we passed

So if you haven't talked with me in a while, i have been taking my youngest dog teddy, to obidience school. We are going were going to an animal shelter called NOAH. It has a boarding area, with windows, the animals, aren't actually locked up in cages. This also includes a kitty area, a store, training facility for obidience and agility, and two enclosed play areas and a walking trail. It is really nice and everyone that works there is wonderful. So the first class dealt with basic obidence with positive reinforcement. It included sitting, down, stay, heal, sitstay, and down stay. We also worked on release, and leave it. and walking on a loose leash. This class was a participation pass, so we all got through with a certificate and a toy. It was so amazing how well he took to it, At first i wasn't sure teddy would get it, but he already knew sit, so that helped. once we got the down command, down, it was quite easy. we would go every saturday for an hour and train about a 30 minutes everyday, and walk up to an hour everyday.
So the second class was more intense. We worked on a lot of healing. Going fast, slow, left turn , right turn, about turn, down when healing. so i didn't really understand healing at first, but it is basic. The dog walks at your left side no further out than your ankle. Heal is used for walking at left side, sitting as soon as i stop and turning. it is the hardest because teddy likes to sit to the side or backwards or not at all. We are still working on it. we also did a lot of staying positions, leaving the dog in a stay, for up to 3 minutes. it was just as hard for me to remember what i was doing as it was for teddy. So here are the 10 tests we had to pass in order to receive our akc canine good citizen certificate.
1.Accepting a friendly stranger. The stranger greets the handler, ignoring the dog and walks away. dog is not allowed to show and interest, shyness or aggression.
2. Sitting politely for petting. allowing a stranger to pet the dog, without shyness or resentment( which is included for all testing.) the stranger then let's the dog sniff and politely pets the dog once down the back.the dog may stand up in appreciation to being petted
3. Appearance and grooming. Dog must be in a healthy condition. Allow a stranger to check the ears, front paws, and a one stroke brush down the back, the dog may be in any position for this test.
4. Walking on a loose lead: walking with a right turn, left turn about turn. we actually were healing on this exercise, dog not required to sit when you stop, has to be at left side at all times.
5. walking througha crowd. Dog must walk through a crowd of people without being excited, shy or aggressive.
6. Sit and down on command and staying in place. Showing that the dog will respond to all of the handlers commands.With the dog staying in it's orginal place it will not change position until released.
7. Coming when called: Will position dog and walk away to20 feet, go back to the dog, walk to 10 feet and recall dog.
8. Reaction to another dog. Two handlers walke up and greet one another. The dog should only show signs of natural interest, but not go to the other dog or handler.
9. Reaction to distraction. Handler and dog walk in heal position. Trainer Makes a loud noice, dog should natural react, but not be frightened, or resentful to the object, then a stranger runs in front while healing, dog should not react.
10. Supervised seperation. handler leaves dog with stranger for 3 mintes. Dog must not show signs of seperation such as anxiety, or excessive traits.
we were allowed to encourage and talk to the dogs as much as possible. This is all done with out training collars, pinch collars, treats, or toys. We were also not allowed to use the leash as a correction, must be on a loose leash at all times.
Now let me tell you, i was so nervous. i wanted to throw up and cry. We made it through all of these test, no problem, i was really impressed with teddy and how well he did under pressure. From here i would like to go on to agility training, because i think the obidience would be too much, because he is a nervouse dog and doesn't really like big dogs. so we will see. i am just so glad we passed!

hello... where have i been?

Having time to reflect on who i am what i am to do. I just want to be myself, open honest and not to feel shame on my reactions or thoughts of situations. My goal in life is to be independent within my relationships. i want to be able to take care of myself if i didn't have anybody, even though i do. I want this because i have relied on others for too long. I need myself... So here are my short term goals. If I haven't heard from my legal situation, i will continue on my own and set forth to file the papers, put in an ad and continue down the path of being erin rae cadden, once and for all. Then I will be going back to school, i have decided that working where i do is wonderful, i am great at it, but i need to make a substantial living for myself if i am to take care of myself and family, if it may be. Tony and i want to buy a house, we need a new car, etc. So i need to put my foot forward and better myself. i am so proud of the wonderful friends i have around me and how well they are doing in their lives. That it really does inspire me to be more of me, expand and explore all the possibilities that i have within me. i know it seems that sometimes i talk about these things have high hopes and really don't pursue them. But i don't just want to i need to. I have too much free time and i could be using it to do great things! not just cleaning house, making dinner and bitching about my crappy situation. i will make my life i deem it to be, Thank you everyone for being my friend.

All by myself...

So i am along in the house. for the first time i am totally alone, minus my 2 dogs. tony is working nites all weekend and his parents left for cali this afternoon. haven't been alone in like well, can't remember really. always have somebody home or there with me. kind of not sure, so i am drinking some wine and waiting for a call. a call from my ex to discuss much needed paperwork to be signed. he finally called me the other day. i just want this over and done with so i can move on with my life, the life i have now. so hopefully we will meet up this time sign papers, file them, and with in a couple of months, it will be over. i am not getting my hopes up, but seriously it's been like years and it needs to end, NOW!

So it got to be over 100 last week, that was stupid, sat out in the air conditioned motor home, finally and went camping in la conner to keep cool by the water. it is so beautiful there on the indian reservation, looking at islands and walking along the rocky beaches, i love washington so much wish i could live by the beach in cabin with my doggies and tony. someday, and it will have a golf course near by so i can get rid of tony once in a while.. hehhehe i love him to much to actually get rid of him just long enough so i have time to myself, which i get to nite. so what am i going to do? laundry, clean up a little, find something to eat, talk on the phone, watch tv. and cuddle with my babies. and drink some wine smoke some ciggies. wow, if i was on my own how would i be, really fat? i have a tendency to over eat when people are gone, abandonment eating? Creative, srapbooking is a pastime i should pick up again. On the computer constantly? nah my eyes would hurt, who knows, but 2 nite, well i am gonna do whatever, maybe leave the dishes in the sink because i can. so there, peeps of the house. ahahahhah.