Davis: Gold Nugget's Lode Runner, CD, ASCA CDX, CGC
Pedigree
April 2000
Davis picked up 1 point at the Simi Valley KC. We're up to 7 now.
March 2000
Davis is not quite ready to make his obedience debut. He is still growing up. His forging got a lot
worse before it recently got better. I changed my posture to be more erect and that is helping him stay back.
We are working on stays and attention. I will probably not show him in obedience until Jan. 2001, when
he turns 4. So we are working on the utility exercises while we polish novice and open. He is doing very well.
We are doing go outs to a toy alternating with go outs followed by the turn and sit. We are doing directed
jumping separately. Also working on signals, articles and gloves.
August 1999
Davis is becoming an experienced show dog. He has been showing in conformation since April.
He got 2 points his first time at an AKC show, going Winner's Dog from the American Bred class. He
also got a 4-point major this month for a total of six points. I've shown him a few times, but mostly had
a professional handler show him. We are retired from agility for now, as I find I can only do
two dog activities at a time!
I always keep active in obedience, then I choose my 2nd activity. Right now, it's conformation.
Since the beginning of the year we have been to quite a few obedience matches. He gets better at each
one. At first, he was so excited to go to a new place with new dogs, he just couldn't concentrate. But soon
he was settling into our usual obedience warmups like a pro. He is now able to go into the ring and focus.
At our last match he was completely focused for the whole novice routine and I was thrilled.
He's trying so hard though that he's forging a little and crowding. We'll be working on that now. And he is
not ready to do a "real" group sit-stay and down-stay. He will be on a leash or long line for group exercises
until he is steady. We are now shooting for a spring of 2000 debut. The novice individual exercises
should be ready, so it will depend entirely on how his stays are doing.
He is further along in open. He does a nice broad jump. I have a little fence I stick in the grass in front
of the boards to make sure he jumps straight and makes a nice turn. He is retrieving nicely. We are working
on hold and also on doing good fronts with the dumbbell in his mouth. He is doing the drop on recall behind a
pole on the ground at various positions between us. So sometimes he drops far away, sometimes pretty close
to me. I walk in and reward him, and don't call him in for a front yet. That will come later.
March 1999
Oops, we showed in agility and he clearly was not ready for prime time! He didn't listen too well. But he did
have a lot of fun.
January 1999
Davis is two!
He loves agility and we will enter our first trials next month.
In obedience we are polishing novice and dabbling with open and utility pieces of exercises.
When he does the broad jump I toss a piece of food for a target and tell him get it, then I
call him to me and throw another piece of food between my legs. This is shaping a nice turn and keeping
it fun for him.
He is retrieving his dumbbell on a flexi and also doing motivational recalls while holding the dumbbell.
We are continuing to do utility signals. The drop from the stand will also become the open drop on recall exercise.
And we are doing the jumping portion of the directed jump exercise.
I like to practice jumping (over low jumps) so he gets plenty of regular exercise.
He can do all the complete novice exercises. We are proofing stationary attention and attention during heeling.
He is learning to heel with focused attention even if my training partner tempts him with food or toys.
We also do just short pieces of the heeling exercise--halts, turns, changes of pace--to keep it fun.
We do motivational recalls with no front.
We also do fronts and finishes separately.
And we doodle--left turn, right turn and about turn in place, up sit, back sit, side step, stand, down, sit--all of this
next to me in heel position. He went to his first match on January 1st and did pretty well. Only four mistakes:
looked away during an about turn; didn't sit on a halt; moved one foot during stand for exam; finished crooked (out).
I was pleased with his attitude. He was up and happy and gave me focused attention most of the time in the ring.
October 4, 1998
Davis is now 20 months old. He is continuing to train in obedience.
We are also doing agility now. Doing obedience first really helps. He's catching on really quick.
We just finished our first two 5-week sessions.
We're putting off conformation for a while.
We will probably be ready to compete in obedience in the Novice B class in the fall of 1999, just about a year from now.
Quickie Digital Photos at the Photographer's:
Photo of Davis - Headshot
Photo of Davis - Another Closeup
Photo of Davis - Sitting
Photo of Davis - Sitting Again
Photo of Davis - Standing
Backyard Digital Photos
Davis Sitting - 20 Months
Davis Lying Down - 20 Months"
September 1998
Well, we finally have a nice left turn. He was forging just a little, and that was enough to cause me to bump him.
Now that I am keeping him back where he belongs, he's doing good turns.
August, 1998
We started agility classes on August 1st. It's really fun.
June 1998
We completed a 10 weeks jumping class following the Suzanne Clothier method.
Davis jumps very well, but he's a little wild still. He managed to break 3 PVC jumps during the class.
March 7, 1998
March 2nd was the one year anniversary of Davis' arrival at our house. Hard to believe!
March 6, 1998
Well, another long gap of time went by! We have continued handling class and private obedience lessons.
We start a jumping class at the end of this month. After that I hope to start a beginning agility class.
In handling, he's learned to gait pretty well. Sometimes he pulls too hard!
I want him to gait on a loose lead and let me "steer" him in a circle around the ring.
Stacking is still a challenge. I'm using a clicker and a friend to work on this.
I stack him in a solid stand. My friend approaches him. If he stands still she clicks, I give him a treat.
At first, she could only get to within about two feet of him.
Now she can come all the way up and touch his back two or three times.
Eventually he will need to stand still while a judge looks at his teeth and thoroughly examines him.
We have completed one year of obedience training. He can heel in big circles and in a line.
I have food in my hand, sometimes visible, sometimes not.
He can change pace from normal to slow and from normal to fast.
We do in-place turns. I take one step, then turn right, stop and reward him.
He's learning to watch throughout the turn, and learning the cue "hurry" so he accelerates during the turn.
He can now run out about 12 or 15 feet to his box. It's a PVC "U" shape placed on the ground.
He runs into it and turns around and sits.
He can do all combinations on command: sit, down, stand.
I started out right in front him.
I'm now able to be about 10 feet away from him. The box keeps him from moving forward.
He can also stand at my side (from a sit) on voice or signal command and stay for a few seconds.
He can wait while I go out about 20 feet, then comes when I call. No front yet.
He can do a go out to a toy about 60 feet away, and he loves it.
We are just starting to do fronts and finishes. He follows the food around to do his finish.
The front so far is luring him from a down up into a scoop sit right in front of me.
September 26, 1997
I've been too busy to keep up to date! Davis is full grown now at almost nine months. He is about 22" tall and weighs 55 (and
actually needs to lose a few pounds). We've been to a few handling classes now and he's getting the hang of this conformation
stuff. At first he was too wild around all those other dogs. He's learning to stack and gait, and I'm learning a lot about how to present
him properly. Our obedience lessons are continuing and he's doing wonderfully well. We are building a solid foundation for all three
obedience classes using motivational techiniques. We have the beginning of: heeling, the stand, recall, wait/stay, the drop,
go out and signals.
July 2, 1997
We did a weigh-in and measurement last night. Height is 20" and weight is 46. All his baby teeth seem to be out,
but he's still chewing while his new adult teeth are setting. He'll be six months old in 11 more days. He loves to play
with a kiddy size basketball. I throw it across the yard and he chases it. He usually catches up with it then spins
around in front of it. Maybe he thinks it's a sheep! His other favorite toy is a foxtail, which is a ball with a long nylon streamer
attached. He retrieves it and brings it back to me to throw again.
June 19, 1997
Davis is now five months old. He's about 19" tall and weighs 40. He's in the middle of teething - I find
them on the carpet all the time. He likes to chew on rawhide and a frozen dish towel.
Davis at 4 Months
Davis Chewing
May 18, 1997
Davis turned four months old on May 12th. He's 17" tall and weighs 30 pounds. His mother reached
full height at six months. I hope Davis follows her example, or he's going to be huge! We are continuing our
training, both conformation and obedience. I often train with a friend and she pretends to be the judge,
so we can circle around someone, and approach the judge to be examined. I plan to take a
handling class but don't have time for it until August. Obedience is also progressing. Still doing
accordion down, stand and tuck sit. I'm beginning to fade the food, so it will stop being a lure and become
a reward. Also continuing moving watch, with me backing up while he trots forward with
his head up watching the food. I do puppy recalls, where my friend holds him back, then releases him
when I call. He runs at top speed to get to me - it's so cute. He does a go out to food placed on an
upside-down bucket, running all the way across the back yard. So he's getting a good foundation for
the various obedience exercises.
May 3, 1997
Davis has been to a puppy match and an ASCA conformation show. Unfortunately, he doesn't gait
very well yet, due to my neglecting to teach him what to do! We had fun going into a ring, and he stood
nicely for the judge. But when it was time to trot around the ring, he either chased the puppy in front or tried
to visit spectators outside the ring. Now we practice show ring gaiting every day for
two or three minutes, in addition to our obedience basics.
Davis at 3 Months
Davis on the Patio
April 14, 1997
Davis is growing and learning. He's a lot taller and heavier! He's still learning the obedience basics.
We've added the tuck sit now. We're doing informal recalls and puppy go outs. He's also learning to
go for a walk with the other two dogs. Housetraining seems to be complete - no accidents for at least two
weeks.Of course, it really help to have a pet door and fenced yard. What a good puppy!
March 27, 1997
Davis is now almost 11 weeks old. He's learning down, stand, come, and moving watch.
He has slept all night since the 4th night I had him, and his housetraining is going very well.
He's a very good puppy!
March 18, 1997
He's here! Arrived at my house March 2nd, age seven weeks. He's really a lot of fun!
His call name is Davis. His registered name is Gold Nugget's Lode Runner.
Here's a photo taken at his breeders, just before he came to my house:
Davis (Gold Nugget's Lode Runner)
February 18, 1997
I went to visit my new puppy at the breeder's house when he was five weeks old.
I was 3rd pick on the litter of eight, but I was
1st pick among the four black tris. I spent 24 hours visiting the breeder, the puppies,
and all the adult dogs at the kennel. I met both parents and they're wonderful.
I chose the black tri male!
January 12, 1997
My breeder called me - my puppy was born today! It's a litter of eight, four black tri, four blue merle.
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