Blow me a Bubble (Dumb Dog Trick #267)

Do you give your dog enough water?

One of the basic things every dog needs every day is fresh water. Exactly how much water is that?

From what I have heard the right amount of water is about an ounce of water per day per pound your dog weighs. So a 12 lb. little dog would need a medium-sized glass of water per day. But a 64 lb. dog would need a gallon.

Dogs are also self-regulating waterers. That means that if you put out a bunch of water for them, dogs will drink as much as they want or need. If they drink too much, they can leave some on the trees and the grass and the neighbor kid's bicycle.

My old dog Blue had quite a record of going pee on stuff. He really like to go you-know-what on other dogs, especially little dogs. He'd just mark them as soon as they got in position.

Blue also liked to mark other people's stuff, like their gear bags and ice chests. Blue liked to pee on buildings, food, statutes and people.

Yes, even people. Myself included.

Blue once peed on the marketing director of the local human society. I felt so bad, because the guy is awesome and he's in a wheelchair. What does my dog do? Lift his leg on the guy in the wheelchair.

Why? I have no idea. But I always try to give Blue enough water.

Actually, always have fresh water available for your dog. When you play with your dog (or play a dog sport) you should always have a bowl around for all of the dogs.

The only dog wee wee story I have that tops Blue's exploits would be the time that Red Dog peed on my brother's Christmas Tree. Red Dog was not allowed back into my brother's house for quite some time because My Brother's Wife did not appreciate Red Dog's sense of humour.

"Hey, I was just goofin' and I peed on your Christmas Tree," said Red Dog.

"Leave now and I will let you live," said My Brother's Wife.

You get the idea.

Jimmy Jump

Tacoma, Washington

February 18, 2012

All Mixed Up (Dumb Dog Trick #266)

MUCHO LOCO RED DOG?  AWESOMENESS

No need to use a stunt dog, my name is Red Dog.  Rojo to my friends in Mexico. El Rojo Loco!

When I started doing hard core canine disc, there were two really good red border collies.  One was Flying Red Killian, trainer being my awesome friend Tracy.  The other came along a year or two later in the name Sky, who was a dairy farm reject, and who was owned by an awesome cat named Mark.

But I had the secret weapon, the Good Boy Blue. Take that, you Red Dogs!  (Blue was a rock star disc dog.  Skyhoundz World Finalist five years in a row.  Disc Dog Magazine cover dog.  Sought out performer and consultant in matters canine.  The Blue Dog.)

Anyway, when I started it seemed like I would never be as good as Tracy and Killy (or Swanee and Katie, for that matter, but that's another 300 words for another day).

Killy was this skinny, intense, super flexible jump monster.  Tracy handles discs better than anyone.  They kicked it like Bruce Lee.  The most famous photo of Killy is him doing a 10 foot high back vault at Seattle Center in front of fountain.  Legendary.

Sky came along real nice too.  Marc and Sky did like a really pleasant show full of tricks, like Marc would spin a disc with each hand and march like a toy soldier with Sky spinning figure-eights between each step.

Marc, Sky, Blue and I all went to Disc Dog Worlds in Atlanta together in 2004 or 2005.  I have the coolest old video tape of Blue kicking it at worlds and my buddy Marc gave me that video.

We were doing a lot of gigs in those days while Killy and Sky were both alive, travelling a lot.  Canwest Shows in Edmonton/Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver.  Shows up at Whistler Ski and Snowboard Fest. Tons of local stuff -- fairs, festivals, half time shows, birthday parties, school events.  Yeah, I said birthday parties.  I love 4H and I love birthday parties.

Blue almost got his picture on the large sized Milkbone Dog Biscuit box in 2006-ish. He got some awesome press on that one.  It was a good time.

So the Blue Dog was settling down a little, and it seemed like a good time to get another pup.  Enter stage left -- The Red Dog.  Eh, El Loco Rojo.

(Get it? I had a Red Dog and a Blue Dog.)  But my Red Dog wasn't like ordinary dogs.

I am a passive positive reinforcement trainer.  I don't really train my dogs, I just hover over my dogs with treats and say things, "Good boy, Red Dog, Mighty Fine Red Dog. Don't Pee on that, Red Dog."

And that didn't work with Red.  He was too crazy.  He would get spooked and bolt.  One day he would be fine.  The next day he would shut down on me.  Weird.  Odd.

And I tried with Red Dog.  I gave him four or five years of patient practice.  The sick part is that he can do all the tricks -- vaults, overs, little tricks -- he just won't do them if he doesn't feel the vibe.  And, mostly, if he's outside the house, he doesn't feel the vide.

So I decided that Red's would be an animal actor.  He's cute as a bug  with a brain full of slobber.  Just like Charlie Sheen.

He's done some stuff.  A little clip of him ended up on Animal Planet's Bad Dog Show.  He's been in two videos that I won contests with.  '

Blue Dog's best payday included winning a contest in Canada, netting his owner $2,000 Canadian.  Believe it or not, Red Dog's biggest single paycheck can top that.  Amazing, I know.

But without my little psycho Red Dog, I probably wouldn't have started making Youtube videos.  I have to support my little guy in practicing his craft, you know.

I so loved Sky and Killy that I knew that my next dog would be a red border collie. I just didn't know that he wasn't going to the next canine freestyle disc world phenom.

It sort of all came about one day.  I won some money playing the slot machines.  She who must be obeyed agreed to acquiring a well bred animal of some sort.  A cute little puppy.  He grew into cute little dog.  But there was some rough roads down the middle stretch.

That's how a lot of the stuff I do on Youtube came about.  Blue was old, but well.  Red was nuts all the time.  So we started playing games with Red.  He loves to be in videos and he really loves to have his picture taken.

He and other dogs jump around.  They get snappy.  Then I hover over them with treats and take their pictures.  Sir, may I borrow your hat?

"Who's a good boy?  Red Dog, that's who," I breath in a high pitched whisper.  Red Dog looking back, like, "Gimme Cookie.  Gimme Cookie."

Thus was born Dumb Dog Tricks, Stop Dog Motion, and Jimmyjumpnjive.

Jimmy Jump February 13, 2012  Tacoma, Washington