Zeki Update

Well, poor Zeki hasn't had a look in on the blog for ages. When I look back and see how much stuff we wrote about Kizzy it makes me feel very guilty. I guess the main difference is that Kizzy was a winter puppy and therefore I had more time to update the blog whereas Zeki was a spring puppy and the agility season has been in full swing throughout her puppyhood.

Zeki and I have been busy with lots of things. She's had plenty of socialisation in all sorts of situations and has also benefited from being allowed to wander round the agility rings since she was four months of age, so this started at the Rugby show.

She can do quite a few tricks:

• Shake both paws
• Turn left
• Turn right
• Recall to front
• Recall to each side
• Recall to between my legs (ready for startline routine hopefully!)
• Jump in the box and sit in it
• Sit on the box
  
• Elephant Trick (still in progress as she won't do it daintily and insists on hurling herself round the box by spinning on her front legs)
• Round the cone on either hand
• Weaving round two cones
• Touch her nose to a target on either side of me and in front of me, always facing away from me
  
• Jump into my arms
• Basic heelwork on left and right with turns away or into me on either side
• Just started teaching her to beg from a sit position

I have to confess my recalls are not very strong if I don't have food. So there is much still to work on with these. That said I am happy with her progress and am working a lot on her tugging which can be good and sometimes is not good at all! Most of her tricks are much stronger for food but I'm gradually introducing more of them for a tuggy or ball reward. She is starting to get the idea and it has the added bonus of strengthening her tug.

Here she is lounging in the awning. I was cooking some supper and peeked out the caravan door to find her curled up in my lounger. Cheeky little madam.



She is a lovely girl and the most cuddly, affectionate dog I think I've owned. She loves nothing better than to be in your arms or on your lap and is very content just to be hugged and kissed. If I talk in a baby voice to her she pushes between my legs just like a cat. I haven't done any decent shots of her lately because her ears are still glued and it don't look too pretty! Once the glue has finally grown out I shall give her a good bath and then get Andy to take some proper photos. I'm really hoping that her ears won't have to be glued again now that she's finished teething.

Often at weekend shows she has a bit of time in Aunty Jan's garden and loves to play with Teazle. This little video shows her playing at Dordale. We arrived quite late and Jan had her in her caravan and garden whilst we set up the caravan. Zeki and Teazle were having a great game in the garden but as always they stopped really playing when I tried to film them.



And here she is peeking out of Jan's caravan window