March Madness- Canine Style!

In the animal kingdom, they have their own version of "March Madness!"  :D

Here's a true story.  I don't watch sports.  I know very little about sports.  The first year my office did a March Madness pool, they wanted everyone to contribute $5 and guess who was going to win it.  I got talked into participating.  When I picked my teams, I didn't know the numbers next to the team names meant anything.  So I lost very quickly!

The next year, I still knew nothing about sports.  (Other than that number by the team name was their ranking.)  So this time, I made my selections mostly based on which team was ranked higher.  And when it was close, I guessed based on 1) if I had been to that city, 2) if I liked their team colors, and 3) what their team mascot was. (which animal I liked better.)

And guess what... that was the year I WON!!!  I won the whole office jackpot for March Madness.  Of course, everyone was mad because they knew I didn't even watch sports!!  And they knew how I had made my selections! (Because I had to ask what the team mascot and colors were!!)  LOL.  (They weren't really upset, it was all in good fun.)  They have no one to blame but themselves... they made me enter!  Because I won, they "encouraged" (made me) spend the jackpot by buying lunch for the whole office.  But it's all good.  ;)  We still joke about it... 

That's when I decided to stick to what I know best.  DOG TRICKS.  I decided to create my own Canine Basketball Team!  :)

We are friends with trick dogs from all over the world!  (Mainly because of Facebook and YouTube!)
So I wrote them and asked if they wanted to join our FIRST EVER Canine Basketball Team!  (Of course the answer was yes!)   

So here they are- meet the Canine All-Star Basketball Team:



This video showcases dogs from all over the USA, as well as Switzerland, Australia, Canada, and England!  And even better, all of these dogs were trained using positive reinforcement.  (Just like Jaz!)  I just love watching it.  It always makes me smile.  We are miles apart, but our love of dogs brings us together.

So, this is pretty much the only sports I like to watch!   Hope you enjoyed March Madness- Canine Style!

P.S.  Clips from this video were featured on Animal Planet last December!  (On a show called "A Year in Pup Culture".   :)

Do YOU have a dancing dog?

Hi Friends.

OK- so even though it took me 4 months to make this video- "Dogs Play Basketball".... it was totally worth it.  I like it.  And it's fun to watch.  :)  This featured 21 different dogs from all over the world.  (Their names, YouTube channel, and location are in the description.)



And it got almost 5,900 views in 4 days.  So... obviously other people think it's fun to watch too!  :D

So, I thought I'd give it another try... I made a video of Jasmine dancing.  But it just seemed like it would be more fun if there were a ton of other dogs dancing with her.



So- here are the requirements if you would like to participate:

1) Film your dog "Dancing".  Dancing can mean walking/jumping on hind legs, spinning, backing up (moonwalk) etc.  Whatever looks like a dance move to you.

2) It must be filmed with NO HUMANS in view.  If your dog only dances for a treat, just angle the camera so you don't see the treat!  (You can use a bait stick- a long wand w/ a treat attached to the end.)

3) It needs to be filmed using a tri-pod or by someone with a very steady hand.  (It makes me seasick watching shaky footage!)

4) It needs be filmed in good lighting.  (Either a well-lit room or outside.)

5) Please name your file DancingDog_YourDogsName_YourName
I.E.  DancingDog_Rusty_JaneSmith.   
You would not believe how long it took me to figure out who all the basketball dogs were in the video above!!!  (And who they belonged to!!)

5) Most likely the file will be too big to send through regular email.  So please sent it using the free trial from www.sendspace.com, www.dropbox.com, or www.yousendit.com  
 Upload your video and send it to:  myfavpupjasmine@hotmail.com   (And send me an regular email to let me know it's on it's way, and please list again your name, your dogs name, your dogs breed, and your YouTube address so I can give you credit for being in the video.)

6) Ideally, I'd like to have all the videos in the next 2 weeks. (Before Sept. 23rd.)

And from there- I'll mix them all together into one big fun Party Rock Dancing Dog video!  :D


Disclaimer:
I believe all dog tricks should be voluntary behaviors.  I only train using positive reinforcement (clicker training).  This is just for fun... so please make sure your dog is having fun as well.
And please have realistic expectations when asking for new behaviors or working with current ones.  
My Favorite Pup Jasmine is 6 years old. (She'll be 7 in December.)  We've been doing tricks her whole life.  So we've slowly built up her resume to what it is today.  So keep that in mind.  If you want your dog to be like Jasmine, you have to be willing to invest the time and be patient while you both learn and grow.  :)

Okay- that's all the serious stuff.  Have fun!!  :D  Looking forward to seeing all your videos!!  :)

Dogs Play Basketball

You know how sometimes you get a great idea in your head... but then you don't have time to do anything about it? 

That's what happened to me!

Back in April... I had the idea to make a basketball movie- showcasing the talents of as many dogs as I could find.  Luckily, I'm pretty well plugged in with the trick dog world.  (Through Jasmine's Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.)   And I found 21 dogs from around the world that knew how to play ball!!  :)   They all sent me clips, and then...... I got super busy and didn't do anything with them!

But recently, I got motivated to work on it again!   (Having Labor Day off from work totally helped!)  ;)   I spent the day editing together this video!   And- 4 months after I originally started- Voila!  The video is done!  I'm happy with it.   I love showing the different breeds- large, medium, and small.  As far as I'm aware, this is the 1st ever International Canine All-Star Basketball Team!!  :)   

I listed in the description where each dog was from.  Most are in the USA, but some are from Switzerland, Australia, and England!  I think it's so fun to watch!  :) 

And apparently other people agree.  Because I just uploaded this Monday afternoon, and as of Tuesday night, it already has 3,450 views!!  (That's just one day later!)   What can I say?  They're cute dogs!  
I think we're going to have to start our own Dream Team....  ;)

VOTE for Jaz- so she'll be on TV during the SUPER BOWL! :D

Jaz's video might get aired during the SuperBowl!!! :D Jasmine was 1 of 3 finalists in the "12 Seconds of Fame" contest for Channel 12. We need your votes! If Jaz's video gets the most votes it will be aired during Half-Time of the SuperBowl!!! :D

Here's the link to vote! https://www.facebook.com/12news?v=app_256851337719345&app_data=vote_entry_id%3D2766212

Because she was one of the finalists, a clip of her video will be played during the pre-game show! But if she gets the most votes, they'll air the whole thing!

Woohoo!! You can vote once per day until Jan. 31st! By the way, I tell everyone to vote for Jasmine.... but it's listed under me- CJ. :) Just look for the one with the dog in it! lol...

THANK YOU my friends!!