The First Year

A year ago, our lives took a turn and went straight to happy land!

On September 6, 2012, I landed in Tiendesitas and bought all the essentials for the puppy that we're getting that same afternoon. I spent quite a lot on a large wire crate (I thought he was gonna grow real big), 5 kg of food (which I was stupid enough to think would only last for a month), a clicker (which later on proved to be useless), three toys (all of which are now broken), a huge retractable leash (which I massacred when we needed a long line in school, and it's a lot more useful now), a huge collar (I was stupid enough to think we were getting a big dog, not a little puppy, so we had to buy a smaller leash and harness the day after), soap, shampoo, and a comb. My brother and I were interviewed by the breeder the night of September 5, and the day after that, we went to Ortigas with our driver to finally meet the puppy who endured the trip from Laguna.

Odie was inside a crate which carried two other puppies who also went to their new families. Since we had no travel crate yet, we put the precious little puppy in an eco bag as we made our way to the car. We unleashed him inside the car to get a good whiff of his new humans. He was really shy, took tentative baby steps, and was mostly asleep on the drive home.

One of Odie's first photos. Poker face!

Sleeping 8-week old Odie

Commencement Exercises

Odie and I spent the last month sitting in at Pet Centrics' Basic Obedience for Beginners class. All the alumni of the class are given the privilege to attend the same class over and over, as a refresher course of sorts, to do demonstrations of the skills being taught, and for me and my dog to learn even more. See, just like in human school, learning never stops. As we meet different sets of dogs, I get to learn different training techniques, common behaviors of humans attending training class for the first time, and the importance of timing when marking new behaviors. Pretty amazing stuff!

Odie poses for the camera as he presents the
tunnel, chute, and adjustable bar jump.

This module of Basic Obedience is quite fast-paced. I was surprised that what our batch did in six sessions, they achieved in three. We learned the place exercise in the intermediate class, but it was introduced to this class on their fifth session. Even more exciting is the use of different agility equipment like the tunnel with and without the chute, an adjustable bar jump, a tire jump, and a six-pole weave. We didn't have those, not even in intermediate class!

As usual, Odie is doing all sorts of demonstrations prior to having the other students try the activities. There are times when we'd take a while before he performs (he's been marking a lot in school lately, and sometimes he's really busy sniffing). When I do have his full attention though, he just struts like a complete show-off. He consistently impresses the other humans who keep complimenting him for his "unbelievable intelligence" when they, too, can achieve the same results if they consistently train. I mean, they should see Odie's batchmates!

The Saturday class is graduating in a few hours. I hope that they're getting the hang of training, and that they would sit in and also do demos when they officially become alumni. Oh, and I hope they submitted homework videos so they could get nice toys!!!

Fauxcolate cookies on the kitchen scale

I went on a baking spree this week and decided to let the graduating class be the judge of the fauxcolate cookies I made. I like calling it fauxcolate because I'm really sad that dogs can't have chocolate and I can't have a photo of me and Odie happily sharing a tub of Nutella. I love Nutella. I love chocolate. I mean, we can share peanut butter, but it's just not the same. Is cookie butter safe for dogs? Maybe we can work with that!

Anyway, yeah, I'm using carob which is like chocolate for vegans and is safe for dogs. It doesn't contain theobromine, a caffeine-like molecule found in chocolate that makes it dog poison. I still have a lot of carob powder from Singapore (it expires in 2014) and it's taking up space in the fridge. I didn't know what to bring to training so I whipped up a batch of cookies. The batch I did after the one in the photo has a nice marble effect because I split the dough in two, one part plain, one part with carob. Today I finished baking and put the cookies in little packs I found at home, and made sure that each one weighed 25 grams. The scent of cinnamon filled our humble home while I baked and packed. It was amazing.

I hope that the graduates like it so I can develop the product more and maybe start legit baking for dogs. No cakes because I have a loooong way to go in terms of frosting, but maybe little muffins could work!  I'm really getting into cooking and baking for dogs (maybe because my taste tester is too kind). Plus my cousin has an industrial kitchen that he hasn't been using recently, and it has complete equipment, and my aunt said I could whip something up in there if I want to! Exciting times.

Pet Centrics is holding a FREE orientation on September 14 for Puppy Class! Wow, time flies. Odie's puppy class orientation was on October 6 of last year. This means he's been training for nearly a year! I don't know if any human would aspire for his/her dog to be as crazy as Odie, but to get you started, sign up for orientation here! Gotta admit, I never imagined myself training a dog, but here we are.

Eight Days to Go!

By this time next week, I would be frosting Odie's birthday cake. The recipe I got is pretty big so I'll most likely distribute to neighbors and friends. I'm not sure if I can get carob chips. Maybe I can substitute sweet potato instead. I also intend to use recipe 5 for the frosting. As for the letters, maybe mashed carrots? I think bright orange is gonna be a pretty good contrast. Hmmm... whatever I end up using, I hope the cake turns out great.

I've reposted the needs and wants entry to act as a wish list of sorts. I don't think we'd be opening lots of presents on his birthday, and some of those things are impossible to get on time (most of them are available only in the US haha). Some are impossible, period. But of course, even if I'm working towards getting a good number of those material things, his health and happiness would still be top priority.

Can't believe it's going to be his first birthday real soon! His other classmates celebrated their birthdays on the 1st of this month and did their own festivities. It's crazy! The first time I met Odie, he was a few days shy of being two months old. He was only about to turn 3 months when he first met teacher and his classmates. The goldens were so small back then, and Odie was small enough to pick up with one hand. Sigh. Time flies and I sound like a mother.

Odie's first day at home

We got Odie on a rainy September day. He was a tiny puppy that fit in a small shopping bag. I bought him a large-sized crate in anticipation of his full size, and he looked like an infant in a mansion. On the first two nights, he kept crying at the oddest hours, maybe missing his mommy and his litter mates. After all, he was still on unfamiliar ground. He also kept eating the plants (he kind of shaved an entire patch of soil), would run away from me, and would eat his meals while lying on his belly.

I started training him on his third day at home. I went on YouTube and taught him how to do "sit" and "down" just so I could feel like I knew how to train. On day four, he finally got a leash and harness (the leash and collar we bought for him turned out to be too big haha). He would lie on his belly and completely refused to move whenever his harness was on, but the moment we removed it, he ran around like normal. Weirdo!

I looked for training facilities in Manila just for fun, but then I saw that one of them was really near our house! I initially thought it would be ridiculous for me to become one of those pet parents who would send the dog to school. WELL, we all know how that turned out! I kept going back to the page and saw that there was a Puppy Class the following month. It was a time when Odie was learning to misbehave - he chewed on the plants, bit me to the point of having lots of scratches on my arms, and was causing a riot no one knew how to control. My sister and I went halfsies and went to Puppy Class for the first time ever. When Basic Obedience Class came, she became pretty busy so I took it upon myself to keep Odie in school.

3-month old Odie at the Puppy Class graduation day.
Note how small he was, and how small his treat container was!
Photo from the Pet Centrics Facebook Page

He's still a crazy boy, but I could only imagine how things would have turned out if we didn't give him and ourselves proper education. Odie has finished three courses so far and could use another couple courses, really. He went on to become a "demo dog" for other Basic Obedience students, and for a TV spot! He's not perfect, he's far from perfect, but he's definitely a better boy than most dogs, thanks to Doc Marose and Pet Centrics. Going to training has been a big part of Odie's growth, having done so since he was a little over two months old. I didn't know that even for a dog, education is the best thing that we could give. Next to food, of course.

Odie has schooled me a couple of times as well! So much has happened in the span of 10 months that Odie has lived here at home. He's eaten strange things like a cigarette butt which caused him to throw up (he was three months old then and I couldn't be more thankful that he survived), a big twig which made my sister and I panic, a dishwashing sponge which worried his yaya April, among other things. He taught me that he's a lot stronger than I think. He's also teaching me how to let go and how to get dirty. When he picks up a dead frog during a walk, I would pick his mouth with my bare hands and throw the damn frog away. This has happened thrice already and it doesn't get any less disgusting. Also, prior to knowing Odie, I never imagined myself cleaning up after a pee/poop machine. I never thought that I would be picking up puppy poop in Eastwood or High Street. Posh places? Haha, dogs do NOT care where you are. If he has to go, he has to go. If it means wiping the floor clean at a high-end mall, there's no choice but to do it.

It's also going to be Godzilla's first death anniversary on July 16. During our walks, Odie and I still visit his resting place from time to time. I also still cry over his passing. I miss him, and to some extent, I take care of Odie this way because I regret not being as educated when we had Godzilla. But then, as it says in one of the comic strips in Marshall's Law, "you always end up with the dog you're meant to be with." I hope that as he looks down from dog heaven, he's happy that I'm doing this partly for him. And the fact that the day of his death is four days after Odie's birthday, I'd like to think (oh, here goes the lump in my throat) that he has picked Odie for us, he just wasn't so sure about it yet on the day that Odie was born.

Odie Bubble Boy

A puppy's overall health could easily be seen through his coat. I know that I'm doing my job well and feeding Odie good food because when I get the chance to stroke his fur, it feels soft and smooth even without professional grooming. I used to supplement this by using Bearing shampoo which smelled like typical shampoo, but then my sister brought home a different bottle last month and told me to try it out. When I saw that it's by Human Nature, I was sold, and I'm never going back.

Human Nature has been our go-to source for natural products. It's a relatively new company by the same family behind Gawad Kalinga, a nation-building movement that has given homes and jobs to the less fortunate (which was brought up in almost every Christmas Homily by Fr. Ben when I was in college, haha). Their products are all-natural which is pretty evident in the mild scents of their products such as soaps, shampoos, deodorants, dishwashing liquid, bug sprays, etc.

Furry Kind Natural Cocomutt Shampoo is their first ever product dedicated to pet care. It was launched just this March as a collaborative effort between Human Nature and their global ambassador, Rachel Grant (yes, the Bond girl). The shampoo comes in a 500ml pump bottle, is 96.4% natural, and 100% safe.

Pre-bath happiness.
Furry Kind Natural Cocomutt Shampoo (P349.75, Human Nature)

We opened the bottle that night to take a whiff of the tangerine scent and the moment we did so, a sleepy Odie suddenly stood up, looking so excited and alert. He must have loved the smell as much as we did! I thought he was going to actually want to take a bath!

I gave the shampoo a test run at a time when Odie's nanny was on vacation. It was a hot summer day and I didn't get to buy a kiddie pool. I wanted him to try taking a swim though so I brought out the biggest basin I could find at home. I filled it up, took Odie out, then tried applying the shaping exercise we learned from our classes at Pet Centrics. He managed to get all four paws in the basin, but would exit right after receiving his treat. Darn! Gotta work on durations in water. Remind me to buy a kiddie pool!

Mid-bath. This puppy doesn't look too pleased.

When I started pumping the shampoo onto my palm, he kept jumping to reach for my hand. Maybe the orangey smell made him think it was a treat? Although he does eat everything so I couldn't be too sure. It was a bit hard for me to see the shampoo lathering up. This is usually the case with natural/organic products - lather means chemicals, I guess. It did work its way through Odie's coat after some scrubbing. While he likes to run around and away when it's rinsing time, he absolutely LOVES being scrubbed and would stay still for a good massage.

It was rinsing time so I encouraged him to get back to the basin for another swimming attempt. He went in and soaked himself in the water for a few seconds. Upon getting out, he started drinking the water which already contained a good amount of shampoo! I ditched the swimming idea and just started rinsing so we could finish the bath.

I left a message on Furry Kind's Facebook Page and got a reply later on, from none other than Rachel Grant herself! I asked if there are any signs of discomfort I should watch out for because Odie liked licking his coat and the shampoo-filled bath water. Fortunately, since it's 100% safe, I had nothing to worry about. Although of course, that doesn't give Odie the license to keep drinking the shampoo!

Post-bath exhaustion. He went in his crate and
slept like a baby right after this photo.

More than a month later, there's still quite a good amount of shampoo left. His skin now hardly has any pink spots (he had contact dermatitis when we were still using his old shampoo), his coat is very soft and even has a bit of a shine to it. Hugging Odie after a bath is something he hates but something I love. He smells so good and orangey! I want to bite him!

I hope that Furry Kind would release more products within the year. I'm a freak for natural pet products. I bake most of Odie's treats and I could go as far as making dog shampoo from scratch, but Furry Kind already does the job. Plus points for being a lot cheaper than most dog shampoos as well. Maybe they can make a soap version for those who'd prefer it. Maybe they can make treats! Or maybe other herbal treatments like in dog spas. Or other shampoo scents like lavender to calm down a very active puppy like Odie. Well, whatever they come up with, I'm sure we're going to try it out!

This post is not sponsored by Human Nature! I just really support their products and their cause. Check out their site for a list of stores and dealers that carry their brand. I know their products are also available in Rustan's, Shopwise, Robinsons, and Landmark supermarkets. We're just so lucky their flagship store is quite near our village :D

11th Month Play Date!

I have a month to prepare for Odie's birthday. Yikes.

Yesterday, Odie turned 11 months. That means he's in his last month of puppyhood and is on his way to becoming an adult dog. Come next month, all succeeding posts will refer to him as "dog" and no longer "puppy," it's crazy. I can't deal!

11-month old Odie wasn't smiling when I took photos. He just woke up from a nap.

We spent his 11th month just chilling, with the usual afternoon walk and at-home training. See, we already had a big activity the day before.

After weeks of conflicting schedules, Doc Marose and I finally introduced Odie, Ollie, and Tramp to one another! It was a pretty early morning for Odie and me. We went to the training venue at 8AM, an hour earlier than usual. We first met Tramp, a terrier mix who doesn't tolerate boisterous behavior. He has a tendency to get mad when meeting other dogs that are leashed so I had to take Odie's leash out before taking Tramp in. I was a bit nervous about how he would deal with Odie because HELLO, my little boy is hardly ever relaxed, he could very well qualify as teacher's rowdiest student!

True enough, after the obligatory butt-sniffing, Odie started to go all over his new friend. Well, at least he tried to. Tramp completely flipped out and it surprised Odie, he started running away real fast! It's Odie's first time to receive an intense correction from another dog. Usually, when his classmates are starting to get mad, the humans would intervene and take them apart. Doc said such interaction was beneficial for Odie. He's the only child in our home which might have made him very confident. Too confident that he would keep interacting with other dogs very excitedly which we all know is a faux pas.

It's unfortunate that I wasn't able to take photos of and with Tramp. I kept a close eye on Odie the entire time, observing his responses and worrying that further interaction would scare him. He learned to adjust after a while and maintained a certain distance when asked to take treats near Tramp. The two obviously didn't get to play.

Tramp went home and we did recall exercises in the court while waiting. Tramp was replaced by Ollie the lab. From a strict and reactive terrier, I was so shocked to see a super friendly, super tolerant lab. Odie must have felt so relieved to meet someone he could push around.

Ollie, Odie, and Doc Marose

Ollie came in panting heavily and sitting in front of me, waiting for treats. He's a really big dog who wouldn't lose weight in spite of all the daily walks. I was quite surprised and impressed that some of Ollie's verbal cues are in Filipino! I heard Doc saying "pasok" which was a cue to go through an open gate. Not so sure if I heard "inom" when we gave a water break, and I've seen his video doing "ikot" which is to turn. Odie only knows English (I mean, I didn't think of using Filipino verbal cues) and for some reason, I only talk to Odie in English. Maybe for succeeding cues, I should use Filipino. Or maybe Japanese! That would be so cute! "Odie-san, mizu o nomimasu! Hai! Yo shi Yo shi!" Okay I'm having fun.

Sadly, I was able to take only one photo and it's not even decent. Odie's friendliness was on overdrive, he kept on giving celebratory humps to Ollie so we had to keep breaking the two apart. Ollie didn't seem to mind being humped by a very rambunctious puppy. Odie was literally humping in all directions! He kept on going for Ollie's back, his side, his other side, there was even a time Odie humped with his tail on Ollie's face (yes, face. I was going to use "head" but I know it would take things way out of context HAHA). The two of them kept playing with each other while taking treats from the humans. Needless to say, they had a grand time.

When the boys got tired, we called it a session and started packing up. Actually, Ollie was the only one who showed he was tired, Doc had to calm Odie down because he was having the crazies. We agreed that there will be a next time so that Tramp could get used to Odie and for the three dogs to establish a good relationship. I can't wait for the succeeding play dates! It sure was a great way to spend Odie's 11th month a day ahead. Yesterday we kept it simple - our daily walk, play time, cuddle time, and some food adventures that I'll save for another entry.

Happy 11th month, Odie the Beagle Boy! You keep growing and growing but you're still my baby!

One Month Later...

We haven't blogged in a month!!! See, the past few weeks have been really busy for me since I had to spend early mornings til late nights attending to Odie's needs. I'm just happy that April is finally back from vacation so I'm not the only one doing the feeding, bathing, playing, walking, and training. I've also become more thankful that work for that entire month was home-based. Imagine if I still worked in Makati! I would have brought him in the office or checked him in a boarding facility and even then I'd keep worrying. Imagine as well if/when we move to a different country with zero house help. Well, at least I was given a sneak peek into that kind of life. And I guess it was good that we were left to our own devices for a while - it was an opportunity to grow.

Over the past month, Odie turned 10 months old! In five days, he'll be eleven, then it's his first birthday in July!!! I can't believe it!

10-month old Odie, photo taken at Pet Centrics

I vow to spend the 12th of June until the 11th of July making plans and preparations for the birthday boy. I've actually started some research on baking a cake for dogs. Let's see how that turns out. I'm also going to formulate a wish list (well, there's already one here, I'll just organize it) for posting on Facebook to see who among the family, friends, and godparents would be nice enough to gift. Yes, I'm excited.

We spent the past month sitting in at Pet Centrics' Basic Obedience class for beginners. I originally envisioned it as having us do just a bit of the exercises and mostly helping out the other students. When we went there the first time, Odie ended up doing the exercises along with the others so I thought we couldn't do our part efficiently if I kept bringing Odie because how could that be of help? I should have enrolled as well! Turns out, Doc Marose wanted Odie to be there and be demo dog. Guess they didn't need ME! Haha, I kid. But yeah, we had fun, and Doc taught us a new trick!

Odie Learns to Fly from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

I've already attached the "fly" cue so that's what we're practicing now. I first saw this trick when I watched Legally Blonde: The Musical so when we were presented with the opportunity to learn it, I spent no idle time! In the show though, the actors were chihuahuas and mini pinschers so that would have been a lot easier to work with. It's quite difficult to have 20+ lbs of dog flying towards me, expecting to be caught. It's a really enjoyable trick nonetheless. So enjoyable, that during discussions at the class in which we were sit-ins, Odie would suddenly hop towards my lap, get off, then hop on again, while waiting for the humans to finish talking. Just like before, the puppy made sure that each session we attended would have an "Odie Moment," in which he would do something to stop the discussion and get everyone's attention, milking his audience for laughs. Sigh. Drama King!

The other students in the Basic Obedience class were actually quite good! Some exercises went really smoothly, some sessions ended earlier than expected. The only down side was that play time only happened after graduation, and the setup was very controlled. Apart from having varying sizes of dogs, some of them lacked socialization during puppyhood so it was a bit difficult to introduce the dogs and see who might be good friends. The advantage of our class is that 3 out of the 5 dogs were classmates since puppy class, and 3 are littermates so we had play sessions early on. Bernard also quickly caught on and became good friends with Odie (at least I'd like to think they're good friends, haha). What I liked about the other Basic Obedience class though is that the parents were very focused on getting their dogs to follow verbal cues in class, and they had really good equipment. I guess that's why they weren't too keen on submitting homework videos :D They still got prizes for being very good in class, and Odie also got treats for being very active as a sit-in.

Petz Woofery Peanut Butter treats!
For inquiries, contact 932-3078, 0915-8795253,
or email petzwoofery@gmail.com

The Puppy Class is currently ongoing and sadly, we can't sit in. Odie is quite the bully when there are new puppies around. His confidence might be a bit too intimidating to the babies. The past few Saturdays have been pretty boring as we're limited to taking walks outside and occasional home training. 

Odie during one of the recall drills we did at home.
I love how he looks so fierce here, flapping ears and all.

I'm really looking forward to the advanced course or informal training we might take with Boo, Bon, Brix, Buzz, and Bernard. I hope that happens! If not, I hope we could also sit in at the Basic Obedience class in July! Enrollment has just opened and since the turnout of Puppy Class is pretty good, I'm positive that the turnout for Basic Obedience would be even better!

Catch Up!

I haven't blogged in more than a week! I've been doing quite a lot of work for sustenance, and I've been a lot more hands-on (yes, it's possible) with Odie because our house help is on vacation for the election period and we're left with house help that I don't trust. I'm lucky to have made time tonight because Odie has already gone potty for the night so he went to bed early and I have time to write. Finally!

For more than a week now, I've managed to wake up before 7AM everyday to give Odie his breakfast, make him go potty, clean his area and sneak in some play time. It's pretty tiring! So far I've also given him some baths, cleaned his ears, and did the cooking/baking days. It's fun to bathe Odie because in spite of his VERY crazy disposition during baths, there's a sense of accomplishment in finally finishing after what seems like a lifetime of soaping and scrubbing and having him try to swim.

I still bring him to Pet Centrics on weekends in spite of having graduated more than a month ago. Doc allowed us to sit in, do a couple of demos, and help the current students in her Basic Obedience (Beginners) class. We're not required to attend every Saturday, but we've done so for the most part because I really want to tire him out like that at least once a week. It also gives Odie and I something to look forward to every weekend. It's just a bit sad that the current class isn't as competitive as our class was in terms of video submissions. I guess they have the funds to spend on Kong toys. HAHAHA! Their homework is also really easy! If I didn't put the tripod back in the attic, we'd be doing their homework on top of going to their classes! But seriously, I hope they take the time to train everyday even without the videos. I also hope that the Puppy Class this June happens!

The other night, Odie swallowed another foreign object and gave my sister and I the best time to panic! We saw him approach one of the plants in the front yard and he suddenly started coughing and had a hard time swallowing! It must have been a big twig. He was gagging and there was a weird sound whenever he swallowed, so we tried giving him cotton balls cut into little pieces for him to ingest. I read online that cotton helps envelope a swallowed foreign object so that it would easily pass through the digestive system. We were shocked when he regurgitated the cotton and a piece of peanut butter treat, so we decided it was time to call for help. I thought he was choking! It was midnight then so I was a bit hesitant to call Doc Marose. I would usually just SMS her when something comes up but it looked like Odie needed immediate help so I called her and didn't get an answer. Turns out, it was one of the rare occasions when people drift from routine and turn in early. Next, I called Pendragon Veterinary Clinic as I know they're open 24/7. Doc Thea was the one who answered which gave me a bit of relief as she's the one who microchipped Odie. She gave me the option to observe Odie myself or to rush to their clinic for an x-ray. I discussed the matter with my sister and while we were doing so, Odie ate the cotton, drank lots of water, and even stole and swallowed a treat! We then called it a night as he seemed fine. 30 hours later, a big twig wrapped in cotton made a graceful exit when Odie went potty. Huge sigh of relief.

Gotta admit, I'm pretty exhausted doing all the puppy duties, but Odie seems to be very appreciative of everything I do so it's worth it. It's just unsettling that the house help isn't reliable so it's really hard for me to leave the house while April is on vacation. Last week, I had work from noon til midnight and the whole family also had their own thing. I was so worried that Odie would be fed strange things so I asked Doc if there's any boarding service where I can leave Odie and pick him up at midnight. Most boarding services tell you to pick up the puppy the following day so it was a bit of an absurd need, but I don't think Odie is ready for a sleepover at some dog hotel. I hope someone provides that service soon enough for moms who have work til late.

Oh, and as promised (I think), the TV feature on positive dog training aired on TV5 some weeks ago. I'm embedding the video from Doc Marose because it looks better. Just look at Odie, Buzz, and Doc doing their thing, being awesome and all.

MisadventureS.

It's 2:30 in the morning and I'm still up and about, vigilant until the household wakes up in the morning so someone else could watch over Odie.

A few hours ago, I let Odie out of his crate and he zoomed past me, past the front yard/garage gate, and basically went around the perimeter of the house. While doing so, he stole a sponge that was about to be thrown. It used to be the dishwashing sponge, a small, round one, about 3 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Our house help was the one running after him as I dug through Odie's things to search for a squeaky toy to lure him back. Recall didn't do us good. Upon finding his Kong Wubba, I squeaked it multiple times and told him to get it. He ran very excitedly past the tile steps and made the huge leap to launch the game of tug! I saw his neck touch the floor on the way and was surprised to see that while tugging, his collar was around a foot away from us. Darn it! His only collar finally gave up.

I made Odie wear his harness while waiting for the temporary collar to arrive.
I was telling him that he's a very naughty boy and that I'm worried about how the
sponge incident would end. He responded by giving me this face. ARRRRRGH!

Of course, I was more concerned about the sponge than the collar so I didn't think twice about contacting Doc Marose right away. I asked if there's anything I should watch out for because I've read lots of things about intestinal blockage. Doc willingly gave me advice and told me to monitor Odie's trips to the bathroom, and to watch out for signs of pain.

So here I am doing exactly that. It's been nine hours since the incident and Odie is happy as a clam, showing zero signs of discomfort which is hopefully a good thing. I'm really just waiting for a sponge to come out of the other end. Yuck! Odie has eaten two cigarette butts and two Christmas bulbs and survived all four separate hullabaloos without having me bring him to an emergency vet. It's the first time he's eaten something pretty big though so I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the sponge gets out of his system within the day. Funny how having a dog makes you do things you never imagined, like watching for objects in dog poop.

It's pretty interesting, though. I was telling Doc that I wasn't so sure how clean/dirty the sponge was (it's definitely gonna be dirty now!) and she told me that the soap and dirt doesn't matter as much, what's important is that Odie passes it. Weird how a dog's stomach is strong enough to handle dirt, but it can't tolerate food like grapes and chocolate. Sad how we can't share a jar of Nutella. Doc also told me that the contents of a dog's stomach go out on the other end every 10-12 hours. Gotta admit, it's quite fun to learn about how a dog's system works and how they behave and how we play a part in their health and behavior. Who knew I'd actually be interested in Science, right?! Good job, Doc and Odie!

About the collar, my sister was on the way home and stopped to do a bit of groceries. She also thought of getting a temporary collar because it's hard to put the harness on and take it off when Odie goes in and out of the crate. In the supermarket, she saw just two kinds of dog collars and zero leashes so she thought of just getting a collar to last until I go out and get a legit collar, or a Lupine (whichever comes first). The collar she got had no price tag so she proceeded to checkout without asking. To her surprise, the collar cost her Php400 and she didn't want to go through the fuss of returning so she paid for it and took it home. When she got home, she put the collar on Odie and told me the story. I got upset when I found out how much it was because oh my god, just a bit more and we could have gotten a Lupine! So yeah, I checked it out and ended up laughing so hard because NO SHIT, THE COLLAR HAS BLING BLING! I couldn't photograph the buckle but it's the most studded part of the entire thing! Can't wait til Odie gets to school on Saturday. The boys might tease him, but I've resolved to think of it as his way of promoting gender equality. NO H8, right?

Odie's new collar, in detail. So gay, just like mommy!

I'm hoping to find a Wet Paint Lupine leash when I go out because that's the only leash that would match this collar :D

Because yes, he broke his leash in class on Saturday. He was tethered to one of the posts in the court while Doc was telling me and May what to do as humans sitting in at the Basic Obedience (Beginners) class. A Belgian Malinois went in and Odie wanted to greet him, he made a huge leap forward, causing the leash to break! That was the only day I didn't bring any of his backup leashes. Good thing Doc had an extra leash or I would have been forced to just crate him for the rest of the class or just go home. It got us through the class, and his backup leashes at home are getting worn out so yes, it's time to get a legit leash.

That Saturday was also the class where Odie did a demo of tugging with teacher, and he got really excited (they were using his Kong Squiggles which is STILL his favorite toy) and he ended up biting teacher's hand. When Doc returned Odie to me, she told me that he bit her hand and I only processed the information after 30 seconds or so. I apologized and offered baby wipes to at least cleanse the wound but Doc declined and told me it's okay because she's had much worse. Still, I felt bad because Odie would usually cut and bruise no one else but me. This one happened to his teacher, in front of the class, while doing a demo. I made a mental note to always bring alcohol and a pack of band aids from now on. I hope Doc's hand is okay.

We've had a couple of misadventures in the span of less than a week! I don't know what's happening, if this is adolescence, or if I'm raising Odie the wrong way (I hope not). It's pretty stressful for me as a human, because while I am very good at handling nerves and showing a calm disposition amidst emotionally charged situations, I do have a tipping point, too. Besides, expenses like a new leash, new collar, and (again, I hope not) a trip to the vet are something I am prepared for, but I try my best to avoid them so that we could just happily go shopping for new toys and treats. But if all these things are necessary, ah well, we have no choice but to put one foot (and paw) in front of the other.

After all, Odie might be YOLO-ing, but I still love him too much.

Squiggle-Dee-Doo-Dah!

Odie finally has a Kong Squiggles! SQUEEEEEE!!!

Kong Squiggles (large) in elephant design from Pet Centrics

Doc Marose went to the park after last Friday's shoot with a big box in tow. When she opened it, I could swear, Odie and I just got transported to Kong heaven! See, during graduation, we were given gift certificates with different amounts instead of material prizes. The last two graduations, Odie placed third in class and got two of the same toy, the Kong Classic. That proved to be quite helpful though because Odie's Kong Classic was left in teacher's stuff last Friday so at least we have another one while waiting for Saturday's class to come around.

Odie saw the toys laid out on the table but couldn't reach for them. I guess he got really overwhelmed and just wanted to get one already because he focused on the items on the table and started crying, seemingly confused. I settled for the elephant Squiggles and am still deciding on one other item to consume the amount on my GC.

Odie already grabbed the toy when I got it, but I didn't let him have it because he might get hurt playing with it with the label still on, and so that I could take a proper photo first. We formally tried it out when we got home and Odie just went CRAZY! It's very soft so he likes biting into it, both ends have squeakers which he could sometimes squeak, and it's pretty durable for a plush toy. It's been four days but we rarely play with the Squiggles to keep him interested in the toy. He now goes into a frenzy when he hears a squeak, jumps to try getting the toy (of course, he never wins that one!), and behaves to get the toy. He loves it so much, he latches on to it every time it's within reach. I could very well use it as his leash! The toy is also very friendly to humans because since it's elastic, it's easy to relinquish when I end a game of tug. When I use other tug toys, I always make an effort to keep most of the toy close to me to end the game. Point being, it's a really good toy!

Now the only thing I have to do is to decide between a large Wubba or a small Wobbler. Welp!

(NOT) Camera Shy

When Doc Marose asked the Basic Obedience (Intermediate) fresh grads if we were up to participate in a morning news feature, I gotta admit, I wanted to get Odie to try it out. I've always been curious as to how it feels to make a dog work his charms for the camera outside of doing homework videos. Sure, I know that dog actors for TV and film have humans nearby to coach them. In Legally Blonde: The Musical, I love how Bruiser barks and hops on to Margot upon being given hand signals. But like I said, I wanted to experience it hands on so I really REALLY know what it's like. I was also looking for a way to celebrate Odie's ninth month birthday and since this is new to both of us, I confirmed attendance for Friday morning and got all excited!

Three months til his birthday! Yipes! Time flies!

We successfully beat morning traffic and made it before 8:00, only to find Doc, Lovely, and Buzz hanging out. I figured the TV crew would arrive at least an hour late because it's always been like that, but I went before the call time anyway. I was also told that the whole thing would last for just an hour, but I made a rough estimate that it would take at least four. I was right after all.

Doc spent idle time asking us questions and playing with the puppies. As usual, Odie was expecting treats and play time the whole time because he's not so familiar with the concept of rest. When the TV crew arrived, Lovely, Buzz, Odie and I were left in the court for a while because Doc did the interview in the park across the street. I guess it's safe to say Odie missed being in school in a chill setting, in the company of teacher and a classmate. I let him run around the place a few times and it was such a pleasant surprise to see him running towards me when I shouted his name. I didn't expect amazing recall! I hope we get to practice that more. Because we were bored and were not at all under pressure, Lovely and I also had the time to exchange stories and marvel at how Odie was looking around whenever I tethered him to clean his mess. He would look from side to side, at the ceiling, it looked like he was doing a security inspection of sorts and it was funny to just watch him!

Play time with teacher! Also, obviously, I grabbed
every chance I could to take photos.

When the interview ended, Doc and the crew went back inside the court to get a few shots of us training puppies, and Doc giving verbal cues, among other shots they wanted. The cameraman set up his huge tripod which made quite a bit of noise. It startled Buzz so he started barking. When he started barking, Odie looked at Buzz, then at the tripod, and started howling! I swear he just goes with the flow. Even in our neighborhood, he only howls when other dogs are barking. It's like he doesn't have a clue of what the barking's all about, but he'll join in anyway and add his howl to the ensemble. Weirdo! His howl sounds pretty good though, to be honest. It's like a rich baritone. I wish I could teach him to sing.

Post sniffing the camera setup and the new friends, Buzz and Odie were unstoppably amazing! We did sits and downs on different cones which was too easy. Then I did heeling with Odie and his little poodle prance which went surprisingly smooth. We even went past the tripod and he handled it with such ease and confidence that I never thought would come from him. After a while, the crew asked Doc to give Odie a couple of verbal cues (sit, down, roll over, beg, shake). Doc was hesitant to do it because Odie might not follow the cues given by a different voice. I, however, wanted to take photos because I'm quite the stage parent, so I insisted to let Doc work her magic. It literally took seconds for Odie to recognize the cues and did everything perfectly!

There's my little boy (featuring Buzz's place bed)!

We did a few more shots before calling it a day. Buzz got tired after a while and chose to just relax. Odie doesn't know how to relax so Doc kept on getting Odie to follow whatever instructions they were given. But we also came to a point when Odie wasn't thinking anymore and was doing actions based on stock knowledge. Doc did some more shots with the segment host while we stayed in the park because the host's character voice (is that what it's called for TV people too?) caused Buzz to bark and Odie to tilt his head from side to side.

The dogs were pooped when the shoot ended! I knew Odie was tired when he kept lying down on the bleachers whenever it wasn't his turn. But when he was being filmed, it was pretty quick for him to be the eager beaver show off that he is. No wonder Doc has made him the class demo dog. He's really just a hungry puppy who will work for food.

We spent some down time at the park before parting ways. Upon getting home, Odie quickly transferred to his wire crate and was knocked out til late afternoon. He must have been really tired! I'm sure he had lots of fun though. I seriously didn't know we'd be doing things like this in Pet Centrics, doing TV spots on a day's notice!

Doc kept on thanking me, Lovely, and the puppies for participating in this "extra-curricular activity" but personally, the pleasure's all mine. Thinking about it, it was pretty easy to get Odie comfortable with doing things in front of the camera. He could totally rock doing short films, thesis films, whatever would or could use a happy, crazy, obedient beagle. We sure could use some treats and/or accessories as compensation! Or if Odie would earn cash from it, it's definitely gonna be all his! I'm going to spend it all on his education, vet bills, monthly doses of Frontline and Heartgard, kibble, treats, toys, and maybe some of the things in Odie's wish list. Oh my dog, I sound like a parent!

Yesterday's activity was a great way to spend Odie's 9th month. I can't wait for more new adventures! Sigh. This puppy has given me too much happiness, he's turning me into a nice human!

Finals Week

I can't believe that Odie's graduating from his THIRD class tomorrow! I still clearly remember bringing a tiny beagle to Puppy Class orientation and now he's going to be a graduate of Basic Obedience (Intermediate). My, how Odie and his classmates have grown. Odie is still the smallest in the bunch, though. Smallest class bully ever.

Darn. I shouldn't have looked at the official score sheet. I also shouldn't have asked for Odie's rank because holy hell, grade consciousness is kicking in! Odie has worked real hard in this course. We went to locations we've never covered before (LGV mini soccer field, Filinvest 2 clubhouse, Filinvest Heights basketball court), and went to the park across the training venue even if it wasn't a class day. Maybe the caretaker kept thinking, WTF WHY IS SHE HERE? I've also spent LOTS of time exporting and editing videos, sometimes nodding off to sleep (READ: Durations). I experimented with different dog treats and was a grilling/boiling/baking machine for a time. Safe to say it's the hardest we've worked so far.

Combinations: Patio from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Combinations: Front Yard from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Doc Marose said each session should be made up of two combinations, but we should try to go through the entire list. So I went through the entire list to avoid confusion in our homework chart. Besides, Odie seemed like he was up for it. I know a couple of combinations didn't go very smooth though. He got really distracted by the pebbles in the patio!

The front yard video was shot at midnight that same night. Odie was wide awake and kept barking that night so I decided to have him do homework to tire him out and get him to sleep so that I could sleep too. In some of the shots, I would shush him whenever he barked because I was scared that the neighbors might complain. Half the time, I was shushing him and whispering my verbal cues! Oh, and that white thing on the wall? This is what it looks like up close:

I made a cheat sheet to lead me for the first few tries! I also put it on the wall in the patio video but it wasn't seen on camera. I had no choice but to stick it somewhere because Odie's sure to pick it up and tear it apart if he sees it on the ground.

Combinations: Max & Toby's Place from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.


Combinations: Louie's Place from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Personally, I'm impressed that Odie wasn't as distracted as I imagined when we shot the outdoor videos. Cars and trikes and motorcycles passed by but he didn't run towards them! I did have mini heart attacks though when a vehicle would pass by and I was ten steps away from him. When we started, he kept going after the long line again. I got nervous at first because I thought we wouldn't get to shoot outdoors because of that. Fortunately, he switched his focus on me and the line just... blended with the ground, I guess.

I shot one of the outdoor videos at 6 AM today, and I didn't know that the rest of the neighborhood lets their dogs out to roam freely at this time. Did they agree on this? I don't know. But oh my god, it was so frustrating! I even saw one neighbor hitting her puppy with a stick! I wanted to hit HER with a stick! Thankfully, all the other dogs seemed to have felt my desperation so they went to different directions, all far from where Odie and I were. 

So I guess that's it for our homework videos for Basic Obedience (Intermediate) class at Pet Centrics! I'm really thankful for everything that Odie and I learned in this course. It really helped that we had deadlines this time, as well as a maximum number of locations, because I didn't have to keep guessing if I've done enough or if I needed to step up. It's nice to have clear goals. I do feel bad that I didn't get to check every box in my homework chart. But over the last six weeks, I learned more than I originally intended to, I have a puppy who's growing up to be quite a disciplined boy, I have human classmates to share separation anxiety with (I seriously want to follow through in a more relaxed setting, at least for the summer!), and we have a reliable teacher who is very patient in answering even our most bizarre questions. 

I can't wait for Odie to graduate a third time! I also can't wait to rest, and then bounce back and learn even more. All the time I spent meeting deadlines both for my work and Odie's homework came with early mornings, sleepless nights, a messed up body clock. In spite of he difficulties, however, I'm one happy camper!

Tricked

In our Basic Obedience (Intermediate) course at Pet Centrics, we were given a chance to learn one trick each week. These were taken on different days in different locations so Odie's understanding of the tricks may vary. Needless to say, I had so much fun shooting these videos because who doesn't love a dog that does tricks?

Roll Over from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

We learned the roll over on our first session. I've been wanting to teach this to Odie but didn't know how, so hooray for our class for deciding to give it a go! I mentioned in previous entries that Odie LOVES rolling over. He even kept doing it when he got injured, which I had to control because it worsened the condition of his leg. He's all better now, and he hasn't stopped rolling since. Too cute!

Shake a Paw from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Shake a paw was trick-of-the-week for week 2. Odie has been doing the "shake hands" cue a few months prior. I used to do it by presenting an open palm for him to put his paw on. However, when we learned targeting, Odie had a tendency to bump his nose on my open palm! Good thing Doc Marose had a different approach to teaching it!

Beg from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

This is how I want Odie to say grace before meals. I hope he could keep his balance for a longer time, enough to last until the end of his prayer. Yes, I taught him to pray before consuming his meals, thanking God for the food, praying for all other dogs and cats to also have food, and praying that the strays would find happy homes with loving families to take them in. When I say our prayer, he looks down on his food bowl and he'd usually have drool dripping one by one.

Begging is our trick for session 3 and I shot most of the videos a few days right after teaching it so they're not so polished. The ones in the kitchen and bedroom, however, I shot just yesterday because we were out of frame when I first shot in those two locations. So the kitchen and bedroom begging videos are spot on successful! His begging is just adorable, I can't stop watching this over and over and over!

Jump from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

The last trick we learned is jump up/over. Notice how it's basically just reaching the target. When we were still learning this, Odie would just run and stand on his hind legs to hit my palm. Teacher suggested putting a hurdle on the ground to act as a little obstacle. I found a PVC pipe and thought it was perfect! Upon trying it though, Odie got fixated on the pipe, picked it up, and started prancing around with it. We were offered an alternative obstacle which worked wonders. I swear, Odie's teacher knows magic. She really does.

Odie does all these tricks when I present a good treat in front of him, but he has a special preference for the roll over. He even does it in the middle of exercises in school! I know, doggie tricks are not really what we went to school for, but having a rolling, shaking, begging, jumping little beagle has made me a very happy human. It's also a great way to make people think that like Doc, I have superpowers.

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!

Odie's Kitchen

Sometimes I just pretend that I know what I'm doing, so I get in the kitchen and make treats for Odie. I already mentioned in one entry that I'm trying to stay away from store-bought treats because going through the ingredients list in dog treat packages can get overwhelming. I do rely on kibble for his regular meals though because I have a life somehow, and I'd rather give him away than feed him leftovers.

I went to the supermarket last week to get some ingredients for the liver bits that I usually make (recipe from teacher). However, I also looked up some sweet treat recipes online and found a really easy one, so I bought a few other things to help me get started.

SUPPLIES!!! Baking sheet, flour, crushed grahams,
peanut butter, and quick oats (around Php250, Rustans Fresh)

The peanut butter treats are really simple! I just mixed 2 cups of flour, 1 cup oats, 1/3 cup peanut butter and 1 1/4 cups hot water to make the dough. When it was cool enough to handle, I rolled it on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at 175ºC until it turned brown. I let it cool and broke them into training-sized pieces.

Peanut butter goodness to last us quite a while!

The photo above is just half the dough, so I kept the uncooked dough in the freezer for when this batch runs out. I tasted it out of curiosity and it was baked cardboard, but Odie loves it like he loves every morsel of food he encounters. I'm thinking of adding a bit more peanut butter to the next batch for my own satisfaction.

After class last Saturday, Doc let the dogs try some treats from Petz Woofery, a barkery (is that what they're called) that her friend is setting up.

Banana biscuits (Php46, Petz Woofery).
For inquiries, contact 932-3078, 0915-8795253,
or send an email to petzwoofery@gmail.com

I was given a choice between squash and banana. Odie hasn't tried squash yet, but I know he doesn't like bananas that aren't frozen so I got the banana in hopes of putting the product to the test. Oh, and because the label says it contains all-natural ingredients, I sliced a little piece for myself and tasted it. Just like my peanut butter crisps, this one also tasted like cardboard! Are dogs' taste buds THAT sensitive?

I gave Odie an entire piece that same afternoon, his prize for behaving in class and because we both just woke up from our after-training nap. He devoured it like the forever hungry puppy that he is. And since it's a big piece, he had fun with it first like he has fun with his Dentastix. With large treats that can't be consumed in one go, he would usually pick it up, spit it out, pick it up again and run around with it, toss it in the air, get really intense zoomies, and he does so until the treat softens to a more chewable state. Needless to say, he liked the treat even if it had bananas in it! I do intend to give it to him during training though and not after, so I hope it also comes in training-sized pieces so I won't have to keep slicing.

Our other classmates have been very creative in bringing treats during training, that sometimes, baking chicken liver and peanut butter crisps just wouldn't cut it. I'm definitely on the lookout for other easy peasy recipes for class on Saturday. Hopefully, I find some with like five ingredients max. I don't plan to put up a barkery of my own, I just really want to bake/cook for Odie because he's very appreciative of whatever kind of food I give him. I mean, humans eat what you cook for them but they pick on the details of the taste, the presentation, and all other factors. With dogs, you give them food and they either eat it or ditch it. That's enough to know if it's good or bad. Luckily for me, Odie appreciates every morsel of food he's given. Well, except for room temperature bananas.

Record Breaker

I'm so gonna make up for us in the coming submissions.

Personally, this is unacceptable. I have no one to blame but myself. I didn't train Odie on Monday and Tuesday so that his injured leg could fully recover. One of the exercises required a ball which we lost (I haven't gone to the mall to look for a replacement yet!), so that's an entire activity I'm gonna have to make up for this week even without a video. I was planning to shoot this morning just like I did last week, only to find out that my sister was going to use the car and I'm too scared to drive the alternative car. I settled for shooting at the nearby houses then. Odie and I went out at 7:15 to find a way through covering outdoor locations. Unfortunately, our neighbors are really very consistent about letting their dogs roam freely so we weren't able to accomplish much. I decided to just halt all shooting and begin the editing.

It's the least homework we're turning in for this entire course and I'm gonna have to complete the succeeding ones if I intend to "run for honors" HAHA. Putting it that way sounds less shallow than saying "if I want to win a toy". I've been a bad human this week. Gotta be tiger mom ASAP!

Odie seems really easily distracted lately. In class yesterday, he was able to do all the exercises, but not without having me feel like I'm Dora the Explorer in terms of getting his attention and convincing him to follow the verbal cues. He kept sniffing the floor, perhaps hoping to steal a treat (he has this nasty habit of eating loose treats when his classmates' humans spill some). He kept sniffing the floor especially when we were heeling. The first time was really bad, I sort of cheated in the second round. I got one piece of the Tasty T-Bonz treat and held on to it through the course. I kept giving him the peanut butter treats and only gave the special one at the end. Sorry, Doc! We're not worthy of your "much better" remark after that!

Here's our record-breaking submission for this week:

Vimeo is taking quite a while uploading the rest of my videos, so I'm using YouTube for now, and will edit as soon as the Vimeo uploads are available.
-Edit: as of March 25, 10:30 PM, all videos are now in Vimeo!-

Sit/Down Step Run: At Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Step Run Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

I refrain from using a long line (aka connected leashes. What is wrong with me?) because I'm scared of   Odie being too far from me in a place where cars pass by all the time. I just run a bit slower and hope he's running with me.

I was a bit annoyed yesterday afternoon because when I decided to shoot, a bunch of little boys suddenly went outside and played running games. I feared for my camera!!! They kept asking me what Odie and I were doing, if the camera was working (WHY WOULD I SET UP A TRIPOD AND CAMERA IF IT'S FAKE?), among other things. I just did a quick set and went back home. I mean, good job, kids, for actually playing outside instead of playing with your iPads or something, but please do not disturb us.

Durations: At Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

I felt so bad for Odie when I started editing this durations video! When we were shooting, I remember slowly counting to 30 (30 seconds was the longest duration indicated in the handout), so I was so shocked to see that there were some that lasted for almost a minute, and one past the one minute mark! I didn't know I counted way too slow! We weren't able to do durations outside because every time we tried going out, there was so much going on outside. Very high distractions didn't allow us to pass five seconds. Nyarrr...

Sit/Down/Stand with Distraction: Front Yard from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Sit/Down/Stand with Distraction: Garage from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Sit/Down/Stand with Distraction: Patio from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Sit/Down with Distraction: Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Odie was pretty okay with having me go around him. I'm just a bit iffy about some of his "down" videos because he kept shifting his weight to one side in an attempt to keep an eye on me. In the garage, he even took it a step further and did a roll over! I was so surprised when yesterday, he did the same thing in class! I'm happy that he's rolling over again (he stopped for a while when he got injured), but he's back to rolling way too much!

I haven't received session 4 homework yet so I can't plot my shot list and plan my week. Are we resting tomorrow? I'm not so sure. I just know that we're gonna have to do a lot more than this week's submission. Also gotta work on getting his attention, which means I have to be interesting enough for a dog to not wander off. This is definitely harder than dealing with children.