I just leave it on the whole time and hope for the best. When we do outdoor shoots, I even bring my laptop with me just so I can export when the memory card is almost full. I'm really that my equipment's intact and I don't want to speak too soon!

I think the only problem I had was keeping Odie in a "down" position. Sometimes, he would do a down and when I walk away, he would roll over. I don't know why he thinks rolling over is so fun. I swear, from the moment we learned it in class, he hasn't stopped rolling.

Sit with Distance: Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Down with Distance: Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Stand with Distance: Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

These outdoor distance exercises were shot after class on Saturday. All week, I was getting really frustrated with using the long line for our outdoor shoots (by long line, I now mean a retractable leash that I cut off that huge plastic contraption and no longer a string of connected leashes). Odie has a fascination for moving objects, so having him see the long line in motion is enough to send him into a frenzy. It's like giving a yarn ball to a cat on Red Bull! To keep him from biting it, I thought of putting vinegar, hot sauce, or lemon juice, as I read that these are alternatives to bitter sprays. I had him try a few drops of each in hopes that he would show an aversion to at least one. He liked them all. Boo! Even the hot sauce, he licked vigorously. He scrambled for water after a while so I thought he didn't like it. I put another drop on the floor and he happily licked it again. We're doomed.

I was close to giving up and just ditching the outdoor exercises, but Doc Marose is too nice, she gave me a tutorial after our class. Guess she felt how frustrated I was so she decided to help me out. There was also some time to spare while waiting for her student to come in for individual lessons. Success in the training venue! Success in the park across the street! I had a quick nap upon getting home and tried laying the long line outside before taking him outdoors. Success in the outdoor locations, I just had to tear up when I exported the videos to my laptop. So grateful that Odie has gotten the hang of that distraction, and even more grateful for being reminded that help comes to those who ask. Now that's what light at the end of the tunnel looks like!

Place with Duration: Indoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Place with Duration: at Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Place with Duration: Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

I divided the Place with Duration exercises into three because durations usually call for one extremely long video. That's gonna be so boring and I don't have the patience for such things. I also just wanted a way to use the very cute song which I ended up using for the outdoor video. It's called "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3, and it pretty much encapsulates my relationship with Odie. It can get real tough but it's all really just a matter of knowing how to approach it. When he does something wrong and gets to my nerves, I always remind myself that he just might not understand what I'm trying to say. After all, he is still very young. And for an eight-month old puppy to have already gone through three classes, I'm guessing that's a huge deal for him! Needless to say, I'm proud of what Odie has learned so far.

We were given our class standing this morning, as of the homework submission prior to this one. I'm quite happy with what we have so far. I don't know how the coming submissions will change things, and I don't want to know so I'm gonna have to keep working. The last stretch is always the hardest. Gotta get through and finish strong!

It's also great to know that although the videos I make are not as good as my sister's videos (she did the editing for Puppy Class homework), they are still fun to watch. I do have the option to just record and publish so it's not as stressful, but these exercises are sort of milestones in Odie's life and I would want to keep watching them over and over, and maybe share them with friends who might want to enroll their dog/s in a course at Pet Centrics. That said, the videos should at least be watchable.

We graduate for a third time on Saturday! After this course, I might give it a few months before enrolling in a next class. I really love going to training (and I'm sure Odie does too), but I can't handle the pressure of homework again just yet. It's also really difficult to do homework because of the summer heat. Even at 7AM, the sun already burns the skin and I feel bad for having Odie bathe in the sun. He starts panting after just a few minutes. I do hope though that the PCAA (Pet Centrics Alumni Association, coined by me and May, HAHA!) can do weekly training in a more relaxed setting. Even just at the park across the street would be good! I want Odie to constantly have playmates with humans who understand dog and leash etiquette. And yup, we both have gotten used to waking up early on Saturdays, a feat for someone who's not a morning person!

Separation anxiety!