The Greyhound Agility Diaries - Mina Becomes The Teacher

This weekend I've been at university with Mina.  It's always lovely to meet up with my friends and fellow students - particularly when we have our dogs with us  - and to have a whole weekend of learning and talking 'dog'.  This weekend was no exception to the rule.

Chilling out on Sunday

Saturday was filled with a number of practical lectures, two 'train a new behaviour' practical sessions plus a lecture from the head of the South Yorkshire Police victim support dog unit.  All in all, it was a jam-packed day, which was rounded off by a lovely beach walk with some of my friends and their dogs. Both Mina and I came away pretty pooped but looking forward to today, when we would be able to have some 1-2-1 time with the lecturers and time to practise our chosen discipline of agility.

I'd pretty much decided that for the agility session I wanted to focus on getting Mina's contacts right.  I wasn't planning on introducing her to the contact equipment fully and had set my training criteria quite carefully.  I planned to slowly introduce Mina to the contacts on the A Frame and get her comfortable with just being on the contact part (using lots of positive reinforcement and homemade liver cake) and then to ensure she would wait and target my hand (eventually working up to just a nose/head dip) before being released.  Due to Mina's size, age and conformation I decided that a nose target to the ground wasn't appropriate.

As it turned out, Mina had different ideas to those that I'd carefully planned! Whilst I was sorting myself out with treats and our lecturer, Lynda, was holding Mina's lead, Mina had different ideas.  Before we knew it, she'd walked on to the contact area and calmly started walking up the A Frame (with Lynda holding the lead) and, just as calmly, walked down the other side and waited on the contacts. I was dumbfounded and overjoyed, all in one go.  Mina always used to have 'mountain goat' like tendencies when she was younger and used to love scaling the embankments in one of the parks in Northumberland, when we lived in the NE.  However, at her current age, I didn't think she'd take to scaling the sides of the A Frame quite how she did.

Mina taking a breather in the agility area

Now, normally, I wouldn't encourage anyone's dog to scale the A Frame (or any agility equipment) without doing the foundation work.  The chances of it going wrong and the dog developing a fear of the equipment can be too great. So, as Mina had taken matters into her own paws, I worked with her.  We did several repetitions of the A Frame, all with me holding her collar whilst she walked over (it is more stable holding her collar than lead, but as she'd started scaling it whilst wearing her lead, we didn't take it off the first time) and lots of liver cake at the other end.

As we were on a roll, and Mina was still excited, I decided to have a go at the rigid tunnel.  We collapsed it as far as it would go and to begin with, I clicked and treated Mina every time she stuck her nose in it, or put her paw in it. When she appeared comfortable enough with this, I went to the other end of the tunnel and our lecturer, Emily, held Mina at the other end.  I kneeled down, showed Mina that I had tasty venison liver and called her through....

...the tunnel isn't really an ideal size for greyhounds but the lure of the venison liver was strong and Mina calmly made her way through the tunnel for it and we practised this several times.

I am so proud of Mina. She constantly amazes me with her capacity to learn and to disprove the many myths that surround older dogs and greyhounds.  Mina is the proof that you can teach an old dog and greyhounds new tricks.

The Canine Student Becomes Teacher

But, enough of my pride; what lessons did Mina teach me?  Firstly, she taught me role reversal - sometimes our dogs become the teacher. Despite me having set the criteria of gradually introducing Mina to the contacts of the A Frame, she took matters into her own paws (so to speak)! I think sometimes, when we're training our dogs we can forget to look at what our dogs are really telling us and we can fail to adapt our training around them.

Secondly, Mina showed me again how important it is for us to really know our dogs - especially when they've reached their training limit.  I was having tons of fun -  after all, Mina was proving to be a super star - and I wanted to continue but the signals from Mina was that she was well and truly pooped.

She would have continued because I wanted her to but she wouldn't have enjoyed it and, knowing our luck, would have injured herself.  I think it's a human tendency when our dogs are doing well to have the "just one more go," "just one more repetition before we finish" mentality.

I've heard so many stories how the 'just one more go' has pushed dogs to their limits and has meant a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation process to get them back to their former selves. I never want to do this to Mina or any of my dogs.

So, we finished on a high and both had a cooling drink before setting off home. Luckily for Mina she could snooze in the back of the car and dream of being a mountain goat for the day!

A 'pooped pooch' ready for the journey home

Cooking for Canines - Lovely Liver Cake

Over the last few weeks there seems to have been a demand for my liver cake recipe; so much so, I thought it was time it had a page of it's own rather than being hidden away in a separate post!

It's really easy to make and if ask your butcher for liver off-cuts it can be quite an inexpensive way to make treats that have no hidden ingredients and are nutritious for your dog.

However, if you're a bit squeamish and liver isn't your thing, I've also got a 'greyt' recipe for sardine squares which are equally as easy to make and don't involve seeing chopped liver whizzing around your food processor!

So, here's the recipe in all it's glory.

Ingredients:
500g (1lb) liver
400-500g (1lb) organic porridge oats* (or 400g rice/potato flour - if making it with flour)
2 large free range eggs
2 cloves of garlic** (crushed)
3 tablespoons natural yogurt

Instructions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C (Gas Mark 4)
2. Grease and line a 30cm square ( 12 inch square) baking tin (it's really important to line the tin - as I've found out to my cost!)
3. Whizz the liver in a food processor until smooth 
4. Add the crushed garlic, egg and oats and continue to whizz until well mixed together
5. When mixture is smooth stir in the natural yogurt until it's a thick cake-like consistency
6. Spoon into baking tin and bake in oven for around 30 – 40 minutes
7. When cooked the liver cake should be firm and light brown colour
8. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly before turning out of baking tin
9. Cut into small bite size pieces and keep in fridge for up to a week or up to 3 months if frozen.

'Maybe if I'm patient the liver cake
 will levitate in my direction'

I've also experimented and added in fresh chopped parsley along with grated cheese and every time the hounds have loved it. Cut into really small pieces it makes a fantastic training reward - especially when there are lots of distractions and you're calling your greyhound back to you across a large field!

Mina just loves the liver cake and remains in a fixed position in the kitchen when I'm baking it...

If you've got any other greyt home-baked training treats or tips do let us know by sharing them in the comments.
Thank you

Susan n hounds x

*The more oats you use, the crumblier the cake will be.  If you use flour, use less, or your cake will be too dry.
**Garlic is part of the Allium family, such as onions, which are toxic to dogs. Small quantities of garlic, such as in this recipe, should be fine.  If you are worried, omit the garlic and add in some grated, smelly cheese instead.

Cooking for Canines - Sardine Squares

I love baking - for humans or hounds - there's nothing quite like home baked treats.  The great thing about cooking for canines is that I know and can control exactly what goes into my home baked training treats.

Liver cake is always a favourite with Mina, Stevie & Jasper, but it's not for the squeamish and isn't suitable for use when training puppies ( need to be careful with the vitamin A content).  So, Ive had a go at fish alternative...Sardine Squares which you can make it in the microwave or oven.

For speed, I thought I'd try it in the microwave - experimenting with optimum cooking times.  The results were great and were definitely appreciated by the hounds.  I also tried it on the puppies in my Puppy School classes and it went down a treat!

If you'd like to have a go, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 x tins of sardines in oil (tins are around 85gm)
2 x eggs
300gm rice flour
2 cloves of crushed fresh garlic (optional)
60ml water
Teaspoon fresh chopped parsley

Instructions:
1.   Whizz sardines and garlic in food processor
2.   Add eggs, flour and whizz until mixture comes together
3.   Add water and chopped parsley
4.  Whizz in processor until mixture is a medium dropping consistency
5.  Transfer to greased and lined baking tin (if baking in traditional oven)
6.  Bake for around 20-25 minutes at 180C (Gas Mark 4) until firm.
7.  If baking in microwave, transfer to a greased (I used 3 plastic containers) container
8.  Microwave on full power for 4½ minutes (based on 1000 W oven)
9.  Allow to cool, turn out and cut into small squares
10.  Keep in airtight container in fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.


Mina seemed to love it too and did very well keeping her nose out of temptation's way... that's what I call Impulse Control!

"Aww, Mum please can I have a sardine square?"

If you try the recipe do let me know how you get on, or share your dog's favourite training treats and leave a comment.

Gateaux and Gatherings

Today was G day for greyhound lovers in the UK as it was the day of the 5th Great Greyhound Gathering (or GGG as it's affectionately known). The GGG is organised by the Retired Greyhound Trust and brings together retired racing greyhounds from across the country.

I missed the first ever GGG but have been for the last four years and it's always a greyt day. This year had the added excitement of meeting some of my and Jasper's Twitter friends. (Jasper has his own Twitter account - @JaspertheHound - he's a very intelligent hound).

Spot the Dog o Nine Tails bags

The skies were a tad overcast and I'd packed my waterproofs along with Jasper and Stevie's raincoats too. The heavens opened not long after we'd arrived and we quickly saught shelter under my friend, Lisa Rees', store - Dog o Nine Tails - which meant I just had to buy a new bag.

Hounds & humans meet for tweet up (pic courtesy of: @blueskinnydog)

Once the rain clouds had cleared and several tweets, texts and phone calls had been exchanged we met up with our Twitter friends: @MaxiSaluki @Dino_Matic @BarneyGalgo @blueskinnydog @RoloHound @ceddergreyhound


It was so nice to meet the hounds and humans behind the Twitter avatars. The hounds were all impeccably behaved & greeted each other with the doggy equivalent of human handshakes aka the greyt butt sniff!

Dino's 'humum' kindly made some delicious pasties for the humans and I brought along some homemade liver cake (gateau de foie) for the hounds.

It's for hounds, not humans!

It seemed like the liver cake/gateau de foie was a hit, so especially for @blueskinnydog, and hounds everywhere, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
500g (1lb) liver
500g (1lb) organic porridge oats
2 large free range eggs
2 cloves of garlic* (crushed)
3 tablespoons natural yogurt

Instructions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 180o (Gas Mark 4)
2. Grease and line a 30cm square ( 12 inch square) baking tin
3. Whizz the liver in a food processor until smooth
4. Add the crushed garlic, egg and oats and continue to whizz until smooth
5. When mixture is smooth stir in the natural yogurt
6. Pour into baking tin and bake in oven for around 30 – 40 minutes
7. When cooked should be firm & light brown colour
8. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly before turning out of baking tin
9. Cut into small bite size pieces and keep in fridge for up to a week or up to 3 months if frozen.

*Garlic is part of the Allium family, such as onions, which are toxic to dogs. Small quantities of garlic, such as in this recipe, should be fine.  If you are worried, omit the garlic and add in some grated, smelly cheese instead.

Only another 364 days to go until the next GGG.... we're already on countdown!