Training week 2

Saturday was class of training. Since Confetti was adopted, I talked to Monica about who Ben could take with the parameter that class was 4 additional calendar weeks and it would be nice to have a dog that is a) reasonable in size for Ben, b) relatively intelligent so that the dog can catchup on the missing week, and c) likely not to be adopted immediately. Lindsey was determined to meet all the criteria since she hadn't really had anyone looking at her and so Ben, Sandy and I piled into the suv and headed to the shelter before training class so that he could check her out and do a little catchup work with her before class. Initial indications were positive, so we off we all went to training.

This weeks training topic is impulsivity. Now, my first thought was that I should pay attention as this might help me personally, but then again I already know how to sit/stay and down/stay, so it isn't really the training that I need for myself, but is excellent for the dogs. We broke up into different areas and each took a small tree to clip our leash to so that we could get the dogs to sit and then teach stay and the same thing with down. I wasn't sure if Sandy was doing well or not. She would sit, but then she would look around and I couldn't tell if she was staying because I told her to or if she was just taking in the scenery. She would sit and then I would go to tell her to stay and she was already looking away. Likewise with down. Sometimes she was paying attention, and sometimes not. I looked over to see Ben and Lindsey doing great. After practicing that a bit, we heard about sitting for leash, sitting for bowl and sitting for door. All things we need to practice. I also found out that I need to be doing more on our walking exercise. I was following Dana's example in class and making the dog sit every 20 or so feet or more and she told me that I need to do it more like every 5 feet with Sandy. I tried that yesterday and I don't think she gets it, but that is something I will have to work every day.

We dropped Lindsey back at the shelter and Ben worked with her a little bit more. On Sunday, I dropped Sandy by the shelter so that she can be seen all day and Ben and I came back around 4:30 so that he could feed Lindsey dinner to work on her stay and sit for bowl. Sandy is doing great on sit for leash and already does that and is getting pretty good at sit for bowl. At first, she shied away when I had the bowl up and was lowering it. I think she thought I meant to whack her with it, but she seems to be coming around. I have only worked on sit for door at the front door with the leash on. I don't think working on it at the back door everytime she wants to go out will work, but that certainly would give me more practice. Sandy and I worked on stay in the meet and greet pen at the shelter on Sunday and if there weren't too many distractions around, I could have Sandy stay for quite a while and walk around. If another dog was being walked past the pen, then she lost focus. It is a good start and I just need to work it daily at home inside, in the backyard/front yard and 1 other place.

We put a sign on Lindsey's kennel inside and left a note for April that we would be coming by everyday for dinner time so that Ben can work with her on sit for bowl, so that should be good. He is really doing well which is very nice to see. I need to make sure that I make time to train with Sandy. She is right there at home, so I have all the advantage, but it is just so easy to want to "just chill" and to not get it done. She needs the work and I need to put in the time.