The Adventures of Mookie the Mudi

Weekly (now monthly) progress reports (in reverse order)! 2022.10 October Fall Adventures 2022.9 A September to Remember 2022.8 August - Summer Days 2022.7 July - Jumpin' July 2022.6 June - Getting out and about! 2022.5.23-29 - Week 2 -  Learnin' is such fun! 2022.5.22 The first FULL week! 2022.5.15 What he's learned so far!  (the first 4 days)    

So my experience with herding was really just fun stuff.  Back in the mid-2000s, I took Olivia and Kobie to Bonnie Leonard's place to do some herding. I learning then that sheep can knock you down and trample you (resulting in a damaged knee) so I wasn't enthused about getting into a pen with sheep after that.  Then came Brita who was a natural!  Bonnie handled her and she got a herding title at 10 months old.   Fast forward to now.  Smaller dog... and Bonnie has DUCKS!  Perfect! We'll see where this takes us!   Click here to Mookie's photo album with ducks! Monthly adventures start here  (in reverse chronological order order) Check out Mookie's dad "Nandi" herding sheep! October 2022 Herding...  it's said when herding ducks that  it's hard to look innocent with feathers in your mouth. .. While no damage was done to the duck, maybe Mookie won't be a duck herder.  We'll see if next year he is past the teenage boy phase and if it changes thin

 Dog love to sniff!  Dogs NEED to sniff!  And yes there are lots of things they can sniff for!  (Google is your friend with this!)   The sport of NOSEWORK  or SCENT WORK is a very cool activity for all dogs!  I started with Jake, by default actually, when I was having my knees replaced and needed to entertain him for a few winter months.  After researching the sport, I started taking online nosework classes from the Fenzi Dog Sport Academy and was immediately hooked on the training.  Jake's 5 year journey from zero to UKC Champion and AKC Master Elite and Detective is documented on his website, Rock Star Jake . Naturally, because I love the sport, I plan to teach it to Mookie.  The 3 venues we will start with are: AKC Scent Work UKC Nosework NACSW Nosework I've revisited the beginning classes I took and we are well on our way.  Below the photos, I'll document (in reverse order) the monthly progress of this adventure! Click here to go to Mookie's Scent Work Photo Album

June 2022 Each Wednesday and Thursday we go to Winnegamie Dog Club because I help out at rally classes..  We show up early and open up, checking out all the rooms as we go.  Sometimes we do platform or disk exercises and those activities are giving his a solid basis for RALLY and OBEDIENCE. In addition to doing the following exercises at home we work on them at the club: Heeling - Left and right turns Position changes (sit//lie down/on your feet) Up-up on a platform and if platform is long enough then backing up. Recalls and restrained recalls Circles and spins and fancy fun stuff Toy play with tugs and balls and bags

June 2022: Click here for Mookie's Rally journey! Yes, RALLY is a DOG sport! We will be starting with AKC Rally , however, UKC Rally Obedience   could be in the future also.  In Rally, a dog and their handler move together through a course made up of 10-20 signs. Each sign displays a skill to perform such as turns or behaviors like sit, down, or stay. The dog and handler work together and should show a sense of teamwork and enthusiasm throughout the course.    The AKC offers 4 Rally Titles: RN (Rally Novice) 10-15 signs, on leash (3 qualifying runs) RA (Rally Advanced) 12-17 signs, off leash  (3 qualifying runs) RE (Rally Excellent) 15-20 signs, off leash, 2 jumps  (3 qualifying runs) RM (Rally Master) 15-20 signs, off leash, 1 jump (10 qualifying runs) RAE (Rally Advanced Excellent). For the RN, RA, and RE titles, an exhibitor and his dog must earn 3 qualifying scores from two different judges at the appropriate level (Novice, Advanced, or Excellent). Other sports we plan to do

Barn Hunt ...  dogs finding rats safely tucked away in a tube and then telling their handlers they found it.  That's it!  Sounds simple doesn't it?  Well, for some dogs it is and others, well, not so much.  This is from the Barn Hunt website: Barn Hunt is based on the traditional roles of many breeds in ridding farms, barns, crop storage areas, and homes of destructive vermin. Some breeds were specifically created to fill this role, and for many of those breeds, Barn Hunt provides their first true opportunity for responsible breeders to test proper working traits in their dogs. Barn Hunt is also open to any dog of any breed or mix who wishes to play the game and can fit through an 18" wide by bale-height tall tunnel And now you want to know more, right?  First thing, click here to check out the Barn Hunt website. I was introduced to the sport at the second trial offered in Wisconsin in 2013 with Jake.  He excelled in it and was one of the first 2 dogs in WI to reach the Ma