The Dish by Darcy

I’d said that the weatherman had down graded our blizzard…he was wrong! It’s a little hard to tell but it looks like we have over a foot of snow now and it’s still blowing like crazy. Looking at radar, it looks like it’s turning around and coming back right over the top of us. We’re already snowed in, a few more inches of blowing snow won’t make any more difference to us. But….

I do worry about the cattle and the horses and the beautiful people who take care of them in wind like this. The horses will find shelter but the cows will walk with the wind behind them and pile up on each other if they come to fences. Dumb old cows. I love those guys.

One thing I don’t miss from my younger days is feeding livestock in weather like this. I was the smallest of all the kids so I drove the horses pulling the hay wagon, my brothers and sisters had to do the real work of pulling hay off the wagon with hay forks. But the real work kept a person moving and warm. My job was to stand in front of the wagon seat, the reins of six draft horses in my hands, and make sure we went the right way. Talk about a humbling of character to go out into the elements and take care of living, breathing spirits who don’t really seem to mind it all that much.

Well, I baked all day today. I had a ball but I’ll have to freeze most of it. We’re snowed in. Nobody’s getting in or out for a while. Not until this wind lets up.

The puppies are beat, they were out playing a big share of the day, in and out, in and out of the house. Even huge Oliver had to plow through the snow. He puts his nose into the snow and runs like a plow, he got stuck a few times, it’s pretty deep in drifts. Very funny to see. He and Frankie are loving their first winter. Tilli went out, too, but the snow is too much for her. She stayed in the shallower parts along the patio. And the cats? They sit and watch, trying to catch snowflakes with their paws. Meela was the funniest. She was watching the wind blow the snow in circles. Eyes and head this way, then that way, then up and around. They are the entertainment.

Stay safe and stay warm. Merry Christmas, Everybody! – Darcie

“Dear Santa, I can explain…. Kent”

Frankie is counter surfing. Oliver has Kent's glove and won't give it back.

Dear Darcie, Would you take a minute to tell me how you taught your dogs to walk into their own collars? You had four dogs the last time I saw all of you together, the three Tervs and Kari, your Golden. You held out a collar, said each dog’s name and each walked right into their collar! How did you teach them that? I’ve been trying with my dog for weeks, it’s not working. I send you my warmest wishes for your Christmas. I pray that your heart is healing from Dancer’s passing earlier this year and that you’re making room for another. Karen

Dear Karen, Just the other day Tilli came to me and as I hugged her close and put my nose into her back for a great big whiff of warm, loving Terv and I started crying. She smelled and felt so much like Dancer that it brought waves of missing my old girl. I know that Dancer is safe and at peace. She was my best dog ever. One of these days I’ll be ready for another. No one could ever replace her of course but all of my dogs have been special in one way or another. Dancer and I had that connection that is simply beyond my understanding, we really knew each other. I’ll love her forever.

Okay, on to a dog walking into it’s own collar. It’s easy to teach. Some dogs will learn faster than others, if you’re consistent and never put their collar on for them, you’ll see quick results.

Practice by yourself first before you start with the dog so your motions will be fluid and easy. It only takes a couple of practices to understand how to do this. The dogs will be fast so knowing what you want to do before you start will help you teach them more quickly.

Hold the collar open with one hand. Reach through it with a treat in your other hand so the collar is around your forearm. Offer the treat to the dog. You might need to take a step or two backward, you want the dog moving forward into the collar to take the treat.

When dog is moving forward to take the treat, slip the collar over your treat hand and onto the dog’s neck while the dog is eating the treat. While he is taking the treat say, “Put your collar on.” Keep a hold of the collar if your dog is one that takes off. Count to three while the collar is on. Without letting go of the collar say, “Let’s take your collar off,” and take it right back off. Immediately praise with pleasure, “Good dog.”

Do it all once again and stop, that’s enough for right now.

Do it again in about an hour. And again in another hour. And every time you need to put collars on to go somewhere. Practice in the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, on the couch, on the floor, on the bed, outside the house.

The reason to practice behaviors in all places and with different people around is that when a dog learns a trick in the kitchen and you move to the living room and then to the yard or street, it becomes a new trick to the dog. The scenery has changed, the people are different, there are more distractions. Make sure that everyone in the family and all of your friends can put the collar on and take it off, giving a cookie when the collar is going on. Soon you won’t need a cookie any more. Fade the treats fast, that means only treat until your dog gets it and then maybe every third time for a while, then not at all. Praise always.

Don’t worry about training perfectly, you don’t have to be a perfect trainer to train anything. It’s all about having fun and getting the job done. I do a lot of laughing to make training fun. See those wagging tails!

Ultimately the behavior is, “Put your collar on.” Dog walks into the collar you’re holding open for them. Very soon the reward will be, put the collar on and we go out! Dogs love to go!

It’s so much fun to watch people’s reactions to this trick. How did you do that?! Stay humble, you really didn’t do anything but hold a collar and give a cookie. The dog did all the work. LOL!

Have fun! Merry Christmas to you and yours, too! I love you all. – Darcie

This was the first time these puppies have trained to put the collar on. Kent let me use his pups because I needed a video for you! (Remember, Kent is training these dogs by himself from start to finish, he’s never done that with a dog before.)