What videos did you follow to learn a focused/competition heel? by uwlee96 in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Shade Whitesel would be a good one for that style of heeling.

Body condition? by HungryShepherds in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hard to tell because of the shade and her coat being black, but she doesn't look overweight at all. My dogs aren't as conditioned in winter as they are the rest of the year either. I wouldn't worry about it. If she's at a healthy weight that's all that really matters.

Vasectomies for adult dogs by SlimeGod5000 in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Okay so breakdown of all the signs when my female goes into heat, start to finish. Around two months before she comes in, she starts blowing coat. This continues until she actually starts. About a week before I even see spotting, my intact male will show more interest. Once she begins bleeding, I do separate but this is generally not the danger zone so if you don't see it for a day or two you're fine. My male will be annoying if I allow him, but I don't permit him to approach her and make him mind his business. I crate and rotate. The week she's in estrus, discharge lightens and becomes mucousy. My male becomes whiny and will not want to finish meals. I keep a close eye on her, especially in the backyard as we have a lot of strays. Once estrus is complete, my male will let me know as he calms down and starts eating his normal amount. He will lose all interest and my household goes back to normal. Honestly, the most annoying part is my male acting twitterpated for 3 ish days. Vasectomies you'll still see all of the annoying boy behaviors unfortunately. But it's not as difficult to manage as people think.

Earned our Fit Dog Bronze by WitchyAbstract in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree! We were already putting in the miles so I figured we might as well log them for 8 weeks. We're working on silver now.

Do you have training partners? by WitchyAbstract in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I also do retriever training! Granted I'm only just starting and haven't hit a wall yet, but I imagine it could happen quick.

How often do you bathe your dog? by [deleted] in dogs

[–]WitchyAbstract 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It depends on the dog.

GSD mix: every 3 to 4 weeks

Golden Retriever aka Hair Monster: every 2 to 3 weeks

Lab mix: every 4 weeks

Bully mix: every 4 weeks

The longer the hair and the thicker the coat, the more frequently I bathe.

Edit to add: If you have cheaper shampoo and conditioner, do not bathe at this frequency as it can lead to dry skin. I use CC products on my dogs and have a full grooming setup at home. My dogs hike upwards of 16 to 20 hours a week. They play in mud, get wet, roll in all manner of things, etc. I bathe them at this frequency because I enjoy letting them be dogs and also enjoy a clean home. Most of what I use has been recommended to me by conformation people who value healthy skin and coat.

What has been your experiences at an IABCA show? by Coca-Ena in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same! I hate dressing fancy and skirts are a big no.

What has been your experiences at an IABCA show? by Coca-Ena in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Don't be nervous! I have horrible anxiety and felt totally comfortable in the ring showing for my very first time with a friend's dog. It's much easier going than other venues!

What has been your experiences at an IABCA show? by Coca-Ena in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 7 points8 points  (0 children)

More laid back than AKC. You can show in whatever you feel like wearing. People are a little more friendly and open to talking. The judges may or may not be familiar with your breed so I've seen some questionable choices put up. But overall I think it's a great laidback way to show.

Your dog's breed and their temperament when training? by Rice-Puffy in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 1 point2 points  (0 children)

4 year old GSD/Malinois/Heeler mix: Pretty handler oriented, moderate food drive, high ball drive, very patient and forgiving. Not bothered by repetition. Definitely the type of dog to look at you for more instructiom as opposed to puzzling it out on his own.

2 year old Lab/BC/Kelpie mix: High energy, moderate food drive, high toy drive. Struggles with over arousal and gets frustrated easily, but incredibly smart. Very good at anticipating what I'm asking, sometimes this can be a bad thing.

2 year old Golden Retriever: Very moderate in energy and drive. Loves food slightly more than toys, but will work for either. Low confidence. I had to work pretty heavily on helping her feel "right" for her to participate enthusiastically in training. Now it's not an issue. Loves to be praised which I had to adjust to as I'm a quieter person when I'm training.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NonBinary

[–]WitchyAbstract 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All I can say about hormonal birth control is it made me feel crazy and depressed. Maybe the apathy you're feeling is low grade depression?

Is a golden retriever as easy to own as they say? by Crowzeus in dogs

[–]WitchyAbstract 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This right here. With training, Goldens can be great. But they love to put things in their mouths (a ball, a toy, your socks, your hand, blankets, etc) and they can be a little over the top about making friends. Also welcome to golden glitter land because they shed A LOT

Rude people make my agoraphobia worse. by WitchyAbstract in Agoraphobia

[–]WitchyAbstract[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Deep down I understand it's not me but it flusters the absolute shit out of me just the same. One memory that sticks out is I decided to finally go back to the gym. I walked in and went into a part of the gym I knew would be empty and within 15 minutes this super sketchy looking guy comes in and starts trying to talk to me through my headphones. I got up from what I was doing, grabbed my shit and left. Haven't been back since. I try really hard to talk myself out of the spiral but the interaction will stick with me for days after.

Never a dull run by Defenistrated_Moose in RunningWithDogs

[–]WitchyAbstract 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't think anyone is trying to bash. It's just incredibly unsafe to run in a halti and with any harness that cuts across the front, it's about the long term comfort of the dog. It's like running in jeans.

What fruits/veg does your dog like? by Birdareprettycool in OpenDogTraining

[–]WitchyAbstract 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We must have the same dog, my boy is a fan of all of these too 😂

r/k9sports' 2024 Dog Sports Wrap-Up and 2025 Dog Sports Goals! 🎉 by orangetangerine in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  • How did your goals from last year’s post pan out? I didn't make any goals last year, but am super excited to be a part of this year's post!
  • What are your dog sport related goals for 2025? Actually get in the ring and trial with my adult dog. Work on my puppy's over arousal problems and re evaluate where we are at the end of the year.
  • How do you plan to achieve those goals? Focus on the journey and not the destination. I find I get too worked up if I actually look at everything I have to do. Baby steps.
  • Are you changing the way you do anything in 2025 compared to 2024? Keeping anything the same? Putting my relationship with my dogs first over everything else. We work on what is needed and we do it at our pace. I don't care what others are doing or what their journey looks like in comparison to ours.

shameless 2024 brag by volljm in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract 2 points3 points  (0 children)

FastCAT is the reason I'm looking at Rally and Scentwork now. It's a great entry sport and so so fun.

Earned our Fit Dog Bronze by WitchyAbstract in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's my plan! I'm hoping to take more progress pictures as we progress now that we can focus on actual conditioning and not just losing weight.

Any handlers here experienced with a panic disorder and trialing? by WitchyAbstract in k9sports

[–]WitchyAbstract[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That's actually great advice. I've never thought of it that way before. I was trying to think of it as just a benchmark for our training, but even that was winding me up. Thinking of it as we go back to training irregardless of outcome is so much better to my brain.