Let it snow.......

We are enjoying the snow every day and I totally agree that Malinois like snow. My boy go silly every day. Yukon chewed his nice Elch Leather Lead whilst waiting in the van, when did go to wish my friend Jess Happy Birthday. I could have strangled him at first, but in the end of the day I forgot to take it off, as usual when he has to wait for a little while. So it's my own fault. I am fortunate to have a lovley shoe repair man around the corner and he can repair it.
Otherwise not much happening. I have a job interview in January for a Dog Handler Position for Harlow Council, keep everything crossed that I get it.
I can't wait for all training to start again. I started to cross train Indy for Blood and Human Remains. Only working on the indication and as usual he picks up quickly what is required.

Agility

Yesterday we did go to Agility training. I have to find the same speed than Yukon otherwise he runs past jumps, just incase he is loosing me for good in the field... otherwise he is really good. He waits every where I tell him. Every now and than he gets a Puppy Fit and runs in circles very fast throwing his far to long legs about. Indy surprises me every week more and more. I can't wait for the next season. He works more confident than ever away from me, always gets the weave entrance and most of all he works out solutions to difficult problems himself, without loosing our way. He is just great. We are managing very difficult sequences.
Search and Rescue Training is at an hold at the moment till January with the unit. I still do some with Richard. I am looking forward to joint training with other units in the new year, to get some useful tips from other handlers. We also will join the Prison Service Dog Handlers for some joint training sessions.

What a day!!!

>Yesterday we were off to Newbury for our Assessment to become operational as a Lowland Search Dog Team. To cut a long story short, we did not make it. Indy as usual picked up on my mood. My mind was not in it 100%, because I was told on Friday that my application form for a job I applied for will be not processed further. After going thru two job interviews and a informal meeting with the owners of the care home...... I was so hopeful and was into pieces on Friday evening and already started wondering if I should bother with Saturday. I did go a head with it and feel now I let the whole unit down. Indy did switch off after 15 minutes in the search and was not sure if we still doing this "Find the Person" Thing. I reflected on the whole thing and know what we need to work on and I am very fortunate to have really dedicated friends around me who will help me to achieve what I want to achieve .

Thanks to all our supporters.

The Pond is back

We had a lovely afternoon out and about. The pond in the little Fairy Woods on our walk is back. My gang had a really good time. On one of the pictures you see the frail old little Staffie Ladette living amongst the Mali Gang.

Search Dog Training

Of course it was raining as usual when we train on Sundays!!!! But unfortunately people do not get lost on a nice Sunday afternoon in the warm sunshine........ Indy done an outstanding job. The only confusion was, that there where no foot path in the woods we were allowed to use. It was more an area than a hasty search. Indy was spot on. I think I have to slow my pace down, to make him slow down. He searches 100 p/h and find the mispers in such a fast time it is nearly unreal. This weekend I found out that he alerts different on human scent only than on a find of a actual person. After he did not got his toy of me, he decided to do self praise and gripped Dave's woolly hat.It will be interesting to see what he will do one day, when we start training for Human Remains and Blood.

Yukon done me proud as well. He is not barking for a toy, therefore I bought him a "Bringsel" which is a leather attachment for his collar, just long enough not to bother but able to be picked up by him. We are using his Bringsel now for two weeks and I attached it yesterday for the first time to his collar. When he found Jess she only tipped the Bringsel and he picked it up straight away and came back to me, only to run off back to Jess for his other toy. This is brilliant. He is so clever. He also been officially assessed to become a Lowland Search Dog. I am so proud on my boys. Next Saturday is my assessment to become official operational with Indy. Fingers crossed.

Agility on Saturday was good. Yukon is a little bit naughty to other dogs, but in a funny kind of way so I don't mind(only towards Collies, and there hardly any around on the Agility Circuit ;-))

Indy is getting better, because of me maybe having a different approach toward Agility.

Animal Distraction

On Friday I did meet up with Jess and we took Indy to a field with cows to take some pictures for my Lowland Search Dogs Records. He was not bothered at all, in a matter of fact he started to round them up after a while( maybe he is a natural Herding Dog as well ???). After that we went to our field and done some Search training with Scollie, Indy and Yukon. Scollie reminds me so of Marlon in his Temperament. He is a hughe Rodesian Ridgeback and has all the time in the world for his job. We started the run a way game with Yukon and using the "Bringsel" I got him from Germany. He really likes running after people and picking it up. I think we will be going soon to the next stage where it is actually attached to his collar. Indy was total in his element again. He is brilliant, but never understand how the same person can go lost twice in a matter of 10 minutes. He looked at Jess like he almost want to tell how darft she must be to get lost twice in such a short time. I think he is to smart for fake training!!!

On Saturday was Agility Training and we think the "Chamber of Horror" is open with Yukon. Wait and touch points are for wimps and he knows it all. I started nipping it in the bud straight away by training everyday that he has to stay no matter how many toys fly pass him. Indy was as good as usual, I was to slow as usual. I have not found our equal speed yet and doubt I ever will.

On Sunday we went to Trosley Country Park in Kent for Search Training. We have been donated a Flat Coated Puppy from a member of the American Forces. His name will be Pedro and he is going to live with Mel and little Andre. Dave decided he would like to have a proper dog and would love to be adopted by a Malinos. I brought him in touch with Helen from Stonedragon Kennel who has Sady looking for a home. Dave is going to see them on Saturday. The training went not bad. I have to remind myself to make notes on the map when Indy give me a none verbal indication. He picked up scent of the last Misper up hill before he found the first misper and if I had realised that we would have found the third misper much earlier. It is a big learning session for me every time.

On Friday and next Monday I have another Job Interview, fingers crossed.

Discover Dogs

What a weekend this was. I was asked by my friend Jan Ralph from the Bonvivant Kennel to take part in the display for the Malinois at Discover Dogs this year. My friend Iris came over from Germany to help me with the enjoyment. It was a great day and I was so proud, my boys where so good with the public. The booth looked great and it was never to packed to walk the dogs around. I made nice contact with some dog handlers from the Met Police. We had a real good chat about the ways Malinois learn.

Caroline with Otto where in the Final of the Starter cup. They ended in the over all 4th Place.

It took us ages to get out of London, because my braindamaged SatNav decided that Iris should have a guided sight seeing tour. We only did not see Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace, all the other typical Tourist Places where included. How nice of him!!! Serious thought a couple of times to throw that thing out of the window.

Search and Rescue Mock Assessment

Today we had our Mock Assessment carried out. The Kent Unit joined us today, because Lesley had her Mock Assessment as well. Indy and me searched the 2 km long area in 13 Minutes!!!! He found both Mispers and the places they where hiding for Lesley before as well a jumper somebody lost. I think that is very hard to beat...... Our real Assessment is on the 5th December. Fingers crossed. Lesley and Bentley passed as well today and we are thinking to become a joint Essex/Kent unit. I think that would be really good.

Yesterday we had Agility Training and Yukon is really coming along nicely, he has really good touch points and knows the Flat Tunnel now. Thanks to liver cake...

Agility and Search Dog Training

Yesterday we had Agility Training. Indy was really good. I am concentrating on my signals to give him the information for the next part of the course as quick as I possibly can...... but this is where the problem is.

Yukon was really good. After leaving his toy behind last week by accident, he don't like it anymore. Missy, Ian's Border Collie played with it. Igitt!!!!! We had to come out with something new: Sandra's Liver cake. She is his best friend now. I have to do some Liver Cake tomorrow. He loves the equipment and is such a good boy. He is very much into work, but very layed back.

Today was Search Dog Training. I know now what parts of my equipment is not water proof. Indy done two great searches. He did find every Misper, but there is still place for improvement. His alert is still dependent on cues I give him and also is his re-find. Never mind still some weeks to go to work on it. Now we all crashed out on the bean bag. LOOOOVLLLLY

Bean Bag

Just did get a Bean Bag of Ebay. A real bargain. It said "Monster" Bean Bag on the description, but me not good with english meassurements....... It is a monster. The dogs love it, as you can see. The cheapest and biggest dog bed I ever bought!!!!!

Indian Summer

We have been for a lovely long walk today. It was a really nice afternoon. Amy was on mice watch, but they hear her probably already when she jumps out of the van. She is light as an elephant.

The boys had great fun, their game gets more and more leveled. Indy is still sometimes to rough for Yukon.Unfortunately this is what he learned from Marlon. I think not long and they both learned how to play together on the same level and have real fun together.

As much as I enjoy the time with my dogs, I hope to find a job soon.

Search and Rescue Training

We were out to Search and Rescue Training today. Indy done spot on Find,Alert and Refind. Still try to get really good pictures for the Malinois Display at discover dogs. It gets a little bit into a mission impossible, because of Indy's speed. Slowly but steady we getting there. My friend Sandra joint today to have her Rottweiler assessed. Chance was so excited to have her mum to herself without the collie-gang. She was bouncing about and did not what to do first. She wanted to say hello to everybody with two or four legs. She is such a lovley character, but a typical Rotti a little bit on the clumsey side.

Agility

Agility Training today. It has been highlighted today, that I have to change my handling, because Indy does not need or want the space between him and me anymore. That means I have to run definitely faster..... Yukon has been on the Agility Equipment today and we tried the "Spooky" Flat Tunnel again. He is very toy orientated, so it is easy to keep him on the touch points. If he comes off no toy, and as clever as he is he got it straight away

My Pack !!

Indy working hard to find the Misper

Amy in the weaves at her very last competition at the International Agility Festival

After Search Training last Sunday in Kent

What happened since I opened my blog

I have been so busy, that I totally forgot to update my blog. Indy manage to get me in every final available in Agility this season, but we are still in Grade 2. Next season new try to win out. Anyway, it looks like that Agility will be his hobby. He is the born Seach Dog. We had our assessment under very difficult conditions in September. Indy found both Mispers(Missing Persons) but would not bark at me as his normaly alerts, so we failed. I found out two days later that the poor boy had a throwt infection and a rotten cold. Bless him and still searching in a muggy wood after waiting for several hours in the van. Next try is in December. We training 3 days a week at the moment.
Yukon is already nearly 9 month and we started Agility. I am not sure if he is just stubborn or a little bit "blond". We wait and see how he turns out in 4-15 year times( when maybe grow up). Richard my partner swears he never will grow up. Easy for him to say, with his Working Malinois. She was born all grown up already.
Amy is retired from Agility,gets more and more stubborn and unpredictable towards other dogs. I think she has Doggy-Alzheimers.