Big Weekend

It was a busy, but good weekend around here. I was exchanging emails with a young woman who was interested in Sandy on Wed/Thurs and I took her so that they could meet on Friday morning. Sandy was interested in the birds and everything else around her at the park we met at, but the young woman and Sandy hit it off fairly well. She was able to pet Sandy and give her some treats and get Sandy to lay down and get a belly rub. Overall, I think the meeting went well. I shouldn't have brought the retractable leash as Sandy was winding me up in it. Oh well.

Saturday, Ben stayed home and cooked all day because he was hosting a dinner party for 7 folks as a project for culinary and he had to do all the prep, cooking, serving, cleaning, etc. On one of his breaks, we were out back in the yard with Sandy and I was throwing her the Frisbee and she started running around with it and I clapped my hands and talked sweet to her and she brought it to me (well, close). I was able to throw it and have her only run around the yard with it a little bit before bringing it nearly to me a number of times. She never went for it in the air, but it was progress.

It was the last Sat. of our 4 day dog training basics class, but since Lindsey had been adopted the weekend before, he was without a dog. Sandy and I had done some more practice on loose leash walking on Friday evening and I was feeling so-so about it. I really didn't put in the effort required to get it down, but these things take time and I just wasn't giving enough of it. Sandy and I went to class and Dana took us all inside (Tomlinson's, Cedar Park) and then one by one took each owner/dog pair outside to see how they were doing with the things they were supposed to have learned. It was obvious to Dana that Sandy had sit down pat and would go down for a treat, but she commented that I need to work, work, work on down so that a treat doesn't need to be involved. Sandy did fine on come, though she didn't sit in front of me. For loose leash walking, things actually went pretty well. I was surprised by the results. Sandy received a certificate of completion of the course with owner name left blank and Dana and I talked about the thing that Sandy needs the most work on, socialization. Dana told me that if Sandy didn't want to approach some people that was okay. She said I needed to have people over and give them cheese and have them not make eye contact and just drop some cheese. Sounds simple enough. Dana also offered to come over and observe the socialization and offer hints. Ben received a certificate for becoming a successful trainer and having the most dogs adopted out during class :-) .

Ben was still cooking around when the guests were to arrive and I was getting a bit antsy. I am one of those parents who is too willing to share how they think things should be done and I needed to get out of Ben's hair. I took Sandy out for a walk and we practiced loose leash walking. I have been practicing with Sandy, but I think she thinks when I whistle, that it means to turn around. We started walking down the sidewalk and she started to pull a bit, so I whistled and we went the other way. We got a little way past the driveway and she started to pull again so I whistled and we went the other way. This is what Dana describes as "expanding the circle". We only made it down a few houses in one direction in the 10 plus minutes we were out walking, but Sandy was walking right beside me looking at me for clues as to what I wanted and where I wanted to go for good parts of the last few minutes. When I whistled and she turned and we started the other way, she was falling into step. Progress!!!

When the first guest arrived, it was Lori. Sandy sees Lori all the time and the house and they get on great. No problem. Then the Ellis's arrived. Sandy barked at the 4 of them and I put her outside for a minute. I let her back in and everyone sat in the living room, but Sandy just poked her head in and barked a bit and growled. I got out some of the slide chicken that I had used for training treats and gave some to the boys and told them not to look at her,but to just drop some treats for her. Sandy came to me and sat with me for a treat but looked at the boys across the room on the couch apprehensively. She was fine sitting by me and didn't bark, but came and went from the room. The boys tossed some chicken pieces out to her across the room and made a little trail closer to them. Sandy picked up some of them apprehensively stretching to get them. She left the closest ones alone. Finally she settled down at my feet. When we adjourned to the dining table, she picked up the last pieces of treat and laid down on the living room floor. No one payed her much attention during the meal (good food) and she visited the dining room to check some folks out a little bit, but mostly kept to herself. Overall, things went pretty well. She settled in, she wasn't looking to be petted by anyone new, but she also wasn't just sitting and barking and running away.