Dancing Queen Iz Mimoletnogo Videnija (Masha)

Owner: Petra Kastlova, kennel Paganiniho symfonie, PetraEster.Kastlova@seznam.cz, Prague, Czech Republic
Co-owner: Terezie&Jan Valcikovi kennel Teschiro, info@teschiro.cz

Masha is an ideal bed doggie. I even think she likes any bed more than human company. Every time I watch her rituals before sleeping, some sort of gymnastics involving rubbing herself in the blanket, her back and how blissfully she moans, I have no doubts she has abopted us thanks to our big bed :-).

Masha is a the smaller one, but the strong one. Either it somehow goes with the size or she has learnt from Sisi - no matter what, she does make her way through.

I tried to do agility with her and she didn't like it. Go through a tunnel? Absolutely below her class and pride. We also tried coursing as she enjoys running. She follows the bait, but not to hunt it, just to follow it. Whe it stops, she loses her interest entirely. Even a rabbit skin didn't motivate her a bit. That look of "I won't touch THAT THING" I would wish you to see.

Obedience is not her cup of tea neither. To convince her Majesty of necessity to follow at least basic commands is as daunting as a task for Hercules. Or perhaps I'm too soft with her and she simply decided not to train obedience with me, I don't know. But usually I rather blame myself then others and thus I think it's somehow my fault. So far we have managed to sit and lay down on command and that's about it. Calling her to me has questionable success rate, but in three out of four cases she comes. There was a time when I refused to take her out for waklks. How could I take her out when I can't recall her? Definitely I don't favor walks with a dog on the leash all the time, not to let the dog run freely at all. So with pockets full of treats we have managed to get where we are now. I'm not really proud of it, but that's the way it is and I take it that way.

What Masha enjoys really is the nosework. We are at beginners level but I don't want to push it at all cost. When I see her how she's looking forward to start, how concetrated she is while looking for the sample and how she started to mark it, it's all clear to me; of all sports and activities, she was born for this one. With Masha we do it rather to enjoy and more for fun itself, we do not pursue grades and exams. We just both enjoy and we shall keep it that way.

The last "sport" our poodles do, meaning the dog shows, Masha is not overly successful. I'd wish to say "for the time being", but we'll see. When she was younger, she managed to ruin the coat on her head and thus all the shows where naturaly on hold till it would grow back. It is getting better, however it's still going to take some time. Perhaps next year she would have her show ring comeback. Masha is a looker, she has lovely expressiom and moves elegantly. So I keep some hope in my heart she could be liked and appreciated there again.

What's quite typical for Masha is sitting of laying on a chair. She always tries to do so (the latter). While I call the family for meal, she's the first to take a chair. Probably she hopes there is something for her at the table as well. However no dog has such priviliges at us and it is not about to change ;-).

That's in nutshell about our russian treasure. She ideal family dog, not too demanding and quite adaptable. And when you find the right motivation, she would even do what you asked. So please excuse me here as I go think and try to find out, how else should I motivate her ;-D.