Funny pictures

Here are some funny pictures of my friends puppy (Malachai)

I heard a thump and some noise, turned around and I caught him in the act. I quietly grabbed the camera (right next to me) and busted him. Malachai IS the poster pup for the energizer bunny.

This is the bag of sweets Jen gave me after the trial

ut he made a healthier choice and went for the apples.

Homemade Springer Bicycle Jogger

A FB friend

Asked how I do roadwork with Isaac on the bike and I thought I had posted this already, but I must not have. I don’t just HOLD the leash, seems like I’d be begging for road rash. I didn’t want to spend $69.99 on this so I made my own (minus the spring).

It’s pretty basic I purchased the following from the local hardware store:

1. Galvanized pipe, threaded both ends
2. PVC – T that is threaded (same size as pipe in 1)
3. Flat wall mount for the galvanized pipe bought in step 1
4. Two U bolts that fit through the holes on the Flat wall mount in step 3
5. Misc (brass clip, rope, old bike inner tube, black electrical tape)

Should be self explanatory with the pictures below how it goes together. The only thing that isn’t obvious is that the inner tube is rapped on the seat stem to help allow the U bolts from step 4 get grip. Also I cut the extra length of bolt off the U bolt with a Dremel.

Keep in mind this setup doesn’t have a spring, so there is no shock absorbed when your dog tries to dart after a rabbit. I Ride with a 90 pound GSD and only used the dead ring on the fur-saver (occasionally use pinch). I marker trained him as a puppy to walk beside the bike and run on the tread mill so the transition wasn’t tough. I’m wouldn’t recommend this setup for a wicked high drive adult male GSD who has never biked before (though a spinger wouldn’t work either). This works perfectly for a ‘trained’ dog though, have never had ANY issues with it.

Garage

Isaac has gotten used to sleeping outside this summer and tends to pitch a little bit of a fit around 2:30 AM if he’s inside in his crate. Not because he needs to relieve himself, but because he thinks he should be out in the kennel waiting for toads to mistakenly enter his domain.

With the weather sketchy last night I put him in the crate in the garage (it was cool out) and cracked the garage door a smudge and I didn’t hear a peep out of him all night.

If I could get rid of the trampoline I could put the ultimate indoor outdoor kennel/run in!

Final Version of dog-cam

Keep in mind I’m aware that there are wireless web cams available from companies like D-Link that would make this process a lot easier. I went the convoluted route because I didn’t want to spend any money on anything.  This was all junk I was able to scrape together laying around my office. Here is a link to the page where you can view the web cam feed

Software being used

• Operating System Windows XP Pro (no hot fixes, service packs, or anti virus…just running light because it’s not a powerhouse machine)
• Mozilla is my browser of choice
• Stickam is handling the streaming for me, and here is a nice video with the details
• To turn a MiniDV camcorder into a web cam I am using DVdriver.

Hardware being used

• Old machine with like a gig of ram
• Firewire PCI card
• Belkin MIMO USB Wireless adapter
• Cannon ZR45MC Digital Video Camcorder
• Tripod
• Toolbox on wheels
• Power strip

Implementation

This is where I got a little creative (little being the operative word). I didn’t want a computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse and all that laying around where ever I wanted to use the web cam and I didn’t want to dedicate a laptop to the project.

I took the computer apart and placed it all in a tool box on wheels. There is a power strip attached to it for the computer and Camera to plug into. Since I’m using wireless I don’t need to be near an RJ45 jack in the house.

Also since I didn’t want to waste an LCD flat screen by mounting it to the toolbox (or strap a giant tube monitor to it) the setup doesn’t have a monitor. I have XP Pro installed and can turn on Remote Desktop and simply manage the system from another machine in the house.

Here are some pictures of the final setup, today I used it while he was in his dog room and then quickly moved it to the basement window with relative ease. If you had an extra machine with a monitor laying around and would be filming in a stationary location you could skip the entire toolbox step.

Pictures of final version

Here is a picture of the entire thing, the camera on the tripod all attached to a computer stuffed in a toolbox on wheels.

Here is a shot of the motherboard, power supply, HD, CDRW, and all the wires that go along with it.

Here is a shot of the little wireless USB device from Belkin I’m using

The old power strip I had laying around

Here is the firewire plugged into the MiniDV Camcorder

Streaming Live

I am now streaming live from Isaac’s kennel! You can view the Dog Cam (when it’s live) at the Live Webcam Page.

Here’s what I’m using

• DVdriver from TrackerCam
• Cannon DV camera
• Tripod
• Old Computer running 2K Server
• Firewire Cable
• Belkin MIMO USB Wireless Adapter
• 42 Samsung DLP
• All being served up by www.stickam.com

Future plans include mounting the hardware on a self contained mobile cart. Right now it’s just a tripod sitting in the basement, with the computer stuffed behind the DLP.

Cow Mat solutions

OK so Isaac is still choosing to chew on 1 of the 3 cow mats. There are a couple ideas floating around that may solve the problem.

1. Tabasco Sauce on the one he’s chewing (will he just move on to a less spicy mat?)
2. Steve Romard suggested the Tri-Tronics (I’ve got the Dogtra 2300NCP). The issue with this is that he’s a sneaky little fur ball and it’s hard to catch him in the act.
3. Jen brought up a good point. Maybe it’s not Isaac’s fault, maybe it’s a defective mat and I should return it.

Since I’m a dork I looked into video survalance. I don’t have a webcam, but I do have a Digital Video Camera and found a niffty little DVdriver from TrackerCam that will allow me to use my expensive DV as a webcam. I signed up @ www.stickam.com and have embedded a feed into a page on this here blog.

Now if I really want to use a little electrical stimulation I should be able to monitor from a remote computer for chewing. I would of course want to physically see him doing it before I introduced stimulation due to possible lag time, but at least I wouldn’t have to stare out the window for hours on end. Seems like a lot of work, but the little test I did in my office worked and only took about 20 minutes to get up and running.

Here are a few images of Isaac enjoying his cow mats…

No Michael Phelps

Isaac is no Michael Phelps, but he a swimming dog these days. He still doesn’t have those back legs going; it’s all front slapping and pounding for him. It gets him some exercise and an excuse for a bath so it’s all good. I wish I could find some even cleaner water for him to swim in (anyone offering up their pool?).

I think I’ve posted this before in one way or another. Isaac is definitely showing that he’s a little nervy (define that how you will). He’s not 100% sound/stable. Sure he’d pass the gun test on the field and fireworks don’t bother him, but other things like bags of rock salt piled on his patio throw him off. He’s not showing it towards people or other dogs, and he’s gotten over the lawnmower, but he’s definitely showing a little ‘tweaky-ness’. It’s not horrible and he’s nowhere near the level of other dogs you’ll see out there (pets), but if I hold him up to dogs I’ve seen work he’s definitely a tad off. He’s showing more of that giant Marmaduke/Poo-Bear character it seems he has.

His ball drive is at an all time high, and he still drops that deep nose to the ground, but 3rd phase just doesn’t seem realistic (from what I’ve seen with Bill and just around the house). He got his first real “No Bad Dog”  correction when I busted him chewing on the Cow Mats and soft might be an understatement (he almost shutdown). I am questioning if it’s the second fear impact stage hitting him at 15/16 months because he’s large and definitely maturing slowly. His obedience is coming along as nicely as can be expected, especially since he’ll now work for the ball.

On the buy/sell/hold scale I’m at sell, but Noah has a firm HOLD position, even though Isaac chomps him on a regular basis. One weighs 70 pounds and the other is around 95 and I’m not sure which one has a clearer head. They are both pretty fast and both make a mess when they eat. They both run on the treadmill, though only one of them has defecated on it! Doesn’t seem like they’ll be separated anytime soon.

Never trust a Fart

Isaac learned to never trust a fart the hard way, while on the treadmill! He had evacuated his bowels just 45 minutes ago and was only cruising at 4.5 MPH with just over 1/2 mile completed and I smelled a little action Jackson.

Low and behold there were smelly brown nuggets stuck to the wall… I’m just glad we weren’t up to 8 MPH yet, I’ve got to imagine the impact would have been far more dramatic.

It is strange that this occured on the 4th of July, last year we had a similar poop incident click here for those details.

[View with PicLens]

Cow Mats

Isaac, Noah, and I did 3 miles on the bike this evening and now Isaac is lounging in his pimped out kennel.

Made a trip to farm and fleet and purchased 3 Cow Mats to lay down in the kennel. I noticed Isaac was getting calluses on his elbows and figured this would help. He seems to like them and I don’t think he’s too interested in chewing/eating them. I also got a cover for the kennel,  it seems that the the position of the earth relative to the sun has changed and he is now getting a little direct sunlight in the afternoons. I also purchased a tub of bag balm, all this bike riding is causing a little chafing in my ….. just kidding! I’m putting the bag balm on the start of his calluses in hopes of eliminating them.

Isaac got hosed

Isaac slept in the AC last night and is out in his kennel until lunch. After a little romp in the yard this AM I filled his two giant water bowls with fresh H20 and put him in the kennel.

About an later hour I look out the window to check on him and I notice that about 40 feet of the hose are in the kennel with him. The little freak had grabbed the end of the hose and started pulling it into the kennel with him, not sure if he had figured out how he was going to turn it on.

I dragged the hose out of the kennel and decided if you want the hose you’ll get the hose……squirt squirt….he gave me the hairy eyeball. I think his plan was to try and squirt me, ah to have opposable thumbs!

Isaac’s Tounge

If Isaac’s tongue could talk it would say “It’s freaking HOT out!” Isaac slept inside last night for the first time in a couple months….it’s just too freaking hot out! Even the blue barrel couldn’t offer protection from the latest climate change…..

We’ve gone from weather only an amphibian could enjoy to a climate scorpions flourish in! Are toads amphibians? Either way I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to Isaac barking like the Russians were invading…..only to find a toad had escaped his chompers and was lounging just outside the kennel. This toad was luckier than his brother who landed in the kennel the other night after a few excited hops. Chomp chomp!

Isaac's Tounge

If Isaac’s tongue could talk it would say “It’s freaking HOT out!” Isaac slept inside last night for the first time in a couple months….it’s just too freaking hot out! Even the blue barrel couldn’t offer protection from the latest climate change…..

We’ve gone from weather only an amphibian could enjoy to a climate scorpions flourish in! Are toads amphibians? Either way I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to Isaac barking like the Russians were invading…..only to find a toad had escaped his chompers and was lounging just outside the kennel. This toad was luckier than his brother who landed in the kennel the other night after a few excited hops. Chomp chomp!

Swim and a Bath

Isaac took in a swim and a bath today. It’s hot out!

Sad results

How sad is it that 4 of the top 7 searches performed in google that drive people to the site are related to crap? Diarrhea, rabbit poop, rabbit poo, and puppy diarrhea….. You search for puppy diarrhea at google.com and the results will put my site at the very top of your list, go on check it out (or click here). Sucks that I’m behind leerburg.com, that dudes kind of a nut-ball (shit I probably just started a war). He’s really a highly skilled and polished dog trainer who supports the first amendmant to the constitution.

The dog barked

Went to Schutzhund Club last Sunday and Isaac barked! Don’t get too terribly excited. Though it was nice it is still rather apparent that he’s soft, has a shitty grip, is still hesitant, and really kind of looks pathetic. Since it’s apparent holding off on OB isn’t helping out I’m going to start working him in OB. It’s also apparent that Noah isn’t going to let me ‘trade-in’ the beast so it looks like there will be a second GSD in the future. Not too terribly excited about the prospect in Brazil (not sure why) and his sister is, well, a female (and gone). I can’t imagine the honey-do list (hope Kerry doesn’t read this) that will required to be completed prior to another dog.

On another note I fell asleep last night an accidentally forgot to bring Isaac in from the kennel. When I went down and let him out he was still sound asleep in his blue barrel (K-9Kondo) at 8:15 this morning. Didn’t hear a peep out of him all night…….will need to stick that in my memory backs for days I want to sleep in.

Had a touch of a limp earlier in the week after 2 miles on the bike, checked his pads and didn’t see anything so I think he was just a tad sore.