Category Archives: Emeline Down Easter Alexa Vom Schutzburg

All about ms emeline’s training and progression towards hers certification with New York State Federation of Search and Rescue.

The storms roll in and the search continues

Posted on by

This last week has been rough, we lost power for over 72 hours and it was HOT!! The dogs toughed it out good but mom and dad were none to happy. We spent friday moving a friend of ours and Emeline, Raina, and Abby joined us in the truck all morning and afternoon. It was better then being stuck in the hot house!! The girls did great like usual and got a short walk around Oneonta as their reward. Saturday we searched the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers for the missing women from a recent car accident. The girls once again piled up in the truck and reluctantly watched their fellow team mate K9’s work, knowing in a few short months they will be certified and ready to roll!

Boat getting ready to go out

Sunday the search continued and if it was possible it got hotter! The wind was whipping good and the current was pretty strong but we did the job and covered much area around  both rivers.

This week is vacation week, and other then a Tuesday shift at the veterinary hospital and of course our weekly clients the week is all about the dogs!!!! (I know i know how is that really different from any other week???)

The end of the world as we know it

Posted on by

prowl

Honestly i’m to busy in my little doggie filled life to pay attention to what goes on in most the world, but even this news did pop up on my facebook account this morning when i got up. It’s really a shame that people have nothing better to do then make up fictional dates and activities that will never happen. So rather then dwell on any possibility that life as we know it will end i got out and trained some dogs!!!!!!

The main lesson for today was training in the rain is fun!!!!  Well it’s wet at least. All 3 girls plus felix got a short search problem in the rain and thunderstorms that ensued this miserable afternoon. Despite the downpour, thunder, and distant lightning (no one was in danger, we made sure the bad portion of the storms was going around us so we were just able to desensitize the dogs to the sounds and environment without actual danger) everyone did AMAZING. Now in most situations we will not search in sever thunderstorms but it doesn’t hurt to know that the dogs can do it without any hesitation. They know there job and they do it well.

I was extremely proud of abby (who’s indication is a bump, meaning she comes up and slams me on my chest as hard as she can then takes me back to the subject) who not only located the subject in her off trail problem but i had already passed him so she had to come up and slam my back which was the first thing presented to her!!!! We had been working the last few months on getting her to slam me anywhere not just my front so i know that she would alert me no matter what part of my body was closest to her. Way to go Abigail!!!

Foto Friday

Posted on by

Sit stay in front of the lake

annnnnnnnnd ACTION

I was sleeping

And another one bites the dust

Posted on by

Another weekend gone by. I really don’t know how they go this fast anymore. It’s been a stressful weekend with Abby up at Cornell sick with no direct answer yet as to why. I know they are taking good care of her but i’m still a wreck especially because she is puzzling all the doctors there with her abnormal anatomy in her abdomen!

ready for the command

With the nice weather Kara and I have been able to get up to the state land behind my house and work the girls almost everyday. Erik is amazing enough to hide for us all the time and i’m pretty sure Raina has a crush on him!

pullllllll

We have been working on building raina’s nose time in her search problems and placing the subject in heavy brush. Her third test will be a 30 acre heavy brush test which will be one of our hardest! I have been doing blind problems on a regular basis so that i know how to read my dog in all terrain and wind conditions. Raina has taught me so much these last few months!

Eme is also working on some nose time, as well as getting her bark as strong as her sisters. She has always been a thinker and i see it now more then anything. She needs to fully understand what she is doing to get it down, but when she does there is no fault in the process at all. Once her barking starts she delivers the full out bark and bounce just like her daddy Quax!

Alerting to the find

The time is flying by, and i cannot believe its already may. We have a lot to cover before the summer is up and many more tests to tackle so we can get the girls fully operational! This weekend will be a nice break when we attend a Bill Dotson seminar up in the finger lakes area of New York. He is a SAR legend and i’m sure i and the girls will learn a lot from him!

Keep moving

Posted on by

The girls spend most of their time off leash either working or hiking so we must practice self control exercises and focus work while out and in the field. The girls are used to this on our land and while out together or with our other dogs in the pack but they also need to be able to do the same with more distractions and in variable environments.

Stay work

The environment is new, we have never visited this state land and felix is a dog that was turned over to Life Long Tails and is currently in training with his K9 handler Kara for Search and Rescue with Amigo Search Dogs.  A simple training command that is obeyed so perfectly at home can be a challenge if to many variables are changed to quick. Both girls did great this time as we have been practicing separate and together in varying environments for the last few months.

Girls

The hard work pays off!

Better then a bird

Posted on by

Training the dogs is great, its a mental and physical release, whether its my own kids, or a training class or private session. The focus, the dedication and the overall joy of having that connection allow me to leave this world and enter another, one with just me and the canine. I can really step back and view him or her they way they should be, as a dog.

Anyone who knows me knows that i am a talker, and i am not afraid to say anything!  This allows me to talk through what the dog is thinking, and why it is behaving how it is, and really explain what i see to clients. This clear communication is part of our foundation at Elite Instinct Canine.

annnnnnd...........ACTION

The girls love a good training, whether its just basic obedience or their favorite search and rescue missions! The other kids really love just polishing up on some obedience and getting a few trips out to the dog park.

L-O-V-E

Either way its spring and soon will be summer the dogs are happy and i gotta go out and find a pool!!!

ahhhhhhhhh

Almost recovered

Posted on by

Eme gets her stiches out today and will be able to go back to full speed this week. She has been cooped up for the last 2 weeks and i know once she is released she will be crazy! The last few weeks she has done great, despite a lot of crate rest the first few days and only leash walks in the woods she is still well behaved and calm in the house. The despair in her eyes every time Raina and Abby have left the house and i’ve been dressed in my training clothes has melted my heart. Thank goodness its over and she better not hurt herself again!!

brotherly and sisterly love

A tough test

Posted on by

The last week has been very tough, an emotional rollar coaster of sorts for me and even for some of the dogs.  The most important thing as we made it through even stronger. Eme is currently recovering from surgery on her leg and her spay. She is very unhappy about her ecollar and her kennel time, and of course on our walks just wants to get off leash and play with a stick!

Everyone else is holding their own right now.  Raina has passed two of her 5 tests for certification, her first was an off trail test she took in Hancock last week and her second was yesterday and was 20 acre moving subject. She gave me 3 refinds barked until i said SHOW ME and passed with flying colors. I was able to practice my navigation in a real life setting which was great and had to work the area, read my dog, watch the wind, and navigate with precision.

The weather is getting nicer (when it doesnt rain that is) and the days longer. I look forward to more outside time with the pups but shorter blog posts 😦

The girl