The Adventures of Mookie the Mudi

COOPERATIVE CARE  involves training an animal to not only tolerate handling and husbandry procedures, but also to be an active, willing participant in these experiences. This is a sentence from a great article in the Whole Dog Journal that can be read by clicking this link !  I can't say that any of my German Shepherds actually cooperated in their care and, for sure, they were often not a willing participant!  I thought this is going to change with Mookie..  Time will tell, it's a LONG process and I'll update here.  Below in reverse order is the progress we are making with all the things listed!   2023 June - July   Nothing new but he did take a  BATH!   Maybe "take a bath" is the wrong way to put it because he didn't realize what was about to happen after I lifted him into the tub!  Essentially what he did was hunker down and waited for it to be over.  That was followed but the shaking and the ZOOMIES around the hou...

UKC Conformation is a competitive event open to UKC registered purebred dogs, designed to evaluate a dog’s external appearance and structure as it compares to a breed standard. The breed standards describe the ideal qualities measurable through movement, appearance, and temperament of each breed.  UKC Conformation is unique from other registries as it does not allow the use of professional handlers creating a venue in which the owner-handler can excel. Conformation is a great gateway to the other UKC events and is an important part of UKC’s Total Dog award. Total Dog is an award given to dogs that not only look good in the Conformation ring, but can also excel in UKC’s Performance Events (Agility, Obedience, Rally Obedience, Hunting Events, etc.). UKC strongly believes that the Total Dog philosophy is a great test of canine ability and strengthens the bonds between dogs and their owners. And the journey begins (in reverse order) 2023 June  Mookie had a super weekend at Cam...

Well I'm being dragged kicking and screaming to the CONFORMATION arena!  Mookie has been described as "scary handsome" so I really should find out what judges think of him.  I'm learning about AKC and UKC shows and also an organization not as widely known called the IABCA and have been assured that I don't have to buy a dress and white or light colored pants would be just perfect to show off a black dog.  Thank goodness, that could have been a deal breaker!!  lol Click here to go to Mookie's Conformation Photo Album UKC Conformation!!     Click here for the UKC journey.... 2023.2 Camp Bandy (Dodge County Kennel Club) - 1 group placement (3rd), 4 - BOB 2023.6 Camp Bandy (Central WI Kennel Club) - 2 group placements (2nd and 3rd and 2 Total Dog).  Because he was the only Mudi he won Best of Breed so the points accumulated and he earned his Championship that weekend! AKC Conformation !!  It has started!   Click here for the AKC journey ...

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 sheep 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!    Check out Mookie's dad "Nandi" herding sheep! Monthly adventures start here  (in reverse chronological order order) June 2023 - maybe, just maybe...  we'll see!  I signed up for a Duck Dog Clinic on  Aug. 26th in Custer, WI with Samantha Jones !  We'll see what happens!  so excited!   October 2022   Herding...  it's...

DOCK DIVING ...  or jumping into the water to retrieve toys!  What dog wouldn't enjoy that!  Well, lots I suppose but I was introduced to it because of Jake and Brita who loved the water and loved to retrieve so it was natural for them to combine the 2 loves.  Jake was the only one who participated in organized events and had titles in DOCK DOGS and NADD (North American Diving Dogs)!   SO..  because it was such fun I wanted a dog who could compete and I think Mookie is that dog and will learn to love it!  In the meantime, progress is slow and getting wet was just the first issue (drought in Hungary and he looked at rain the first time as if the sky was falling in).  We started our dock diving adventure in August of 2022.  Below, in reverse order is the progress he has made! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2023.7 It's HAPPENING!!  After a few fun swims and then a few privates, Mookie is excited!  He is at the point where he will lay d...

The official term for dog shows is conformation — as in, the act of conforming or producing conformity. While a dog show may look like a beauty pageant, it’s not. Dogs are not being compared to each other; they’re being measured by how closely they conform to the standard of their particular breed .  Why? Because the closer a dog’s appearance is to the breed’s standard, the better that dog’s ability will be to produce puppies that meet the standard. It’s also the reason why mixed breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are ineligible to compete in conformation. As one of the most popular AKC events , conformation events range from large all-breed shows, with over 3,000 dogs entered, to small local specialty club shows that feature only one breed. And the journey is on...  (in reverse order) 2023 January   The second show that Mookie was entered in was held by the Winnegamie Dog Club at the Sunnyview Expo Center in Oshkosh was much bigger but still there was only one Mud...

From the  K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch website: Dogs love to chase and catch Frisbees — anyone who plays with their pups in their backyard knows this. It’s great exercise and mentally stimulating for your dog while strengthening the bond between you and your pet. With K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch , you can take your backyard game to new levels by meeting up with local disc dog enthusiasts and competing in your home town — against other disc doggers across the planet. K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch is an easy game to learn, a friendly yet competitive environment, and great fun for you and, especially, your dog and is the easiest, friendliest, "funnest" dog sport on the planet!!! SO...  we discovered this sport quite by accident from a Realtor friend in Milwaukee, Andrew Han, who pointed me in the right direction for disk play for dogs!  We checked out K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch which led us to Fox Valley Disk Dogs .  Winter came and went and in the spring (2023) we star...

 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   ---    Rulebook UKC Nosework   ---  Rulebook NACSW Nosework   --- Rulebook Detection Dog Trials ---- Rulebook I've revisited the beginning classes I took and we are well on...

The International All Breed Canine Association of America (IABCA) began more than twenty years ago with the intent of making an International Championship Title available to the American public while not exposing the dogs to the danger and inconvenience of international travel.  International Dog Shows are held in accordance with the regulations and guidelines that have been established by IABCA. These guidelines provide for a WRITTEN CRITIQUE FOR EACH DOG ENTERED and a rating number of how well the dog conforms to the breed standards. These standards are based on the ' country of origin ' for each breed, if possible. And the journey begins (in reverse order) 2022.8.7-8 Mookie's first adventure in the world of CONFORMATION shows started with this organization. Because the Badger State Sieger (as it's called in Wisconsin) is held at the Winnegamie Dog Club 20 minutes from my house, I had no excuse and had to enter it!!  Mookie was born February 9, 2022 so he was just ...

It it's in Wikipedia , it must be a thing!!   And it's own website DOG PULLER told me more! And look...  Hungarian dogs!  Mookie can do this! Dog Puller is a dog sport created in Chernihiv, Ukraine in August, 2012. It is relatively new in comparison to other dog sports, but its popularity is growing. The sport is based on exercises with a dog fitness tool called a PULLER , also known as Puller Running and Puller Jumping . While Dog Puller shares various characteristics with dog sports like Agility and Disc Dog, its main principle is accessibility. Dog Puller's exercises are deliberately created to allow any dog-human pair to start training irrespective of disability, level of fitness, or dog breed. Today Dog Puller is an international sport. The Second Dog Puller World Championship was held in 2019, gathering 91 participants from 11 different countries.    RULES for competition are HERE! And exploring more - there is a Facebook group called USA Dog Pullers...

DOG PARKOUR combines elements of human parkour and dog agility to create an accessible activity for dogs and humans alike. Dogs get introduced to the world of jumping, climbing, balancing over, crawling under, and going around different obstacles in their everyday world . Parkour can be done anywhere and is limited only by one’s imagination. Dog parkour helps with confidence and overcoming fears, and it is a low impact but challenging activity for any canine athlete. There are 2 main organizations listed below and the video offers a good general explanation of what parkour is all about!  International Dog Parkour Association All Dogs Parkour Sounds like fun, doesn't it!!!  So I pulled the info from IDPA and away we go!   2023 July - IDPA Training Level Title (PKD-T) completed the required behaviors (4 feet on, 2 feet on, under, through, in, balance and creativity) and obstacles in the yard, recorded them and will submit as required! 

 Dog Carting and Draft Training The natural inclination of dogs to pull has been literally harnessed by a variety of people through the years. Put backward pressure on a leash and collar, and most dogs will pull forward. Take that “opposition reflex” and a nice, padded harness, and you can see where this is going. Forward, of course! Sports for All Dogs: Drafting & Carting Drafting and carting are sports that are open to all breeds of dogs, including mixed-breeds, by several national breed clubs. Pulling carts to help transport items was a task that many dogs were – and still are – trained to do to help around farms. Dogs like to pull – and this gives them an acceptable way to exercise their right to do so! SO...  I googled images for CARTING DOG and OMG the variety of dogs who can pull carts!  The very small to very large were pictured with a huge variety of carts!!  So why not!!  I heard that a Bernese Mountain Dog group were involved in carting in Oshkos...

Agility is one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the country—and for good reason. It’s incredible exercise for both you and your dog, and it forges an even deeper relationship between you. Plus, it’s exhilarating to watch as your dog nimbly and quickly crawls through tunnels, weaves around poles, and leaps through tires!  That is what AKC has to say! Click here for an interesting HISTORY OF AGILITY! There are several organizations that offer agility titles and these are the ones I'm familiar with: AKC  UKC  NADAC Below is Mookie's progress on this adventure (in reverse order).  This is not something I'm in a hurry to do so it will be a slow but definitely FUN progress! 2023.7 It's been a year since I've posted here but we've been "playing" in agility in the yard.  We left some jumps, hoops and a tunnel out for the winter and had fun with that in the small area.  Daily (weather permitting) now in the summer we go out to hang out and do fun stuff with...

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 ...