I posted about her first class here - so this is mostly from class and beyond
First training class - so late
She’s 11 months old but in rural Wisconsin this is when we were able to get into a class that worked in my schedule - still 50 minute drive one way. She did really well with the other dogs. She’s crushing it on house and play manners, and socialization (this is just stuff we had to work on, trainer or none, by her age). She also knows a few fun tricks because I had to keep a growing puppy occupied in upper Midwest winter. Her walking etiquette is a nightmare. We manage on wooded trails because she likes sniffing so much. Boring walks - it’s horrible because she is searching for something interesting ten feet away. I gave in to walking her for her own reasons, almost zero percent mine. This won’t work again in winter.
This past winter I tried some work on the porch to separate her from the other dog but there isn’t much space. Our homework this week is just getting her to walk beside me a little better. This works in part of the yard but she doesn’t totally get it. Flips around in circles, but better yesterday. I shouldn’t have maybe gotten impatient but I took her out in front of the house (no sidewalk, just the street) - practically nobody lives here - it’s a dead end street. She pulled so bad she almost pulled me over. Total hell.
Then I saw a couple dogs were approaching us with their humans (what her total madness was about). All the dogs got happy and excited and it was real mayhem so we just let go of the leashes to let them play. Lots of hopping and bouncing around. Nobody could get to this dead end street by car without us getting the dogs (Anouk also has good recall, while playing too). They all stayed near and just played. I said, “Well, our walking practice is done today!” But she had a lot of fun meeting a couple neighbor dogs. Not snarky types - all wanted to play. Anouk is also not one to run off but I also don’t let her off the leash. It was the other humans’ idea and it made sense in the circumstance. I know I’m not supposed to recommend such a thing, and she also failed walking practice today (or we did). But she liked meeting the new neighbors and is always dog social with the chummy types. Fun for her. But probably yet another moment she entirely got her way - she’s just wanted to meet ANY dog in town but can’t. The ones closest to us would not be a good idea anyway.
Tomorrow we have class tomorrow again and I think her progress on walking will be like a D- to. D. Everything else she’s hitting close to A, though can’t sit or stay super long. This might be and age thing or a maturity thing. I’m not sure. she is managing boredom better without needing constant activity until she is delirious. This is probably just maturity too.
For walking she might always have tension on the leash - my other dog did until older age and it just didn’t bug me. But she has horrid problems lunging with major force at times. I’m not sure if this class will address this level of poor walking but hopefully I get some ideas. It’s a mixed class where some dogs are still learning how to sit nicely.
First training class - so late
She’s 11 months old but in rural Wisconsin this is when we were able to get into a class that worked in my schedule - still 50 minute drive one way. She did really well with the other dogs. She’s crushing it on house and play manners, and socialization (this is just stuff we had to work on, trainer or none, by her age). She also knows a few fun tricks because I had to keep a growing puppy occupied in upper Midwest winter. Her walking etiquette is a nightmare. We manage on wooded trails because she likes sniffing so much. Boring walks - it’s horrible because she is searching for something interesting ten feet away. I gave in to walking her for her own reasons, almost zero percent mine. This won’t work again in winter.
This past winter I tried some work on the porch to separate her from the other dog but there isn’t much space. Our homework this week is just getting her to walk beside me a little better. This works in part of the yard but she doesn’t totally get it. Flips around in circles, but better yesterday. I shouldn’t have maybe gotten impatient but I took her out in front of the house (no sidewalk, just the street) - practically nobody lives here - it’s a dead end street. She pulled so bad she almost pulled me over. Total hell.
Then I saw a couple dogs were approaching us with their humans (what her total madness was about). All the dogs got happy and excited and it was real mayhem so we just let go of the leashes to let them play. Lots of hopping and bouncing around. Nobody could get to this dead end street by car without us getting the dogs (Anouk also has good recall, while playing too). They all stayed near and just played. I said, “Well, our walking practice is done today!” But she had a lot of fun meeting a couple neighbor dogs. Not snarky types - all wanted to play. Anouk is also not one to run off but I also don’t let her off the leash. It was the other humans’ idea and it made sense in the circumstance. I know I’m not supposed to recommend such a thing, and she also failed walking practice today (or we did). But she liked meeting the new neighbors and is always dog social with the chummy types. Fun for her. But probably yet another moment she entirely got her way - she’s just wanted to meet ANY dog in town but can’t. The ones closest to us would not be a good idea anyway.
Tomorrow we have class tomorrow again and I think her progress on walking will be like a D- to. D. Everything else she’s hitting close to A, though can’t sit or stay super long. This might be and age thing or a maturity thing. I’m not sure. she is managing boredom better without needing constant activity until she is delirious. This is probably just maturity too.
For walking she might always have tension on the leash - my other dog did until older age and it just didn’t bug me. But she has horrid problems lunging with major force at times. I’m not sure if this class will address this level of poor walking but hopefully I get some ideas. It’s a mixed class where some dogs are still learning how to sit nicely.