Harold the Rooster

[AMKuska]

I’m so sorry about Brighty. It’s so hard to lose a pet. Harold is on to a new home and new ladies!

It was very sad. I swear the predators target my favorite birds. If the bird is a jerk and I'm pondering putting it in a stew anyway, that one lives forever. If it's the nicest little thing that follows you everywhere, it's the first to die.

 

[AMKuska]

Raccoon was back last night. I slept through it, but my husband says the raccoon tried 5x to get into the big chicken coop. I checked Sylvia, heart in my throat, to find the raccoon had tugged and pulled with all his might at the new improvements, but couldn't get his greedy little hand through.

She's alive and healthy!

We did another day of filming, and now have 6/15 done. That's almost half way! We have:
Fly onto target (Day 1)
Stand on a box (Day 2)
Scratch a Target (Day 3)
Bounce (Day 4)
Jump over a jump (Day 4)
Under (Day 4)

I was a bit surprised she volunteered "Under" while we were working on over. She did do under before, but we haven't worked on it with her for months. Tomorrow or the day after we should hit the half way point in getting tricks filmed!

 

[AMKuska]

Went out to film another trick and found Sylvia hunched in the corner of the pen. Her feathers were all fluffed out. She got up when she saw me and waddled over, but was having difficulty walking. Oh no!

When she came closer though, I saw an egg poking out her vent! I quickly raised my camera and got a video of her laying an egg! She popped it out and then felt a lot better.

7/15 today was getting a treat from under a cup. I got a slow motion of her turning the cup over and a full speed version. As long as I was putting treats under the cup, she was happy to keep turning it over to get them.

 

[AMKuska]

I got a Sylvia-sized hoop and went out there to film 8/15! I am so excited. We're over half way done with getting them all filmed.

 

[AMKuska]

9/15 Jumping from platform to platform! Great job Sylvia!

I got a few clips of videos for 2 other tricks, but need to get more film for the video. I'm so excited that we're nearly done with filming. There's supposed to be a big thunderstorm so I probably won't have the opportunity to go back for retakes.

 

[AMKuska]

There was a break in the weather so I hurried out to try and work with her as much as possible. I have all 15 tricks recorded! I'll probably have to retake some of them for the video, but I'm not complaining!

 

[AMKuska]

Judge approved her videos! She now has the title--er-- "Novice Trick Dog."

I'm going to start editing her video together tomorrow, and will share it when it's done.

 

[AMKuska]

Ta-da!! Sylvia performing 15 tricks for her trick Chicken title:

 

[baymule]

That is so cool! Sylvia is so smart!