Busy Bees!!!

We have a busy couple of weeks coming up for the tollers. Next week I will be packing up Cami and Casco for a road trip to Ballston Spa, NY. I have entered Camden in to a weekend of shows. We will be staying with Jake and Christine's. It should be interesting to see how Casco treats another intact male. Jake is such a good boy though just hope he is ready for Casco-crazy! I will definitely be packing crates that weekend!

It will be my first road trip alone with the two tollers and I'm sure it will not be my last. I know this is going to be one of many trips to shows or events... just the beginning of it all. I'm excited to get Casco out there and around the hustle and bustle of shows. Crates and treats are a must for this weekend trip. I am also hoping to have people give him the once over. As of right now whenever you go to touch him he collapses into a puddle of excitement and fur. If I go to try and move a leg and position him he lowers his head and braces himself moving another paw. He seems very unsure of himself with hand stacking and people touching him. He isn't afraid so much as just doesn't understand what we are asking. He has always been able to sit or roll over on his back and get belly rubs. Having someone move his feet and stack him is a completely new concept. I'm hoping that I will get lots of good training tips and build up that confidence. Even if I have to ask random people to give him the once over!! Don't even get me started on grooming tables, Dremels, and basically everything involved with grooming. Lots of work getting him ready, but I know it will be worth it once we get the go ahead for showing! He is a very handsome boy. In true Toller Trouble fashion it can't be easy! He does has a kink in his tail, but as far as I can tell it shouldn't put a damper on our fun too much... crossing my fingers!

The following weekend I have another show with Camden. This one is in Fitchburg, MA. It will be nice to have Camden show there since that is where it all began. It was the place where I first brought her to see about conformation. It was the first place I met Debbie and Christine... Laurie and her adorable son.... it was the first place I met Jakey and many other fabulous tollers. It is also the first place I met Robyn and Cooper and also the first place I met Jane. It just seems like it is coming full circle for us. I am hoping that I can talk my brother into coming with me that weekend just for one day. I really want him to see what this is all about. It would be great if we could bring Casco to get more training and exposure for him. Casco will be a pro before we know it! He is such a smarty and does pick up on things really fast!

My mother even mentioned the possibility of entering Casco in a conformation class this fall, like we did for Camden. I know that was essential in helping me and Camden understand what was going on as well as teach her that there was to be other dogs to ignore and other dogs in front and behind her. She did so well, but Casco might not be as focused. She did state that she might even take him since my schedule is all over the place and most of the time is very late. I wouldn't be able to get out early enough on the same day every week. This would be so great. Not only would Casco be getting valuable training and exposure to real life ring situations, but my mom would be learning how to show... and seeing why I enjoy it! There is nothing like those moments where it clicks and that bond it creates for you and your dog!

Also, in the upcoming weeks, we will have some "swimming lessons" and training for dock dogs! Cross your fingers, but I'm currently trying to convince my parents to take the tollers to dock dogs practice this Saturday. I will be at work and am unable to make it. I believe, with some encouragement, Casco will actually jump in! I have faith! Cami on the other hand might not even, but I'm hoping for maybe some ramp work and maybe some swimming.  I do have this Wednesday off for a rotation day and I will be heading out and working on toller training, weather permitting. I'm thinking some swimming lessons for the tollers at the beach and 'Field Work Commands: 101'. Time to dust off the whistle and see if we can get a whistle sit and a whistle come for the tollers. I do hope to get some footage of this if I can so I can judge where they need the most work. There is nothing like watching yourself and your dogs on film to see where you both can improve. One of the bigger pieces of advice that I have for anyone training their dogs... I really think it does help to see everyone!

So long for now from all of the gang...

Camden, Quinn, & Casco

Pet Life Dock Dogs National Event

This past weekend was full of fun and excitement for the Tollers. We took them to the Dock Dogs even on Saturday. The event was located at Pet Life (Cabela's Plaza) in our home town of Scarborough. This event is one of the best dock dog events I have been to. They have bleachers and a seated section under a tent. Pet Life even set up several kiddie pools and a hose with holes in it to mist the dogs and keep the pavement cool.

The threat of rain of severe thunderstorms stayed away leaving us with sunshine and a slight breeze. After seeing several dogs  off the dock there was one inspirational dock dogger. A jack russell terrier sped down the dock and launched itself off the dock. Now the dog may not have had the longest jumps that day, but I would say was definitely a crowd pleaser. If only Quinn loved water. I really need to teach her to love it.. She is so fast and can jump so high. Plus she is a diva and loves attention. I would of course have to buy her a hot pink superfly suit.

We decided to take a break and hang out by our pool to try to beat the heat. After a breather we went back to check out the extreme vertical (EV). For those of you that don't know EV it is where they hang a bumper suspended over the water. It's measured from the dock to the height of the bumper before being swung out over the water. Based on your dog skill level you can choose what height you wish to start jumping at. For example, you will have one dog start at 6'0" and another at 6'6". It keeps going up in 2" increments your dog is allowed a miss, but after the second miss you are eliminated. Team Dalton made their debut at 6'4" and rocked it! We watched jump after jump until Beckett, a Belgian Mallinois, hit a personal best of 6'10" and Taho, a Yellow Labrador Retriever, was left to battle it out with Trip, a Chocolate Labrador Retriever. Both got all the way up to 7'4" before missing and being eliminated.... so it falls to a "shoot out".

Taho and Trip now must would go down an inch and if they both make it then they go up 2" if they both miss they go down another inch. They started off again at 7'4", both missed it... and it was lowered to 7'3" which they of course both hit. The bumper was again raised, this time to 7'6"... which of course they both miss. This time lowered back down to once again the illusive 7'4"! Trip was up first and the poor guy just had no more gas in the tank. After Trip's miss it was up to Taho to end it. He launched himself off the dock and managed to knock the bumper down. He hit 7'4" a personal best. After talking with Jesse and Jen it is truly amazing. He has hit 7'2" once in practice and he has only hit 6' 10" in competition! What a pup! Trip also hit a personal best of 7'3". What an amazing day!!

EV Rankings:

1.) Taho 7'4"

2.) Trip 7'3"

3.) Beckett 6'10"

***If you are interested in in seeing most of the high flying action follow this link to Camden's youtube channel to see all the Dock Dogs action!***

We went back on Sunday too to catch Taho in Speed Retrieve (SR) where he clocked in at a respectable 7.065 seconds. We also caught Beckett in the Big Air Semi-Pro Finals and got to see Taho win the Pro Big Air Finals! I also heard that Taho also won Iron Dog breaking 3000pts another personal best!!! WOW!!! WAY TO GO TEAM DALTON!

As far as Camden and Casco are concerned they are already members of Seacoast Dock Dogs. Casco has yet to get up on the dock, but we shall see soon enough how comfortable he is with it. As for Camden is concerned she has been up on the dock, to the edge and crying, but she won't jump in. We did work a little with her on the ramp, but she won't swim yet. I'm going to have to get some advice and a little help from Team Dalton on this one!

If anyone is interested in learning more about the awesome sport of Dock Dogs or the Seacoast Dock Dogs Club to which we belong please visit the links! They really are worth taking a peek!!

If you would like to know more about the amazing dogs a people behind Team Dalton and Team 21, which supports down syndrome awareness please visit the links and keep an eye out... They might just be coming to a dock dogs event near you!

WOOF! WOOF!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Breaking News for Toller Troubles...

We are currently in the process of getting Casco's limited AKC registration removed! Some of you may not even know that my family owns a second toller. My time and this blog have been dedicated to our 15 month old female toller, Camden. This is mainly due to the fact that she is "mine". Casco is also from Seastar and is 4 days younger than Camden. While I've been working with her and taking her to shows our male toller has been living in upstate New York with my younger brother. Even though both tollers are our family pets Casco is considered Darren's. 

My brother recently was accepted into Tuft's Dental School. While we are extremely proud of my brother this means big changes in all of our lives. When we took on two toller puppies instead of one we knew this day might come. Casco will be staying in our house for the next 4 years while Darren attends school and chases his dreams. All pups under one roof... let the chaos begin! 

Welcome to the Jungle

While my brother is away at dental school I am taking the opportunity to work with Casco and show him. This does mean that I will have to also enter the show ring. I know, I know this is way overdue. 

I am not sure if it because he is a male but Casco has a lot more "energy" than Camden. It could be because he has been living with two males and no other dogs. He has been moved into a "new" house with "new" dogs and "new" humans. Although, none of these things are indeed new to him it is still different than before. Casco is adjusting well to everything including learning who truly rules our house... my 10lbs miniature pinscher, Quinn. He is a trooper and I am overjoyed to have him around.

I really would love to see him and Camden in the show ring, in the field, and on the dock together. Having him home allows me to work towards that goal. Fist step is to get his limited AKC registration removed so we can show him. I'm giving him time to adjust before really hitting the training. He is really smart and picks up on stuff easily. So hopefully it won't be too long or hard teaching him to free stack.

Our first priority is confirmation and a close second is dock dogs! Casco has been jumping into Seneca Lake at the encouragement of my brother. He also even jumped into our pool once after Darren, He is well on his way to rocking the dock. We will be heading to dock dog practices with both Camden and Casco. I am excited because I think he might actually go in the pool easier and faster than Cam. Camden is still working on her confidence with swimming, but I hope that it well soon become second nature to both of them. Dock Dogs would be something our whole family can enjoy! 

I really can not wait until we are flying off the dock and strutting our stuff around the show ring. The field work will take longer to master because of the level of training involved, but that is something my brother and I really want to do. With a duck and a pheasant in the freezer, I plan on taking a vacation in the fall to help work with them on basics and introduce birds to Casco. Cami has already seen and held a duck at the Toller Field Fun Day, but even then she was not too sure what she was supposed to do with it.  All I can say is BRING IT ON team toller trouble is ready!