[Image description: two silver and black Muscovy ducks graze in the grass near the camera while two white ones forage in the background]

going to collect all the silly certifications for fun with this dog.

[Image description: a black and turquoise insect rests on a leaf.]

Doing my rounds in the garden and I happened upon this lovely creature. I have very few ideas what it could be - possibly a sawfly or native bee - but it's stunning.

this was always my goal with her, so i'm pleased as punch! i remember my agility trainer giving me the most "what are you doing with this dog?" look so many times, haha.

Weather is good enough to take out little explorer around the block again. He had a great time but got a big fright from the garbage truck noises so we did need to carry him home.

[Image description: an Australian shepherd rests his paw on my shoulder while our cat looks on with envy]

It's basically every time I am not in motion

Wolves are the ancestors of our domestic dogs. In some breeds, such as sheepdogs or huskies, the similarities are clear to see. In contrast to wolf-like domestic dogs, wolves have a longer body as well as being longer in the leg.

the canine good citizen test consists of ten items:

1. accept a friendly stranger
2. sit politely for petting
3. accept ears and feet touched, plus a brush
4. walk on a loose leash
5. walk through a crowd
6. sit, down, and stay
7. come when called
8. react appropriately to another dog
9. react appropriately to a distraction
10. stay with another person for three minutes

this is something i try to get with all my dogs, but my little dog definitely did not pass back when she took it as a yearling. very proud of how far echo has come since she's come to live with me—hard to believe that was only about three months ago!

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The League of Pigs YT channel is so much fun!

Here is a short bit of what our larger pond sounds like at dusk now that the frogs are awake.

Oh nooo now we're cuddling 😇

[Image description: an Australian shepherd makes a tired face after behaving at the pet store]

I'm really proud of him, there were a lot of dogs there and he stayed focused on me for pretty much the whole time; lots of practice with "leave it" and "look at that/look at me" (engage/disengage game) paying off

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/14220081

> I tried explaining how serious the ramifications are, but he's got a real problem with authority.

her fastest time this weekend was 9.56 seconds (21.40 mph). i’m so proud of her for running despite the cold (and rain on the first day). we wrapped her up in a towel right up to the gate the first day because it was so miserable, and on the second day she had her sweater plus i held her inside my fleece, hehe.

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we should get the professional video back in a week or two!

the backstory is that jean has gotten really head shy over the years, to the point where she would run away anytime i got her collar out. lo and behold, turning this into a "trick" worked like a charm. now she's happy and excited every time she sees her collar, and it has become one of our best recall tools.

you'll notice i also often treat her when i take the collar off, so she wants to stick around after i remove her collar rather than bolting away from me. this is especially important since she's a sporting dog (agility and fast CAT).

at the end are some tricks she already knows, just for fun. :)

Forgive me if this kind of post isn't allowed.

I wanted to ask people what was new going on with their pets, if they had maybe learned something about them, or maybe just gotten one. Just two examples.

For my part, I have two adopted boys (Champion and Bowser) and had to, a couple years ago, move back in with my mom and now we share a house with her and her two dogs. Champion has always had a lot of behavioral challenges, which led to me doing extra work at my previous job to learn how to train him better (I worked at a doggy daycare and we had to also learn how to train dogs.)

But somewhere along the way between moving to a new place and having to work with him to teach him it was okay for the other dogs to play together (among various other things I've had to help him learn), Champ lost interest in most things other than a bit of play outside (he's still a bit rough around the edges there too) and sleeping on my bed. He's very difficult to walk because of his anxiety, too.

However!

Recently he started showing interest in a rope toy and when I picked it up and waved it, he grabbed onto the other end and started to pull. We had a great, really long session of tug-o-war and he was really worn out by the end. I've managed to replicate it several times now and it's given me a lot of hope for not just play time, but that he might be able to do things like walks in the future again.

What's going on in everyone else's pet parent lives?

Back when I was training folks on how to work with their dogs I had a mantra that "training should be fun for everyone". While part of that was advice on how to engage their dogs with training games, the other piece of that was that the humans should be having fun with the training as well. Part of that was having cue words that made the person smile or laugh, as a way to help change our brain chemistry during difficult training scenarios.

So, what are your jokey funny cues for your puppers?

from left to right: loki, jean grey, and echo. all rescue dogs and all the best dogs. 🥰

A rare event was documented: a single killer whale, or orca, successfully hunted and killed a juvenile great white shark. This "astonishing" attack, filmed in 2023, showcased the orca's exceptional predatory skills. It's the first recorded instance of a solo orca hunting a great white, highlighting the animal's adaptability and learning abilities.

Previously, scientists had observed orcas working together to target and consume the livers of great white sharks. This new observation raises questions about the impact of killer whale behavior on shark populations and potential consequences for the ecosystem. The scientists emphasize that further research is needed to understand the motivations behind this behavior and its broader ecological implications. The discovery also highlights the remarkable hunting skills and intelligence of killer whales.

jean (the little tan dog) was so good about coming to me and jumping into my arms after each of her two runs. so glad we got some photos of that.

this was loki's (the australian shepherd's) first fast CAT. look at those goofy ears! he also loves kids, so it's no surprise he was checking them out after he ran, hehe.

photos by dahlie dog studios.

i’ve been doing more training sessions lately since we’re headed into trial season(s). i try to keep my sessions short 5-10 minutes, and i figured i would start recording some to see progress. :)

more photos here: https://postimg.cc/gallery/wpD86tvn/981bfbab

and more about fast CAT here: https://highlandcanine.com/what-is-fast-cat/

she only did a fun run, so no scoring. her first real event is on the 24th!

[Image description: a four month old tabby cat looks intensely at the camera]

This is Frostbite, the kitten who took shelter in my parents' garage during a recent period of cold weather. She's gotten her first round of shots so far and is currently quarantining due to her lack of distemper 2. It's been reported that she is soft and has a deafening purr.

This is not the first time the house (possibly placed upon some ancient sacred spot) has manifested an animal matching the wishes of a child occupant.

Won't be doing any laundry just yet then.

Edit - pic didn't load

And now I know.

This was my wife’s new throw/ blanket thing. Daisy never used to get on the sofa. But now if the throw isn’t there, she’ll sit and look until one of us cracks.

She loves these throws. And as long as I keep my ankles crossed and legs still, she'll stay.

Must admit I choked up a bit as our last two would never do this.

[Image description: a spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, on a snowbank somehow]

I heard the ducks having a freakout in their yard - they were all gathered around this absolute specimen of a salamander with poor timing.

she’s overwhelmed and confused right now with the long drive and new home, but i’m looking forward to seeing her come out of her shell over the next few weeks. 🥰

i see a lot of confidence building in her future.