Archive January | van Layne Working Dobermans Blog

Archive for January, 2009

New Camera

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Thought I would share some random photos taken with my new camera (Nikon D90)

I haven’t really had a chance to use it much since I have had it…not near as much as I would like to anyway… I still need to read the manual and maybe take a class or two. I love taking pictures, but when it comes to truly understanding all the functions on the camera…I am totally clueless. I am GOING to learn how to use this camera though. I like what I have seen from it so far. (Without really adjusting much) Just thought I would share some pics…

Health Testing…

Monday, January 26th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Back in December I bought a holter moniter from Alba Medical for my dogs. Knowing that they are in good health is really important to me. Alba Medical - Canine Holter Moniter

So far I have holtered Piper and Rommel.

I got Piper’s results back very quickly! She only had one pre-mature heartbeat in a twenty four hour period. Excellent result for a four year old boxer girl.

But boy didn’t I feel like a retard when I got the email that Rommel’s tape had nothing on it! Yes, that is correct…blank. Some dum-dum (me) didn’t start the recording, so it has to be re-done.

I plan to re-do Rommel’s holter test next week. I am going to Ziris at that time as well.

I took Ziris last Thursday and had her hips and elbows x-rayed. We sent off Hips, Elbows & Patella’s to OFA. Everything looked great, so we are just waiting to get the results back from OFA.

I also got my vWd test kits in the mail from VetGen. I know that Brownie is Clear by parentage. (Both parents were clear) but I wanted it on file anyway. You never know. So…I sent off DNA on Rommel, Ziris & Brownie. Hopefully I will get their vWd results back soon.

Guess that is about it for now. I am waiting on Friday to come out of heat so that she can be spayed.

Hopefully I can report good health testing results very soon!

Training Update…

Sunday, January 25th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The last few days of training have been very good. I think Ziris is finally coming to the understanding that obedience is just a way of life, and compliance is not optional. However, I think she just might be starting to enjoy it. (Yes, I am shocked…haha) She is even bringing me the ball right back without running around like a retard first, playing keep away and making me yell at her. :) Growing up??? I hope I haven’t jinxed myself. I try to make obedience fun for her, but with her I think there is a very fine line between making it fun, and allowing her to run the show. She has to know that she has to do it… but I still want that “drive” in obedience…anyway….I have been mainly focusing on the long down, heeling, pivots (working on the basic position), about turns, and the motion exercises. Ziris hates the platz command. There is not a doubt in my mind that she KNOWS what Platz mean…needless to say…when I say platz…she hits the deck willingly now. I have been working on this at home also. I guess it is finally paying off. I have also started adding more control in the bitework. She seemed a little off at first, but quickly bounced back. I knew there was a “good girl” in there somewhere.

Brownie is doing great also. I have just scratched the surface with him…up until a few weeks ago he didnt even know what sit meant. He thinks that obedience is a VERY fun “game” though, which is the way it should be at his age. He is very food motivated so it makes teaching him things very easy. He is my little superstar, I hope that I can keep it this way. He is my one in a million.

Rommel loves obedience, he has come such a long way over the past 6-8 months. There is still some fine tuning to be done, but he learns very quickly, and he is just a fun dog to work with. I have learned alot from him…going back and “re-teaching” things, fixing problems, etc. We are STILL working on dumbells, but we will pull it all together. He did really good with the dumbells yesterday.

Tracking is my least favorite of all three phases, anyone who knows me…knows that. It is just blah to me…BUT…thankfully my dogs enjoy it. I have been very lazy about tracking lately. I HAVE TO get my butt in gear. Ziris will never get her Schutzhund I if I don’t track her. I know she can do it, and will do it, so I think I have kind of taken that for granted.

We went out and tracked yesterday morning for the first time in forever. It was like we never stopped. I did 2 short tracks, one for Z and one for Brownie. Z tracked really well, she didn’t pick up much of the food from the track, but she did good. She downed on the articles WITHOUT any help from me. She wasn’t exactly straight on the first article, but I reminded her and she straightened right up. I was very happy with her considering my laziness of not tracking lately. Brownie…well…you can just hear his nose going the whole time. He did great also. He totally demolished the flag at the start, I swear he doesnt even notice them, and just plows them right over…haha.

Well, I guess that is all for now… 2009 is going to be a good year, I just know it.

Rufus the Pitbull

Saturday, January 24th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Thank you to MaryEllen for allowing me to post these video’s of her dog. They are so neat.

Rufus, you are one cool dog… Congratulations on your much deserved retirement.

van Layne dobes go to Hollywood…

Friday, January 9th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Okay, maybe not hollywood… but just after Christmas we went and filmed a commercial with Matt Iseman. (host of Sports Soup on the Versus Channel, and Clean House on the Style channel)

The commercial is for the Versus Network, advertising Sports Soup, the NHL All Star Game, and Pulver vs. Faber fight January 25th.

It should start airing today on the Versus Network. The website is up at http://www.versus.com/letisemanlive

Every single photo on the website is my 9 month old puppy “Brownie” He just never ceases to amaze me…To walk onto a set at 9 months old and be totally confident and unphazed by the cameras in your face, the lights, the bells, the commotion, the actors, the people, the cords everywhere… well…I think that is pretty darn impressive.