Thursday, February 7, 2013

Incredible Dog Tricks by Nana


Nana the Border Collie performs amazing dog tricks!  All of Nana's training is done with progressive reinforcement and clicker training.

I have included some of Nana's latest tricks in addition to some of her older ones.  We hope you all enjoy!  Stay tuned for more videos. :)

Friday, February 1, 2013

Meet the Newest Family Member!

     It has been a few months now since the unfortunate passing of my beloved ferret Viggo, and during that time, I have really missed having a ferret.  They are truly one of the most endearing and amusing critters in the animal kingdom, never ceasing to bring a smile to your face or a laugh in an otherwise uneventful day.  They bring such joy to our lives and leave gaping holes in them when they are gone.  I knew I would have to have another one to share my life with again, and after pulling myself back together, I finally decided to bring home another bundle of joy.
 
Introducing the newest member of the family....... Sebastian!
 
 
     Sebastian is a ten-week-old chocolate ferret kit.  He is oozing with personality, charm, and an inspiring enthusiasm for life and fun.  It is apparent that he is quite unaware of how small he is, as he chases Nana about the house with the zest and vigor of an animal six times his size.  Kaiser adores his new friend, as does Sebastian.  He will nip Kai playfully before darting off into the living room with Kaiser at his heels, then the two will proceed to wrestle each other.  Kaiser seems to know that Sebastian is still quite delicate at his young age, and he is very gentle when playing with him.
 
 
     Sebastian is an exceptionally vocal ferret, something I am just getting used to as Viggo was almost completely mute.  He dooks constantly whether he is playing, running, or just walking about the house.  I am also not so accustomed to having a ferret with such an acute sense of hearing (Viggo had a hearing impairment, though he wasn't completely deaf).  Sebastian comes bounding to the sound of his squeaky toys or his name being called, and also loves listening to the guitar being played.
 
     Amongst Sebastian's favourite activities is riding on my shoulder.  He demonstrates incredible agility when he climbs up my clothing with apparent ease to get up to his comfortable spot on my shoulder, ready for a ride.  Occasionally he will fall asleep there, though most of the time he does not want to miss out on any of the action.
 
 
     Sebastian's level of intelligence is outstanding.  He has already mastered some simple tricks in only a few short training sessions and thrives on learning new things.  I will definitely have videos soon of him demonstrating his skills as he learns.
 
Stay tuned for more videos featuring Sebastian the ferret!