# Matisse, Maurice and Jose` on a walk



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

*few more*


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

So cute, it looks like they are having a blast. I would hit thanks on their pictures, but have not found the button in the new app....


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

You are so lucky to have a place like that so convenient. Lucky doggies too!


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Matisse & Maurice look like they are having the best time! What a great place! We have a little 'designated open space' area at the end of our cul-de-sac but it leads to a canyon, not a nice level field like you have so Molly can only go a little ways before I call her back!


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

What a very special place. You are so lucky. Love those flying doggies!

VQ


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

This makes me smile to see them so happily running! Thank you for sharing these...


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Your own private Poodle - Chi park! So much more interesting for the gang to explore than a sidewalk.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Marialydia, it is a happy thing to see our dogs smiley and having a good time. I always want them to be happy and nothing but. Thanks!

It_ is_ sort of like a private dog park. It's not as good...by a long shot as it was where I use to live where there were hiking trails in the wilderness mountains in Idaho. I had miles and miles of unbelievable places to walk that were just within a mile or two. Here, I could drive east about 20 minutes or better yet, further east...about an hour and find some real hiking trails. Or go to a dog friendly beach in the next town over or maybe even here. (I haven't figured that out yet) But for a quick, run out the door kind of walk, where i don't want to make a whole day of it, this is great. 

Thanks for the comments. I do worry a little bit....must keep them in view and not too far away from me. There are coyotes in those woods somewhere. I hear them many times at night and even in the day if they hear a siren. But they have to hear us and stay away from us scary _people_. And there were some deer in there the other day when I just had Maurice. I held him until we got out of sight of deer just in case he'd do something dumb like chase them. lol. But he came along with me once I set him down.

And of course, I watch the skies for any birds of prey. It is a slight risk with other animals around but they do have fun in there and get good exercise. And they're such good little dogs and mind me pretty darn well.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Marialydia, it is a happy thing to see our dogs smiley and having a good time. I always want them to be happy and nothing but. Thanks!
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You just described pretty much how I feel about taking Timi to the dog parks - yes there are risks, but that is also where she can run, explore, and is the most joyful she ever is, so I just have to be on guard and protect her from the risks as much as possible so that she can have that joy. And because the dog park is her happy place, it is also mine - I am missing it while she is PMS at least as much as she is does!


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Looks like great fun for all! Great recall too!


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

The other day my neighbor came into the area and didn't check first to see if anyone was in there. She has a big black lab mix that she said may be dog aggressive....that she sort of is until she gets to know the dogs she meets. She's been attacked multiple times as a pup and so now is sketchy with other dogs. I always walk all the way in so I can see the whole field and make sure no one is in there. I wish others would do the same. 99% of the time, we're alone. But this one time freaked me out. I scrambled to get my dogs back in their leashes and she actually left since I had gotten there first. She was going to come back later. So, I made one more loop around the place and left. I'm actually more worried about someone coming in with a big dog that might not be so nice than I am about the coyotes. At least they're afraid of us I think, as I've never seen one when I'm around. Humans and domestic dogs usually keep the coyotes at bay. Usually. I know....have heard stories. But anyhow, that is a little risk. I guess I could carry a gun. But meh...

I think if I went to a dog park, it would have to be the kind that small dogs are separated from larger dogs. But in our case...with our tiny Poodles, a small dog might still be too big compared to them. lol. I don't worry about big dogs that I know...like my son's dog or when I had my big Doberman and the Chi's. I know them, watch how they place...make sure they're careful etc and supervise. My son's dog can get a little slappy happy with her paws so I do have to supervise more with her than I did with my Dobe.

But yeah...can't keep them in a protective bubble. They wouldn't have a life. So, we constantly weigh and measure risk vs. quality of life.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> The other day my neighbor came into the area and didn't check first to see if anyone was in there. She has a big black lab mix that she said may be dog aggressive....that she sort of is until she gets to know the dogs she meets. She's been attacked multiple times as a pup and so now is sketchy with other dogs. I always walk all the way in so I can see the whole field and make sure no one is in there. I wish others would do the same. 99% of the time, we're alone. But this one time freaked me out. I scrambled to get my dogs back in their leashes and she actually left since I had gotten there first. She was going to come back later. So, I made one more loop around the place and left. I'm actually more worried about someone coming in with a big dog that might not be so nice than I am about the coyotes. At least they're afraid of us I think, as I've never seen one when I'm around. Humans and domestic dogs usually keep the coyotes at bay. Usually. I know....have heard stories. But anyhow, that is a little risk. I guess I could carry a gun. But meh...
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Yes it is true, there are no stated weight limits at our dog parks, and people can really stretch the definition of the word small. But normally she is the smallest one there, with others being 2-5 times her size. Luckily nobody ever gets aggressive with her, and she is a master at ducking and dodging those who play rough or those whom she insights the prey drive in.
A great recall was the first order of business though!


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## sweetheartsrodeo (Sep 19, 2012)

Wonderful pictures! It looks like a good time was had by all!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Yes it is true, there are no stated weight limits at our dog parks, and people can really stretch the definition of the word small. But normally she is the smallest one there, with others being 2-5 times her size. Luckily nobody ever gets aggressive with her, and she is a master at ducking and dodging those who play rough or those whom she insights the prey drive in.
> A great recall was the first order of business though!



People are usually the problem more than other dogs - With her fluff and long legs, Timi appears much bigger than she really is, and the owners don't understand why I want their 20 pound dog to stop trying to body slam her....


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> People are usually the problem more than other dogs - With her fluff and long legs, Timi appears much bigger than she really is, and the owners don't understand why I want their 20 pound dog to stop trying to body slam her....


Yikes. I missed this. Sorry. Yeah, that's something a lot of people don't seem to understand. I see a big dog walking toward us and close and I pick up my Poodles and if they're further away, I watch to make sure they have a good grip on their leash. And they look at me like they're thinking...._another over protective Poodle owner. That's what's wrong with the world._ lol. You never know what a dog might do and one little snap from a bigger dog or one little bash into them could kill or really hurt these tiny dogs badly. I sometimes jokingly refer to Matisse as a moose. (compared to Maurice.) But he's really very small too. He's 10" but he's just a hair over 6 lbs. So it's not like he's that tough or anything. lol. Maurice is only 4 lbs 1 oz and I'm not sure on his height. I need help measuring them. I measured Matisse with someone holding him in a stack close to the edge of the counter and put a square on him. lol. I need to do that with Maurice. But I think he's a couple inches shorter than Matisse. What is Timi's weight and height? (if you know it)


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

liljaker said:


> Looks like great fun for all! Great recall too!


Thanks Liljaker...they have a great recall but not really. It's not on stimulus control and I have no doubt that if something quite enticing or more motivating happens, I'll lose out. So, they actually need more work. As long as there's nothing much in the environment competing with me, they're super and come zooming in fast and sit in front of me if I use the formal cue, "come." They are really cute. 

Thanks all!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> liljaker said:
> 
> 
> > Looks like great fun for all! Great recall too!
> ...


Do you still give treats for "come"? People at the dog park often look at me snarky when I do it for Timi. I am not sure why it bothers them - I figure that and leave it are the two commands that I don't want her to get sloppy on, so why not keep up the reinforcement (9 out of 10 times)?
Am I missing something? I seriously never see anybody else do that. But then again I do often see folks spend ten minutes chasing their dog around the park before they can catch it when they want to leave, so maybe I am right, and everyone else is wrong?


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Do you still give treats for "come"? People at the dog park often look at me snarky when I do it for Timi. I am not sure why it bothers them - I figure that and leave it are the two commands that I don't want her to get sloppy on, so why not keep up the reinforcement (9 out of 10 times)?
> Am I missing something? I seriously never see anybody else do that. But then again I do often see folks spend ten minutes chasing their dog around the park before they can catch it when they want to leave, so maybe I am right, and everyone else is wrong?


Oh yes...but now that they're getting quite good, I am at that stage where I reinforce only the best recalls and if they're not prompt enough, I praise them a lot when they do come (as they're coming)... but no cookie. Also, if my dogs found it really sad to leave the off leash fun, I'd leash them up, then turn them loose again a few times before leaving...then make fun after leaving. But my dogs don't seem to care....probably because they get to walk some more and even when we get home, they don't mind. They seem happy to rest.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Oh yes...but now that they're getting quite good, I am at that stage where I reinforce only the best recalls and if they're not prompt enough, I praise them a lot when they do come (as they're coming)... but no cookie. Also, if my dogs found it really sad to leave the off leash fun, I'd leash them up, then turn them loose again a few times before leaving...then make fun after leaving. But my dogs don't seem to care....probably because they get to walk some more and even when we get home, they don't mind. They seem happy to rest.



Hum, that is a thought, I might try that with Timi. Before she came into heat, I was starting to find her slower to respond - like she was lost in her world of smell, and did not hear me until I raised my voice. Maybe it was a hormone thing, but if it does not resolve when we return to the park, perhaps I will try holding reinforcement for only the quick responses...


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I look at it like...hmmm, how to put this...creating new base lines for a behavior. We start out with teaching a new behavior and at first if they give us anything, that is good and reinforceable. That's our base line. Doing the behavior at all, even an approximation of it, even half way to us when called is good. So there's a broad base line. As they start to really get better at it, I withhold the click/treat or whatever kind of reinforce for sloppier examples, setting a new baseline...or new place from which to build. I'm no longer building from that earlier and broader criteria. So it shortens up the ladder or the distance they have to go before they get reeeeeeelly good at it. It narrows the playing field so to speak. So it communicates to them better what works and what doesn't...more specifically. As they get better at this new criteria or expectations, I try to find some way to narrow it down even more...perfect it even more and withhold reward for less-than. This is how you get quicker, straighter sits, prompt, fast recalls in higher distractions, tighter heeling, longer stays, stays when you're hiding behind something etc etc. You up the ante and withhold for lesser. But only when they're ready. When they fail, that's because we're asking too much too soon or that they don't have a sufficient reinforcement history. Not because they _"know"_ but are being _stubborn_. I hate that when people say that as if to say dogs have our same value system and _should _like what we like, especially when they love us so much. They ought to know what pleases us and shame on these immoral beasts for being the way they are. Amoral. lol. This is why I'm so against harsh aversives against dogs. It doesn't make any sense and can cause a lot of bad side effects. 

Anyhow, this is just rambling way off the topic. My Poodles in the pictures there had nothing better to do than to run to me when called. They know they're going to get to come for a treat and be turned loose again for more zoomies. No skin off their nose. I like to treat them for coming without being called too...to teach them to "check in" when we start doing real hiking. What I need to work on is when they get really interested in some scent or some thing...that's when they aren't as prompt. So, they do need work for sure.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Yes, that makes total sense - I did do that when I was first teaching, and I should do it to further refine the behavior!


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

If you _care_ about refining a behavior. Some things I want really good, like a recall and stay and a few other things. But there's a lot I don't worry about and am not too particular.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> If you _care_ about refining a behavior. Some things I want really good, like a recall and stay and a few other things. But there's a lot I don't worry about and am not too particular.



Now all I have to do is train her daddy.....


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

*I WANNA COME RUN AND PLAY WITH YOU! * :vroam:
~ dictated by Chagall


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

We want you to come play with us too! 

It's as simple as 3,000 miles. Go for it! We'll be watching for you. :airplane::airplane::airplane:


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