I miss my old studio. Things like this happened there.

HaLP!! #chihuahua #cute #stuck #bra

A photo posted by Crystal and Chili (@criosphynx) on Apr 8, 2014 at 9:35am PDT

MOAR.

A year ago yesterday. Chili and Escher hanging out

But first. ..let me take a selfie. #selfie #rescue #chihuahua #mutt

A photo posted by Crystal and Chili (@criosphynx) on May 27, 2014 at 10:01pm PDT

Chili has so few friends, but I think thats ok. Hes an introvert

Tongue out.  #rescue #chihuahua #dogs

A photo posted by Crystal and Chili (@criosphynx) on Apr 14, 2014 at 8:08am PDT

mOaR Escher





much yay.

Chihuahua for scale

So I found a giant monitor.

The spice was not pleased.

Skateboarding Mexican

I attempted to teach Chili the skateboard about 6 months ago but his fear of it outweighed anything I could offer him.

He learned what I wanted but was too frightened to stick with it. So I put it away for half a year and brought it back out on friday.

I think he just gave fear the middle finger...

50,000 insects...

and a chihuahua.

Nola and Chili

Are friends <3

Meerkats.

If you've never watched a documentary on Meerkats. You are missing out on one of the great joys in life.

I've been around alot of animals in my day, so finding som'thing I'll ooogle and ZOMG CUTE over is quite the task. Its been probably well over a year since I've felt the urge to squee and squeeze.

But then I saw the back of their fuzzy little heads. ZOMG CUTE I WANT ONE.

I have a thing for the backs of animals heads, I could stare at the back of Chili's head forever if he'd just sit still for a damn second. The ears need to be alert though, and that usually precedes running after som'one or things.

 Chili taught himself to "sit pretty" years ago, during my failed attempt to teach it to Kiwi. It not a very impressive trick IMO, but it is perhaps the cutest. Perhaps thats why its becoming so popular lately.

It used to be that I'd lay down and relax and Chili would permit it. Temporarily.

When my time was up and he wanted me to get up let him out, give him a chewie or just entertain his bored butt, he would paw at me. Annoying.

Then when this didn't work, he'd lay down and then vocalize at me. If this didn't work he go back to plan A and paw at me some more.

This went on for years.

Then, somehow he began to Rolodex and do other tricks. I'd generally ignore him, but apparently, more often then not, I'd get up when he'd "sit pretty".

I know this because its now his "go to" behavior for "I want something that you can't give me from where you are". He only does this in that context. Other things, opening doors, handing him this or that, do not elicit "sit pretties".


He's even learned to do it in front of the TV. Blocking the view.

"Get up hooman, lazy hooman, I want xyz. NOW."


 So I guess I got the meerkat I asked for...

 A spicy, demanding, manipulative meerkat.

Bacons

Chili has learned very quickly that putting his chinny chin chin on the bartop is the best way to elicit bacons.

Its not attractive. It is effective ime.

Coldness

You know its winter when the chihuahuas begin to nest.

Poor birdie.

Mint Condition

One of my more interesting styles of dog "parenting", is allowing the dog to make its own decisions. Then rewarding the right ones.

Most owners pretty much try and micromanage their dog. Always on leash, even with a good recall. Not allowed to eat anything weird off the ground, you will stay here, etc.

There's also the you can do THIS but not THAT. Which really confuzzles them I find.

Now this is a tad different that training, even PR training, which involves rewarding correct answers and typically redirecting or managing the bad ones. I let the dog have free reign, and I ignore the bad bits entirely. In fact, I often make fun of him when he chooses "wrong".

also, I take into consideration what the dog considered best once we are through the learning curve.

Chili, while at work with me, must go out to a grassy area to pee. This involves walking past a restarant that has a messy set of patrons. Or crappy dinner mints.

There are always LOTS of these mints on the ground outside the door. Chili ignored them at first, and then as time went on he began to sample them. I would let him, and sure enough, he'd taste, spit it out, I'd make fun of him, and we'd move on.

Well, this was ok for a while, he learned that these things tasted bad, and ignored them again. Then he realized that there were different TYPES of mints, and once again the sampling resumed.

What I have learned. Green mints are good, yellow are meh, and all others are bad.

and who said chihuahuas have no purpose? Next time I eat there, I'll know to dive right into the green mints.

Chili on the other hand, has had very fresh breath.

Handstands and Unseen Cues.

Damn you weather.


Well, severe weather that is.


I was so proud I was still getting tomatoes in late Nov. That is until the wind ripped the giant trellis loose and THREW it across the yard...ripping out most of the plant with it. Little unripened green tomatoes littered the ground like innocent victims. I left them hoping an animal would come along and eat them...but being as the only mammals that like to hang around are the ones I discourage I ended up going outside and being once again reminded of the windy murder..

For the most part tho, I've conquered the severe winds, or at least, learned not to panic when I see a tree defoliated in two days by having its leaves ripped off 2-3 months too soon. I now know the tree isn't dead, it will come back...it will come back. Don't panic.

the frost tho. Is my newest foe to conquer. Its unpredictable. So far. Unless I turn on my computer and go look at the weather and see the frost warning. I am blissfully ignorant until I walk outside in the morning and see it...the little ice crystals of doom on my "lawn". Then I know...I survey the yard to find the victims. Last year, it was agaves mostly. I also had a scrub that hadn't hardened off yet (still green, not bark) that got fried...this year however, since I've moved slowly away from ornamentals, and more towards food, my squash was fried. In fact, it was mush. Except for the little baby squash that was too small to harvest, stuck to the dead plant like a pathetic mammal trying to nurse from a dead mom (which is REALLY sad if you ever see that...)

enough of my bitching tho. I am not a complainer, at least I tell myself that. Its most me just stewing about what cues I haven't picked up on yet to warn me of things...It will come tho. I know it.

Chili is working on his handstand. With massive progress. We had worked on this off and on for months now...and that should be a clue...when I work on som'thing "off and on" that means generally I am doing som'thing wrong. Chili is sharp, and I am not a bad trainer, so when it takes longer than a session or two to teach som'thing...the method is off and its time to stop and figure out what to do different.

This behavior tho. I knew involved alot of muscle memory and strength. Time essentially. This trick would take time. Don't push the dog too far to fast, or you'll hurt his cute little body.

I suppose this made sense for a while, but as was hit a wall and got stuck, I think I used it as an excuse for too long. I needed to know a time frame, som'thing to compare his progress to and finally I found it.

Another trainer posted a montage of videos, here was a dog that was a blank slate, and six week or so in, she taught him 10ish tricks. Complex ones at that. Including, the holy grail, the walking handstand.

Now I had my timeframe. Nothing like seeing stuff like that to either

A. Motivate the hell out of you
B. Make you feel useless as a trainer

Luckily, I am in the "A" generally. I have a large drive to be like the people I idolize, and in general, an optimist...so now that I know the problem is ME. I now could figure out WTF I was doing wrong

I took the clicker adage to heart and went back a step. Then from that step, I broke it down into micro steps between it and the place we got stuck. Som'thing in there was incomplete. My criteria wrong, my click late, som'thing.

Within 5 mins of changing my criteria he was doing brief handstands against his platform.

Within 5 more mins, he could do it with minimal help, as in i could remove the platform and he could get into position against a bare wall

watching a dog levitate for a tenth of a second on his own is mindnumbingly exciting. I think I screamed at him. Which fortunately he likes.

the first ten of so handstands were accidents. As in, he'd do them in an attempt to balance, and would loose his footing on the books/wall. Now the criteria is intentional foot removal from the wall...one foot at a time. So far its going well...and now, our biggest enemy is fatigue.

I am reaching a point where I feel I can teach most anything...confidence swells in me.

And now, the anxiety begins, because the next step in the growth. Is taking your knowlege and giving it to others...which is new to me...and som'thing I am going to be dipping my toes into.

Scary.