All my Elka stories are new again (plus a new one)

I make the joke, somewhat seriously, that I started this blog to give the people around me a break from dog things.

I can talk about different dog topics, from breeds to training to health, longer than most people I know. It's one reason the Internet is such a great place. There's a message board for that. Or Twitter or Facebook, or another blog. I've spent a lot of time on Doberman Talk, and learned quite a lot. Learned enough that I'm able to give some of that knowledge back when new members come aboard.

The New Year Approacheth

It's that time of year again, when everybody's talking about goals.

I was talking to somebody today who showed me a clipboard with their week's To Do list affixed; I realized that I don't really make To Do lists. I don't even really make shopping lists. I mean, sure, I have a general game plan in mind typically, but it's rare that I actually map out those thoughts in a take along, check list manner.

Which, of course, brought me to my thoughts on the new year.

Elka, now and for the future (400th post!)

So, here we are. 400 posts! It sounds like a lot, doesn't it? I think it sounds like a lot.

I certainly didn't (and still don't) have a finite "arc" for this blog in mind, so I guess it was inevitable I'd make 400 and beyond. I just wanted to mark the milestone!

So, what to talk about? Woefully unprepared, I asked on Twitter what the topic ought to be, and maggie68d helped me out. Elka, obviously. Her achievements and what we've been working on. I thought it a splendid plan!

Friday Fun: Elka the Talking Doberman

I don't have any video yet (I know, sorry), but one of the tricks we're working on with Elka is video-worthy: saying "Hello".

I've mentioned that Elka is very vocal, and that she says "out" when she needs to go outside to eliminate. I don't know how many talking tricks we're going to end up with (probably not as many as Mishka the husky on YouTube), but a few seems pretty cool, and viable.

The reason I even got the idea is because of this situation: A few months back, one of our college neighbors knocked on the door. It was her birthday, she said, and she was having a party. If they got too loud, she said please come tell them, and they would cool it. I was amazed and pleased; none of our college neighbors had ever done such a thing. She introduced herself (I forgot her name), I introduced myself, and Elka, who of course was standing next to me. She looked down and said "Well, hello Elka!" and Elka looked up at her and said "Hello." I was so floored I couldn't even think to reinforce her or anything, and we finished our conversation and went our separate ways. I turned to Jim, who was on the stairs, and said "did you hear that?" He had.


So, now with the lovely weather we've been having, we've had the screen in the front door again. Elka is re-acclimating to those sounds (people walking past, car doors, the screen jostling in the wind) and will alert us to each one of them. Awesome. Since they don't all need our attention, I've been working to redirect her. She hasn't yet said "Hello" cold, but will make reinforceable "Hello" noises once she starts going and then I say "Elka. Hello!"

She's a bit confused so far as to what I'm marking, but she's getting there. And she's "talking" more, which makes me think maybe we'll add more. I also don't want to muddy her "Out", which has gotten pretty reliable.

Book Review: Brain Games For Dogs, by Claire Arrowsmith

Since I'm working on Elka's Trick Dog Titles (just 4 new ones left until Intermediate Trick Dog is ours!), and since it sometimes takes a lot to occupy Elka in the house, I frequently check out every book that intimates that it's on tricks and training and other such things.

Brain Games For Dogs, by Claire Arrowsmith, is a slim volume, but it shows basic obedience and tricks that you can do to engage your dog's brain, and have a lot of fun in the process.

So, what's really important?

When Elka and I are out about town, walking, we see (and hear) a lot of different dogs.

Some of the dogs are on leashes, and calm.  Some are off leashes, and calm.  Some are off leashes, and little monsters.  Some are on leashes and monsters.  Some are clearly alone in houses, some are in yards with people who yell at them for barking, and with people who don't.

Clearly, different people have a lot of different ideas about what they want out of their dog's behavior.