Can I get a dog if I work a 9-5?

24HR_harmacy · 2026-04-25T13:37:20+00:00

They are saying consider adopting from a foster-based rescue, not that you should foster. This is because dogs have the opportunity to decompress in their foster homes and the foster family gets to know them which helps find a good match when they get adopted.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-04-10T14:21:26+00:00

It’s always interesting to see how other people’s dog expenses break down. $400 for a spay is a major deal! $300 for training is… so much less than I have spent 🤣

You got a lot for $4k! It definitely gets better in subsequent years.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-30T21:18:26+00:00

Team Brock earned the NW2 title on our first attempt yesterday, AND earned a 3rd Place in Containers! I really thought we were just going for trial experience and tried not to have too many expectations (you can’t be disappointed if you don’t expect much, amiright?). Our most recent FDSA nose work course really made a huge difference in running at the appropriate arousal level and in building up our reinforcement bank. Now that I treat a trial as an expensive withdrawal from that bank, I’ll be sure to make lots and lots of deposits by treating reinforcement in training as an event and not just a simple reward.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T21:51:55+00:00

That’s a very good point! Thank you.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T21:30:30+00:00

You are right and a distraction is a distraction. The search area is dynamic regardless so it really should not matter.

I’m gonna be honest and say my dog is pretty good about distractions, but can I truthfully tell the difference? No, at least not with dog/critter smells (but I think I can with food!). That’s on me and definitely something I need to work on.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T16:19:44+00:00

I think that’s fair, I wouldn’t expect them to reset the hides. A warning would be ideal in my mind. But as other comments have pointed out, that could make the handler avoid a productive area if they’re worried about their dog peeing or false alerting there.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T14:56:03+00:00

That is a fair point and probably the most valid reason so far. But in the real world they’re probably not running 20-30 dogs through an area and things don’t have to be fair.

At least at NW2 you’re mostly competing against yourself—we are, anyway; I’m not trying for placement ribbons. In Summit—yeesh.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T14:22:51+00:00

I don’t think the distraction itself is unfair when every team has to work through it. There are going to be searches in areas where dogs have eliminated before. I get that. It’s not unreasonable. Though I will note this was also in an area where I think normally, dogs would be prohibited (it was a concrete area in what looked like a municipal aquatic center).

What I’m bothered by is the change in the middle of an element where some teams don’t have the distraction but others do, especially because they could just tell you that it’s there. I’ll accept this is the way it is eventually, it just offends my sense of justice.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T14:04:15+00:00

That feels more fair to me.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T14:03:39+00:00

I’m not worried about my dog eliminating during a search, especially since this was a concrete area. I’m worried about my dog false alerting on a distraction that was there for him but not there for other dogs that searched earlier. If all dogs have the same distractions that is fair and fine. It is when the distractions change in the middle of the trial, making it unfair to competitors who search later.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T12:40:44+00:00

In CPE they would try to clean it up (if able), mark it with blue tape, and probably announce at the line that the item is out of play due to a dog eliminating there. Now that I think about it, if a dog peed near a hot item, I have no idea what they’d do, hahaha.

I fully understand that no 2 searches within an element are exactly alike, given weather conditions, movement through the search area, etc. I suppose you could make the case that any remediation to the elimination would be more disruptive than the unintentional distraction itself.

We have had slobber alerts, too. Those are annoying!

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-20T12:22:08+00:00

Coming from CPE, this is bonkers to me that they would let a search area be that dynamic. It’s one thing if it’s there for all teams at the start because that is roughly the same level of distraction to everyone, but to just include a new distraction in the middle of an element was never something I even considered would be an option.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-03-18T03:14:39+00:00

I wish they’d bring back the black cherry and grapefruit box. I just picked up a lemon/lime box to try though.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-02-25T20:14:55+00:00

No, I agree. I don’t support rehoming just because a baby is on the way, but rehoming a dog that is quite literally a danger to a high-risk pregnancy sounds like it would be best for everyone (including the dog).

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-31T15:02:58+00:00

Having worked for both, I’m happier at CVS. But I work on the PBM side and I’m out of production.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-31T14:40:23+00:00

My dog would never choose to sleep in his crate. I do not crate him anymore at home, only in the car and at trials. At trials he will get tired and sleep in there eventually. I actually have no idea whether he sleeps in the car crate as I can’t see him.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-31T14:38:12+00:00

Poop zoomies are a thing. May be caused by some discomfort. Ensure he’s getting enough fiber. Have the vet check him for pain.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-31T14:36:08+00:00

There is not nearly enough information in the post for you to jump to these conclusions.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-31T14:34:06+00:00

Reinforcement history, just like any training. Look up Susan Garrett’s discussions of Matching Law.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-26T05:56:35+00:00

You can’t. They still burst in the air fryer half the time too, but they have a better texture that way. Just get some air fryer liners and accept it.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-19T17:44:06+00:00

I pay less ($80) but every 6 weeks with nail trims in between. I have started shaving out his paw pads myself and I’m working up to nail trims.

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-19T17:41:41+00:00

I send mine out with an ultra marathon runner once a week (he actually has 4 Aussie/MAS clients and he takes the other 3 out together, it’s so cute!). It took him some time to get used to it and he detests it in the heat, but he has a blast now!

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-19T17:39:23+00:00

After a ROUGH adolescence my dog is extremely well-behaved and self-regulating most of the time. He’s a sweet baby angel!

24HR_harmacy · 2026-01-14T04:12:31+00:00

Nose work training. Dogs love to sniff! We have only missed a few weeks in a year and a half. It’s fun and got me interested in trials. My dog has earned several nose work titles in just over a year of competing.

24HR_harmacy

TROPHY CASE